Posts tagged inflation
Simone Barron: Even a Downturn Won’t Stop New York’s Minimum-Wage Hike
October 29, 2026 // Governor Hochul promises a workaround for a provision in state law that mandates freezing the wage amid job losses.
Faculty, staff union reaches agreement with City Colleges of Chicago, strike averted
October 20, 2026 // The Cook County College Teachers Union and the community college system reached a tentative agreement overnight Sunday into Monday. The new four-year contract was approved just before 4 a.m. Monday. The union said the agreement includes salaries that keep pace with inflation. The agreement also protects health insurance, and puts safeguards in place regarding artificial intelligence, according to the union.
Thousands more Chicago hotel workers could strike at any moment
October 13, 2026 // Union members say they want better health care benefits, pensions, protection for immigrant workers, wages that keep up with inflation and safer workloads. A 2025 survey by the UNITE HERE Local 1 union found 32% of its members lacked money to cover their rent or mortgage and around 29% lacked money to cover utility bills in the last 12 months.
Harvard University graduate workers vote to authorize strike
October 9, 2026 // Harvard University graduate students have voted to authorize a strike after more than a year and a half of contract negotiations have failed to produce an agreement. Thousands of graduate students went on strike for 40 days back in April. According to the union, more than 4,000 workers represented by the Harvard Graduate Students Union-UAW Local 5118 (HGSU) cast ballots on Oct. 6, with 88% voting in favor of strike authorization.
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.
Alton public works employees begin strike at midnight after talks stall
September 24, 2026 // A Thursday afternoon press release from the City of Alton outlines plans to navigate the strike while keeping emergency services and "other work the City deems essential to public health and safety" on track. Beth Bear, the Alton City Council coordinator, sent the press release. Alton says emergency work outside the city's agreements, threats to public health or safety, and emergency declarations will be upheld. The city also says repairs to traffic signs and signals resulting from accidents, emergency-related street cleanups, and road repairs addressing public safety hazards will not stop.
Thousands of Chicago hotel workers threaten to strike
September 9, 2026 // The union represents 15,000 workers at more than 40 Chicago hotels, meaning a widespread strike could disrupt hotel operations during a key time for tourism and conventions. Catch up quick: By Aug. 31, contracts covering about 7,000 workers at Chicago hotels had officially expired, according to Unite Here Local 1.
Trump formally proposes pay freeze for most federal workers, 3.8% increase for law enforcement
September 1, 2026 // Trump first proposed the pay freeze as part of his fiscal 2027 budget proposal. Though the document was silent on federal employee compensation, officials with the Office of Management and Budget quickly clarified that its omission equated to a planned freeze for 2027. In a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, dated Thursday, Trump said increasing most federal employees’ pay would be “unacceptable and unfair” given the inflation that occurred under the Biden administration. Inflation actually has risen from 2.8% when former President Biden left office to 3.3% as of last month.
Teamsters, Chisago County reach tentative deal that could end nearly 120-day strike
August 29, 2026 // The union said key issues in the new agreement include health insurance and a 20.5% wage increase over three years. Chisago County Administrator Chase Burnham said that 20.5% wage increase includes general raises of 3% in the first two years of the contract and a 4% raise in the third year. Eligible employees will also receive step increases of 3.5% each year of the contract. Burnham said the deal is “similar to what [the county] offered in June” but adds a third year to the contract.
WATCH: Seattle teachers could strike despite being among highest paid in US
August 27, 2026 // But district officials have publicly said that Seattle Schools are grappling with a looming $87 million budget deficit for the 2026–27 school year and a depleted $30 million rainy-day reserve, down from a recommended $135 million. Vicki Murray, senior education policy director at the free market nonprofit Washington Policy Center, said investing in great education means investing in teachers, but noted that Seattle teachers' salaries are among the highest paid in the country.