Posts tagged Unionization
Postdocs Aren’t Burger Flippers: Why Unionization Is a Bad Idea
August 31, 2026 // Unionization disrupts the bespoke mentor-mentee relationships that are central to the advancement of science
Opinion: National Teacher Union is Fighting Teachers … to Prevent Unionization
August 30, 2026 // In 2025, a group of teachers in Montpelier, Ohio, decided it was time to move on from our affiliation with the Ohio Education Association (OEA) and the National Education Association (NEA). A super-majority of the more than 70 teachers in our bargaining unit signed a petition requesting to hold a vote that could replace the OEA with a new, independent, local union: the Association of Montpelier Educators. We filed our petition for a representation election on April 8, 2026. That election should have happened by now. Instead, the OEA and NEA — national unions that bill themselves as champions of unions and defenders of teachers’ voices — are fighting our effort to form our own local union and give us back our voice.
Autism Therapy’s Latest Labor Challenge — Unionization
August 27, 2026 // Should unionization in states with a more progressive bent, such as California, New York, New Jersey or Oregon, take off to a meaningful degree; this would create “no-fly zones” for dealmaking. Already, the M&A pro said that these organizations are increasingly unattractive because of their strict and complicated regulatory systems. At the site level, increased wages from union activity may put specific locations in jeopardy if a company is not able to command commensurate increases in reimbursement from health plans. Strikes may also threaten the clinic’s viability. “By the time they end up negotiating a contract with the union, the center’s already dead,” the M&A pro said. “The center just died on the vine, and there was nothing left for them to argue over.”
Central Maine Medical Center nurses begin union process
August 26, 2026 // Several other Prime Healthcare hospitals across the country also filed for a union election today, such as Olympia Fields Hospital in Olympia Fields, IL, and St Francis Hospital in Evanston, IL.
Ex-owners of closed Baby’s on Fire open up about decision to shut down
August 14, 2026 // United Food and Commercial Workers Local 27 President Jason Chorpenning previously said in a statement that the owners’ move to shutter Baby’s On Fire was “union-busting 101.” The owners also confirmed they were staying in Portugal to help “business lower its payroll and health insurance costs” following David being diagnosed with skin cancer. They also dismissed the idea of being “absentee owners” after the workers’ union said in a June letter they’ve been “stewards” for the cafe, as the owners have lived abroad.
SSM Health appealing certification of union vote at St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison
August 6, 2026 // National Labor Relations Board staff certified the union election late last month after nurses voted 511-63 to unionize with the Service Employees International Union of Wisconsin. SSM Health filed objections to the election with the NLRB, but the labor board overruled the objections in their “entirety” because SSM provided “insufficient” proof.
Unions Are Coming for Your Uber Driver
August 4, 2026 // The sectoral-bargaining approach made headway in 2022, when California signed the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Act, or FAST, into law. The act was replaced by a compromise agreement before going into full effect. But under the original provisions, it would have established a 10-member Fast Food Council appointed by the governor and state Legislature to set labor rules for the Golden State’s fast-food industry. The FAST Act marked a pivot toward sectoral-bargaining strategies in America, importing the tactic from Europe and Australia. For decades before the FAST Act, the United Auto Workers used tactics like “pattern bargaining” in negotiations with the Big Three automakers.
At least three board members no longer listed among River Hills’ Board of Directors after Health Center in Centerville and Richland Dental Clinic pass July 31 closure date
August 4, 2026 // The River Hills Community Health Center in Centerville and the Richland Dental Clinic were scheduled to close for good on July 31. River Hills announced the closure of both locations in May, citing operational and financial strain. In late June, Teamsters Local 90 organized a rally against the closure with River Hills employees and community members. The Teamsters had been in talks with River Hills after employees at the Centerville clinic voted to unionize and allege that River Hills closed the clinics in order to avoid union negotiations.
Over 100 women’s college basketball players team up in unionization effort
August 3, 2026 // NCAA leaders have long opposed the idea of players becoming employees of their schools, though the idea isn't universally opposed by college leaders. Tennessee athletic director Danny White has been among those who have said collective bargaining is the only real solution to the problems that confront schools that are now paying millions to their players. Attempts to create unions for college athletes at Dartmouth and Southern California stalled in 2024 due to the changing landscape in college sports and the then-incoming Trump administration's new National Labor Relations Board, which wasn't expected to approve the moves.
Commentary: Unionized workers are bargaining with the bots
July 27, 2026 // "AI is something we can negotiate," Schleuss says. "Without a contract and without a union, you have no say." Former FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya notes that union-negotiated rules could easily map onto federal policy — if Congress ever finds the political will. Case in point: The NewsGuild currently has between 85 and 90 contracts with explicit AI provisions, Schleuss says.