Posts tagged back to office
Major state employee union approves new contract after bitter negotiations
August 12, 2025 // After one of the most bitter contract campaigns in recent memory, members of the union representing some 18,000 state employees approved a two-year contract that largely maintains the status quo with modest pay increases. Although voting, dues-paying members supported ratifying the contract by a wide margin — 6,857 to 1,813 — the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees said the 79% approval was the lowest since the union went on strike in 2001.
Gov. Walz orders state employees back to office, unions push back
March 28, 2025 // "We are mostly upset because there was no attempt by the governor or his agencies to engage with us at all," said Megan Dayton, president of Minnesota Association of Professional Employees. "There are not dedicated cubicles or offices anymore like there used to be pre-pandemic, so I don't know how they're going to do it." Dayton said her union has not ruled out a lawsuit. In a statement, Bart Andersen, president of AFSCME Council 5, another union, said, in part: "The administration’s decision to impose sweeping workplace policy changes without engaging our union and labor partners first is not just unacceptable – it’s an act of blatant disrespect."
Trump Targets Spending on Labor Union Talks in Latest DOGE Move
March 18, 2025 // President Donald Trump’s administration is mandating federal agencies report how much they spent negotiating labor union contracts for the past year, a sign that collective bargaining agreements could be the next target in a government cost-cutting push. An Office of Personnel Management memo sent Monday directs federal agency heads to report the amount spent on the collective bargaining agreement process, including how much they paid their employees involved in the negotiations, fees for engaging in mediation or arbitration and the fair-market-value of the office space used for the talks.
AFGE sees surge in new members as its lawsuits stall Trump’s federal workforce policies
February 11, 2025 // AFGE currently stands at 321,000 dues-paying members, its highest level ever, and is on track to reach 325,000 dues-paying members by the end of the week. Everett Kelley, the union’s national president, told reporters on Monday that AFGE originally planned to reach that membership goal by December 2025.
Nebraska state employees union reaches tentative agreement
January 14, 2025 // Leaders did not, however, discuss any progress or negotiations on the future of remote work for state employees, a decision Pillen has said he would like the administration to retain. The union and state are in the middle of a court fight over whether it can force the state to bargain with the union over his decision to force state employees back to the office. Hubly said the state was unwilling to negotiate remote work conditions while litigation continues.
American bank sacks over a dozen WFH staff who used ‘mouse movers’
June 14, 2024 // The products – also known as ‘mouse jigglers’ – exploded in popularity during the pandemic as staff tried to escape the watchful eyes of bosses while apparently working from home. The contraptions let users leave their desks for hours at a time without being detected by their employer, by moving their computer mouse autonomously.
Disney CEO Bob Iger wants employees to return to the office four days a week
January 10, 2023 // “Starting March 1, employees currently working in a hybrid fashion will be asked to spend four days a week on-site, targeting Monday through Thursday as in-person workdays,” Iger said in an internal email obtained by MarketWatch. The edict, just weeks after Iger took over Disney DIS, +0.91% from ousted CEO Bob Chapek, is the latest from a high-profile executive asking employees to return to the office at least three days a week. Last month, Snap Inc. SNAP, -0.22% CEO Evan Spiegel said the company expects employees to spend at least 80% of their time in the office beginning in February, according to an internal memo. Alphabet Inc.’s GOOGL, +0.78% GOOG, +0.73% Google, Apple Inc. AAPL, +0.41%, Twitter Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. JPM, -0.41% have made similar requests.
CONTRACT WORKERS’ STRIKE THREAT DELAYS RETURN-TO-OFFICE DEADLINE AT GOOGLE MAPS
June 9, 2022 // Google Maps contract workers won’t have to return to the office today, the Alphabet Workers Union announced. They received a 90-day extension from their employer, IT services firm Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. (NASDAQ: CTSH). The contract workers — who are based at Google’s office in Bothell, Washington — threatened on June 2 to strike over a requirement they return to the office. Cognizant emailed the 90-day extension shortly thereafter. Shelby Hunter, organizing, strategic, financial support, Monika Moore, Staffing Industry Analyst
Activision Blizzard employees walk out over lifting of vaccine mandate
April 6, 2022 // Activision Blizzard employees staged a virtual walkout Monday in protest of the company’s decision last week to rescind its coronavirus vaccine mandate for workers, according to multiple employees who participated. It is the game publisher’s fourth walkout since July of 2021 as the company continues to grapple publicly with multiple workplace issues.
Unions prepare to fight as California state departments order employees back to offices
April 5, 2022 // Union leaders are pointing to pandemic directives from Gov. Gavin Newsom to help make their case. Newsom said early in the pandemic that the state would offer permanent telework options for employees, citing savings on leased building space and reductions to traffic and air pollution.