Posts tagged layoffs
Labor standoff at LA’s Loyola Marymount University a battle over Catholic teaching
February 1, 2026 // On the pages LMU published profiling the dispute, the institution defends its action by stating “invocation of the religious exemption is lawful, grounded in the U.S. Constitution, and consistent with Supreme Court and NLRB precedent. This right cannot be waived and may be exercised at any point.” “The Board reached this decision to protect LMU’s Catholic mission, its students, and its long-term sustainability,” Griff McNerney, LMU’s senior director of media and public relations, told OSV News in an e-mailed statement. “After months of discernment, trustees concluded that direct partnership with faculty — without SEIU’s involvement — would enable faster, more mission-aligned progress toward shared goals.” McNerney noted, “From December 2024 to Summer 2025, LMU reviewed 39 proposals and made counterproposals, none of which were accepted by the union.”
Sudden removal of materials likely triggered Alton Steel plant closure, union officials say
February 1, 2026 // New details emerged Thursday regarding the abrupt mass layoffs at Alton Steel, where union leaders say the sudden removal of inventory by a contractor over the weekend triggered the mill’s collapse. According to Scott Hall, president of the United Steelworkers Local 3643, a scrap provider entered the facility during a snowstorm on Saturday and began loading up materials.
What we know so far about San Francisco’s looming teachers strike
January 28, 2026 // Su said the offer was one of SFUSD’s “creative suggestions” it presented to the union at the bargaining table. Other suggestions included augmenting the salaries of special education teachers and identifying a pathway for the district to fully fund family health benefits. Those offers were rejected by the union without a counteroffer, according to Su. The district claims that it simply can’t meet the union’s salary demands while also closing its roughly $100 million budget deficit and avoiding state oversight.
Washington Post union urges staffers to appeal to Jeff Bezos’ wife Lauren Sanchez in bid to avoid layoffs: report
January 27, 2026 // The union representing staffers at the Washington Post is urging its membership to tag both Bezos and his glamorous spouse Lauren Sánchez in social media posts in hopes of getting their attention, according to the Status newsletter. “If you’re comfortable, please tag Jeff Bezos, Lauren Sánchez, sources with large followings — anyone who might be able to amplify our message and make sure it reaches those who need to hear it,” the Washington-Baltimore News Guild told its membership in an email obtained by Status.
Trump lauds ‘tremendous’ federal workforce cuts. Good government group calls them ‘disturbing.’
January 21, 2026 // Going forward, the Trump administration is looking to make further changes for the federal workforce, including overhauls to the probationary period and federal hiring processes, as well as performance management and senior executive development. OPM’s Kupor said the upcoming changes will make government “leaner,” while making federal employees more results-oriented, accountable and efficient.
Unions urge US judge to block 1,300 State Department layoffs
December 4, 2025 // The law, known as a continuing resolution, prohibits agencies from implementing layoffs through January 30. The Trump administration has told agencies that the law does not apply to job cuts that had been announced before the shutdown began on October 1, including the State Department layoffs that were first announced in July. The American Federation of Government Employees and American Foreign Service Association said in Wednesday's filing that the administration's interpretation of the law is wrong. They asked U.S. District Judge Susan Illston to issue a ruling by Friday morning blocking the layoffs pending further litigation.
Grand Canyon National Park employees move to unionize
November 26, 2025 // Employees at Glacier, Rocky Mountain and Grand Teton national parks also planned to file to unionize Monday, along with workers at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and the National Park Service’s Denver Regional Office. Over the summer, staff at Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings national parks moved forward with their own unions.
‘Fracture’ in Chicago’s labor world complicates Mayor Brandon Johnson’s third budget fight
November 25, 2025 // That’s the signature hue of the Service Employees International Union, whose local affiliates were Johnson’s second-biggest labor backer in his 2023 election. Instead, the self-styled “most pro-worker mayor” in Chicago’s history has only seen one union vociferously cheer his $16.6 billion proposal, despite his hard line against layoffs: the red-shirted Chicago Teachers Union. It’s a sign of the times after a “fissure” between the once-close SEIU and CTU has grown into a full-blown “fracture,” said Ald. Desmon Yancy, a freshman progressive who previously served in SEIU leadership.
CSU uses loan to pay employees, sparking faculty and union protests
November 21, 2025 // CSU unionized faculty and staff assembled on Tuesday to demand the CSU use a $144 million state loan to meet their requests rather than distribute a one-time employee payment. The CSU announced in October that it would use the loan to compensate employees, sparking disagreement among faculty who want the loan to go toward programs, college budgets, raises and more.
Where the Jobs Are (and Aren’t): Sectoral Shifts and the Federal Workforce Pullback
November 5, 2025 // Healthcare’s steady expansion and manufacturing’s contraction capture the reallocation story at the heart of today’s labor market. Where jobs grow—and where they disappear—helps explain why some young workers thrive while others stall. Meanwhile, the federal workforce reductions mark one of the most significant government pullbacks in decades, echoing the reform-minded cuts of the 1990s.