Posts tagged Strike
A Boeing strike could give the state’s UI fund a much bigger test
September 24, 2026 // This year, benefits paid for by employers and traditionally meant for workers who lose work through no fault of their own became available to people who are employed but who choose not to work, too. And the Washington state Employment Security Department told me that as of Sept. 14, 174 striking workers have been paid benefits so far in 2026, accounting for 814 paid weeks and $604,491 from the Unemployment Trust Fund. That is up surprisingly little from Aug. 5, when ESD reported 151 paid claimants, 741 paid weeks and $565,714. (I say “little” recognizing that even a dollar given to a person choosing not to work takes away from a fund that has been relied on as a safety net for workers who lose their jobs.)
Cleveland Orchestra musicians to strike at midnight; Friday and Saturday concerts in Michigan, Severance Music Center canceled
September 24, 2026 // The Cleveland Orchestra is part of America's historic "Big Five" orchestras. The Associated Press reports that Philadelphia Orchestra musicians, another member of that group, now have a base rate above $175,000. "The great musicians in the Cleveland Orchestra should be compensated fairly. They should be able to work under safe conditions. And they should have a voice in the audition process," said Jonathan Sherwin, vice president of AFM Local 4. Sherwin recently retired from the orchestra after 29 years playing bassoon.
Unionized Duquesne Light workers overwhelmingly vote to authorize strike
September 24, 2026 // Duquesne Light workers with the IBEW Local 29 union have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike as contract negotiations continue. Nearly 600 workers voted in favor of the strike authorization.
Boeing’s engineers union backs latest contract offer
September 23, 2026 // SPEEA, the union representing Boeing engineers and technical employees, said on Wednesday that they recommended their members accept Boeing's latest contract offer. Boeing and its engineering union reached a contract agreement this month, a four-year offer that includes higher general wage increases than the first offer which SPEEA members rejected in a August 21 vote.
SEIU 503 approves vote to strike; could begin first week of classes
September 23, 2026 // If a contract agreement cannot be reached within the next week and a half, 4,600 classified workers across Oregon’s seven public universities would be eligible to strike as early as Monday, Sept. 28. According to an SEIU 503 press release, 97% of voting SEIU 503 members voted to authorize a strike after a two day strike vote. This potential strike comes after the union pushed back against current contract negotiations and benefits changes. In support of the union’s bargaining efforts, SEIU 89 held a rally on Sept. 9, several days before the opening of the strike vote.
Are Truckers Going on Strike October 1? What Diesel Prices Say
September 23, 2026 // A claim that U.S. truckers are planning a nationwide strike on October 1 over soaring diesel prices has spread rapidly across social media, but there is little evidence so far of an organized nationwide is strike being planned. As diesel fuel reaches a record high of $6.51 a gallon, videos and AI-generated posters have circulated claiming that frustrated truckers are going to take action and warning that a strike could disrupt freight deliveries and cause food shortages across the country.
Thousands of downtown Chicago hotel workers vote to authorize strike
September 23, 2026 // The union said the last large-scale strike at downtown Chicago hotels was in 2018, when workers at 26 hotels went on strike. During that strike, customers complained about dirty beds, long check-in lines, and other issues, while people who live downtown got fed up with noise from nonstop picket lines. All of the affected hotels reached contract agreements with workers within a month of the 2018 strike.
Unionized Fremont County first responders say they’ll strike over rift with local officials
September 22, 2026 // But the Fremont County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to instead negotiate with Cody Regional Health. The county’s contract with Priority Ambulance, which operates under the name Frontier Ambulance in Fremont County, is set to expire in October. Its tentative agreement with Cody Regional Health would begin Oct. 1 and last for about a year while the county considers a more permanent strategy. If the county goes with Cody Regional, the EMTs would no longer be able to bargain as a union.
Commentary: Are Unions Rising from the Political Grave?
September 21, 2026 // Here again, however, there may be less than meets the eye. Despite its surprising bipartisan support, the FLCA would raise significant constitutional questions if enacted. By relying on a government-mandated arbitration panel to resolve labor disputes, the law effectively empowers the state to impose contractual terms on private parties—a form of what constitutional lawyers call “state action.” As attorneys Alex MacDonald and Vinnie Vernuccio observe: “[S]tate action opens the door to a slew of constitutional requirements and restrictions, notably to protect rights of free speech and association.”
Nurses at Olympia Fields Hospital in Chicago’s south suburbs strike against Prime Healthcare
September 16, 2026 // A Prime Healthcare spokesperson also said the strike and pickets on Tuesday will not disrupt patient care. Nurses at hospitals in Nevada and California were also set to hold sympathy strikes to support the one happening in Olympia Fields. In total, nearly 3,000 hospital workers were on strike or picketing Tuesday.