Posts tagged Covid
Unions pumped $700M into Democratic Party causes nationwide, nonprofit report finds
December 7, 2023 // "Our research illuminates the considerable political influence wielded by government unions, both in Washington, D.C., and in states throughout the nation," David Osborne, the Commonwealth Foundation's senior fellow of labor policy, told Fox News Digital. "Government unions use this power not only to advance leftist causes but also to elect political leaders who will protect their interests and influence. The result, unfortunately, is that federal, state and local governments are increasingly led by politicians who care more about union executives than union members or taxpayers."
Commentary: Teachers Union Head Mystified by Increase in Homeschooling
November 19, 2023 // Parents started seeking accountability on their own terms, at home. The surge in homeschooling during the 2020 school year has not dropped off, attracting enthusiasts from diverse racial and income backgrounds. While there are many reasons for the shift, a significant factor is leaders like Weingarten left a vacuum parents had to fill. When they did, parents learned they could do it without the leaders who left them in the lurch. Their kids' education could be flexible and tailored, without the constraint of having to sit at a desk between four walls for seven hours a day. Parents learned they had the power to fix some of the problems the pandemic posed.
City Workers Ditch Unions, Skip Dues, Following Supreme Court Ruling
November 2, 2023 // Pre-Janus, public sector employees had the option to explicitly opt out of union membership thanks to an earlier Supreme Court decision but still had to pay “agency fees” out of their paychecks to the unions. Union leaders, including New York City’s Municipal Labor Committee, warned before the decision of potentially large declines in union membership if signing up became optional. Any dramatic loss of dues-paying union members could threaten unions’ operations or even their ability to exist – a possibility on the horizon in some so-called “right to work” states.
SEPTA, workers union reach tentative agreement on new contract: ‘It’s a really good deal’
October 31, 2023 // In an email announcing the tentative agreement, SEPTA said the focus during negotiations was to "find a way to recognize employees' hard word and ensure that SEPTA is in the best possible position to build ridership and address the looming fiscal cliff when federal COVID relief funds run out next year." SEPTA argued during negotiations that it's facing a $240M drop in operating funds in April when its COVID relief money runs out. The so-called "fiscal cliff" is believed to be why the tentative agreement reached Friday is a short-term deal.
Opinion: Radical Unions Elected Biden, Chaos Ensues on International Front, but Others Bank on Same Formula
October 26, 2023 // Additionally, Biden unveiled a $400 billion American Jobs Plan designed to force thousands of Medicaid home healthcare providers back into the union membership they declined following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling in Harris v. Quinn. Unofficially, Biden waited weeks to survey the damage in fire-ravaged Hawaii and still hasn’t visited East Palestine, Ohio, where a 38-car train wreck last February created a huge hazardous waste disaster. But he saw fit to wade into a private-sector labor dispute by siding with the striking United Auto Workers and became the first sitting president in history to join a picket line.
Michigan credit unions offer assistance to workers impacted by UAW strike
October 24, 2023 // To assist these workers, who will be without their usual wage for an undetermined amount of time, credit unions around the state have reached out to their members to offer a wide array of relief options. Most common among options are skip-a-pay waivers, modifications to existing loans and new loan products with one-to-three month payment extensions. “When our members struggle financially, credit unions consistently step up with solutions,” said Terry Katzur, CEO of ELGA Credit Union in Grand Blanc. “We did it during the COVID pandemic when our members were without jobs and we are showing the credit union difference again as a response to the UAW Strike.” ELGA Credit Union is providing fee-free loan payment deferment for any worker impacted, whether they are a UAW worker on strike or laid off due to strikes, as are many non-union workers at auto parts suppliers. The credit union is also offering personal loans to UAW workers. LAFCU, the Lansing-based credit union founded by Oldsmobile employees 87 years ago, is offering special strike loans (up to $4,000 for 36 months at 8.99% APR), as well as debt consolidation, refinancing options and free credit counseling.
Despite rising number of strikes, union memberships remains low
September 7, 2023 // While the rate of work stoppages in 2023 is on pace to break the record set last year, union membership is still lagging at a record-low. So far, there have been 251 strikes in 2023, compared to 417 in 2022, according to data compiled by Cornell University’s Labor Action Tracker. Last year’s 10.1% unionization rate was the lowest on record, however, and workers have a long way to go to reach the 20% rates not seen in 20 years. While no comprehensive data exists detailing the success rate of recent worker strikes or labor disputes nationwide, some union workers have gotten their way this year.
Biden takes shot at Trump on jobs in battleground Pennsylvania
September 5, 2023 // A Reuters/Ipsos poll last month showed that the economy, unemployment and jobs remained Americans' top concern. A full 60% of Americans, including one in three Democrats, said they disapproved of Biden's handling of inflation, according to the poll. The Fed's preferred inflation gauge has moved down to 3.3%, from its peak of 7% last summer. Although the decline was a "welcome development," Fed Chair Jerome Powell said late last month, inflation "remains too high" and interest rates may need to move higher. Republicans and some economists say Democratic policies helped spark the rise in prices, making Americans pay more for rent, groceries and gasoline under Biden's watch. Economists say inflation was also stoked by the lifting of COVID-era restrictions and revival of business activity that followed.
Labor unions are pushing hard for double-digit raises and better hours. Many are winning
August 28, 2023 // More than 320,000 workers have participated in at least 230 strikes so far this year, according to data from the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations. That’s already higher than the roughly 224,000 workers who participated in roughly 420 strikes in 2022, due in large part to tens of thousands of striking workers with the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Writers Guild of America. “Major” strikes involving 1,000 or more workers so far amount to just 16 such work stoppages this year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That compares to a recent high of 25 recorded major work stoppages in 2019 and 23 last year.
COMMENTARY: Will generative A.I. be good for U.S. workers?
August 10, 2023 // The implications of generative A.I. are complex. What is clear is that generative A.I. will fundamentally change the way many jobs are done. And we are optimistic that many of the jobs created will be highly skilled and well paid. To get there, though, the United States must invest in re-training and education to ensure that the workforce is prepared to succeed. On the lower end of the job market—those making less than $38,200 a year—automation and other structural changes have already had big effects. Generative A.I. could accelerate these trends, resulting in lower wage workers being 14 times more likely to need to shift occupations than high-wage workers. People without college degrees are almost twice as likely to face displacement.