Posts tagged cost of living
VW’s 20% Raise And Bonus Offer Could Make or Break US Union Deal
September 23, 2025 // That’s clear today as Volkswagen recently took the unusual step of publicly addressing their “final contract offer to the UAW.” In a brief statement, the company said negotiations have been going on for nearly a year and their latest offer will be their last.
‘We ain’t going away’: Hilton hotel workers extend strike again in wage push
September 21, 2025 // Unionized workers at the Hilton Americas-Houston will extend their strike by another three weeks, buoyed by political support and grassroots donations in their push for a $23 minimum wage. The strike at one of the city’s largest hotels began on Labor Day and was originally set to last 10 days, but workers extended it through Sept. 20 after negotiations stalled. The latest extension slates an Oct. 12 end date, which would bring the strike to a total of 42 days.
Shawn Fain, Who Pledged to Reform U.A.W., Faces Internal Dissent
September 16, 2025 // The dissident workers’ main complaints about Mr. Fain are rooted in internal union matters like budgets and his treatment of other union officials, rather than in grand philosophical disagreements about labor and political issues. The people seeking to oust him say that he has spent too much of the union’s money on organizing campaigns in the South and other initiatives they consider misguided. They contend that he has improperly stripped two board members of critical duties and say he failed to prevent a Michigan-based automaker from laying off thousands of workers.
US union membership declining in ‘right-to-work’ states, report reveals
September 8, 2025 // Right-to-work laws allow workers represented by unions to stop paying dues for the services and benefits they receive through union representation, depleting resources from labor unions. Public sector workers in all 50 states have also had their collective bargaining rights stripped through the imposition of right-to-work laws by the US supreme court’s 2018 decision Janus v AFSCME. In 2024, states that protect collective bargaining saw an increase of nearly 10,000 union members, compared with the loss of 200,000 union members in states with right-to-work laws.
Some Mount Holyoke College workers went on-strike
September 4, 2025 // Dining workers, facility workers, and housekeepers at Mount Holyoke College have gone on-strike. The move comes after workers attempted to negotiate new contracts with wage increases in an effort to get the lowest paid workers a livable wage as the cost of living continues to rise
Podcast: Championing Worker Freedom Across The States: Alan Jernigan and Vincent Vernuccio on ALEC TV
August 23, 2025 // As debates over worker rights ripple across the country, one message continues to echo from state to state: workers deserve the freedom to choose the work arrangements that fit their lives best. But how should lawmakers turn that principle into policy?
Novato city workers plan to strike for 2nd day Wednesday over sales tax funds
August 7, 2025 // According to the city's website, the measure's rise in sales tax from 8.5% to 9.25% should generate $10 million annually and help the city mend its $4 million budget deficit through the 2025/2026 fiscal year. Novato has cut city staffing by over 30 positions to manage a growing budget deficit, the city's site said, and one-time COVID-19 federal recovery funding that helped protect essential services has been depleted.
Workers striking by choice could lose unemployment benefits in blue states under GOP proposal
July 20, 2025 // Legislation targets policies in Oregon, Washington, New York and New Jersey that provide financial support during strikes The legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Aaron Bean, R-Fla.; Mike Kelly, R-Pa.; Blake Moore, R-Utah; Nathaniel Moran, R-Texas; Greg Murphy, R-N.C.; David Rouzer, R-N.C.; Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y.; and Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas. The governors of both Oregon and Washington signed laws earlier this year allowing for striking workers to receive unemployment benefits.
Chicago Board of Election workers should not be barred from unionizing, judge finds
July 17, 2025 // Attorneys for the board argued that because election workers are prohibited from engaging in “political activity” by the state’s election code, they should therefore be barred from joining SEIU. In legal filings, hired counsel for the board of election noted that SEIU 73 is politically active, lobbies legislatively and makes endorsements and financial contributions to political candidates. The union, for instance, helped propel Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, who received more than $4 million in contributions from SEIU affiliates during his mayoral campaign, to victory.
Whatever happened to the effort by workers to unionize KY’s EV battery plant?
July 11, 2025 // The KyPolicy report says pressure from successful UAW bargaining at Louisville’s Kentucky Truck Plant and Ford Assembly Plant, and at Bowling Green’s General Motors Corvette facility has resulted in non-union plants across the state to boost wages. In December, BlueOval said starting wages would increase by between $2.50 and $3.50 per hour to as little as $21 per hour and as much as $32 per hour.