The Weekly Download

“In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Cindy Estrada, the strategic advisor to the president for the Center for Transformational Organizing at the AFL-CIO. Watch now to hear about Cindy's career, the CTO, her strategies to further the labor movement, and much more.”

“Workers at Amazon’s only unionized warehouse in the U.S. elected new union leaders, according to a vote count completed Tuesday, marking the first major change for the labor group since it established an alliance with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. A slate of candidates headed up by a former Amazon worker named Connor Spence received the most votes cast by employees from the warehouse located in the New York City borough of Staten Island. Although turnout was very low, Spence received enough support to lead the Amazon Labor Union as it aims to secure a contract with a company that has resisted those efforts for years.”

“Over 45 workers at 17 CBD Kratom and Mr. Nice Guy cannabis dispensaries in Missouri and Illinois joined UFCW Local 655 for a better life on June 7. These workers are employed at 14 CBD Kratom and Mr. Nice Guy dispensaries in St. Louis and three dispensaries Fairview and Alton, Ill. They joined our union family because they were concerned about insufficient wages, benefits, and health insurance, and wanted job stability and a voice in the workplace. UFCW Local 655 negotiated a neutrality agreement with the employer that allowed for a fair and cooperative process for workers to join a union, and the campaign to organize these workers included reaching out via social media platforms, including WhatsApp messaging, as well as store visits and one-on-one conversations with the workers.”

“The workers at the nonprofit newsroom Prism Reports announced today they are unionizing. In forming Prism Workers United, workers seek a seat at the table in shaping what a fair, equitable, and compassionate workplace can be.”

“Deerfield Beach, FLORIDA – A supermajority of employees at the South Florida Sun Sentinel voted Monday to form a union to fight for stronger job protections, better pay and benefits, and a louder voice in newsroom decisions.”

“The United Auto Workers on Tuesday condemned the manufacturing company John Deere over recent mass layoffs at factories in Iowa and Illinois, arguing the company's strong profits, lavish handouts to investors, and exorbitant CEO pay give the lie to claims that the job cuts and outsourcing were necessary. ‘John Deere's reckless layoffs and job cuts are an insult to the working-class people of Iowa and Illinois, and the United Auto Workers will fight for justice for our members and communities affected by these moves," the union said in a statement. "Let's be clear: there is no need for Deere to kill good American jobs and outsource them to Mexico for cheap labor. The company is forecasted to make $7 billion in profit this year. CEO John May's total compensation for 2023 was $26.8 million.’”

“Aerospace giants have been accused of putting profits ahead of safety as officials consider cutting the minimum number of pilots required on commercial flight decks from two to one. The move, which is currently being evaluated by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), would weaken standards to the ‘lowest common denominator’, the world’s largest union of airline pilots has warned.”

“Unions are a critical force in American society, ensuring that everyday Americans can earn decent pay and benefits and have a voice in our democracy. Study after study has shown that unions make our economy and democracy stronger by boosting wages for workers, reducing wage inequality, increasing voter turnout for union and nonunion voters alike, and providing a counterbalance to wealthy interest groups. This is part of a historical tradition of unions playing a powerful role for American workers: Unions helped create the 40-hour workweek, child labor laws, and improvements in health insurance. At their height in 1945, unions represented one-third of all U.S. workers.”

“A growing number of states are moving to bar employers from holding mandatory anti-union meetings at work, a move labor advocates hope will give employees more confidence to vote ‘union yes.’ Illinois is poised to become the eighth state to enact such a ban after the legislature passed a bill outlawing employers from holding mandatory meetings of a political or religious nature. Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker plans to sign the legislation by the end of this month, a spokesperson told HuffPost. That would add Illinois to a list that already includes Connecticut, Maine, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, New Jersey and Washington. Meanwhile, at least another 10 states are considering passing similar legislation, potentially covering more than 60 million workers around the country, according to the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank.”

“Noncompete agreements are clauses in employment contracts that prevent workers from going to work for, or starting, a competing business within a certain period of time after leaving a job. Under the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) noncompete ban, employers will be barred from asking any new workers to sign noncompetes, and existing noncompetes would be made unenforceable for the vast majority of workers. Today I will highlight the importance of the rule by discussing the ubiquity of noncompete agreements and describing the effects these agreements have on wages, business formation, economic dynamism, labor mobility, productivity, innovation, and prices. I will also discuss options firms have to protect trade secrets without noncompetes, and the FTC’s authority to ban noncompetes.”

“In a ruling published Tuesday, Judge Alan Albright of the Western District of Texas endorsed SpaceX’s theory that removal protections for NLRB members and the agency’s administrative law judges violate the Constitution. Albright granted a preliminary injunction earlier this month to halt unfair labor practice proceedings against the company, and Tuesday’s order provides the reasoning for the injunction, arguing that SpaceX is likely to succeed on both of its removal claims.”

“A federal judge has rejected much of a lawsuit challenging restrictions that Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Legislature placed on public-employee unions — but a fight will continue about a ban on deducting union dues from workers’ paychecks. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker last week issued an 80-page decision that largely sided with the state Public Employees Relations Commission, which is in charge of carrying out the controversial restrictions. The Republican-controlled Legislature and DeSantis approved the restrictions in 2023 and made revisions this year.”

