Posts tagged Kentucky
Ford, SK On battery park workers at BlueOval SK may soon be faced with a major decision
July 1, 2025 // BlueOval SK, a joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and South Korean company SK On, had contested the election petition, arguing an imminent union election would wrongly leave out the preferences of thousands of yet-to-be-hired employees. The company also drove an aggressive anti-union campaign, both at the plant and in online advertisements. "Bringing in a union would slow progress, force new training, and reset everything we've built," one BlueOval SK ad said. "Don't let unnecessary changes hold us back."
TCGPlayer Announces Plans to Relocate Authentication Operations from Syracuse to Kentucky
May 30, 2025 // According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, in 2024 New York State had 1.7M union members, representing 20.6% of the state’s 8M+ employees. Kentucky only has 156,000 union members out of 1.7M employees, representing just under 9% of their labor force. The minimum wage in New York is $16.50 per hour and will go up to $17 an hour in 2026. In 2027 it will continue to grow in accordance with the Consumer Price Index. The minimum wage in Kentucky is $7.25 per hour, the same as the Federal minimum wage, and has not changed since 2009.
Okonite union workers continue strike after health coverage cut following contract rejection
May 28, 2025 // Okonite’s website says 186 people are employed at the Santa Maria facility. According to Reynolds, about 160 of those are union members and they’re the ones currently feeling the fallout from the rejected contract, the sudden insurance loss, and the termination notices.
Independent Contractors Take Center Stage for ‘Empowering the American Worker’
May 27, 2025 // However, expert witness Dr. Liya Palagashvili showed data of the deliberate harm done through California’s law AB5 and its ABC test that is also embedded in the federal Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO) Act and other statewide legislation seeking to restrict the work of independent professionals. Now, these results are causal, meaning we can definitely say that ABC tests cause these negative outcomes. No other studies to date have found positive employment effects from these laws. The research shows that restrictive ABC tests do not create more work opportunities. They eliminate both independent and W-2 jobs.
Investor group urges Ford to address claims of ‘union avoidance’ at Kentucky battery plant
May 8, 2025 // A nonprofit faith-based group that seeks to leverage its investing to advance human rights, racial equity and “the common good” is calling on automaker Ford to address claims of anti-union activities at the BlueOval SK battery plant in Kentucky. The letter from Investor Advocates for Social Justice details the group’s concerns over “strong indications that BlueOval Kentucky is engaging in union avoidance activities,” ranging from disseminating “anti-union flyers and media” to the United Auto Workers (UAW) telling the Washington Post that anti-union consultants have been brought in to persuade workers against unionization. The UAW launched a campaign last year to unionize the BlueOval SK battery plant in Hardin County, and workers at the plant in January asked the National Labor Relations Board to hold a union election. The BlueOval SK battery plant, one of two planned at Glendale to produce batteries for electric vehicles, is jointly owned by Ford and South Korean company SK Group.
Fringe benefits boost average Kentucky teacher’s compensation to nearly $100,000
May 7, 2025 // Though teacher compensation has grown, the much-larger increase in school funding indicates that a great deal of funding is going elsewhere. Moreover, student academic performance hasn’t come close to keeping pace with increases in either funding or teachers’ compensation. “Public education should be about preparing students for future success, not propping up an overfunded mediocre system,” said Bluegrass Institute president Jim Waters. "Large increases in school funding – including nearly $2 billion in fringe-benefit payments for teachers – have not translated into better student outcomes.”
Podcast Newt Gingrich, Vinnie Vernuccio; Episode 837: Protecting the American Worker
May 5, 2025 // Newt’s guest is Vincent Vernuccio, president and co-founder of the Institute for the American Worker. They discuss the significant labor policy developments and legislative efforts aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in both public and private sectors. Their conversation covers the introduction of the Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act, which seeks to amend the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 to ensure greater transparency in financial transactions between unions and labor consultants. Vernuccio also explains the implications of President Trump's executive action, Schedule F, which aims to make certain federal employees at-will to enhance accountability. They also discuss the challenges posed by public sector unions and the potential impact of Senator Josh Hawley's Faster Labor Contracts Act, which could impose arbitration on private sector union negotiations. Vernuccio emphasizes the need for modernizing union models to align with today's workforce demands for flexibility and merit-based advancement.
Cincinnati-Area Kroger Employee Wins Federal Case Against UFCW, Grocer for Illegal Union Dues Deductions
March 5, 2025 // – Kroger Grocery employee James Carroll has prevailed in his federal case against United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 75 union and corporate grocery conglomerate Kroger. The resolution comes after charges were filed against UFCW for threatening Carroll with termination for refusing to sign an illegal union dues deduction form and against Kroger for unlawfully deducting union dues from his paycheck. To avoid prosecution, Kroger and UFCW agreed to a settlement that requires them to reimburse Carroll for unlawfully seized dues and post a public notice informing employees of their rights. Carroll received free legal aid from National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation staff attorneys.
Cincinnati UPS Employee Slams Teamsters Local 100 With Federal Charges for Seizing Dues Illegally From Paycheck
February 19, 2025 // Union officials took money for union expenditures – including union politics – without informing worker of their rights