Labor News Update - 05/11/2023

Writers Guild of America Strike Updates

WGA Strike Hub website: https://www.wgacontract2023.org/

Writers’ Fear of Joining the ‘Gig Economy’ Fuels WGA Picket Lines https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/gig-economy-writers-strike-1235608830/

WGA Raises $1.7 Million To Help Industry Workers Impacted By Strike https://deadline.com/2023/05/writers-strikes-wga-raises-millions-to-help-industry-professionals-1235362376/

Fran Drescher Follows Up Comments Made On Picket Line, Says “I Think It’s Important That We Sit By Our Sister Unions In Solidarity” https://deadline.com/2023/05/fran-drescher-wga-strike-follow-up-comments-picket-line-julie-mason-show-sirius-1235362243/

L.A. Film Permit Requests For On-Location Scripted TV Shows Plunge 51% In First Week Of WGA Strike https://deadline.com/2023/05/writers-strike-l-a-film-permit-requests-plunge-on-location-tv-shows-1235362175/

The Imagine Dragons joined the picket line to perform a few songs for writers striking outside of the Netflix building in Hollywood. https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/imagine-dragons-performs-outside-the-netflix-building-during-writers-strike/

George R.R. Martin Calls Out Mini Rooms for TV Writers: ‘The WGA Needs to Win on That Issue’ https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/george-r-r-martin-calls-out-mini-rooms-for-tv-writers-strike-1234860541/

Actors' Equity To Join WGA Picket Line At NYCS HBO And Amazon Offices https://deadline.com/2023/05/actors-equity-wga-picket-line-new-york-city-broadway-hbo-amazon-1235360627/

As You Wish: Mandy Patinkin Picket Sign Invokes ‘Princess Bride’ As He & Bob Odenkirk Support WGA Strike https://deadline.com/2023/05/writers-strike-bob-odenkirk-mandy-patinkin-picket-line-wga-support-1235362209/

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Shuts Down For Rest Of Week After Striking Writers Picket Disney+ Show https://deadline.com/2023/05/daredevil-born-again-shuts-down-rest-of-week-wga-strike-picketers-1235362802/

WGA Chief Negotiator Ellen Stutzman’s Parents & Aunt Walk NYC Picket Line In Show Of Support: “We’re Very Proud Of Her” https://deadline.com/2023/05/wga-chief-negotiator-parents-picket-line-new-york-1235362671/

Take Action: Stand with Striking Writers https://aflcio.org/2023/5/10/take-action-stand-striking-writers

Labor News

Railroads Union Say Recently Won Sick Leave Agreements Are Deceptive https://fortune.com/2023/05/08/railroad-workers-sick-leave-concessions-union/

Across Indiana, childcare workers have gone on strike to protest low pay and demand that the state legislature provide more money to support them.   https://www.wvpe.org/2023-05-08/indianapolis-child-care-providers-walk-out-to-highlight-low-pay-missed-opportunity-at-legislature

In a sign of the growing strength of the resident physician unionization movement, residents at the University of Pennsylvania have voted to unionize by a margin of 892-to- 110. Their win marks the first union by resident physicians here in Pennsylvania. https://www.thedp.com/article/2023/05/penn-medicine-unionize-philadelphia-hospital-residents-fellows

At A Breaking Point: In the States Roundup https://aflcio.org/2023/5/10/breaking-point-states-roundup

Workers in Snøhetta’s U.S. studios petition to unionize https://www.archpaper.com/2023/05/workers-snohettas-us-studios-petition-unionize/

Postal workers rally in SW DC ahead of USPS board of governors meeting Tuesday https://wjla.com/news/local/usps-protest-washington-dc-united-states-postal-staffing-shortages-work-conditions-maryland-virginia-post-office-employee-benefits-pandemic-union-brentwood-shooting-demand-better-service-mail-delays

lowa City Starbucks employees host 'sip-in' demonstration Monday morning, push for union https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/2023/05/09/iowa-city-starbucks-employees-push-to-unionize-during-sip-in/70197014007/

Amid a funding crunch for many California State University campuses due to dropping enrollment, student assistants across the nation’s largest public university system are forming a union to secure better pay and working conditions.  https://thepioneeronline.com/47760/metro/student-assistants-push-for-union-representation/

OHSU research workers push for a union — Research workers say Oregon Health & Science University should have funded recent raises to prevent layoffs. https://www.thelundreport.org/content/ohsu-research-workers-push-union

Florida’s largest teachers union files lawsuit after union-busting bill signed into law https://www.wmnf.org/floridas-largest-teachers-union-files-lawsuit-after-union-busting-bill-signed-into-law/

