Posts tagged inflation
COMMENTARY: If the Biden administration doesn’t think your job is good, it’s gone
July 9, 2024 // Biden’s Good Jobs Initiative lists examples of where good jobs can be found. Each example is rife with government use of taxpayer funds for government-directed projects, typically involving union labor. While some select recipients of taxpayer funds, including union leaders, may wholeheartedly support this initiative and lend political support to the Biden administration as a reward, it seems private sector businesses operating without government direction or union control are unworthy examples of good employment. The results of advancing the Good Jobs goals sound a lot like the rest of Bidenomics — higher inflation, fewer jobs, reduced economic dynamism, and a workforce increasingly uncertain about the future. People would be better served by leaders who respected workers’ pride in their jobs and focused on creating an economic environment that increases worker choice and flexibility to pursue their own definition of meaningful work and prosperity.
Samsung union kicks off three-day strike over unfair pay
July 8, 2024 // The President of the NSEU told Reuters “What we think is the most important for this strike is to disrupt production, so we’ve been mainly encouraging those working on the production line to join the strike so they can directly impact it.” Those hitting the picket lines include workers who oversee automated production lines and equipment. However, with just over 6,500 workers striking this week - about 5% of the entire workforce - Samsung says it does not expect to see a drop in production at a time when demand is booming for AI chips.
Who Loves Minimum Wage Laws? Kiosk Makers
July 3, 2024 // Average voters who might think they are helping downtrodden, exploited workers might mean well, but they should realize that they are actually enriching higher-skill workers (who don’t need the help as much), software developers, and people who own shares in ordering kiosk companies.
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!
The astonishing number of fast food jobs lost – and restaurants shut – because of California’s new $20-an-hour minimum wage
June 11, 2024 // When the Democrat governor signed the law in 2023, Newsom said the state was getting 'one step closer to fairer wages, safer and healthier working conditions, and better training by giving hardworking fast food workers a stronger voice and seat at the table.' But Republican critics claimed the wage hike would simply mean workers are replaced with self-checkouts and 'robot cooks.' Harsh Ghai, a Burger King franchisee with 140 restaurants on the West Coast announced in April how he planned to have digital kiosks installed in all his locations in two months.
CHICAGO TEACHERS UNION CONTRACT COULD COST AT LEAST $10.2B TO $13.9B
June 6, 2024 // CTU wants massive pay raises, stipends and additional personnel – all of which are within the traditional scope of bargaining. It also wants the city to create new housing, levy new taxes, construct new parking garages, undertake new environmental initiatives, divest pension funds from fossil fuels, fully fund infertility and abortion care for members, subsidize weight-loss surgery and drugs such as Ozempic, add new members to the bargaining unit, offer free CTA passes for all students and employees, among many other things. The new contract also mandates certain positions to be staffed at every school, regardless of enrollment. The new positions include: librarian, librarian assistant, social worker, newcomer liaison, case manager, restorative justice coordinator, reading specialist and interventionist (elementary schools), three elective teachers (middle schools), technology coordinator, “Climate Champion,” and gender support coordinator and/or LGBTW+ lead/specialist and option to expand LGBTQ+ faculty support teams at each school. Because of the minimum staffing requirements laid out in the contract, this would constitute a minimum of 4,650 new hires. Based on the current average compensation for each type of employee, hiring the additional personnel would cost an estimated $1.7 billion.
Major Food Franchise Pulls Dozens Of Stores Out Of Blue State As Costs Rise
June 5, 2024 // “The closings were brought about by the rising cost of doing business in California. While painful, the store closures are a necessary step in our strategic long-term plan to position Rubio’s for success for years to come,” the statement read. Shockwaves of closures have been occurring throughout California for restaurants and retail stores as high crimes and high costs have been affecting business. So far this year, popular restaurants such as Manzkes’ Bicyclette and Patrick’s Roadhouse shut their doors due to the rising costs,
The Delivery Business Shows Why Unions Are Struggling to Expand
May 29, 2024 // But the union has also suffered losses. Yellow, a trucking company that employed 24,000 Teamsters, shut down and filed for bankruptcy protection last year. Amazon and FedEx said they were confident in their approach to managing and compensating workers. Amazon said it had made investments that bolstered pay and benefits at its delivery contractors. FedEx said its nonunion model allowed it to quickly increase pay whereas UPS’s union employees were bound by the terms of five-year contracts.
Dartmouth graduate student workers strike; Clash with administrators over pay and health care
May 3, 2024 // The union representatives said two-thirds of graduate student members are rent-burdened and need better health care benefits.
Fast food chains find a way around $20 minimum wage: Get rid of the workers
April 26, 2024 // The layoffs present a stark reality for employees and their unions, who have long advocated for wage increments. Workers at well-known chains such as Pizza Hut and Round Table pizza restaurants have also felt the impact, with job losses reported following statements from management about the unsustainable nature of the new wage costs. Meanwhile, major fast food players including McDonald’s, Chipotle, and Starbucks have signaled intentions to offset the increased expenses by raising prices.