Posts tagged benefits
Commentary: Florida Teachers Unions Have Lost Their Way
February 26, 2026 // If a union gets exclusive authority of a bargaining unit, it should be chosen by at least 50% of the employees. That's the principle behind House Bill 995 and Senate Bill 1296, now moving through the Florida Legislature.
Wage Disagreements: Workers at homeless services nonprofit join DTLA-based union
February 24, 2026 // The union is one of the largest in Southern California, with more than 100,000 members. It represents employees in sectors such as foster care, mental health and law enforcement, including workers with Los Angeles County, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and Step Up on Second.
13 nurses arrested for blocking NYC building as strike against three hospitals reaches 25th day
February 9, 2026 // The union said the protest that led to the arrests was against two pro-hospital lobbying groups: the League of Voluntary Hospitals and Homes (LVHH) and the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA). Charges against the 13 arrested nurses were pending with the NYPD telling The Post that officers gave the striking workers multiple warnings to move away. The nurses linked arms during the protest, according to bystanders.
Hampton Roads mayors want Virginia localities to keep control over collective bargaining
February 4, 2026 // Bills moving through committees in the General Assembly, however, would remove that power from localities. If signed into law, Virginia would create a state-level public employee relations board to oversee the process and arbitrate disputes. The bills could shrink Virginia’s public-sector pay gap, which is among the largest in the U.S., according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute; public employees in Virginia make more than 25% less than private-sector workers with similar schooling and backgrounds. The EPI’s report, published in January, found closing the pay gap could also lead to better public services, less turnover and improved racial and gender pay gaps.
CTU alleges rival union conspired with the boss in fight over low-wage CPS employees
February 3, 2026 // In an escalation of an ongoing turf war over low-wage school district employees, the Chicago Teachers Union has accused the Chicago Board of Education of conspiring with a rival union to undermine its bargaining unit. The allegation is the latest example of ongoing acrimony between the two once-allied progressive labor unions, a fracture with major implications for city politics and for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson. Local 73 of the Service Employees International Union called the accusation of conspiring with the boss “unfortunate, baseless, and unsupported by any evidence” and said its goal was only to improve the wages and working conditions of the workers.
Op-Ed: Contentious union politics eroding Washington’s classrooms
January 29, 2026 // Right now, the WEA, through its support of the Washington Families for Freedom coalition, is actively campaigning against two citizen-initiated measures to the Legislature filed by Let’s Go Washington. The first (IL26-001) would restore broader parental rights in public schools by repealing recent legislative changes to the original Parents' Bill of Rights. The other (IL26-638) seeks to protect fairness in girls’ athletics by requiring biological sex verification and barring students defined as biologically male from female competitions. Supporters turned in far more than the number signatures required to qualify for a spot on the ballot, 416,201 for IL26-001 and 445,187 for IL26-638, on Jan. 2. Reports of harassment and threats against signature-gatherers surfaced repeatedly during the process, yet overwhelming public support prevailed.
Jackson Hole Ski Patrol Vote Against Unionization Remains Unresolved After Ballot Challenges
January 14, 2026 // In a social media statement Jan. 10, the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol said the team “has chosen as a group not to unionize at this time,” and that the petition and vote “created space for dialogue and gave new ownership the opportunity to listen and respond.” The patrol also thanked the ski community for its support. Across four voting sessions Jan. 7 and Jan. 8, 74 eligible ballots were counted: 42 against unionization and 32 in favor of it, according to local reporting. A total of 16 challenged ballots have been set aside for NLRB review before certification of the vote can occur.
Solano County Public Service Workers Launch 2-Day Strike
January 13, 2026 // About 2,000 employees set to walk off the job include social workers, engineers and administrative staff working under contracts that lapsed in October. They’re asking for higher wages and better benefits to ease what they say is a recruitment and retention crisis that’s harming both employees and residents in Solano County.
Gold Strike Casino Workers Unionize With Teamsters Local 667 in Mississippi
January 7, 2026 // Workers at Tunica, Mississippi-based Gold Strike Casino Resort announced Monday they have voted to join Memphis, Tennessee-based Teamsters Local 667 labor union through a card-check majority.
GOP gov hopeful Blakeman woos NY labor, blasts Hochul vetoes of union friendly bills
January 7, 2026 // Republican gubernatorial hopeful Bruce Blakeman blasted Gov. Kathy Hochul for vetoing a bill that would have required two operators on every MTA train — as he makes an aggressive push to snag some union support from his Democratic rival. Blakeman, who is now serving as Nassau County executive, criticized Hochul for knocking down a union-backed bill that would have required two operators on every Metropolitan Transportation Authority train as well as a series of bills that would’ve sweetened pensions and benefits for law enforcement.