Striking West Virginia Teamsters workers plan to return to work later this week https://wvmetronews.com/2023/05/10/teamsters-local-175-president-says-coca-cola-only-delivering-to-larger-customers/

UPS, Teamsters Begin National Contract Talks as Deadline Looms https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/ups-teamsters-begin-national-contract-talks-as-deadline-looms

Workers in the custodial and plant services department at Richmond Public Schools have voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 322. https://www.streetinsider.com/dr/news.php?id=21638103&gfv=1

United Mine Workers members remembered in service near Minersville https://news.yahoo.com/united-mine-workers-members-remembered-035900728.html

Politics, Government & Legislation

Florida lawmakers want to use radioactive material to pave roads - Conservation groups are urging DeSantis to veto the bill, saying phosphogypsum would hurt water quality and put road construction crews at a higher risk of cancer. https://www.npr.org/2023/05/09/1174789570/florida-roads-radioactive-paving-phosphogypsum

New Jersey Gov. Murphy Signs Landmark Bill Improving Unemployment Insurance Benefits for Striking Workers https://aflcio.org/2023/5/10/service-solidarity-spotlight-new-jersey-gov-murphy-signs-landmark-bill-improving

Weaponizing the debt limit should not be normalized — President Biden should do “whatever it takes” to avoid an economic catastrophe https://www.epi.org/blog/weaponizing-the-debt-limit-should-not-be-normalized-president-biden-should-do-whatever-it-takes-to-avoid-an-economic-catastrophe/?mc_cid=5e8430d809&mc_eid=724e5cdc97

These states will be hit the hardest if the US debt ceiling standoff isn't resolved https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/10/economy/debt-ceiling-layoffs/index.html

Minnesota Senate votes for paid family and medical leave https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-senate-debates-paid-family-and-medical-leave-workers-business-legislature/600273256/

From Forward Kentucky: The Cameron Pandering Machine https://ky.aflcio.org/news/forward-kentucky-cameron-pandering-machine

NLRB News & Decisions 

Forget the NLRB — build the barricades — The workers movement has been most successful when we organize maximum disruption. In 2018, teacher wildcat strikes won big in right wing dominated states of Arizona, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma and West Virginia. Only then can we win immediate improvements that also give us the power to transform an unjust system that has pushed all life on earth to the point of ecocide. https://thechiefleader.com/stories/forget-the-nlrb,50425

What the Bleep!?: NLRB Makes it More Difficult to Discipline Employee Outbursts

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/what-the-bleep-nlrb-makes-it-more-5089721/

Jobs, Business & Economy 

April jobs report — The labor market is strong, but it’s not ‘too hot’ https://www.epi.org/blog/april-jobs-report-the-labor-market-is-strong-but-its-not-too-hot/?mc_cid=5e8430d809&mc_eid=724e5cdc97

Teacher Appreciation Week began earlier this week, on May 8. The best way to show gratitude for our teachers? Improving their working conditions. To uplift teachers and ensure the best possible education for our children, we must address the two most pressing reasons teachers are leaving the sector: The long-standing decline in the pay of teachers relative to other workers with a college degree and the high and increasing levels of stress public school teachers face. Read the report: https://www.epi.org/publication/shortage-of-teachers/?mc_cid=5e8430d809&mc_eid=724e5cdc97

Appreciate teachers by paying them more https://ky.aflcio.org/news/appreciate-teachers-paying-them-more

Teacher Appreciation Week, National Nurses Week 2023: Deals, discounts and freebies https://www.whas11.com/article/news/nation-world/deals-teacher-appreciation-nurse-appreciation-week/507-45b96f9b-3d6b-4f14-b293-6b16f6c88c32

Workplace Safety 

Wisconsin workplace deaths down from 2018, but more work needs to be done https://www.wpr.org/wisconsin-workplace-deaths-down-violence-up-osha

Nurses feel worse off now than they did during the height of the pandemic, survey shows https://upnorthlive.com/news/nation-world/survey-shows-crisis-in-nursing-lower-job-satisfaction-more-stress-health-care-labor-staffing-patients-hospitals-clinics-mental-health-careers-working-conditions

Labor Honors and Celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Renee Hamel https://aflcio.org/2023/5/10/asian-american-and-pacific-islander-heritage-month-profiles-renee-hamel 

Announcements & Events 

Stamp Out Hunger® Drive Feeds Local Families for 3oth Year https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/2023/05/09/stamp-out-hungar-drive-feeds-local-families-for-30th-year/

This Day in Labor History 

Labor History in 2:00 Podcast:

May 11 - The Historic Pullman Strike Begins

On this day in Labor History the year was 1869. At 2:47 pm a one-word telegram was sent from Promontory Summit, Utah.  The message read simply, “done.”