“United Airlines has reached tentative agreements with a union representing nearly 30,000 ground workers, the labor group said Wednesday. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said the two-year tentative agreements cover “industry-best” wage rates, as well as job protection and certain guards against outsourcing roles. The specific terms of the contracts were not disclosed.”

“The tenor of the relationship between the league and its players’ union seems a far cry from the contentious moments that have dotted their history: the players’ very first attempts to unionize in the 1950s; tense years in the 1990s; and antagonistic battle in 2011 that led to the league’s most recent lockout. Recently, the N.B.A.’s labor landscape has been peaceful, but the strength of that collegiality is being tested by pressure points during a negotiation that has addressed issues like the age limit for players entering the league, a possible in-season tournament and the league’s luxury tax system.”

"Today the Services Trades Council Union (STCU) representing 45,000 theme park workers voted to ratify a historic agreement with Walt Disney World. Union members voted by 97% to ratify the contract. Under this agreement, every current theme park worker in the union will receive a raise between $5.50 and $8.60 by the end of the contract, with the first $3 in raises arriving this year.”

“New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has fashioned himself a loyal ally to organized labor. He’s negotiated multiple contracts with major public employee unions and been showered with their political support. But at Rutgers University, where faculty and staff have been without a contract for more than 200 days, the Democrat isn’t the one leading discussions with labor leaders. Murphy and Rutgers President Jonathan Holloway have left that, mainly, to members of former Gov. Chris Christie’s administration.”

“Teamsters at United Airlines have ratified an agreement that includes significant wage increases and added job protections for more than 8,200 technicians and related classifications nationwide.”

“Teamsters President Sean O’Brien is promising a hard fight. He won election in late 2021 on a vow to get tougher with UPS and correct what he says was a flawed contract forced on workers in 2018. The union is also shortening the negotiation period with UPS. Talks on the nationwide contract will begin April 16, O’Brien said in an interview.”

“Earlier this month, Maryland state Del. Robbyn Lewis and Sen. Jill Carter, both of Baltimore City, sponsored legislation that would give employees at the Walters Art Museum collective bargaining rights and the ability to have their union recognized. Due in part to intractable museum leadership, the workers have been unable to certify their union despite achieving overwhelming support among staff.”

“Apple Store workers from Towson, Maryland, have been meeting with the company at a hotel in downtown Baltimore this week to negotiate what they hope will be a groundbreaking union contract at the tech giant. But after four two-day bargaining sessions since January, those workers say they aren’t convinced Apple ever wants to reach a deal with its first unionized shop in the U.S.”

“The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) joined forces in an effort to assist both workers and employers in newly-organized units build a positive labor-management relationship and successfully reach a first collective bargaining agreement. We talked with Jennifer Abruzzo, General Counsel of the NLRB and Javier Ramirez, Deputy Director of Field Operations at the FMCS, about this initiative.”

“A New York hotel union has reached a deal with hotel owners and operators that will boost the wages of hospitality workers by $7.50 an hour, the largest increase in the union’s 100-year history.”

“According to the new agreement, LAUSD workers will receive a 30% wage increase with retroactive pay when the contract is ratified, a $1,000 bonus for employees who worked during the height of the pandemic, the right to file a grievance for claims of harassment, the expansion of fully paid health care benefits for part-time teacher assistants and after school program workers, and more. The contract will be voted on by the LAUSD School Board during its April 18 meeting.”

“Before the recent mass shootings, Louisville, Ky., was best known for bourbon, baseball bats, and horse racing. The races can sometimes surprise you. Just last year, an unknown horse named Rich Strike—with the second-longest odds against him in the Kentucky Derby’s entire 147-year history—finished ahead of an elite field. In another upset, in this right-to-work state where only 7.9 percent of the workforce are covered by union contracts, the members of Local 1447 of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) beat back racist divide-and-conquer proposals by management last November to win a great contract. But their victory relied on method—not luck.”