“Illinois has become the latest state to adopt legislation aimed at protecting workers from their employers' anti-union messaging. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, a Democrat, signed the bill into law on Wednesday, joining a wave of other states that have enacted similar laws over the past couple years as union organizing has surged.”

“NATIONWIDE—Over 8,000 airline catering workers at 30 U.S. airports are preparing to go on strike as soon as Tuesday, July 30. The workers are employees of airline catering subcontractor Gate Gourmet and are members of labor unions UNITE HERE, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers Union (BCTGM), and the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).”

“Video game performers are officially on strike. The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists called a walkout this week on behalf of roughly 2,600 actors doing voice-over, motion-capture and other work in the gaming industry. Union leaders took the step after they could not reach an agreement on artificial intelligence terms while bargaining for a new contract with the top video game companies, including Activision, Electronic Arts, Insomniac and Blindlight.”

“For years, workers at Keck Medicine of USC watched as wages and benefits at other top Los Angeles health systems crept ahead of what they were receiving. The workers in the various health systems were dealing with the same external factors, like skyrocketing L.A.-area rents, staffing shortages and inflation. But USC’s employees were falling behind. ‘When I first started at USC, for me personally, it was a good environment,’ said Elaine Williams, a patient care technician (PCT) at Keck Hospital for four years. ‘There was still a shortage of nurses and PCTs and such, but we made it work. Since then, though, it’s gotten worse.’”

“Apple Inc. has reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with retail employees in Maryland, the International Association of Machinists said Friday, a first for the company’s US stores. The deal is subject to approval by the roughly 85 employees in the bargaining unit, who are slated to vote on it Aug. 6. The agreement includes rules about scheduling, severance, and sub-contracting, and requires that any discipline not be ‘arbitrary, capricious or without merit,’ an IAM spokesperson said. The three-year deal will increase pay by an average of 10% and maintains the status quo on healthcare, retirement, and staffing, according to the union.”

“...In a dozen interviews with editors and other Hollywood craftspeople, almost all worried that A.I. had either begun displacing them or could soon do so. As it happens, these workers belong to a labor union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), which can negotiate A.I. protections on their behalf, as actors’ and writers’ unions did during last year’s strikes. Yet their union recently approved a contract, by a large margin, that clears the way for studios to require employees to use the technology, just as Mr. Moore and his colleagues have feared. Some labor experts believe that the protections negotiated by the union, like regular meetings with studios on A.I., may be the best it could do during an industrywide downturn. Union leaders have argued that there is no way to prevent the use of A.I. in Hollywood crafts.”

“Disneyland Resort workers voted to ratify new contracts with Disney late Monday, avoiding a strike that threatened to upend the theme park industry and disrupt the plans of millions who annually visit “The Happiest Place on Earth.” Travel better with news, tips and guides that make you feel like a local wherever you go. In your inbox, Thursdays. The Southern California resort workers — called cast members — who voted Monday said yes to the three-year contract, which includes a minimum wage of $24 this year (or more in some cases), wage increases, seniority increases, and more flexible attendance and sick leave policies, among other gains for 14,000 Disney workers covered by the agreement. The contract goes into effect immediately upon ratification.”

“The Teamsters and other Hollywood Basic Crafts unions have reached a tentative deal on a new contract with the major studios — deals that are expected to bring at least two years of calm between labor and management in Hollywood following last year’s writers and actors strikes…No details were provided of the agreement. Teamsters Local 399 was set to have a membership meeting Sunday and would offer further information. The union had sought a double-digit increase in wages, along with strict protections against subcontracting and driverless trucks. The deal came four days before the contract was due to expire on Wednesday. The Hollywood Teamsters have not gone on strike since a three-week lockout in 1988.”

“Over the past few weeks, the UAW has filed seven separate unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Cornell University, citing violations of workers’ rights and federal labor laws amid ongoing contract negotiations. The agreement, covering more than 1,200 workers, expired at midnight on Sunday, June 30. In response to these charges, UAW Local 2300 President Christine Johnson stated, ‘Our members are the backbone of Cornell, yet the administration thinks it can divide us and intimidate us by distributing union busting talking points to managers and stomping on our rights. These unfair labor practice charges are a necessary step to keep Cornell in check. Instead of breaking our union, Cornell should be focused on negotiating a record contract without violating the law.’”

“Labor’s decline over the past half century has devastated working-class communities, undermined democracy, and deepened the grip of big business over our work lives, our political system, and our planet. To turn this around, we need tens of millions more people forming, joining, and transforming unions.”

“...By using the bully pulpit—a public official’s ability to gain attention and sway key actors through public speech and private convenings because of their prominent position—officials are increasing workers’ confidence that their demands will be respected. At the same time, they are leveraging the bully pulpit to remind corporations that the government will hold lawbreakers accountable. Yet public officials and policymakers at all levels can do more to advocate forcefully for workers throughout the entire span of a unionization and contract bargaining process, particularly when corporations are undermining worker efforts or receiving financial incentives from the public.”