Posts tagged Labor
Unpacking Kamala Harris’ record on federal workforce issues
July 26, 2024 // As vice president, Harris led a White House task force that made recommendations for how agencies could reduce barriers for public and private sector workers to organize or join a union. In the year after agencies began implementing these recommendations, the number of federal employees who are dues paying members of a union increased by 20%. “We are fighting to protect the sacred right to organize. We are protecting the sacred right to organize because we know when unions are strong, America is strong,” Harris said at a Service Employees International Union convention in May.
Boeing Workers Pass Strike Vote to ‘Save Company From Itself’
July 22, 2024 // CLOSE X CONTINUE Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:56 Quality Fullscreen By Hugh Cameron Live News Reporter FOLLOW 2 Members of Boeing's biggest union have voted to authorize a strike if their current contract negotiations with the aerospace company fail, compelling the company to take their demands for higher salaries and job security seriously. Over 30,000 Boeing workers from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) met in Seattle on Wednesday to cast their vote on possible industrial action. "Thousands of Machinists from IAM District 751 who work at the Boeing Company put down their tools and silenced the factories to come together at T-Mobile Park to cast their vote," a statement shared by the International Association of Machinists read. "The message was clear – Boeing workers deserve better." The vote will compel Boeing to "bargain earnestly," according to IAM District 751 President Jon Holden. "Our jobs, our legacy and our reputation are on the line right now. We are fighting to change this company and to save it from itself." IAM strike vote International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Worker Union District 751 members drop their ballots into a ballot box during an early strike-sanction vote event at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington on July 17, 2024. The... More JASON REDMOND/GETTY IMAGES The procedural vote, which the IAM said passed "by nearly 99.9%," gives the union advanced notice of its members' intention to strike, ensuring that they can receive strike benefits without delay if industrial action goes ahead. Sign up for Newsletter NEWSLETTER The Bulletin Your Morning Starts Here Begin your day with a curated outlook of top news around the world and why it matters. Enter your email address I want to receive special offers and promotions from Newsweek By clicking on SIGN ME UP, you agree to Newsweek's Terms of Use & Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. The vote to strike will not take place until September 12, when the current negotiations between the IAM and Boeing come to a close. However, the union said that the vote serves as a "momentum builder," and sends a strong message to Boeing that "members won't accept anything less than the fair contract they deserve." Exclusively Available to Subscribers Try it now for $1 "We don't want to strike – but we're ready and willing to do so to bring home the best aerospace contract our members have ever seen," Holden said. "From our family members to the flying public, we want everyone to be proud of this company once again. We are the watchdog with a unique opportunity to make things better for all." READ MORE Boeing Concern Over Boeing's 'Influence' As Sweetheart Plea Deal Delayed FAA Must Rein in Boeing After Engine Fire: UK Government Boeing Bosses Face Marathon 20-Hour Grilling by Watchdog Boeing Workers Meet for Crunch Vote on Strikes IAM President Jon Holden International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Worker Union District 751 President Jon Holden speaks as members and supporters attend an early strike-sanction vote event at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington on July 17, 2024. Holden... More JASON REDMOND/GETTY IMAGES The negotiations between Boeing and its workers began in March and are set to finish in September at the close of their current 10-year contract. The IAM is seeking a 40 percent salary increase over the next three to four years to amend "ten years of stagnant wages," as well as improved healthcare plans, "dignified" retirement plans and a greater say in their over overtime hours. However, the IAM said that job security "could tip the scales" when members cast their votes to strike on September 12. Holden previously told Newsweek that the IAM was demanding that Boeing's next airplane program be placed in the Puget Sound region, Washington.
Ex-Daniel Arsham Studio Employee Alleges They Were Fired for Union Activities
July 22, 2024 // Meghan Clohessy, Arsham’s studio director for nearly a decade, insists that the fired employee was let go for violating studio policies, showing up to work late, smoking indoors, and “altercations” with other staff members. “All of this is well documented, both prior and unrelated to the unionization matter,” she said.
Judge grants temporary halt in UFW’s unionization of Wonderful Co. nursery workers
July 21, 2024 // Within days, Wonderful accused the UFW of having baited the employees into signing the authorization cards under the guise of helping them apply for $600 each in federal relief for farmworkers who labored during the pandemic. The company submitted nearly 150 signed declarations from nursery workers saying they had not understood that by signing the cards they were voting to unionize.
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.
Fury as one of America’s oldest companies slashes jobs in the Midwest as it shifts work to Mexico: ‘It’s greed’
June 30, 2024 // The layoffs come after 10,000 unionized John Deere workers went on strike for five weeks in October 2021. The strikes were among the most prominent during 'Striketober', where thousands of workers from Nabisco, Kellogg's, McDonald's and others walked out for weeks or even months to protest low pay in the wake soaring company profits.
Toledo Starbucks trying to unionize stags day-long ‘sip-in’
June 19, 2024 // Workers at the Westgate Starbucks in west Toledo were asking people to wear red and give the name "Union Strong' when placing the order.
Remote Work Is Reshaping the California Labor Market
June 5, 2024 // That flexibility may be desirable for workers and it could improve labor force participation. For instance, initial evidence suggests that the opportunity for telework may have improved employment among women in recent years. Additionally, remote work is a valuable option for workers with disabilities, though the recent shift toward remote work does not appear to be widespread among this group. In fact, occupations with more flexibility to work remotely have had strong employment growth. While overall employment fell 2% between 2018–19 and 2021–22, employment in occupations where at least half of workers report working from home grew 12%. The largest growth includes software developers, mathematical science occupations, management analysts, and computer hardware engineers. However, the occupations most likely to do remote work are writers and editors (3 of the top 10 remote occupations), even though this field is not growing very fast in California.
Biden appoints UAW president to White House advisory council
June 3, 2024 // The President’s Export Council serves as the main national committee advising the White House on matters of international trade. The group discusses and works to resolve trade-related issues around business, agriculture and labor. The appointment of Fain is the latest instance of the UAW leader emerging as one of Biden’s closest allies in organized labor. Biden walked the picket line with UAW members in Michigan during a strike last year, and Fain and the group endorsed Biden’s reelection bid in January, citing the president’s solidarity with workers.
Guest column: Union democracy? Not so much
May 21, 2024 // The AFL-CIO Philadelphia Council announced GET-UP may be Philadelphia’s largest private sector union. Nonetheless, GET-UP did not secure — as some overzealous headlines suggest — an “overwhelming majority.” Yes, the 1,807-to-97 vote to unionize was undoubtedly one-sided. However, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) reported 4,003 eligible voters, meaning only 45 percent of the total workforce supported unionization. Other reports suggest a lower denominator of 3,700 voters. Even then, that’s only 48 percent — clearly less than “the majority of the employees in a unit” seemingly described in the National Labor Relations Act. Yet, due to federal court decisions that strayed from the statutory text long ago, UAW only needed a simple majority