Posts tagged picket lines
OVER 600 SMART & FINAL WORKERS STRIKE AT WAREHOUSES IN COMMERCE AND RIVERSIDE AMID CLOSURE AND PAY CUT ALLEGATIONS
June 21, 2024 // 95°F 75°F Los Angeles/ Retail & Industry OVER 600 SMART & FINAL WORKERS STRIKE AT WAREHOUSES IN COMMERCE AND RIVERSIDE AMID CLOSURE AND PAY CUT ALLEGATIONS AI Assisted Icon By Juliette Kessler Published on June 20, 2024 Over 600 Smart & Final Workers Strike at Warehouses in Commerce and Riverside Amid Closure and Pay Cut Allegations Source: Google Street View Over 600 warehouse workers at the Smart & Final distribution centers in Commerce and Riverside, Southern California, walked off their jobs on Wednesday—a move signaling rising tensions over alleged plans for facility shutdowns and wage reductions. The employees, standing under the umbrella of Teamsters Local 630, are on strike, with picket lines slated for Thursday, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. According to the union's narrative, the company, owned by Chedraui USA, is closing existing unionized warehouses and directing employees to reapply at a new site in Rancho Cucamonga, where wages are calculated to be $10 to $12 lower per hour. Teamsters Local 630 Secretary-Treasurer Lou Villalvazo condemned the alleged activities, noting, "The company is continuing to commit unfair labor practices without any regard for its workers." He added, "With the busy summer months approaching, the company faces not just a moral but a logistical crisis," as quoted by The Orange County Register.
ALCATRAZ CITY CRUISES WORKERS STRIKE IN SAN FRANCISCO AMIDST SUMMER TOURISM SEASON
May 28, 2024 // As summer tourism kicks into gear, Alcatraz City Cruises workers are hitting the picket lines in San Francisco. Striking for better contracts, the unionized workers who operate the ferry services to Alcatraz Island abruptly halted operations Saturday morning, drawing the attention of tourists and city officials alike. According to NBC Bay Area, the workers are protesting "unfair labor practices" and a stall in negotiations that have dragged on for over a year.
Opinion: Labor union spending $200M to help Biden win reelection
March 15, 2024 // The announcement stated the union aims to reach 6 million voters of color in the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina. It is hoping to engage with voters who are less likely to vote or who have never voted at all by using field programs and partnering with community groups, among other efforts.
Minnesota unions plan to wage simultaneous strikes
March 8, 2024 // Nearly 10,000 workers from a coalition of separate unions, working for a diverse group of employers, are planning a series of coordinated strikes in Minnesota this week and next. Their aim: Exert leverage at the bargaining table.
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.”
Journalists turn to picket lines as the news business ails
February 16, 2024 // At the L.A. Times, where Schleuss got his start as a labor activist, owner Soon-Shiong made deep cuts last June and again last month, saying he is losing tens of millions of dollars a year on the paper. He says the union's refusal to give him greater leeway in making job cuts in January forced him to lay off more journalists. He had offered buyouts in exchange for relaxing protections by seniority. The union instead went out on strike.
Pasadena hotel workers strike ahead of Rose Parade and bowl game
January 2, 2024 // Workers across Los Angeles hotels have been engaged in ongoing labor disputes with employers since July, in what the Unite Here Local 11 union calls the largest hotel worker strike in modern history. The workers' primary goals include wage increases to keep pace with the soaring cost of housing in Los Angeles, quality and affordable health insurance and humane workloads, according to Unite Here Local 11, which staged walkouts at hotels across Southern California and Arizona over the summer.
Teamsters, DHL reach tentative agreement and end 12-day strike at CVG
December 21, 2023 // The agreement was announced Tuesday, just shy of two weeks after thousands of workers went on strike. Those in Teamsters Local 100 load and unload airplanes CVG, which is DHL's largest and busiest logistics hub in North America. Workers within the hub were demanding a fair contract that would cover 1,100 ramp and tug workers. The agreement reached will protect those ramp and tug workers, according to a press release from the Teamsters.
How the UAW’s drive to ‘end tiers’ will change GM
November 5, 2023 // GM, Ford and Stellantis, which faced a coordinated UAW strike, have said tiers of workers allows them to keep costs down and remain competitive with non-union factories operated by Tesla and foreign makers' U.S. plants, and the Detroit Three have warned that the strike-ending deals present major financial challenges. Eliminating tiers of lower-paid UAW workers at the Detroit Three was a top priority for Fain and UAW bargainers. Fain and UAW members would often wear red t-shirts printed with the slogan "End Tiers" at rallies and on picket lines.

Commentary: Ford-UAW deal: Declare victory and go home
October 26, 2023 // The Ford Motor Company and the UAW struck a deal Tuesday for a 25 percent increase in the union members pay. It was only marginally higher than the 23 percent offer that had been on the table for weeks and far short of the 40 percent than the union had originally wanted. That’s not to say that 25 percent isn’t a significant increase for those workers but they likely could have had it a weeks ago. The union held out for much more until it was apparent that management wasn’t going to be that generous. Still, it was a win for new UAW President Shawn Fain, who got what he wanted. He got lots of media coverage of him leading a strike where he got to talk tough and make bold promises. But he did this without actually straining the union’s strike fund too much, because most workers weren’t striking.