Posts tagged safety
Two unions announce opposition to UP-NS merger (revised)
July 30, 2025 // Two unions — the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, and the Transport Workers Union of America — have announced their opposition to the Union Pacific-Norfolk Southern merger proposed today by the two railroads. SMART said it will oppose the merger when it goes to the Surface Transportation Board for approval, while the TWU — which represents some Norfolk Southern workers — said it “strongly opposes” the deal and is urging regulators, lawmakers, shippers and unions to block the transaction. Other unions have also expressed concern about the creation of a coast-to-coast railroad that would cover more than 52,000 miles and employ more than 52,000 people, although few have done so in language as strong as that of TWU International President John Samuelsen. In a statement, he called UP’s safety record “shameful” and said, “There is no world where Union Pacific should be controlling a coast-to-coast rail network.
KENTUCKY: BlueOval SK battery workers receive OK to hold union election
July 28, 2025 // We are disappointed by the dishonest tactic of the UAW in stalling a timely and fair election at BlueOval SK’s Kentucky 1 plant. The union proclaimed for months that it wants a vote because it said a “majority” of team members support the UAW. Now, the union has filed a blocking charge with the NLRB to stop this secret ballot election. This union legal maneuver is designed to thwart the election process. A secret ballot election, supervised by the federal government, will prove whether a majority of our team members want to keep their direct relationship with their leadership team or turn over their voice to the UAW.
BlueOval SK battery workers receive OK to hold union election
July 28, 2025 // East works in incoming quality control and is joined by Amber Levay, who is a production operator. They are among at least 800 employees at the plant that hasn't completed development yet. Officials with the group aiming to unionize told WHAS11 a supermajority of workers want to join a union.
Trump’s Labor Department proposes more than 60 rule changes in a push to deregulate workplaces
July 22, 2025 // The U.S. Department of Labor is aiming to rewrite or repeal more than 60 “obsolete” workplace regulations, ranging from minimum wage requirements for home health care workers and people with disabilities to standards governing exposure to harmful substances.
City security guards protest ‘unfair labor practices,’ ‘shoddy work conditions’
July 21, 2025 // Workers said they are prepared to strike as early as next week if the company isn't willing to negotiate. They laid out their demands in a rally on Tuesday, July 15, at city hall. "We think that a company that gets $45 million from the city since 2017 should be able to do better for the workers and the people of Baltimore who actually fill those contracts," said Jaime Contreres, the executive vice president of labor union 32BJ.
Whatever happened to the effort by workers to unionize KY’s EV battery plant?
July 11, 2025 // The KyPolicy report says pressure from successful UAW bargaining at Louisville’s Kentucky Truck Plant and Ford Assembly Plant, and at Bowling Green’s General Motors Corvette facility has resulted in non-union plants across the state to boost wages. In December, BlueOval said starting wages would increase by between $2.50 and $3.50 per hour to as little as $21 per hour and as much as $32 per hour.
Ford, SK On battery park workers at BlueOval SK may soon be faced with a major decision
July 1, 2025 // BlueOval SK, a joint venture between Ford Motor Co. and South Korean company SK On, had contested the election petition, arguing an imminent union election would wrongly leave out the preferences of thousands of yet-to-be-hired employees. The company also drove an aggressive anti-union campaign, both at the plant and in online advertisements. "Bringing in a union would slow progress, force new training, and reset everything we've built," one BlueOval SK ad said. "Don't let unnecessary changes hold us back."
Unionizing NYC’s Board Game Cafés
June 17, 2025 // Following the lead of Starbucks workers, employees at board game cafés across New York City unionized in 2023 as Tabletop Workers United. After impressive shows of customer support and a credible strike threat, TWU has just won its first tentative agreement.
When Union Leaders Cross the Line
June 12, 2025 // SEIU represents hundreds of thousands of essential workers. Their focus should be on improving wages, working conditions, and safety, not interfering in federal law enforcement or fueling divisive political narratives. When union leaders act like activists first and representatives second, it is the workers who lose. This moment is a wake-up call. America needs unions that are fair, transparent, and focused on results, not organizations that tolerate or even celebrate lawbreaking from the top.
AP Exclusive: US meatpacking workers win back pensions in new union contract with JBS
May 27, 2025 // The United Food and Commercial Workers union said Thursday that 26,000 meatpacking workers at 14 JBS facilities would be eligible for the pension plan. The new contract, which was ratified by workers this week, also adds paid sick leave, wage increases and new plant safety measures.