Posts tagged picket line
What the UAW and Big 3 really thought of Biden’s picket line visit
November 8, 2023 // “This is the first time in American history a president has taken a side, walking a picket line,” said Chris Spear, head of the American Trucking Associations. “It’s not only anti-business, it kicks 90 years of impartial mediation by a president to the curb.” Biden’s decision to walk the picket line, he added, was “a new low as to what one will do to curry political endorsements.”
Union workers end strike at Thombert after new contract is signed
October 31, 2023 // When picketing first began, workers were frustrated Thombert, Inc. had grown “leaps and bounds,” but their paychecks did not reflect that. Others argued the initial offer from management was an “insult” and “ridiculous.” Later that month, union groups from across the state joined Thombert employees on strike outside the company’s Newton factory. Charlie Wishman, president of the Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, advocated for fair contracts. “We are here to show support and solidarity to let them know they’re not alone,” he said. “You’ve got people from every single different kind of union out here right now, the trades, private sector, the public sector.
Connecticut: While the longshoremen strike, Orsted brings other union workers to load ships at State Pier
October 29, 2023 // “It’s another sad day for labor when unions will cross other unions' picket lines, regardless of what the issue is,” said Jim Paylor, assistant general organizer for the ILA. He was at the port when buses unloaded with workers from the Building Trades and Operating Engineers Unions.
California school district offering substitute teachers $500 per day to cross teachers’ picket line
October 26, 2023 // Teachers in Fresno, California, have authorized a strike, and to fill the temporary vacancies, the school district is sending out a state-wide call for substitute teachers with a lucrative offer — $500 per day to cross the picket line. That's more than the average daily pay for a full-time teacher in Fresno Unified School District and more than double the normal daily rate for substitute teachers. If someone accepts a job in the classroom while the teachers are on strike, it will be regarded as crossing the picket line, according to Fresno Teachers Association President Manuel Bonilla. Guest teachers are not a part of the association, and if they teach during the strike they won't be blacklisted, but Bonilla said it will undoubtedly damage personal relationships with teachers fighting for a fair contract.
UAW members grow weary five weeks into strike, supply starts to thin
October 20, 2023 // Fletcher says workers are waiting for Ford and Stellantis to put all Electric Vehicle battery production in a UAW agreement similar to what GM pledged to do two weeks ago. But he said he feels Ford has given them a good enough offer he can live with. "Like I tell all these young guys – they’re wanting the moon and the stars – take what you can get before you lose what you got," he said. Experts in the auto industry are saying the strike has prompted a widening shortage of midsize trucks, which were already in short supply when the strike began in mid-September.
Why the hotel workers in Las Vegas might be the next big strike
October 15, 2023 // Rogers, Martinez, Buie, and their coworkers are now waiting to find out what comes next. Culinary 226 remains locked in negotiations for a new five-year contract. With the membership primed to strike, there’s no telling how long it will be before Striketober comes to the Strip. If—and when—the call comes, though, they will be ready. “I voted yes to authorize a strike because I’m fighting for my family and for our future,” Maria Sanchez, a guest room attendant at the Bellagio and Culinary Union member, said in a statement. “The workload since the pandemic has been intense, and when I get home I’m so tired and I don’t have energy to take my two kids to the park or play with them. . . . I voted yes to win the best contract ever so that I can work one job and come home to spend time with my children.”
Donations needed for striking UAW workers as contract talks remain active
October 13, 2023 // Members of UAW Local 900, which was among the first to go on strike, have received their first check from the union's strike fund. But there's only so much $500 a week can cover. Besides the food boxes donated by United Way, items at the makeshift pantry inside Local 900's hall help them get by until the next check. "We're constantly replenishing. So what you see on the table can disappear by the end of the day or the middle of the day," said Ebony Kennedy, the community service chair for UAW Local 900. They need diapers, wipes, pull-ups of all sizes, toiletries, paper towels, toilet tissue, body wash, personal hygiene products, and cough medicine.
Oregon sees record-high unionization
October 9, 2023 // what’s happening here in Oregon is a little different: it’s driven by independent unions. Rather than join AFL-CIO, SEIU or other big unions, some Oregon workers are taking a “grow your own” approach to unionizing. Local chain Burgerville’s independent union, Burgerville Workers Union, won federal recognition in 2018 and signed its first contract in 2021. Seeing Burgerville’s success in organizing without the resources of a bigger union inspired workers at Voodoo Doughnut.
Op-ed: A Raise for Auto Workers May Imperil Biden’s Electric Vehicle Ambitions
October 5, 2023 // Ford CEO Jim Farley said the UAW's proposals could send the automaker into bankruptcy, while Barra said they were not "realistic." Dan Ives, research analyst for Wedbush Securities, said in a note to investors that the UAW's demands, if fully accepted, could cause automakers "to pass these costs onto the consumer" by increasing E.V. prices by as much as $5,000 each. By visiting an active picket line, Biden made his preference clear in the fight between unions and management. But depending on how the negotiations go, he may not be able to have it both ways: Either UAW members can get a big raise, or automakers can push forward in the transition to electric vehicles.