Posts tagged Cleveland
20 healthcare strikes in 2026
September 28, 2026 // Union activity in healthcare continues in 2026, with 20 reported strikes since the beginning of the year. Some of these actions involve healthcare workers and leaders across hospitals and clinics in multiple states.
Cleveland Orchestra musicians go on strike as contract talks remain unresolved
September 25, 2026 // The musicians' union is seeking a 25% total salary increase over three years. Cleveland Orchestra President and CEO André Gremillet said management cannot agree to that increase and said the two sides remain far apart. “We're really far apart,” Gremillet said. “In order for us to move with our offers, they need to move down. The whole point of negotiation is it is a give-and-take process. You cannot have only one side giving.
Cleveland Orchestra musicians to strike at midnight; Friday and Saturday concerts in Michigan, Severance Music Center canceled
September 24, 2026 // The Cleveland Orchestra is part of America's historic "Big Five" orchestras. The Associated Press reports that Philadelphia Orchestra musicians, another member of that group, now have a base rate above $175,000. "The great musicians in the Cleveland Orchestra should be compensated fairly. They should be able to work under safe conditions. And they should have a voice in the audition process," said Jonathan Sherwin, vice president of AFM Local 4. Sherwin recently retired from the orchestra after 29 years playing bassoon.
Cleveland Public Library union employees delay strike
August 24, 2026 // In July, union members signaled they would strike if they couldn’t reach agreement with the library by noon today. The public library recently announced preparations to dial back access to neighborhood branches while still allowing patrons to request books and pick them up curbside. The library, which is governed by a board, sent an email to library cardholders last week noting that the state reduced its funding in the last budget cycle by $2.24 million. The email said that it sought to balance its stewardship of its facilities, collections and community programs with support for workers, which included $5.5 million in wage increases.
Cleveland Public Library workers set strike date amid ongoing contract talks
July 30, 2026 // Eight months into contract negotiations, union Cleveland Public Library workers have set a strike date of Aug. 24 — but the union says the door remains open for a deal to be reached before then. Service Employees International Union District 1199 said union members officially delivered a strike notice to library management on Monday. Workers voted to authorize a strike earlier this month after more than 30 bargaining sessions over an eight-month span. The union has met an additional four times since the strike authorization vote.
Union workers at Cleveland Public Library vote to authorize strike if a deal cannot be reached
July 15, 2026 // Union Cleveland Public Library workers, represented by SEIU District 1199, voted to authorize a strike as contract talks continue after eight months of bargaining.
What Voters Don’t Know When They ‘Support’ Teachers’ Unions
June 8, 2026 // Yet, despite the poor outcomes shown by the “Nation’s Report Card” and parents’ desire for better options, teachers’ unions continue to oppose school choice. Each student who leaves a public school for an alternative setting reduces district enrollment, which can erode union membership, lower dues collection, and ultimately diminish the union’s influence. Opposition to school choice is often tied to preserving the unions’ base, even though more than two-thirds of Democrats—the primary beneficiaries of union political support—express preferences aligned with Black parents. The core issue is that responses to the Overton Insights question conflate support for teachers with support for union political action. If voters were asked directly about unions’ political behavior, the 55% who currently support teachers’ unions would likely respond differently. In this case, support reflects a misunderstanding, not a true endorsement.
Clinicians push to unionize amid staffing, burnout concerns
May 25, 2026 // Among the most recent efforts in May are the more than 73% of the 870 nurses at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, Wis., who signed cards supporting unionization. The group filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board on May 1 and is awaiting an election date. Nurses involved in the effort said they want a stronger voice in decisions affecting staffing, retention and working conditions.
MLB, players’ union meet to begin labor talks, sources say
May 14, 2026 // MLB intends to pursue a salary cap system, a financial structure that players staunchly oppose. The current deal, which came after a 99-day lockout by the league that threatened the beginning of the 2022 season, expires Dec. 1. If there is no agreement by the time the deal lapses, MLB is expected to again lock out the players, causing a work stoppage that could jeopardize games in the 2027 season. During the opening presentations, sources said, the sides outlined their views on the game, noting challenges they see and opportunities to use labor negotiations as a tool to move it forward.
What we know about calls for a general strike over ICE
January 28, 2026 // The National Shutdown website lists local and national partners including the Defend Immigrant Families Campaign, the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR), the North Carolina Poor People's Campaign, the LA Tenants Union, and multiple student organizations at the University of Minnesota, while large activist groups like CodePink have also pledged to join. Several actors and other celebrities have joined in and called for the public to participate in the strike, including The Last of Us actor Pedro Pascal, Hacks’s Hannah Einbinder, Edward Norton, and Oscar-winner Jamie Lee Curtis.