Posts tagged labor unrest
Unionization booms in 2023, but is far from 1950s peak
November 2, 2023 // "A very limited number of workers in California are unionized. Currently, it's about 16 to 17 percent," Bernick said, adding that the majority of unionized workers are in the public sector. A lack of jobseekers, a strong economy and the state mandating higher pay for many classes of workers, have helped wage gains in recent years, Bernick said. So, 2023 could turn out to be something less than a grand slam. "I've seen a number of events that have been pointed to as seminal changes in unionization in California, and they've actually had very limited impact," Bernick said. But the public, by and large, supports the organizing efforts.
Why it seems like everyone’s going on strike on Biden’s watch
September 19, 2023 // Biden was able to intervene directly in talks between railroads and rail workers since federal law gives the government a big say in that industry’s labor relations due to its economic importance. And his top Labor Department official was involved in a deal this year between West Coast ports and dockworkers. Here’s how the administration publicly stepped in — or didn’t — in some of organized labor’s most high-profile moments.
‘Workers are done,’ AFA union head on potential nationwide strikes.
July 17, 2023 // This summer, several labor unions across multiple industries are turning up the heat on major corporations. If you combine the actors, writers and potentially auto workers, 321,000 Americans could be picketing this summer. Association of Flight Attendants President Sara Nelson joins Ali Velshi to explain why workers are fed up with current conditions.
Hollywood actors’ union SAG-AFTRA votes to strike. ‘We are the victims here.’
July 14, 2023 // The studios said the union walked away from an offer that included “historic” increases in pay and residuals, as well as a “groundbreaking” proposal for AI protections. The group said its offer included a requirement for a performer’s consent for the creation and use of digital replicas or for digital alterations of a performance.
NYC Avoids Strike by 30,000 Doormen, Building Workers
April 21, 2022 // Skylar Woodhouse Tue, April 19, 2022, 4:34 PM·3 min read (Bloomberg) -- New York City residents at more than 3,000 buildings, including the city’s most grand high-rises, can stand down on trash duty as building workers struck a labor deal, ending the possibility of a strike. Most Read from Bloomberg Netflix Tumbles as 200,000 Users Exit for First Drop in Decade In Defense of Elon Musk's Managerial Excellence Twitter Has a Poison Pill Now Putin Calls Time on Foreign Listings in Fresh Hit to Tycoons U.S. Stops Mask Requirement on Planes After Judge’s Ruling More than 30,000 doormen, superintendents and other building employees -- who are being represented by 32BJ SEIU, a powerful union -- negotiated a new contract with the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations, a group representing building owners and managers, the organizations announced on Tuesday. The contract is up for renewal every four years, and the latest was set to expire at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday. The board had initially proposed cutting back employees’ vacation days and sick leave. They also wanted staff to cover more of their health-care costs, an expense currently borne by the management firms. As a part of the new contract, union members saw no changes to their vacation days and sick leave, or their health care plans. Annual wage increases will also average 3% over the next four years. Read More: NYC Braces for Doorman Strike as Negotiations Enter Final Hours “We got a deal done that our members have earned and deserved,” 32BJ President Kyle Bragg said in a statement. The union had said the board’s original terms were unfair considering how doormen, superintendents and other building workers played a key role in keeping apartment buildings functioning as much of the world shut down in during the pandemic, often endangering their own health in the process. The negotiation also came as the U.S. is goes through a period of labor unrest not seen since the early 1980s. The labor union had authorized a strike if a deal was not reached, leading buildings around the city to craft contingency plans for disruptions. In some cases, that meant asking residents to help with mail sorting, trash collection and security. The last New York apartment workers strike was in 1991 and lasted for 12 days.
ILR School tracks scope of 2021 US labor unrest
February 26, 2022 // The most common demands of the 140,000 striking American workers in 2021 involved health and safety protocols, pay and health care benefits, according to the Cornell ILR Labor Action Tracker 2021 annual report.
Disgruntled Apple store workers reportedly start unionizing efforts
February 20, 2022 // But employees there who earn between $17 and $30 an hour are reportedly unhappy over stagnant wages despite the company’s market capitalization surpassing $3 trillion last year, according to the Washington Post.