“National negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters union, which represents the workers, begin on April 17. At that point, we can expect to see media coverage start to trickle in, and eventually reach a fever pitch, should bargaining break down and the Teamsters call a strike—something union leadership has explicitly said they’re willing to do. Corporate media will have an outsized hand in shaping the narrative of this unprecedented moment, which presents the broader labor movement a catalyst for revival. So, four months out from the end of the bargaining agreement and a potential strike, it’s worth asking: What should we expect from establishment reporting? What have we seen in the past, and what have we seen so far this time?”

“SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have agreed to begin formal contract negotiations on June 7. The guild’s current contract expires June 30. In a joint statement, they said that they are ‘approaching this process as an opportunity to engage in thoughtful and interactive conversations that result in a mutually-beneficial deal.’”

“Contract negotiations between UPS and its massive unionized workforce are set to begin Monday in Washington, D.C. Why it matters: It's the largest private-sector union contract in North America representing about 340,000 members.”

“The NBA and National Basketball Players Association announced Wednesday night they have ratified the recently agreed-upon new collective bargaining agreement, one that will ensure labor peace through the remainder of this decade.”

“Negotiations between U.S. Class I railroads and unions representing operating craft employees, such as locomotive engineers and train conductors, regarding sick leave and scheduling will likely last through summer, according to Jeremy Ferguson, president for the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers – Transportation Division (SMART-TD).”

“When the union representing Hollywood writers laid out its list of objectives for contract negotiations with studios this spring, it included familiar language on compensation, which the writers say has either stagnated or dropped amid an explosion of new shows. But far down, the document added a distinctly 2023 twist. Under a section titled ‘Professional Standards and Protection in the Employment of Writers,’ the union wrote that it aimed to ‘regulate use of material produced using artificial intelligence or similar technologies.’”

“Delta Air Lines' (DAL.N) industry-changing pilot contract that offers $7 billion in higher pay and benefits is putting pressure on rival carriers to hand out similar deals ahead of a busy summer travel season. Any proposal that falls short of Delta's deal will likely have no takers among the unions, but airline executives say even matching that contract could balloon operating costs at a time when a worsening economy has clouded travel outlook.”

“US freight rail companies nearly spurred a nationwide railroad strike last fall by refusing to grant paid sick days, but in a surprise move welcomed by workers, those railroads have recently granted paid sick days to almost half their workforce. After being roundly criticized for not offering paid sick days, the leading rail companies – BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific – have granted many of their 93,000 workers four paid sick days a year through labor negotiations, with an option of taking three more paid sick days from personal days.”

“...winning a union election is only the first step. To realize their goals for pay, benefits, job security, scheduling, safety, and other working terms and conditions, newly formed unions need to successfully negotiate a first contract. All the available data, however, show that reaching a first contract generally takes a long time—often a year or more after union recognition. And, in some cases, no contract is ever signed.”

“At Starbucks regional headquarters in Manhattan on May 1, staff were setting up an office pizza party when they heard a chant coming from the hallway of their fifteenth floor glass-enclosed office.”

“Disruptive technology is at the heart of the contentious negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and studios, networks and streaming services. Last week, those negotiations failed and the screenwriters went on strike. At issue is how writers get paid for streaming content and the role of artificial intelligence in the creative process. The WGA has pushed for guardrails on the use of new generative AI tools like ChatGPT, which are trained on vast amounts of human-made creative work and could, some fear, end up replacing it. It’s a concern that is popping up more and more across a number of different industries as the implications of this technology come into focus.”

“Shipping industry officials say local issues have been resolved and a tentative agreement was reached last month on terms for the use of automation on the docks, one of the most contentious issues at the ports. That leaves the issue of wages and pensions. Shipping officials familiar with the talks say the ILWU is likely to expect a pay increase in the first year of the new contract to at least match a deal reached recently with an ILWU local chapter in Hawaii of 10%. The parties also have to agree how long the contract will run. Employers had been pushing for a six-year contract. The union had been pushing for a two-year contract, according to people familiar with the talks. Any agreement would be retroactive to July 2022, when the last contract expired.”

