BlueCollarWriter Labor News Update

Labor News Update - 08/31/2023

#HotLaborSummer Strike Coverage

Factbox: From UPS to Detroit Three automakers, US labor unions flex muscleA tight U.S. labor market, expiration of cyclical contracts and high living costs have triggered tough negotiations for pay hikes and other benefits by workers and strikes and protests across industries.

Labor leader Shuler touts union support as possible auto strikes loom ⋆ Michigan AdvanceSupport for unions is growing amid shifting working conditions and labor disputes around the country, according to Liz Shuler, the president of the largest labor group in the country. In Shuler’s comments Tuesday at the AFL-CIO’s first State of the Unions event in Washington, she cited polling that showed support for unions cut across party […]

‘Breaking Bad’ Castmembers Reunite on Picket Line, Express Concerns Over AI: “You Are Dehumanizing the Workforce”Bryan Cranston said, "We're just looking for an equitable contract, something that makes the working actor able to pay their bills, pay their rent, buy food for their families."

Labor News

Solidarity Ale! Anchor Brewing workers plan to turn closed company into a co-opThe beloved San Francisco brewery closed this summer after 127 years in business.

‘Big Bargaining’ in Oakland Led to Big GainsIt’s back-to-school season! In Oakland, California, students and educators are returning with added nurses, counselors, librarians and art teachers; smaller gym classes; guaranteed free transportation; and various other improvements thanks to a contract campaign that culminated in a May strike. We look back at how all these gains were won. –Editors After a seven-month contract campaign and a seven-day strike, the Oakland Education Association won substantial raises and broad benefits, including “common good” demands.

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond delivered an inaugural State of the Unions address on Tuesday where they released new polling, which underscores the American people’s support of unions—especially that of young workers—and their view of unions as critical to growing the middle class and providing opportunities for working people to thrive. Additionally, both officers stressed that with this unprecedented level of support, working people in unions are prepared to organize like never before, hold big corporations accountable and restore America’s promise for all.aflcio.org/2023/8/30/service-solidarity-spotlight-shuler-state-unions-strong-record-public-support

Statement from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond on the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom:aflcio.org/press/releases/americas-unions-continue-march-toward-justice

AFL-CIO President Shuler will be in Louisville Thursday and FridayFrom Bill Londrigan:AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler is visiting several cities for pre-Labor Day events and will be visiting Louisville tomorrow, Thursday, August 31st through Friday, September 1st. The first stop on President Shuler’s visit will be the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday where she will tour the bat factory and meet with members of USW Local 1693 who produce the world famous Louisville Slugger baseball bats.

NLRB News, Summaries & Decisions

Board Revises Standard on Employers’ Duty to Bargain Before Changing Terms and Conditions of WorkToday, the NLRB issued two full-Board decisions, Wendt Corporation and Tecnocap, LLC, (both decided on August 26, 2023), addressing the statutory duty of employers to bargain with unions before making changes in terms and conditions of work.

Biden’s NLRB Brings Workers’ Rights Back From the DeadA decision last Friday makes union organizing possible again.

Politics, Legislation & Government

Department of Labor announces proposal to restore, extend overtime protections for 3.6 million low-paid salaried workers

Millions more workers would be entitled to overtime pay under a proposed Biden administration ruleThe Biden administration is proposing a new rule that would make 3.6 million more U.S. workers eligible for overtime pay, reviving an Obama-era policy effort that was ultimately scuttled in court.

Judge rules Giuliani liable for defaming Georgia election workers - WABEThis story was updated at 2:11 p.m. A federal judge on Wednesday held Rudy Giuliani liable in a defamation lawsuit brought by two Georgia election workers who say they were […]

Jobs & Economy

Why Didn’t the Internet Eliminate Our Need for Paper?And why are U.S. paper plants closing anyway?

US labor market loses steam as job openings, resignations declineU.S. job openings dropped to the lowest level in nearly 2-1/2 years in July as the labor market gradually slowed, bolstering expectations that the Federal Reserve will keep interest rates unchanged next month.

Workplace Safety

Will the Clean Energy Auto Economy Be Built on Factory Floors Riddled With Toxic Chemicals and Safety Hazards?Workers at an Ultium Cells plant in Ohio are fighting for fair wages and safety on the job. What happens there could help set the tone for similar joint-venture plants across the country.

Keeping Workers Safe in The Dome: Update on OSHA’s Heat Hazard Initiative | JD Supra“Excessive.” “Feels Like.” “Heat Dome.” All of these words and phrases come up in almost every conversation these days. With another summer of record...

Labor History in 2:00

August 31 Final Battle of the Atlanta CampaignOn this day in labor history, the year was 1864. That was the day the final battle of the Atlanta Campaign began with the Battle of Jonesborough. The Union had been embroiled in a civil war with Confederate forces to end the slave labor system for three and a half years. It had been a difficult summer. Battles were increasingly bloody, with casualties on both sides numbering in the tens of thousands. Criticisms intensified against key Union generals like Sherman and Grant. Pressure mounted against President Lincoln to end the war and withdraw the Emancipation Proclamation if necessary. General William T. Sherman mounted the Atlanta Campaign earlier that year, in May. His forces scored a number of victories throughout the summer, but could not decisively defeat Confederate forces. By August, Northern morale was so low that the Republican National Committee deemed Lincoln unelectable. The Democratic National Convention, convening in Chicago, had declared the war a failure and planned to ride to victory over Lincoln in the November elections. But Lincoln’s commitment to emancipation was unwavering. And Sherman did not disappoint. He understood that Atlanta was, as historian Eric Foner describes it, “a key railroad hub and the communications and transportation center for the entire Southeast.” Sherman’s forces had been marching down from Chattanooga for most of the summer. Finally, they marched to the south of Atlanta to cut the last key rail line. On this day, Union forces positioned themselves at the Flint River and at the Macon and Western Railroad. Over the next two days, they would successfully beat back multiple Confederate assaults, destroy the rail line and force Confederate forces to abandon Atlanta. The city was now fully under Union occupation.

August 31 - Why We MarchOn this day in Labor History the year was 1991. Three thousand five hundred buses rolled into Washington, D.C. They were loaded with protesters, there to participate in Solidarity Day.

BlueCollarWriter Media Updates

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