BlueCollarWriter Labor News Update

Labor News Update - 09/12/2023

#HotLaborSummer Strike Coverage

The Big 3 Have Just Days to Avert a Strike. Here's What Autoworkers Are Fighting For.The Big 3 automakers have made record profits in recent years. Now, union workers are calling for big raises, an end to tiers, a shorter work week and a just transition—with a strike potentially starting as early as this week.

Big 3 Focus on Auto Parts Centers in Strike PrepThe automakers General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis are hurtling towards a showdown with United Auto Workers (UAW) as contract talks approach the September 14 strike deadline. As the Big 3 automakers scramble to make contingency plans, they are shining a spotlight on one specific part of the supply chain: the parts distribution centers that supply after-sales spare parts and accessories to dealerships. In August,

Exhausted, Injured and Angry: Autoworkers Are Ready to StrikeRecord profits should mean record pay—but that's not how it's played out at the Big Three automakers. These Ford workers have had enough.

UAW president says auto strike would hurt mostly 'billionaire class' | CNN BusinessUnited Auto Workers President Shawn Fain denied Monday the broad economy will be hurt if his union goes on strike against the nation’s three unionized automakers as soon as this week, saying the only ones that will be hurt by a work stoppage is are the “billionaire class.”

UAW Strike Would Be Relatively Popular With AmericansDespite the union’s divisive demands, public opinion looks to be on its side

‘Drew Barrymore Show’ Audience Members Say They Were Kicked Out for Writers Guild Support Amid PicketThe talk show resumed taping without its three WGA writers Monday as picketers demonstrated outside of CBS Studios.

Writers Guild of America Slams Drew Barrymore for Talk Show Return Amid Strike - E! OnlineAmid the ongoing Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the WGA spoke out about Drew Barrymore returning for season four of her eponymous daytime talk show.

‘The Jennifer Hudson Show’ and ‘The Talk’ Set to Return Amid WGA and SAG-AFTRA StrikesAmid continuous chatter regarding Drew Barrymore’s decision to resume her talk show during the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, more daytime shows will also soon be back on the air — without …

Labor News

Unions Flex Power When Workers Are in Short SupplyConcessions, including drivers making six-figure pay, come in fields where openings far outnumber job seekers.

The United Steelworkers (USW) welcomed workers at Cleveland-Cliffs’ Northshore Mining as the newest members of the union. There are approximately 400 workers in the mine in Babbitt, Minnesota, and plant in Silver Bay, Minnesota. They authorized the union using card-check. “Mining in Minnesota provides essential support for our local communities, our domestic steel industry and our nation’s critical infrastructure,” said USW District 11 Director Emil Ramirez. “We’re honored that workers at Northshore chose our union.”aflcio.org/2023/9/11/service-solidarity-spotlight-miners-cleveland-cliffs-northshore-join-usw

Maryland, AFSCME leaders converge for 'Staff the Front Lines'Maryland and union leaders came together Saturday to sound the alarm on a staffing crisis.

Magic Tavern Becomes the Second Unionized Strip Club in the U.S.

Red Cross Workers in Stockton Join Teamsters(STOCKTON, Calif.) – Mobile collections workers at American Red Cross in Stockton have voted to join Teamsters Local 439. The workers now stand with American

US school bus drivers strike amid low pay and staff shortagesDriver shortages and lagging compensation have incited several strikes as huge school bus driver strike in New York City looms

'McDonald's wouldn't pay sick leave:' Asheville workers, AFL-CIO rally for more rightsHundreds of pro-union workers — from nurses to McDonalds employees — gathered in Asheville’s Pack Square Park Sept. 7 to demand health care, safety.

Possible Hormel strike looms as union recommends rejecting contract offerMeatpackers will vote this week on a new four-year contract from Hormel Foods Corp. The current contract expired Sunday.

Las Vegas Hotel Workers Move Closer to Potential StrikeThe unions for more than 50,000 housekeepers, bartenders and other staff are seeking higher wages and an increase in on-the-job security protection.

Unionized Wood River workers prepare for contract vote, strike possible -unionUnionized refinery workers at Phillips 66's 356,000 barrel per day Wood River refinery in Roxana, Illinois, are preparing to vote on a final contract proposal with the refiner, according to union leaders on Monday.

‘Monumental task’ for USPS employees to recover from payroll glitch, rural carrier union says | Federal News NetworkTens of thousands of the Postal Service’s rural carriers saw a rocky start to this month, after a USPS payroll error resulted in missing and incomplete paychecks. The National Rural Letter Carriers…

Teamsters win major organising victory

NLRB News, Summaries & Decisions

Gwynne A. Wilcox Sworn in for Second Term as Board MemberThe National Labor Relations Board welcomes Gwynne A. Wilcox for her second term as a Board member. Member Wilcox was nominated by President Biden on June 2, 2023 and confirmed by the Senate on September 6, 2023. She was sworn in today by Chairman Lauren McFerran for a term ending August 27, 2028.

New Board Decisions Seek to Facilitate Collective Bargaining ✦ OnLaborJason Vazquez on the NLRB's recent decisions aimed at constraining employers from interfering with the bargaining process.

Inside Alabama’s longest strike: Warrior Met Coal and union’s ugly fight detailed in new documentsAction along picket lines turned to violence during the strike. Now, an effort by the company to decertify the union has been blocked.

