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Federal judge tosses Brightline suit, upholding workers’ vote to unionize
April 3, 2026 // Skyler Shepard for WPEC
The case centered on whether Brightline qualifies as a railroad under federal labor law. Brightline argued that because it operates only within Florida and is not regulated by the Surface Transportation Board, it should not fall under the Railway Labor Act, the law that governs rail and airline labor relations. If the judge had agreed, the union election would have been invalid. Judge Gayles rejected that argument, saying the law does not limit labor protections only to railroads regulated by the Surface Transportation Board. He also pointed out that Brightline received federal grants to help build and improve its rail system. Under federal law, companies that use rail infrastructure built with those funds are considered rail carriers and must follow federal railroad labor laws, including allowing workers to organize.
NIPSCO initiates lockout tactic after USW contract negotiations fall through
April 3, 2026 // Grace Samels for Wayne 15
The Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) has initiated a lockout of the United Steelworkers (USW) after their contract expired, and the two have not been able to come to a collective bargaining agreement.
Democrats vs. the Freedom Foundation New York and Hawaii are copying a toxic union-protection law.
April 2, 2026 // The Editorial Board for Wall Street Journal Opinion
The unions claim the Freedom Foundation is trying to trick workers into thinking the mailings come from the union. But the mailings all identify the foundation or its union educational outreach project in plain sight. Freedom Foundation’s Maxford Nelsen says it’s “very risky to continue our outreach efforts in the state,” and that’s the point. Democrats mean to discourage the think tank from dissuading workers from automatic union fees collection.
Commentary: California on the Cusp
April 2, 2026 // Marc Joffe for California Policy Center
The top three Democratic gubernatorial candidates enjoy strong backing from organized labor, including the state’s all-powerful public-employee unions. If elected, it’s nearly certain they’ll follow the union playbook of more taxes and regulations for the next four or even eight years.
Opinion: Unions are on a comeback. Americans are paying the price.
April 2, 2026 // C. Jarrett Dieterle for Washington Post Opinion
So far, the union comeback has mostly been confined to courthouses and state legislatures. Membership hardly budged last year, rising from 9.9 percent of U.S. workers in 2024 to 10 percent in 2025. Yet if more states continue to mandate collective bargaining for public-sector workers — or decide to repeal right-to-work statutes for the private sector — rates can be expected to rise in those jurisdictions. If workers at a unionized shop are forced to pay dues regardless of their membership status, more will opt in as the financial incentive to remain unorganized slips away.
LA County unions pledge support for possible LAUSD strike as teachers push for new deal
April 2, 2026 // Leo Stallworth for KABC
With a strike by Los Angeles Unified School District teachers looming on April 14, several major L.A. County labor groups have announced their support and say they are prepared to join educators on the picket lines. United Teachers Los Angeles, SEIU Local 99 and the Associated Administrators of Los Angeles said Wednesday they plan to walk off the job if they do not reach a new contract agreement with the district.
General Strike to Take Place Nationwide on April 5: Here’s What Is Impacted
April 2, 2026 // Amanda Greenwood for Newsweek
The General Strike 2026 movement describes itself as a decentralized, grassroots campaign made up of unions, organizations, and individual participants rather than a single centralized leadership structure. Organizers emphasize that the campaign doesn’t require registration and doesn’t collect personal data or information from participants. The website also states that the group will not publish a list of collaborating organizations—positioning the strike as participant‑driven and flexible in how people choose to engage. Updates and organizing materials are shared primarily through social media channels, blog posts, and downloadable flyers that supporters are encouraged to distribute at protests, marches, or community events.
University of Michigan Graduate Student Researchers Vote to Join Union
April 2, 2026 // author for Ann Arbor Today
Over 2,200 graduate student research assistants join the Graduate Employees Organization Local 3550 of the American Federation of Teachers.
America’s Largest Teachers’ Union Prizes Activism Over Education
April 2, 2026 // Wai Wah Chin for City Journal
Members of America’s largest teachers’ union, the National Education Association (NEA), were back in training in February, this time for a confidential webinar entitled “Advocacy and Free Speech Rights for K-12 Educators.” The leaked slide deck, posted by the watchdog group Defending Education, reveals that the NEA is less focused on American students’ stagnant test scores than on training its members to become activists, while using misinterpretations of the First Amendment as a shield.
Cost of Fed oversight of UAW skyrockets as union moves from scandal
April 1, 2026 // Robert Snell, Breana Noble, Luke Ramseth, for Detroit News
Barofsky's firm, Jenner & Block, has been paid $25.39 million since 2021, and the firm charged more than $7 million last year ― an increase of almost 21% from one year earlier ― as the watchdog and his team investigated Fain and several members of his team. The total cost of federal oversight, however, is much higher, considering there are additional firms working for Barofsky.
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