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In the News
GAO: Effectively ending telework increased attrition at Social Security
January 27, 2026 // Erich Wagner
A combination of former Commissioner Martin O’Malley’s mandate that headquarters and regional office staff telework at most once or twice a week, respectively, and the agency’s ability to recall employees from telework to address workload needs led to a reduction in the percentage of agency work hours spent working remotely from 50% to 55% in the first half of 2024 to 39% to 42% in the second half of the calendar year. Once Trump’s telework crackdown took effect at SSA in March 2025, that figure fell to just 13% by last April. But officials told the watchdog agency that telework was a key recruitment and retention tool, and employees said in the 2024 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey that its relative paucity there compared to other federal agencies and private sector employers motivated a desire to leave.
Oregon Democratic lawmakers targeted by union-backed group
January 26, 2026 // Carlos Fuentes for OregonLive
An Oregon group backed by the state’s powerful labor unions is targeting at least four Democratic lawmakers through political ads in an effort to influence their votes on tax policy changes. The advertisements target Democratic Reps. Emerson Levy, Daniel Nguyen, Hai Pham and Sen. Janeen Sollman, all seen as more centrist members of their party.
Beyond the assembly line: Auto workers’ labor union emerges as key player in anti-Israel activism
January 26, 2026 // Haley Cohen for Jewish Insider
A number of labor unions have seen a rise of antisemitism and anti-Israel activity since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attacks, despite many being historically supportive of Israel, dating back nearly a century, when many American unions donated money to the Histadrut, Israel’s national labor union. Multiple groups have now taken legal action against UAW branches in response to certain campaigns, which some legal experts allege were discriminatory against Israelis and Jews.
Jim Ross Pushes Back on Calls for Wrestler Union
January 26, 2026 // Felix Upton for Ringside News
Despite the criticism WWE gets over contracts and royalties, JR still stopped short of endorsing any organized labor for wrestlers. His reasoning? The unpredictability and constant change in the business. Jim Ross has never been one to sugarcoat things, and his stance on unionizing in wrestling proves it. Whether fans agree or not, he sees the system as one that rewards the top talent—if they know how to play the game.
Hospital chaos looms as tens of thousands of California nurses threaten walk off job despite proposed wage hikes
January 26, 2026 // Dana Sauchelli for New York Post
In an effort to prevent the walkouts, Kaiser proposed a 21.5% wage increase, but the the union said the company refused to bargain in good faith
NFIB WASHINGTON STATE: No Small Business Relief in Millionaire Tax Bill
January 26, 2026 // Author for NFIB
NFIB also opposed HB 2471 and SB 6117, which would allow unionizing small businesses under the state’s Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) through card check (also called cross check). We also signed in opposed to HB 2409 and SB 6045, which would allow unionizing farm workers through that same process and agency.
Commentary: Nurses in New York City Say They Deserve $200,000 a Year. Here’s Why.
January 26, 2026 // Joseph Goldstein, Patrick McGeehan for New York Times
As a strike by health workers stretches into its second week, pay is a major issue in negotiations, even if it’s not discussed much on the picket line.
2028 Olympics could bring big wins for Los Angeles labor unions
January 25, 2026 // JAIMIE DING for Associated Press
“We are going to have a force ... of working people to do whatever it takes, including striking if we have to during the Olympics in 2028,” Petersen said. “The Olympics can’t happen without the workers.” A coalition of labor groups, community organizations and religious institutions are pushing for the Los Angeles Olympics organizing committee — known as LA28 — and the city to pay for building 50,000 housing units, pass a moratorium on short-term rentals like Airbnb, and protect immigrant workers.
NTEU, White House spar over whether unions can challenge their ouster administratively
January 25, 2026 // Erich Wagner for Government Executive
The Trump administration contends unions can seek review of their ouster from most federal agencies on national security grounds before the Federal Labor Relations Authority, but labor groups say that analysis misconstrues a term of art in federal labor law.
Production Assistants Union Notches First Win in New York
January 25, 2026 // Katie Kilkenny for Hollywood Reporter
Crew members on the Netflix series ‘The Four Seasons,’ produced by Universal Television, have voted to unionize with Production Assistants United.
