Posts tagged union election
Clinicians push to unionize amid staffing, burnout concerns
May 25, 2026 // Among the most recent efforts in May are the more than 73% of the 870 nurses at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, Wis., who signed cards supporting unionization. The group filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board on May 1 and is awaiting an election date. Nurses involved in the effort said they want a stronger voice in decisions affecting staffing, retention and working conditions.
Republicans must not help Democrats gut workplace democracy
April 29, 2026 // If they can’t reach an agreement in time, the federal bureaucrats would force the creation of an arbitration panel, which would then unilaterally impose a collective bargaining agreement. But workers wouldn’t be allowed to vote for the contract, even though it dictates the terms of their employment. Voting on a contract is standard practice precisely because it lets workers make their voice heard and control their future. Before Cassidy named the bill, he described what it would do. The shop steward replied that taking away the contract vote would mean “removing democracy from the workplace.” He then said that democracy “is the whole point of the union.” The shop steward may not have known then that the senator was describing a proposal that his own union supports. But he was absolutely right: Forcing a contract on workers without a vote is the opposite of workplace democracy.
A quiet filing could decide what happens next inside one of gaming’s biggest studios
April 28, 2026 // From layoffs and return-to-office mandates to challenges around AI and creativity, it’s not all fun and games for video game workers. And now, some are seeking to unionize. On April 27, a group of game developers behind the digital collectible card game Magic: The Gathering Arena announced the intent to form a union in affiliation with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The group is a part of the gaming studio Wizards of the Coast (WOTC), a division of Hasbro.
Brown’s graduate union wants to make history. Labor experts say the journey may be strenuous.
April 23, 2026 // The union has not yet brought the case to the state labor board. But in an interview with The Herald, Michael Ziegler GS, the president of GLO’s parent group RIFT-AFT Local 6516, said the union was prepared to do so if they feel it is needed. Fellows must be considered employees by law in order to unionize, Herbert explained. “The fundamental question is whether or not the employer pays specifically for work being performed and has control over that work.”
Columbus Metropolitan Library faces union busting allegations as June vote approaches
April 9, 2026 // "CML is aware of the charges, and we believe they have no merit. We look forward to demonstrating that lack of merit to the State Employment Relations Board, which will ultimately make a determination on OFT's claims," the statement said. The statement said CML respects the rights of our employees who are for or against unionization and continue to comply with the law. The statement also touted what it calls competitive wages for all employees, a comprehensive benefits package and paid time off. "Our compensation and benefits serve as a benchmark for libraries in our region and throughout Ohio," the statement said.
Georgetown cat cafe owner proud to reopen under unionized status; workers wait at bargaining table
April 7, 2026 // Georgetown cat cafe Crumbs & Whiskers recently reopened its doors following a brief closure under a new status as the first unionized cat cafe in the United States. But employees say their issues have yet to be resolved. Crumbs & Whiskers owner Zari Ruhi, also known as Kanchan Singh, opened the M Street location of her business in 2019. Ruhi also owns a location in Los Angeles and previously owned a location on O Street in D.C.’s Georgetown neighborhood, which has since shut down.
More Democratic legislative staff seek to unionize in Washington
March 30, 2026 // A 2022 law cleared the way for partisan legislative staff to unionize starting in 2024 and to negotiate workplace terms and conditions. Legislative assistants, policy analysts and communications staff in the House Democratic Caucus, legislative assistants in the Senate Democratic Caucus and legislative assistants for Republican lawmakers in the House and Senate did so. Each has since negotiated their first collective bargaining agreements. Washington Public Employees Association represents the Democratic employee bargaining units and the Legislative Professionals Association represents the Republican staff unions. Democratic policy and communications staff are looking to be part of the same bargaining unit as legislative assistants in the Senate Democratic Caucus.
Potential Falsehoods by the Teamsters Create Opening for Reliable Union Elections
March 30, 2026 // Because in later testimony, BTS employees testified that the lead organizer who claims he was on site soliciting cards on April 23 was never there. Nor, workers testified, were any cards at all signed that day. In addition, there were only 40 drivers on hand that morning, not 46. And finally, BTS employed more than 91 drivers and dispatchers, meaning that, even if 46 cards had been signed, that would not constitute a majority. Therefore, if the workers’ testimony is correct, the majority needed to form a union did not exist.
Union Effort at New York Transit Museum Heads to a Vote
March 17, 2026 // Museum workers first announced plans to unionize in early February, a decision they say was driven by concerns over job insecurity, unfair compensation, a lack of transparency around managerial decision-making, and isolation between workers in separate departments. The museum management’s decision to deny voluntary recognition marked a shift in its response toward unions at the institution: Last year, when three dozen sales associates working in the Transit Museum gift shop unionized through the Transport Workers Union 100, museum management opted to recognize the union voluntarily, allowing those workers to move forward without an NLRB election.
Sixth Circuit Rejects NLRB’s Cemex Bargaining Order Framework
March 15, 2026 // On March 6, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued a significant decision in Brown‑Forman Corporation d/b/a Woodford Reserve Distillery v. National Labor Relations Board, rejecting the Board’s controversial 2023 Cemex Construction framework, which altered the longstanding standard for union recognition and expanded the circumstances under which the Board could issue bargaining orders—even when a union did not win an election.