“UPS Inc. and the Teamsters union have commenced the national, or master, phase of contract negotiations even though two main supplemental agreements remain unresolved.”

“Members of United Teachers Los Angeles overwhelmingly approved a new contract with L.A. Unified that will raise the average teacher salary to $106,000, a 21% wage increase over three years.”

“Late Saturday night, the two sides announced they had agreed on four ‘common good’ demands, many of which had placed the two sides in a gridlock throughout last week. The district had argued the demands — which seek to address racial equity, homelessness, and environmental justice for students — fell outside the scope of a union bargaining agreement. But on Saturday night, the union and the district agreed on four of those proposals relating to housing and transportation, a community schools grant, a Black thriving community schools initiative, and school closures. Union officials said teachers slept at their union office Saturday before getting back to negotiations Sunday morning. According to Khattab, Sunday marked 20 days of work on the bargaining process. She said she had spent so much time at the union office that she could count the number of hours she’d spent with her 9-year-old daughter on two hands.”

“General Electric and two major unions have reached a “labor peace agreement” for facilities the company wants to build for offshore wind equipment manufacturing at the Port of Coeymans…GE says the manufacturing plants could create 870 jobs. The company said it reached an agreement with the IUE-CWA unions in which GE would remain neutral during the labor organizing process for the plants. Approximately 825 of GE Vernova’s U.S. employees — including about 700 in New York — are represented by contracts with the IUE-CWA.”

“The AMPTP has called the Writers Guild’s minimum staffing demands for episodic TV shows “a hiring quota that is incompatible with the creative nature of our industry.” But if the WGA prevails in its ongoing strike, it wouldn’t be the first guild to require minimum staffing in its contract. The Directors Guild of America doesn’t call it “minimum staffing” or a “hiring quota,” but its current film and TV contract, which is up for renegotiation beginning Wednesday contains mandatory staffing provisions for various below-the-line members of the director’s team, including unit production managers, assistant directors and associate directors.”

“Bosses from CEOs to front-line managers don’t seem to like being alone in empty offices and darkened hallways. Most of them understood they could not force their employees back to work in confined spaces while the COVID-19 pandemic was raging. Yet now that the pandemic emergency (but not all risk of COVID infection) has ended, bosses in many industries are getting cranky about their employees working from locations outside their offices. So, they are seeking in growing numbers and in various ways to enforce return-to-work-site plans."

“American Airlines has reached a tentative labor agreement with pilots who recently raised the possibility of a strike against the nation’s biggest airline if they were unable to get a new contract with higher pay.”

“After a unified and strong week-long strike, ATU Local 1212-Chattanooga, TN, school bus workers in Dalton, GA, voted overwhelmingly to approve a strong collective bargaining agreement with First Student to end their strike. Nearly 40 bus drivers, monitors, mechanics, and other student transportation workers walked off the job on May 15 after the company continued to violate federal laws and refused to negotiate with their Union…The new 3-year contract with First Student includes substantial wage increases, their first ever paid vacation days, a retention bonus, a new strong grievance procedure, a better seniority system, and other improvements. The Union plans to continue to pursue Unfair Labor Practices charges against the company.”

“Engineers who operate trains for Union Pacific will soon have much more predictable schedules that will allow them to plan when they are going to be off, a change addressing one of the key quality-of-life concerns that pushed the rail industry to the brink of a strike last fall. The Omaha, Nebraska-based railroad announced a deal with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen union Wednesday that will let UP’s roughly 5,600 engineers plan on having four days off in a row after spending 11 days straight on call. Within those 11 days, there will likely be some breaks between shifts because federal rules require 24 hours off after engineers work four straight days, but it’s hard to predict where that time off will fall.”

