Posts tagged contract
Union autoworkers won big after striking. A year later, some face an uncertain future
September 15, 2024 // Now, workers are wondering how committed the trans-Atlantic automaker is to remain in the U.S. at all. For years, Cooper says, old-timers at his plant in Toledo have warned that if wages rose too much, the company would move jobs to Mexico. It's a threat he's always shrugged off, given how profitable the Jeep plant has been for Stellantis.
Opinion: Union Victories First, Job Losses Later
August 6, 2024 // But the UAW conveniently ignores its contribution to the job losses. The union halted work for a month at Deere in 2021, and the company acquiesced to a blockbuster contract. Employees received a 20% raise over five years, plus an $8,500 bonus and annual adjustments for cost of living. The strike paid off for union workers in the short term, but the increase in labor costs made layoffs more likely if harder times struck. You won’t hear about this latest turn from President Biden, who sent his agriculture secretary to the picket line to cheer on strikers in 2021. Mr. Biden calls himself the most pro-union President in history, and he happily claims credit for union wins.
WNBA labor strike, alternate league will follow new media rights deal: Bill Simmons
July 29, 2024 // But the WNBA’s portion of that deal, with about $200 million per year — which translates to $2.2 billion out of a $77 billion pie for the NBA — already has some raising their eyebrows. The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is firmly among that crowd, speculating on his podcast that the massive disparity between valuation of the NBA and WNBA will eventually lead to a labor strike, and possibly a competing league forming. “It’s gonna lead to a labor strike is what’s gonna happen,” Simmons said after his guest, The Atlantic’s Derek Thompson, pointed out that average WNBA viewership is not far off NBA numbers — and in the case of games between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, eclipses it. “That’s where we’re headed in the next two years. The thing that I think is gonna happen is I think somebody is gonna try to form an alternate league. Cause it’s not like all of these WNBA players are tied to their teams forever.”
Disneyland workers reach tentative deal with company, averting strike
July 25, 2024 // The bargaining committee previously accused Disney of having "engaged in multiple instances of conduct we allege are unfair labor practices, including unlawful discipline and intimidation and surveillance of union members exercising their right to wear union buttons at work." The union buttons in question depict a Mickey Mouse-style white glove raised in a fist. (The company has insisted that costumes worn by cast members are "a critical part of enhancing the experience of our Disney show.")
Food 4 Less workers reach tentative labor deal, avoid strike
June 27, 2024 // The union representing thousands of Food 4 Less workers reached a tentative contract agreement Tuesday with the grocery company, averting a potential strike. Workers had previously authorized a work stoppage if labor talks failed. But on Tuesday, representatives of United Food and Commercial Workers Locals 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442 announced that they had reached a tentative deal that includes "substantial wage increases for all workers, more guaranteed hours and other contract improvements."
Alaska Airlines reaches tentative labor deal with flight attendants
June 24, 2024 // The deal likely contains a significant pay raise, which has been a common demand across the airline industry and sought by unions whose members in some cases have not seen a pay increase in years. In April, the union announced to members it was seeking pay raises of between 43% to 56%, depending upon seniority, through 2026. Those pay raises would include back pay covering a period dating back a year and a half that they’ve worked under the terms of the previous contract.
Sierra Club floats ‘best and final’ contract offer to staff union
June 24, 2024 // The green group’s management and one of its employee unions, the Progressive Workers Union, have clashed over the specifics of a new contract since the previous agreement expired at the end of last year. Sierra Club’s leadership sent what it called its “best and final offer” to the union this week and is now asking the union to participate in mediation, where an independent party would work with leadership and the union to hash out areas of compromise.
So, A Union’s Own Unionized Workers Go On Strike…
June 21, 2024 // In a May 30 news release, the Guild pointed to its one-day unfair labor practice strike held on May 23, 2024 to “protest the anti-union hypocrisy and unlawful practices from UFCW executives at the bargaining table,” apparently to signal that Guild members are prepared to dig in their heels. In another post six days later, the Guild stated that the UFCW’s “last, best, and final proposal” lacked “substantive changes” from UFCW’s previous proposal, which had been voted down. The UFCW refused to schedule bargaining sessions until the Guild voted again. In response, the Guild “thr[e]w a voting party complete with party hats, candy cigarettes, and a copy of the proposal to annotate suggestions for improvement [to the proposal].” And unsurprisingly, Guild members rejected the proposal once again. Often, unions attack employers (many of whom are truly trying to do their best to be fair and reasonable) as unfair, unreasonable, uncaring, bullying, greedy, amoral…. Well, you get the picture. So, it’s fascinating, in a car-crash kind of way, when an organization with the specific mission of promoting worker rights is accused by its own employees of violating those same rights!