Labor News Update - 05/16/2023

Writers Guild of America Strike Updates

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

The writers’ strike’s top ally: an F-bomb-throwing Teamster with a Jimmy Hoffa tattoo https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2023-05-12/lindsay-dougherty-wga-ally-from-the-teamsters

The Luddites of Hollywood — The writers’ strike is a struggle to give workers a say over how new technologies like artificial intelligence are adopted. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/05/writers-strike-hollywood-wga-union-streaming-platforms/674056/

Tony Awards Broadcast Can Proceed After Striking Writers' Union Agrees https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/15/theater/agreement-tony-awards-writers-strike.html

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

Labor News

Flush With Federal Money. Strings Attached, a Deep South Factory Votes to Unionize — “This is just a bellwether for the future, particularly in the South, where working people have been ignored,” Liz Shuler, president of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., said Friday evening after the vote. “We are now in a place where we have the investments coming in and a strategy for lifting up wages and protections for a good high-road future.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/12/us/politics/clean-energy-unions.html

Thousands of pilots at Southwest and American Airlines are threatening to walk off the job https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pilot-strike-american-southwest-cbs-news-explains/

So you want to go on strike? Philadelphia’s union council is teaching workers how https://www.inquirer.com/jobs/labor/strike-education-classes-offered-labor-union-20230515.html

UMaine officials considering voluntary recognition of grad students’ union https://mainebeacon.com/umaine-officials-considering-voluntary-recognition-of-grad-students-union/

Blue Bird Workers Vote to Join USW https://aflcio.org/2023/5/15/service-solidarity-spotlight-blue-bird-workers-vote-join-usw

"We did well all the way around': Augusta steel workers finalize new contract https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/money/business/cives-steel-contract-negotiation-agreement-higher-wages-improved-benefits/97-63bbc2c9-a6f9-4e6e-95fb-11ee7f330adc

Carnegie Museums workers union announces tentative contract agreement https://www.wesa.fm/arts-sports-culture/2023-05-14/carnegie-museums-workers-union-announces-tentative-contract-agreement

The teachers union for the second-largest school district in Alaska authorized a strike vote on Monday. https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/education/2023/05/15/mat-su-teachers-union-authorizes-strike-vote/

Teachers union withdraws support for tentative salary agreement — Grand Forks Education Association says agreement's language provides for increases to base salary, rather than an agreed-upon increase for all salaries. https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/local/teachers-union-withdraws-support-for-tentative-salary-agreement

City of Austin employees to return to the office, union not on board https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/city-of-austin-employees-to-return-to-the-office-union-not-on-board/

MCTS bus operators' union supports addition of 'bus rangers': "We have no protection. We just want a little bit more help." https://www.wisn.com/article/mcts-bus-operators-union-supports-bus-rangers/43897297

Labor History: One Big Union https://www.thenation.com/article/society/wobblies-red-scare-under-iron-heel/

Google is downsizing its contract workforce that supports YouTube shortly after one contractor team's union victory https://www.businessinsider.com/google-downsizes-contract-workforce-youtube-union-win-2023-5

National labor union says America's 'ribbon of rails' is in trouble, too https://local12.com/news/investigates/national-labor-union-says-america-ribbon-rails-trouble-investigation-railcar-railroad-faulty-equipment-train-trains-mechanics-safety-cincinnati-duane-polhman-east-palestine-norfolk-southern-training

Negotiators for the University of Michigan have made another offer to the striking Graduate Employees' Organization and told union leaders it would seek a state-appointed fact-finder to intervene in the dispute if progress is not made by the next bargaining session on Tuesday. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/05/15/um-tells-striking-graduate-employees-organization-union-labor-dispute-fact-finder/70218793007/

Unionized Apple workers in Oklahoma City have begun contract negotiations with the tech giant. https://ktul.com/news/local/apple-retail-union-begins-contract-negotiations-with-tech-giant-in-oklahoma-city-penn-square-mall-communication-workers-america-michael-forsythe-jay-albertson-labor-vacations-raises-salaries-cwa-workers

Reedy Creek firefighters to vote on new union contracts after meeting with Disney district board https://www.wftv.com/news/local/reedy-creek-firefighters-vote-new-union-contracts-after-meeting-with-disney-district-board/N3ETZFO7UZC5JEWWSGEONRSH24/

GE, unions reach deal on proposed offshore wind plant at Port of Coeymans https://www.timesunion.com/business/article/ge-unions-reach-deal-offshore-wind-plant-port-18096693.php

'The middle class built America': President Joe Biden releases statement on Blue Bird union vote https://www.13wmaz.com/article/news/local/president-joe-biden-releases-statement-on-blue-birds-vote-to-unionize/93-44fcd33f-2035-4b09-b9f9-b0eae3a91a59

Oakland Schools, Teachers Union Come To A Tentative Agreement https://californiaglobe.com/articles/oakland-schools-teachers-union-come-to-a-tentative-agreement

Politics, Government & Legislation

Critics claim that Helen Gym has no track record of tangible accomplishments. That couldn’t be further from the truth. https://inthesetimes.com/article/helen-gym-bernie-sanders-aoc-philadelphia-mayor

Can Mayor Brandon Johnson Create a Green New Deal for Chicago? https://inthesetimes.com/article/mayor-brandon-johnson-green-new-deal-climate-environment-chicago

How Chicago’s Working-Class Movement Elected Mayor Brandon Johnson https://inthesetimes.com/article/how-chicagos-working-class-movement-elected-mayor-brandon-johnson

KDP and Kentucky AFL-CIO statements on the Passing of Rep. Lamin Swann https://ky.aflcio.org/news/kdp-and-state-afl-cio-statements-passing-rep-lamin-swann

Ohio Republicans ramp up their attack on democracy https://peoplesworld.org/article/ohio-republicans-ramp-up-their-attack-on-democracy/

NJ Nurses Demand Safe Staffing Law In Hospitals: 'Stop The Bleeding https://patch.com/new-jersey/newarknj/nj-nurses-demand-safe-staffing-law-hospitals-stop-bleeding

Treasury official: Recession looming, millions of jobs to be lost if US defaults on debt https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2023/05/15/703377/United-States-economy-warning-default-debt

NLRB News & Decisions 

Union For Amazon's 'Captive' Delivery Co. Faces Legal Tests https://www.law360.com/employment-authority/articles/1677705/union-for-amazon-s-captive-delivery-co-faces-legal-tests

Employees at Little Dog Coffee Shop in Brunswick held a one-day strike, and have filed multiple complaints with the National Labor Relations Board. https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/money/business/small-business/union-negotiations-stall-at-brunswick-coffee-shop-business-maine-union-little-dog/97-c3cca11a-b27b-4319-8d99-20c32b623c5f

Jobs, Business & Economy 

Architects Are Toiling Under Brutal Working Conditions https://jacobin.com/2023/05/architects-union-organizing-international-association-of-machinists-and-aerospace-workers

Workplace Safety 

Safety professionals work tirelessly to ensure that nothing unexpected happens on the job – no injuries, no delays. Zero incidents. Today, on Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day, Red Wing Shoe Company, which has outfitted workers with safety gear for 118 years, is kicking off a new program to honor these everyday heroes, providing a platform for trades workers to say "Thanks for Nothing" and highlighting the work of the safety professional on the jobsite. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/red-wing-shoe-company-recognizes-safety-professionals-for-keeping-job-sites-safe-by-saying-thanks-for-nothing-301820118.html

This Day in Labor History 

Remembering A. Philip Randolph

On this day in Labor History the year was 1979. That was the day that A Philip Randolph, perhaps the most significant African American figure in the US Labor Movement, passed away.