Posts tagged Strike
The Union You’ve Never Heard Of Is Following A Blueprint You Should Know
May 18, 2026 // In 2021, IATSE members authorized a strike by 98.7%. What followed was four years of increasingly coordinated action across entertainment unions. WGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and the Teamsters built a solidarity coalition that showed up at each other’s picket lines in 2023, during a 148-day WGA strike and a 118-day counterpart for SAG-AFTRA. During contract negotiations, this coalition has been using pattern bargaining, and “wins” by one union become the baseline for those that follow. Each contract raises the floor for the next negotiation, and whether that method is sustainable for the industry isn’t relevant here. What matters is that other unions are watching, and they love to copycat each other.
New Yorkers bracing for commuter chaos as LIRR workers remain on strike
May 17, 2026 // MTA Chairman Janno Lieber told reporters Sunday that the MTA refuses to make a deal that forces riders and taxpayers to fund wage increases for workers who, he contended, are already the highest-paid railroad employees in the nation. Nearly 300,000 daily commuters are affected by the strike, according to the MTA.
Commentary: Josh Hawley’s Pro-Union Bill Would Let Washington Write Your Contract
May 16, 2026 // A Hawley-backed bill, known as the Faster Labor Contracts Act (FLCA), seems to be picking up steam and may soon pass the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, the FLCA is a trifecta of bad public policy: It suffers from constitutional infirmities, revives a corrupt government agency, and takes away the voice of both businesses and workers. Earlier this Congress, Hawley introduced the FLCA in the Senate, alongside one other Republican senator and three Democratic senators; he has since picked up another Republican and 10 more Democrats. Companion legislation in the House has 99 cosponsors, 17 of which are Republican.
Monitor: Shawn Fain, staff unfairly blamed UAW treasurer over investments
May 15, 2026 // Reports of the mismanaged finances were leaked to the news media in 2025, prompting a request from U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, a few months later to explain, as news agencies had reported, how the union had missed out on approximately $80 million by failing to reinvest the strike fund. Mock had largely been blamed for the misstep as the top steward of union funds, but Mock has also been the target of retaliation schemes in the union, something the monitor has reported on in-depth before. This finger-pointing over the investment flub was retaliatory, too, the monitor concluded in his latest report issued on Thursday, April 30. According to the 82-page report, numbers were "exaggerated," and blame was placed unfairly
Maple Grove Hospital nurses authorize strike amid ongoing contract talks
May 13, 2026 // The vote comes as nurses and hospital leadership return to the bargaining table Tuesday for their 30th negotiation session at North Memorial’s Robbinsdale campus. Maple Grove nurses are working to secure their first union contract. The union says nurses are pushing to close gaps in pay, insurance and pension benefits compared to nurses at North Memorial’s Robbinsdale Hospital, who already have a contract in place. The Minnesota Nurses Association is also seeking stronger staffing protections and improved working conditions. Union leaders say the hospital has experienced a 33% turnover rate over the past three years.
Possible LIRR strike could happen Saturday if no deal is reached
May 12, 2026 // The union representing LIRR workers is pushing for higher pay, but MTA leaders warn that agreeing to those demands could trigger significant fare hikes. Five unions representing 3,500 workers, including engineers, signalmen and trainmen, are threatening to strike if an agreement cannot be reached.
‘Demanding a voice’: Tri-State workers go on strike, want union recognition
May 12, 2026 // Workers at Batesville Products plan to begin a strike Monday morning after unanimously voting to demand union recognition, according to Teamsters Local 135. The group — including machinists, polishers, and shipping and receiving employees — is organizing with the union amid concerns over workplace conditions, long hours, pay and benefits. Workers say many have been required to work 60-hour weeks for months with little improvement in conditions. Employees requested voluntary recognition from the company April 28, but the request was denied. They then filed for a representation election with the National Labor Relations Board.
Grad Students Rally Outside Garber’s Home as Strike Enters Third Week
May 11, 2026 // A small group of striking graduate student workers rallied outside Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76’s private residence early Friday morning, marking a new escalation in the Harvard Graduate Students Union-United Auto Workers’ ongoing strike as contract negotiations with the University remain stalled. Roughly 10 demonstrators gathered outside Garber’s home from about 6 to 6:30 a.m., chanting and writing “CONTRACT NOW” in pink chalk on the sidewalk. The group represented a small fraction of HGSU-UAW, which represents roughly 5,000 graduate student workers.
Hersheypark May Not Open for Summer 2026 Season, New Report Reveals
May 11, 2026 // On Thursday, May 7, at 4:00 p.m., over 200 union maintenance employees at Hersheypark, The Hotel Hershey, and Giant Center rejected what Hershey Entertainment & Resorts called its “last, best, and final” contract offer. This was the third offer from the Pennsylvania theme park after negotiations that began earlier this year. In mid-March, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts and the union agreed to extend the former contract for 60 days to allow for continued negotiations. Over a three-day period this week, union maintenance employees will vote on whether to strike in response to the rejected final contract offer.
MTA chairman: Workers would be ‘crazy’ to walk off job as LIRR strike threat looms
May 11, 2026 // "It's time for everybody to get serious about the fact that if you go on strike for one day, you are literally flushing money down the toilet for your workers," Lieber said. Five unions, representing 3,500 workers, are threatening to strike beginning on May 16. "If there is a work stoppage, there is going to be a complete and total shutdown of operations," O'Connor said.