Posts tagged Texas
Austin Pets Alive workers vote to unionize, creating the largest animal shelter union in the U.S.
June 12, 2024 // Despite the vote, APA workers have a long road ahead. Because Texas is a “right to work” state, APA workers might have more difficulty getting everything they want out of a contract. In a “right-to-work” state, employees can choose whether or not they want to join a union, but once the union is certified it represents every employee in a union-covered position, even those who choose not to be members and don’t pay dues. As KUT has previously reported, “this is thought to weaken a union's power because it doesn't always receive every employee's full support.”
Dockworkers Cancel Bargaining, Threaten Strike at U.S. Seaports
June 11, 2024 // Automation has been a flashpoint for longshore labor talks on both coasts. Daggett has vowed to stem the tide of automated machinery being used to lift, carry and stack containers on docks around the world. In a speech last year he accused the Biden administration of standing by while foreign-owned carriers use the machinery “to eliminate good paying American jobs.” People familiar with the negotiations say most issues specific to local ports have been resolved, but some issues, such as automation, are unresolved.
Former fire union president arrested for trying to scare highest-ranking female firefighter out of applying for chief
June 6, 2024 // Under Steele, the fire union successfully rallied voters in 2018 to put limits on the city manager’s pay and tenure and to give the union the unilateral power to call for binding arbitration during contract negotiations. However, that victory soon backfired on firefighters. After the union invoked its new power in 2019, a panel of arbitrators handed down a contract that fell short of what firefighters had hoped and for which the union is still trying to make up ground in its latest negotiations. Steele retired from SAFD as a battalion chief in August 2021, leaving the union at the same time. He is free on bond after being booked into the Hays County Jail Friday.
Molson Coors reaches agreement with workers on new contract, ending months-long strike
May 24, 2024 // The Fort Worth brewery, located at 7001 South Freeway, opened in 1969 and became the home of Miller Lite in 1975. According to the Molson Coors website, 520 employees work at the Fort Worth brewery. Molson Coors is among the largest beverage companies in the world, and products produced at the Fort Worth site include Miller Lite, Coors Light, Yuengling, PBR and Topo Chico.
Houston janitors vote to authorize strike if pay doesn’t improve
May 14, 2024 // Hundreds of Houston janitors are calling for change and threatening to go on strike if an agreement isn't reached between their union and cleaning contractors. Saturday, inside the George R. Brown Convention Center, janitors represented by SEIU Texas agreed to go on strike if their pay and benefits don’t improve.
Wells Fargo shareholders reject union-busting audit
May 3, 2024 // Wells Fargo shareholders rejected a proposal Tuesday to appoint a third-party monitor that would have examined whether the bank was impeding employees’ unionization rights, according to American Banker.
U.S. labor secretary says UAW win at Tennessee Volkswagen plant shows southern workers back unions
April 25, 2024 // Biden is backing unions in other ways. Su noted the administration in January finalized a rule mandating unionized labor on all federal construction projects costing more than $35 million, despite complaints from nonunion contractors that the rule reduces competition and increases costs. “That’s one way that we ensure that you've got good union workers on jobs," Su said, saying union labor agreements are rising sharply on construction projects. Southern states are also pushing laws that would claw back economic incentive dollars if companies recognize unions without requiring a secret ballot election. Every major southern auto plant has received state economic development assistance.
Key shipping company shutters operations; bankruptcy uncertain
April 23, 2024 // The U.S. logistics industry has been battling with financial distress this year with companies filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to liquidate, Chapter 11 reorganization, downsizing operations or just shutting down operations.
Unions are getting bolder in targeting Big Business
April 19, 2024 // The UAW on Thursday secured a federally sanctioned unionization vote for workers at the 6,100-person Mercedes-Benz factory in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Pharmacists at multiple CVS stores are moving to join a new union as part of a growing backlash to what they say are unsafe work conditions, Axios' Maya Goldman reports. The Actors' Equity Association is seeking a vote to organize the 1,700 live performers at Disneyland after more than two-thirds signed union authorization cards.
Commentary: The Teachers’ Unions Are More Political than Ever
April 18, 2024 // Americans for Fair Treatment, a national nonprofit organization that educates public employees about their rights in a unionized workplace, recently released a report detailing the National Education Association’s (NEA) financial filings from Sept. 1, 2022, through Aug. 31, 2023. The NEA declared that its political spending totaled $50.1 million during the fiscal year, though the true number is much higher. During the most recent reporting period, the union disclosed that it spent “$126.3 million on ‘contributions, gifts, and grants,’ which is where most unions detail their charitable giving.” However, a closer look at the union’s “contributions, gifts, and grants” shows that the NEA is directing more money towards political causes than it reports.