As Arizona faces education retention crisis, Tucson charter school teachers fight to unionize
January 25, 2026 // Isabela Lisco for KOLD
Teachers at the CITY schools, which include three campuses in downtown Tucson, filed a petition to unionize in December. Their school board rejected it and hired a high-profile law firm to challenge the effort. Fourteen percent of Arizona teachers left their jobs last year, with higher numbers for charter schools, according to state data. Research shows unions generally raise salaries and make teachers more likely to stay in the classroom.
Some Post-Gazette workers call for new union leadership
January 25, 2026 // Megan Trotter for Trib Live
The division comes roughly three weeks after the paper’s publisher, Block Communications Inc., announced the decision to shutter the paper in May. It followed failed attempts to convince the U.S. Supreme Court to halt a lower court order that required the company to make changes to its health insurance coverage for union workers.
Birch Run teachers union president decries state testing
January 25, 2026 // Tom Gantert for Michigan Capitol Confidential
Test scores from M-STEP, Michigan’s assessment of public school students, paint an unfavorable picture of Urbanowski-Nowak’s district. More than two-thirds (68%) of third graders at Birch Run Area Schools were not proficient on the English Language Arts exam in 2024-25. Two-thirds (66%) of the district’s third-grade students were not proficient in math in 2024-25. Research by the group Tennesseans for Quality Early Education concludes that proficiency in reading and math by the end of third grade is one of the strongest predictors of future academic achievement and career success.
BREAKING: California Faculty Association and CSU settle private information lawsuit
January 22, 2026 // Seamus Bozeman for University Times
Cal State LA continues to be the only campus that was the subject of a direct EEOC subpoena, however there are other active antisemitism complaints across the other 21 CSU schools. The status of that systemwide complaint by the EEOC is unknown. The settlement was reached based on the 1977 California Information Practices Act, which defines personal information as “that identifies or describes an individual.” This information includes “their name, social security number, physical description, home address, home telephone numbers, education, financial matters, medical or employment history, and statements attributed to the individual.”
Union Organizing Plummets in 2025: A Win for Worker Freedom and Choice
January 22, 2026 // Author for National Institute for Labor Relations
For supporters of voluntary association and employee freedom, these numbers highlight a positive reality: fewer workers are being swept into union representation through the NLRB process. This trend aligns with broader patterns showing declining union density in the private sector, where membership hovers around just 6 percent of workers.[viii] Forced unionism—where employees can be compelled to pay dues or join as a condition of employment—continues to lose ground as more Americans exercise their right to opt out or avoid unionization altogether.
Kim Kavin Commentary: It’s Not There
January 22, 2026 // Kim Kavin for Freelance Busting
New Jersey's Office of Administrative Law confirms that Governor Murphy's independent-contractor rule is not adopted, as Governor Sherrill takes over.
Teachers union distorts record on education spending
January 22, 2026 // Jamie A. Hope for Capitol Confidential
Michigan spent $6,391 per pupil in 2000, according to Michael Van Beek, director of research at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. That is $12,271 per student in today’s dollars. Per pupil funding was $14,911 in 2025, or 22% more than the inflation-adjusted amount for 2000.
Alameda teachers rally for better pay
January 22, 2026 // James Torrez for KTVU
Representatives from the Alameda Education Association say teachers plan to rally at every school campus in the district on Wednesday and Thursday. The demonstrations are scheduled to take place before and after school and are not a strike, meaning the school day is not expected to be affected.
Employees of popular Columbus ice cream brand vote to unionize
January 22, 2026 // Jonathan Keilholz for 614NOW
Workers at all eight Columbus area scoop shops voted by nearly a 2-to-1 margin to join United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1059. Out of the 80 employees, 18 votes were counted as for and 10 votes were counted as against. Unionization efforts in the food and retail industries have increasingly focused on wages, scheduling stability and workplace conditions. Advocates say it gives them a more formal seat at the table.
Washington Democrats propose collective bargaining for farmworkers
January 21, 2026 // Don Jenkins for Capitol Press
Washington Farm Bureau director of government relations Breanne Elsey told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Jan. 19 that farmworkers are excluded from the federal law for good reasons. Untimely labor disputes would bankrupt farms, she said. “Striking during harvest could threaten the small window of time farmers have to produce their income for the entire year,” she said. SB 6617 would apply to housekeepers and employees of some small businesses, as well as farmworkers. Senate Bill 6045 and House Bill 2409 are confined to collective-bargaining rights for just farmworkers. Those bills are scheduled for initial hearings Jan. 20.