“The president of the union that’s been organizing Starbucks stores has a message for the coffee chain: Come to the bargaining table — and make it just one table, not hundreds. The union Workers United has been trying to negotiate first contracts for the more than 300 Starbucks locations that have formed unions since late 2021. But since those stores unionized one by one, the coffee chain has maintained that each store should negotiate its own contract. Lynne Fox, the union’s president, told HuffPost that workers want to consolidate the talks so they can start making headway on an accord. Workers have gotten nowhere with the company even though many unionized more than a year ago, she said.”

“The New York Times reached a deal on Tuesday for a new contract with the union representing the majority of its newsroom employees, ending more than two years of contentious negotiations that included a 24-hour strike. The agreement, if ratified, will give union members immediate salary increases of up to 12.5 percent to cover the last two years and 2023, and will raise the required minimum salary to $65,000, up from about $37,500. The previous contract expired in March 2021, and union members have not received contractual raises since 2020.”

“Union workers at the Clarios battery facility in Holland have turned down a tentative deal with the company that was put together over the weekend, a union representative tells 13abc. A UAW representative said the union’s goal right now is to understand what the workers want so they can go back to the company. They have not yet set a date for further meetings with Clarios.”

“After several months of negotiations, Disney World workers in Orlando, Florida, overwhelmingly rejected the Walt Disney Co.'s "best offer" of a $1 pay raise this year for thousands of workers fighting to survive in a region of the United States that's experiencing a cost-of-living crisis.”

“Alexandria, VA Local 2141 became the first Virginia IAFF affiliate in more than four decades to ratify a contract with its employer when the Alexandria City Council voted unanimously Jan. 24 to approve the historic agreement.”

“In September 2022, the Northeastern University dining hall workers employed by Chartwells Dining Services approved the most lucrative contract in the history of their union local, UNITE HERE Local 26. The contract will see workers’ pay triple over the course of 14 years, quadrupled pension plan contributions, and guaranteed sick day coverage, among other wins. At a time when Northeastern’s graduate student employees are organizing their own union in pursuit of better benefits and higher wages, the dining hall workers’ impressive victory begs an important question: How did they do it?”

“A group of fed up musicians set up outside of Carnegie Hall Monday night to hold a concert outside the official concert … The majority of the orchestra of Distinguished Concerts International New York voted to join the NYC musicians’ union AFM Local 802 in 2019 but have yet to reach a contract with their employer, a for-profit company that produces concerts at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.”

“An agreement has been reached between the BMWED and Norfolk Southern that establishes four (4) paid sick days annually for members employed on the Atlanta-based freight carrier.”

“Members of the Temple University Graduate Students Association overwhelmingly voted down a tentative agreement Tuesday that was reached last week, meaning their strike that started Jan. 31 will continue.”

“Mayor Eric Adams announced a tentative contract agreement with New York City’s largest municipal union on Friday that includes a plan to allow some city employees to work remotely starting in June. If approved by the union, District Council 37, the five-year deal would increase wages 3 percent a year in the first four years and 3.25 percent in the fifth. Workers would also receive a $3,000 ratification bonus and a minimum wage of $18 per hour.”

“Striking union members at HarperCollins Publishers have approved a tentative agreement reached last week and will return to work Tuesday, ending a walkout that lasted more than three months and became the center of an ongoing debate about salaries in the industry.”

“Caterpillar Inc (CAT.N) said on Wednesday it had reached a tentative agreement with a union that represents workers at four of its facilities, dodging a possible walkout at a time when companies across the United States are dealing with widespread labor shortages. The construction equipment maker's new six-year agreement, which needs to be put to a vote by employees, comes after some union workers had threatened a strike as they negotiated wage increases, improved safety measures and better healthcare benefits.”

“The union that represents workers on Norfolk Southern Railroad, the rail operator of the train that derailed last month alleges that workers at the cleanup site are getting sick with "migraines and nausea" and are not being provided necessary protective equipment.”

“Pilots at Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines voted to approve a new union contract that will give them an initial 18% pay raise. The vote resolves simmering labor tensions that heated up last year when pilots threatened the possibility of a strike if they did not reach a contract that addressed their concerns. Delta is largely non-union and its pilots are the carrier’s biggest organized labor unit.”

