Posts tagged Pennsylvania
First-Ever Bargaining Compact Unites Higher Ed Unions Across Northeastern US
May 5, 2026 // Together, they drafted a document called the Amherst Compact. While it is largely aspirational, it commits HELU to working “to coordinate bargaining priorities that raise the floor for workers of all job categories across the most densely-unionized region of the U.S.,” the Northeast. Moreover, the agreement pledges solidarity across job titles, even on campuses where multiple unions represent workers in different employment categories — buildings and grounds; clerical; custodial; food service; research; security; or teaching — and regardless of whether the workers are employed by university hospitals or degree-granting bodies.
Building trades unions emerge as a key ally of tech giants in push for AI data centers
May 4, 2026 // Unions have aggressively answered complaints about data centers in ways that executives at tech giants and the development firms rarely do, unafraid to bluntly confront concerns about energy and water shortages, rising electric and water bills, or noise and quality-of-life objections. “When people say, you know, ‘data centers are the root of all evil,’ we’re just saying, ‘look, they do create a hell of a lot of construction jobs, which we live and work in your communities,'” said Rob Bair, president of the Pennsylvania Building and Construction Trades Council.
Pennsylvania unions know that money talks
April 27, 2026 // The union PACs spent $2.2 million on the judicial retentions. Voters retained all three justices, Kevin Dougherty, Christine Donohue, and David Wecht. The unions spent $2.2 million to retain them. Dougherty received the most union funding — $1.1 million. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Locals 5 and 98 spent $180,000 to help retain Dougherty. Dougherty’s incarcerated brother, John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty, led the Local 98. Government unions overwhelmingly supported Democrats for political office. Roughly 91 percent of partisan candidate donations went to Democrats, while Republicans received just over 9 percent, the report said.
How Representative Are Pennsylvania’s Public Sector Unions?
April 21, 2026 // In one sense, this is a small ask of union officials, who are already legally bound to fairly represent all employees once the union is certified as representative of a given workplace—whether those employees voted for the union or sign up to become union members. In most states with unionized government workplaces, state agencies, counties, and cities can withdraw recognition from a union and refuse to bargain if they doubt that the union truly represents a majority of their employees. Yet, according to election data obtained by the Commonwealth Foundation, many of Pennsylvania’s government unions won the right to represent workplaces (or “bargaining units”) without majority support from employees. In fact, public records from 302 government union representation elections, conducted from 2011 to 2025, reveal that one in every seven unions won without majority support.
The Baltimore Banner’s parent nonprofit acquires the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
April 15, 2026 // The Post-Gazette is a beleaguered, historic metro daily whose union completed a divisive 1,133-day strike over health benefits last November. The NewsGuild technically won in court, but in January, Block Communications announced the newspaper’s financial losses were untenable and that it would print its final edition May 3. RELATED ARTICLE Nonprofit news site The Banner expands beyond Baltimore September 15, 2025 The Banner, meanwhile, is a national poster child for nonprofit news success. Since its founding in 2022, when Maryland businessman and Venetoulis chairman and founder Stewart Bainum pledged $50 million over about five years to the news outlet, it has won a Pulitzer, grown into the state’s largest newsroom, and rebranded from The Baltimore Banner to The Banner, even expanding coverage into D.C.’s suburbs after Washington Post layoffs. (The Banner has not yet broken even.)
Commentary: Maryland Portable Benefits Success Shows a Model For States to Follow
April 10, 2026 // Maryland has become the third state in the nation to complete a portable benefits pilot – highlighting how independent workers can maintain the freedom they value while accessing the benefits they want. Following successful pilots in Pennsylvania and Georgia, DoorDash launched and funded a four-month portable benefits pilot in Maryland, bringing more than 4,000 Dashers into the program. DoorDash and Dashers contributed more than $800,000 to their portable benefits accounts, setting aside money to be used for healthcare, paid time off, retirement, and more, an independent analysis from BW Research showed. Crucially, an overwhelming majority (96%) of participants support legislation requiring companies to contribute to flexible benefit accounts while preserving independent contractor status.
John Coyne: The teachers challenging their unions’ political agenda in court
April 8, 2026 // Wolf won that gubernatorial election and later appointed PSEA President Jerry Oleksiak as his labor secretary. Oleksiak himself embodied another way teachers’ unions advanced their agenda in schools — through “ghost teachers.” Typically in urban school districts, teachers’ unions arranged for certain teachers to leave the classroom and work full-time for the union. The problem? These ghost teachers stayed on district payroll, receiving a taxpayer-backed teachers’ salary, pension, and health benefits. Oleksiak, a former special education teacher, was a ghost teacher for ten years leading up to his appointment by Wolf.
Commentary: The Labor Department Just Freed Contractors—Again. Congress Still Needs To Act.
April 6, 2026 // Fortunately, at the state level, more durable change is happening. Rather than trying to reclassify workers as employees, numerous states have begun experimenting with what's known as a portable benefits model. Under this framework, independent contractors in the gig economy are given access to SEP IRA–style accounts in which both they and gig companies can contribute. The funds from these accounts follow the contractors from job to job, rather than being tied to a single company, and they can be used for benefits like health insurance, retirement funds, or paid time off.
Some PECO workers could strike soon as union contract expires
March 31, 2026 // A company representative sent Action News the following average salaries with overtime for certain positions in 2025: Lineman: $243,569 Customer Service Representative $117,887 Gas Mechanic $146,470 Transmission & Substation Mechanic $159,548 However, Lawrence Anastasi, the president and business manager of IBEW Local 614, said those numbers don't tell the whole story. He said the union wants retirement benefits for its members.
PHILADELPHIA: Prosecutors in District Attorney Larry Krasner’s Office move to unionize
March 24, 2026 // In addition to the ADAs, more than 100 paralegals and victim witness coordinators in the office are also seeking to unionize, according to people familiar with the plans, though it was not immediately clear which union would represent them. The unionization effort could represent a major shift in the culture at the district attorney’s office, where prosecutors make up a significant portion of the 600-person staff. It could also be a flashpoint for Krasner, a three-term progressive Democrat who has cast himself as a supporter of organized labor.