Posts tagged paid parental leave
Philadelphia teachers prepare for possible strike if a deal is not reached by Aug. 31
August 8, 2025 // The union is asking for an end to the school district's controversial sick leave policy, which it says punishes teachers for using sick days and requires them to meet with their principal after taking three days. The union also wants paid parental leave, extra pay for oversized classes and the restoration of school libraries. The union's president, Arthur Steinberg, said teachers don't want to go on strike, but the union, which represents nearly 14,000 teachers, is "not even close to working out a deal with the school district.
Dems have been bleeding working-class support. Now possible 2028 contenders are fighting with unions.
July 24, 2025 // High-profile Democratic governors fighting the Trump administration are also mired in bruising conflicts at home — with allies they’ll likely need to advance their presidential ambitions.
Democratic governors face off with unions at home
July 22, 2025 // Democratic governors who may be eyeing 2028 presidential runs have been at odds with public sector-unions in their states over a variety of issues, including return-to-office policies and the impact of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. In Colorado, state workers sought to join a lawsuit after Gov. Jared Polis allegedly instructed employees to provide Immigration and Customs Enforcement with information on undocumented immigrants. Unions have also sparred with California Gov. Gavin Newsom over his order calling state workers back to the office for at least four days a week, with three of them securing eleventh-hour temporary exemptions. And Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s office has been engaged in a tense bargaining process with state employees over health care benefits and paid parental leave.
Philadelphia teachers have voted to authorize a strike. Here’s what to know
June 20, 2025 // Ten percent of the district’s budget comes from federal dollars, and the Trump administration has threatened various cuts to those funding streams. The district is also facing a fiscal shortfall of more than $300 million for 2026. Superintendent Tony Watlington and other officials decided to extract 40% of the district’s rainy day fund to cover the difference and stave off budget and programming cuts for one more year, but the deficit is set to keep ballooning in size. The district in March blamed inflation, employee salaries and benefits, and charter school payments for the growing expenses. The union has stood staunchly in opposition to charter expansion, with President Steinberg harshly criticizing the Board of Education for approving a new charter school in recent weeks.
4 reasons why labor unions love Tim Walz
August 8, 2024 // The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers noted that Walz, a former teacher, understands the struggles of working people. The AFL-CIO hailed the governor as a principled fighter and labor champion. The Service Employees International Union pointed to what it called "the Minnesota Miracle," a sweeping package of pro-worker laws passed by the state's Democratic legislature last year and signed into law by Walz.
California State Union Approves Tentative Deal, Despite Dissent
February 22, 2024 // . Some members publicly campaigned against the deal, expressing disappointment that the strike didn’t last longer. “We know that some members had strong concerns about the process and questions about the result,” Sharon Elise, the union’s associate vice president of racial and social justice, South region, said in the release. “We will only be successful if we’re working together to continue building a CSU that empowers students and provides work environments that support faculty and staff.”
CSU faculty union approves contract with university that would raise salaries
February 20, 2024 // “We believe that accepting this deal leaves our economic and social-justice issues inadequately addressed, lets CSU off the hook with no systemic change, and fails to protect our students’ right to an accessible, affordable, high-quality education,” the Vote Down website says. “I felt that we were only just getting started in our power,” said Robin Dodds, a professor at California State L.A. who is involved with a campaign on her campus to vote no on the agreement. “I would prefer to go back to the bargaining table and continue to do better for the union.”