Posts tagged Pennsylvania
David Osborne: Unions spend big on politics — often at the expense of their members
November 17, 2025 // NJEA funneled general funds through Garden State Forward, Working New Jersey, and Protecting Our Democracy—all election-focused organizations that not only backed Spiller but also were headed by the NJEA president. These questionable activities landed NJEA in court with a lawsuit alleging that the union misled its members, including Dupont, who is a lead plaintiff.
After Year-Long Effort, McDowell County Commission on Aging Employees Free Themselves From SEIU Union Bosses
November 16, 2025 // Majority of employees signed petition demanding Commission stop bargaining with SEIU; success follows months of union stonewalling
Penn State Graduate Students Vote in Favor of Union
November 14, 2025 // University administrators have said that they believe graduate students are primarily students, and that the do not need a union to have their concerns heard.
Red Cup clapback: Pa. Starbucks workers to strike
November 11, 2025 // Starbucks baristas from across Pennsylvania, and the country, are kicking off the coffee company’s holiday season with a one-day strike on Thursday, which coincides with its annual “Red Cup Day.” According to the Associated Press, Red Cup Day is one of Starbucks’ busiest days of the year, when it distributes free, reusable red coffee cups to customers.
Shawn Fain: Future of UAW ‘hangs in the balance’ as strike looms at Volkswagen plant
November 7, 2025 // To Fain, anything shy of total job security is not good enough. The current negotiations at Volkswagen remain stalled over a clause in Volkswagen's current offer that stipulates the company will not close the plant or cut jobs "unless conditions beyond the control of the company arise that make compliance with this commitment impractical." "American workers live in fear," Fain said. "Fear that if they ask for a dollar more, the boss is going to fire them or move the damn plant. That's economic terrorism."
GET-UP announces strike authorization vote at press conference with elected officials
November 4, 2025 // GET-UP’s economic proposals have included pay increases to match a living wage, comprehensive vision and dental coverage, health insurance for dependents, childcare benefits, retirement contributions, and access to employee benefit programs. During the union’s bargaining sessions on Oct. 28, Penn provided counterproposals on various economic articles, including compensation and healthcare. In their response, according to Friedline, Penn proposed raising the minimum stipend for graduate workers from $39,425 to $43,000.
Faculty strike at HACC disrupts classes, draws community and student support
November 4, 2025 // Educators at HACC Central Pennsylvania's Community College are on strike after stalled contract negotiations and no salary increases since unionizing in 2022. The strike, which began following 13 hours of failed talks last week, drew support from students, educators, and community members, but has left many students without instructors on Monday.
Longest strike in U.S. cannabis industry ends but separate stoppage continues
October 31, 2025 // Exact contract terms weren’t available, but workers won a grievance procedure and better paid holidays as well as raises, Stambaugh said. A spokesperson for Green Thumb Industries, RISE’s parent company, did not respond to several requests for comment. Observers believe that strike is the longest in the $32 billion legal industry’s brief history by a significant margin.
Penn security guards’ union prepares strike authorization if new ‘fair’ contract is not reached
October 28, 2025 // On Monday, members of SEIU 32BJ plan to rally across Philadelphia — including at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center — culminating in a 3:30 p.m. press conference on Temple University’s main campus. The union wrote in an Oct. 26 press release that it was prepared to "authorize a strike” if a contract with “livable wages” is not negotiated “immediately.” Allied Universal — the world’s largest security contractor and the third largest private employer in North America — reported more than $20 billion in annual revenue last year.
Starbucks workers union planning pickets, rallies through Nov. 2. See in which states
October 27, 2025 // Starbucks, for its part, says it is willing to bargain with the union, which the company says represents about 9,500 of its "partners," or employees. "Workers United only represents around 4% of our partners but chose to walk away from the bargaining table. If they’re ready to come back, we’re ready to talk," corporate spokesperson Jaci Anderson said in a statement to USA TODAY. "Any agreement needs to reflect the reality that Starbucks already offers the best job in retail including more than $30 an hour on average in pay and benefits for hourly partners," Anderson said. "We’re investing over $500 million to put more partners in stores during busy times. The facts show people like working at Starbucks. Partner engagement is up, turnover is nearly half the industry average, and we get more than 1 million job applications a year.”