Union busting just got harder - The Labor TribuneWashington – After a lengthy legal battle at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the Teamsters are celebrating a landmark victory for the entire Labor Movement with the board’s decision in the case of Cemex Construction Materials Pacific, LLC. The Labor Board ordered Cemex to bargain with the Teamsters in a precedent-setting move, ruling that […]

Politics, Legislation & Government

Beshear: 9/11 anniversary is a day for Americans to unite in declaring 'we will never tolerate terrorism or hate in this great country.'By BERRY CRAIGAFT Local 1360Gov. Andy Beshear, in keeping with a proclamation from the White House, directed flags at state office buildings to be lowered to half-staff today, which is now designated as now Patriot Day and National Day of Service and Remembrance

Washington Post: Opinion One of America’s most popular politicians is a Democrat — in KentuckyBy PERRY BACON Jr.LOUISVILLE — The great, surprising news is that a fairly progressive Democrat is thriving politically in one of America’s most conservative states. The unfortunate news is that his formula for success probably isn’t replicable for Democrats running for president, in other red states or even here in Kentucky.

Gov. Cooper champions union interests, urges voter turnout at 66th NC AFL-CIO ConventionNorth Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper spoke before nearly 300 union members Friday, Sept. 8, at the Asheville Renaissance Hotel during the 66th annual N.C. State AFL-C

California fast food and health care workers poised to win major salary increasesNearly 1 million California workers would win major salary increases under a pair of bills in the state Legislature

AFT to hold 'Legislative Summit' this weekend - WV MetroNewsEvent taking place in Huntington.

Workplace Safety

NTSB documents reveal events leading up to fatal Union Pacific collision - TrainsWASHINGTON – The track circuit for a California siding where Union Pacific had stored empty well cars for more than eight months shifted between occupied and unoccupied nearly two dozen times in the nine hours before a stack train was routed into the siding with fatal results [see

OSHA responds to scene, opens investigation into ADM explosionDECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is currently responding to the scene and opening an investigation with the Archer Daniels Midland Company

Miner suffers burn injuries at Marion County operation - WV MetroNewsState and federal investigations are underway.

Jobs, Economy & Business

Calif. app company Grindr loses half its workers over return-to-officeCalifornia-based Grindr ousted 80 workers with a "retaliatory" return-to-office policy, the company's nascent union says.

Town Hall Call Monday: Important Union Update on Kroger/Albertsons Merger — UFCW 3000Important Union Update on Kroger/Albertsons Merger On Friday, Kroger and Albertsons announced plans to sell at least 413 stores across the country to C&S Wholesale Grocers (C&S) as part of the mega-merger of the two companies. Our coalition of local unions have strongly opposed

Opinion | How Goldilocks Came to the U.S. EconomyThe optimists were right. But why?

McMahon's WWE Reign Ends After Raw Thanks To Merger With EndeavorTonight's episode of Monday Night Raw marks the last episode under the ownership of Vince McMahon. The Endeavor deal is set to be finalized tomorrow.

Coalition of UFCW Local Unions Raise Concern and Caution About Kroger/Albertsons Divestiture Deal with C&S Wholesale Grocers — UFCW 3000UFCW Locals 5, 7, 324, 400, 770, 1564, 3000 Des Moines, WA – Today, a coalition of United Food & Commercial Workers local unions in fourteen states and the District of Columbia representing more than 100,000 Kroger and Albertsons workers released the following statement regardin

Now Hiring for Hundreds of Alaskan Teamster JobsHundreds of positions need to be filled for two major energy construction projects set to get underway in Alaska’s North Slope. The two projects are the Wi

Report: Job growth continues as unemployment slowly risesAccording to the August 2023 employment report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there was an increase of 187,000 jobs in August, but the unemployment rate slightly rose.

Americans have never been wealthier | CNN BusinessFueled by a resurgent stock market and rising home values, US household wealth hit a record $154.3 trillion during the second quarter of this year, according to federal data.

Labor History in 2:00

September 12 United Rubber Workers Union Founded On this day in labor history, the year was 1935. That was the day the United Rubber Workers was founded in Akron, Ohio. Akron was the rubber capital of the world. All the major companies were there—Goodyear, Firestone, Goodrich and General Tire. In Akron alone, there were more than 40,000 rubber workers and thousands more throughout the country. After 30 years of struggling to build the union, hopes of organizing the industry were finally made real. The founding of the international came after a successful strike the year before. But the union was born amid growing tensions within the AFL. These were years of industrial organizing that rivaled the exclusive skilled craft unions. Growing demands to organize the mass industries would explode the next month at the historic AFL convention in Atlantic City. The tensions between AFL leaders and rubber workers delegates gave a taste of things to come. At the founding convention, rubber workers delegates opposed a number of AFL leaders’ demands. The AFL insisted on appointing officers. They threatened to withdraw financial assistance when the delegates demanded democratic elections. But AFL leaders backed off when unionists from across the city protested. Then, delegates voted down an AFL constitutional clause proposal to bar “communists” from the union. They also refused AFL orders to organize on anything less than a total industrial basis. Organizing skilled workers into the URW became a contentious issue at the October AFL convention. It led to the fight between Carpenters leader Bill Hutcheson and UMW president John Lewis, which precipitated the AFL split. By the following spring, the new URW would lead another successful strike that put it firmly among the industrial unions of the CIO.

September 12 - Do Workers Gain From War?On this day in Labor History the year was 1918. Socialist and labor leader Eugene Debs was sentenced to ten years in prison for opposing the United States’ involvement in World War I. The Espionage and Sedition Act had been passed a year earlier.

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