Posts tagged Pennsylvania
Targeting DOGE, labor group puts up billboards warning of heat deaths at national parks
June 6, 2025 // The National Parks Conservation Association, an independent advocacy organization, estimates that around 2,500 employees — roughly 13% of the National Park Service’s staff — took buyouts or accepted early retirements or deferred resignations as part of DOGE’s efforts to significantly slash the size of the federal government. There are concerns that deep cuts across the National Park Service could jeopardize public safety.
Philadelphia’s largest city workers union schedules strike vote
June 6, 2025 // A social media post urges members of AFSCME District Council 33 to attend a meeting at union headquarters to take a strike vote. One of Philadelphia’s largest labor unions is calling for a strike vote next week in what is being billed as an “Emergency General Membership Meeting.”
Whole Foods Union Certified by US in First for Amazon’s Grocer
June 1, 2025 // Employees at the Philadelphia site voted 130 to 100 in January to unionize with the United Food & Commercial Workers union. Whole Foods argued the result should be overturned, alleging the union made promises and provided free car rides to workers that prevented a fair election, and that a ruling by the labor board’s Democratic members deprived the company of its rights. The union has denied wrongdoing.
Trump hails US Steel-Nippon deal, says steelmaker will be ‘controlled by the USA’ — but offers few details
June 1, 2025 // "I have to approve the final deal with Nippon and we haven't seen that final deal yet," Trump told reporters on the tarmac following the Pittsburgh event. "But they've made a very big commitment, and it's a very big investment." In his remarks at the rally, the president said U.S. Steel will maintain all of its current operating blast furnaces at full capacity for a minimum of 10 years.
Independent Contractors Take Center Stage for ‘Empowering the American Worker’
May 27, 2025 // However, expert witness Dr. Liya Palagashvili showed data of the deliberate harm done through California’s law AB5 and its ABC test that is also embedded in the federal Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO) Act and other statewide legislation seeking to restrict the work of independent professionals. Now, these results are causal, meaning we can definitely say that ABC tests cause these negative outcomes. No other studies to date have found positive employment effects from these laws. The research shows that restrictive ABC tests do not create more work opportunities. They eliminate both independent and W-2 jobs.
Op-ed: Colorado workers should know their rights
May 22, 2025 // With the examples of Pueblo and Denver—and those in other states—in mind, Colorado employees would be wise to educate themselves on their rights under state and federal law regarding union membership and representation. With lawmakers determined to expand union power, it may be up to employees to ensure that union officials are also held accountable to the law.
Labor unions representing laid off NIOSH, CDC workers to protest in DC next week
May 20, 2025 // The unions are demanding four things, per the release: Full reinstatement of all laid-off employees Restoration of funding to all affected programs An end to “retaliatory and offsetting” layoffs Direct engagement with union leadership before any future restructuring at the federal level
John Fetterman Completely Loses It in Meeting With Union Leaders
May 12, 2025 // The Pennsylvania senator was in a meeting with members of a teachers union when he began to lash out. The Inquirer spoke to several former Fetterman staffers anonymously who said that Fetterman wasn’t living up to his duties as a senator. His sharp, zero-sum advocacy for Israel and antipathy toward Palestinians amid Israel’s war on Gaza has alienated staff and constituents. He frequently misses meetings and votes, avoids colleagues, and spends many hours on Capitol Hill alone in his office. “It’s pretty impossible to overstate how disengaged he is,” said one former Fetterman staffer. “He doesn’t read memos, he’s taking very few meetings.… The job is just a platform for him to run for president; that’s all he cares about.”
UPS to shut down three major facilities slashing 20,000 jobs
May 11, 2025 // This reconfiguration is set to modernize distribution centers nationwide with increased automation, leading to the closure of about 200 facilities. A UPS spokesperson shared that the initiative kicked off within the first months of 2025.
Walberg, Allen Demand Answers on Union Failures to Protect Workers’ Sensitive, Personal Info
May 8, 2025 // The National Labor Relations Board requires that unions receive personal information for the purpose of communicating with workers who are eligible voters in a union election. This information includes individuals’ full names, work locations, shifts, job classifications, home addresses, personal email addresses, and personal cell phone numbers. In order to ensure the union is taking the necessary steps to protect the employee data it collects and to assess whether all this data is necessary, the Committee requests that you provide the following information no later than May 22, 2025