Posts tagged layoffs
Opinion: How Biden betrayed union workers by giving them what they wanted
January 7, 2025 // This would hurt the blue-collar American workers whom Biden prioritizes, many of whom wanted the deal to go through. But what’s good for rank-and-file members and what ego-sensitive union leaders want are not always aligned. United Steelworkers leaders were apparently peeved that Nippon had not sought the union’s blessing before making a takeover bid, as other prospective buyers had. (Those other suitors, however, had not offered nearly as generous terms and, in at least one case, blocked U.S. Steel from conducting due diligence on the offer.)
461 employees at ZeniMax Online Studios have unionized
December 20, 2024 // Another union has formed within Microsoft in a bid to 'create protections against layoffs and workplace exploitation.'
IRONIC: Union Employees Strike Against the UAW, Accuse It of Union-Busting
December 10, 2024 // The legacy media appear not to have covered the strike in downtown Manhattan. The pro-union outlet Payday Report covered the strike and condemned “so many labor journalists” for ignoring the story. As The Washington Times reported in September, UAW Staff United accused the UAW of stalling contract negotiations and illegally terminating the contract of a labor organizer. UAW Staff United launched in March after the election of UAW President Shawn Fain, who ran as a reform candidate following a series of corruption scandals.
Communications Workers of America File Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against Sony for Violating Labor Law
December 5, 2024 // This week, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Santa Monica Studio, a Sony subsidiary based in Los Angeles, Calif., alleging that Sony limited protected organizing activities on their property in violation of Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act.
Five years after failed vote, Pitt grad students unionize
November 30, 2024 // From 2021 to 2023, nearly 64,000 U.S. grad student workers joined unions. By comparison, only 20,394 students unionized from 2013 through 2020. Today, four in 10 grad student employees belong to labor groups. This trend was, experts say, driven in part by the pandemic and by the administration change from Donald Trump to Joe Biden in 2021, which ushered in a National Labor Relations Board more amenable to organizers.
CONNECTICUT: State Employee Union Cries Recession is Coming to Save Temporary Jobs
November 26, 2024 // One of Connecticut’s largest unions, AFSCME Council 4, is pressuring Gov. Ned Lamont, along with Sen. Paul Cicarella (R-North Haven) and Rep. Mary Mushinsky (D-Wallingford), to intervene in stopping the planned layoffs of 49 federally funded, temporary employees at the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL). In a call to action posted on AFSCME’s website on Oct. 15, the union argued that “these layoffs are NOT due to a shortage of work,” claiming that these workers are still essential as job growth has “severely declined nationally.” AFSCME also painted a grim picture, warning that “a recession is anticipated soon” and suggesting that Connecticut’s government is ill-equipped to handle an economic downturn when it materializes.
DNC union blasts Dems for laying off workers without severance on one-day’s notice: ‘Betrayal of party values’
November 22, 2024 // “These cuts go far beyond typical campaign turnover and impact employees who were previously told their positions would be retained after the election. Chair Jaime Harrison and Executive Director Sam Cornale refuse to address their staff face to face and have offered no explanation,” the union added. Between January and mid-October of this year, the DNC hauled in some $539 million, according to Federal Election Commission records.
UAW’s Fain says strike will cripple Stellantis
November 3, 2024 // Kevin Gotinsky, who heads the UAW’s Stellantis Department, described the Local 1166 vote as a low-turnout election, with about 61% voting in favor. He said the union is confident it can get “everybody moving together” going forward, with a more aligned approach over the next three months. More than a dozen locals have withdrawn grievances filed as part of the process, according to the company, but the union can refile them. UAW Stellantis Department Director Kevin Gotinsky speaks during a rally outside of the UAW Local 51 office in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, highlighting Stellantis' refusal to follow through on the $19 billion in product and investment commitments made during the 2023 Stand Up Strike. Strike authorization does not guarantee a strike will happen, but provides leverage for the union as it negotiates with the company, which says a strike under these circumstances would not be legal.
Workers Launch Union Drive at ‘Summer of Soul’ Producer RadicalMedia
October 27, 2024 // The labor group announced on Wednesday the drive to unionize 65 staffers in the company’s entertainment group, which has produced documentary titles like Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, What Happened, Miss Simone? and Hollywood Black. Organizers are targeting roles in production and postproduction with the effort and requested voluntary recognition from the company on Wednesday morning. The union claims that an “overwhelming majority” of the group has signed union cards supporting the drive.
Union drive at Wells Fargo heats up as employees allege intimidation tactics
October 21, 2024 // After Wells Fargo was mired in a 2013 scandal over employees who opened millions of fake banking accounts, the bank created a new centralized unit to review customer complaints and employees’ allegations of workplace abuses. Now, however, that team is upended by its own turmoil as its members have accused bank officials of aggressively trying to block a unionization drive and firing employees in retaliation for their efforts to organize.