Posts tagged healthcare
Bernie Sanders | Senator argues for reduced working week due to advancements in AI
September 21, 2023 // Sanders, who is known for his progressive stance on labor issues, argued that as technology accelerates work processes, the benefits should be shared with laborers in the form of more paid time off. Sanders emphasized the mounting pressures faced by most Americans, including challenges related to parenting, housing, healthcare, and finances, which often lead to shortened life expectancies.
Is Gen Z the reason behind growing support for unions?
September 21, 2023 // Austin Johnson, 21, works at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne. He has a long family history with Ford. His mom works at the plant and his grandfather and great-grandfather worked for Ford. Johnson, who was worked for Ford for two years, walked out last week after contract negotiations failed and his union local was called to strike. "I am a tier two employee. I want to get rid of tiers and completely cancel that, and that's why I am here and striking for," he said.
‘I’m ready to rumble.’ UAW workers march at Labor Day Parade with strike looming
September 5, 2023 // President Joe Biden also spoke about the strike, saying he isn't worried about a strike and said it won't happen. UAW President Shawn Fain was shocked by Biden's comments and said Biden must know something he doesn't. "We just voted to strike by 97% because our members are fed up," Fain said. "I'm ready to rumble for whatever cause, we deserve and are out here to fight for our cause," a worker told us.
Looming auto strike puts Biden’s labor loyalty to the test
September 1, 2023 // On Monday, the Treasury Department sent a love letter to unions in the form of a new report, arguing that unions are central to the U.S. middle class. “The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes the benefits of unions to the middle class and the broader economy and is committed to fulfilling the policy objectives of the [National Labor Relations Act],” the report said. While unions are seeing a surge in popularity in the U.S., organized labor has been in long-term decline, with union participation rates falling by half since they first started being measured in the early 1980s.
‘I have a pension; they don’t’: Why United Auto Workers are fighting to end a two-tier system for wages and benefits
August 30, 2023 // U.S. automakers over the years have justified tiering as a way to stay competitive because of globalization, Lichtenstein said. “Whether the automakers are doing well [financially] or not, they’ll say the competition, like Toyota, will eat our cake.” But “across the board, the rank-and-file hated [tiering],” said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit. “It was a sore point from Day 1. They viewed it as discriminatory that people were doing same job and getting paid substantially less, and that [some workers were] treated as second-class citizens.”
The Impact Of Doctors’ Reluctance To Unionize On Private Practice
August 18, 2023 // Unionization empowers individuals to collectively negotiate better working conditions, fair compensation and greater control over their professional lives. Unfortunately, the medical profession has seen limited progress in this regard. Driven by a deeply ingrained culture of autonomy and individualism, many doctors remain hesitant to join unions or professional organizations that advocate for their rights.
ILLINOIS: SEIU HEALTHCARE MEMBERS EMPOWERED TO DROP UNION
August 16, 2023 // With locals in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri and Kansas, the union purports to represent more than 91,000 members. A closer look into reports published by the U.S. Department of Labor, however, reveals that SEIU HCII represents only about 59,000 workers. At least one third of those represented by SEIU HCII don’t seem to think the union’s services are worth their money. And they’re right. While the union collects tens of millions of dollars in membership dues each year, only a fraction is spent on “representational activities,” including collective bargaining and contract enforcement. In 2022, less than 22 percent of SEIU HCII’s $47 million in spending went towards member representation. The rest was spent on politics, administration, and other misguided union leadership priorities.
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.
UFT’s new contract reminds teachers of union’s past failures
June 27, 2023 // In 2014, UFT secured a complex contract with New York City that included retroactive back pay for teachers that would be paid out over several years. However, the contract excluded teachers who retired or left the profession before 2015. Over 4,000 teachers never received back pay, which for some could have been as much as an 8% pay bump. The affected teachers were outraged. In response, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten said, at the time, “Would UFT have liked it for all—of course; but not unprecedented practice [to not pay the teachers who retired].” UFT is an affiliate of AFT. Then, in 2020, after several years of payments, New York City informed UFT that it did not have enough money in its budget to finish the retroactive payments due to a pandemic-induced budget shortfall. UFT blamed New York City for delaying the payment for all teachers, and an arbitrator ruled the city must make the payments. UFT President Michael Mulgrew said, “This is far from a perfect solution for thousands of our members who are still owed deferred wages that can go back as far as years.” He explained, “The decision … makes it clear that the city must find a way to meet its financial obligations to its educators.”
Lunds & Byerlys workers may go on strike if deal can’t be reached
June 26, 2023 //