Posts tagged Texas
‘Honk For Beer:’ Molson Coors Workers Take Strike Into Third Day About 420 workers walked out on Saturday morning after negotiations on a new labor contract, taking place amid the company’s record profits, stalled.
February 21, 2024 // Picketers held signs reading “Honk For Beer.” Many on the heavily traveled northbound lanes of Interstate 35W happily obliged. Another sign read, “No Justice, No Beer.” An inflatable rat, on loan from another local Teamsters outfit, rose above the gathering. The implication was clear to an observer.
Michigan’s Economic Outlook Hit by Right-to-Work Repeal
February 13, 2024 // This repeal makes Michigan the first state in 58 years to legislatively rescind these worker protections. Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt summarized today’s change: Over 150,000 individuals in Michigan made the free choice to leave their union since 2013. Having the government force those same workers back into the unions they freely decided to leave is the antithesis of freedom. It’s un-American. It should be noted that 71% of Michigan voters from union households oppose the repeal. Michigan House Minority Leader Matt Hall spoke with ALEC about the expansion of economic opportunity in Michigan after passage of Right-to-Work:
Report: Illinois has 5th highest amount of post-employment benefit liabilities
February 7, 2024 // Nationwide, current unfunded state OPEB liabilities are more than $1.14 trillion, or roughly $3,500 for every American man, woman and child. Only four states have a higher amount than Illinois, including Texas, New York, California and New Jersey. Two states, Nebraska and South Dakota, have zero liabilities after implementing defined contribution health care benefits. “OPEB liabilities in many cases are much different than pension liabilities because they are not protected by state constitutions or by contract law,” said Williams. OPEB plans have worse overall funding ratios than state pension plans. With an average funding ratio of merely 13.46%, many have no pre-funded assets whatsoever, allowing liabilities to grow rapidly year over year.
Biden Takes a Destructive California Idea National
February 4, 2024 // The Biden administration appears undeterred by the lessons of recent history. The California law unleashed chaos in the state’s politics and courts. Politicians delegated to union leaders the power to hand out exemptions to politically favored groups. Lawyers, doctors, psychologists, dentists, podiatrists — almost anybody with an advanced degree was exempt. When newspapers editorialized against the new law — noting that they rely on freelance photographers, reporters, editors, designers, and delivery people — they, too, were excluded from the new regulations. Suddenly free from the dead hand of state regulators, the newspapers turned as one and editorialized in favor of the new law. A federal judge said the process was shot through with “corruption,” “backroom dealing,” “pure spite,” and “naked favoritism.” But more important, A.B. 5 crushed tens of thousands of California business owners — those who operate as independent contractors as well as those who employ or otherwise rely on them. Now Biden and Su plan to bring the crazy to every American state.
Wisconsin Rapids Ocean Spray workers will hold union vote in February. How does it work?
January 25, 2024 // Dillon Gorman, the business manager for IBEW 965, said he's organized and attended rallies all over the state at various companies, each time staying the required distance from the property, but offering to share more information with workers about what their options are as they leave or arrive at work. These days, it's easier to share information about unions, health care options, election information and more, as they can also easily share that online on the IBEW website. Gorman said they organized the rally in Wisconsin Rapids because workers at the Ocean Spray plant had reached out to the union for more information after they said the company recently changed some working conditions and benefit structures. On Wednesday, workers came from all over the state, including Eau Claire, Kenosha, Milwaukee, Beaver Dam and Janesville to show support.
The Texas Tribune Is Unionizing
January 25, 2024 // That collaborative environment extends to the organizing effort – the Texas Tribune Guild is a wall-to-wall union, meaning that it will represent not only journalists, but around 50 eligible staff members including photographers, designers, and engineers. “We all feel like none of us can do our jobs without one another.” More than 95% of eligible staff members have signed onto the union’s mission statement; 90% have signed the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) authorization card. Many at the Tribune come from other news organizations that were already unionized, or that they themselves helped organize. María Méndez, the Tribune’s service and engagement reporter, was previously with the Austin American-Statesman, where she saw how Gannett couldn’t pull the rug out from under staff thanks to the Austin NewsGuild. After Gannett suspended 401(k) matching during the pandemic, the union filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the NLRB and was able to get that reinstated, along with back pay, due to status quo protections in place while a contract is negotiated.
22 States Raised the Minimum Wage: What Does This Mean for Low-Skilled Workers?
January 12, 2024 // If an employer must pay someone $16 hourly, the new minimum wage in New York and California, whom will they pay? Would it be a higher-skilled college graduate or a less-skilled worker with only a high school diploma? You can deduce which hire is the safer option. When the cost of obtaining more education or skills is higher than the cost of relying on government unemployment benefits, dependence becomes the more appealing choice over labor-force participation.
Op-Ed: Public workers deserve full First Amendment protection from compelled union speech
January 8, 2024 // SCOTUS’s ruling in Janus logically leads to a conclusion that public workers’ income cannot subsidize a private matter on issues of substantial public concern without voluntarily waiving their First Amendment right. To voluntarily waive a fundamental right demands individual rights have been thoroughly communicated and understood. The First Amendment protects both the freedom to speak as well as the freedom to refrain from speaking. The state of Alaska urges the Supreme Court to reaffirm Janus which equally supports employees who wish to support union causes and those who “strongly object to the positions the union takes” as the court stated in 2018. Mountain States Policy Center firmly agrees with those asking SCOTUS to fully clarify the First Amendment rights of workers to not be forced to provide financial support to union causes or membership without direct consent first. We’ll soon know if the U.S. Supreme Court agrees.
96% of nurse residents, fellows vote to unionize at Ascension hospital in Texas
January 7, 2024 // Nurse residents and fellows at Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin (Texas) voted Jan. 3 to unionize and join the National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United. Nearly all 225 nurse residents and fellows — 96% — voted in favor of doing so.