“The United Steelworkers (USW) negotiating team ultimately delivered a historic contract requiring the company to invest $4 billion in 13 union-represented facilities, including about $100 million at the Weirton, West Virginia mill where Glyptis and his colleagues rely on ever more sophisticated equipment to make precision tin plate.”

“One thing you can be sure of when bargaining your first contract: management will demand a contract clause barring strikes while the agreement is in effect…Today, an overwhelming percentage of U.S. labor contracts, 94 percent according to a survey by the Bureau of National Affairs, contain no-strike clauses.”

“BNSF, Norfolk Southern and members of two union groups have struck sick leave agreements, the groups said Thursday. BNSF (NYSE: BRK.B) reached sick leave agreements with members of the Transportation Communications Union (TCU) and the National Conference of Firemen & Oilers (NCFO). The agreement with TCU is for insourced intermodal equipment operators, which BNSF says represent a majority of that union’s members at the railroad. Other TCU members at BNSF already have paid sick days as part of their existing agreement, according to the railroad.” 

“After more than a year of negotiations, unionised workers at the Whitney Museum of American art and the museum’s administration announced on Monday (6 March) that the union had ratified its first contract. The union, a part of Local 2110 of the United Auto Workers (UAW), represents close to 200 workers at the Whitney. The new contract, which includes many provisions the union had sought, is valid through 30 June 2026.”

“Alphabet Inc.’s Google is legally the boss of YouTube contract staff and must collectively bargain with the workers if they vote to unionize, a US labor board official ruled. In a Friday decision, a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board rejected the internet giant’s claims that it wasn’t the employer of a group of Texas-based YouTube workers, who are hired via the staffing agency Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. The director ruled that Google is in fact a “joint employer” — a company that has enough control over a group of workers to be liable for their treatment and obligated to negotiate with them if they unionize.”

“A search for Wes Anderson on YouTube turns up trailers that the famed director with a distinctive style appears to have made for adaptations of ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ featuring Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson and other stars. Artificial intelligence allowed people with no real actors and far smaller resources than major Hollywood studios to generate the fake movie trailers, feeding debate on the issue that will be on the bargaining table when the SAG-AFTRA actors union begins labor talks with studios on June 7.”

“UNITE HERE's Culinary Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 reached a new agreement with Palms Casino Resort on a first time three-year contract to protect workers with health care benefits, provide fair wages and job security, and to respect the seniority rights for more than 900 employees.”

“‘Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains,’ philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau said in the 18th century. Likewise, the right to strike is the fundamental source of a union’s power, and everywhere they have signed that right away. ​’No strike clauses,’ which ban workers from striking during the course of a union contract, have been ubiquitous for decades — the price, companies argue, of having a contract at all. Breaking out of this power-sucking bargain is a vital task for the labor movement, if it ever wants to be able to stand up to corporate America in a meaningful way.”

“The Directors Guild of America’s national board of directors has unanimously approved the tentative agreement reached by the guild’s negotiating committee late Saturday, a deal that aims to set parameters around the use of artificial intelligence and boost streaming residual rates. With the board’s approval, the contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers will be sent to a ratification vote by DGA membership. The guild expects to send materials to its members this week.”

“ABF Freight announced Wednesday after the market closed that it has reached a tentative labor deal with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. A filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission said the two parties have agreed to terms on their national and supplemental labor contracts. The deal will need to be ratified by employees. A Wednesday statement from the Teamsters said union representatives will review the contract next week and then put it out to members for a vote. The Teamsters said the new deal ‘will provide members with wage increases and improvements to benefits and working conditions, among other gains.’”

“Negotiators for UPS and the Teamsters union have reached a tentative agreement on a crucial issue in their contract talks: The shipping giant has finally agreed to install air conditioning – gradually – in its entire fleet of 95,000 delivery vans. The union hailed the long-sought agreement as a “major tentative deal.” It said the company agreed to equip all larger delivery vehicles, smaller sprinter vans, and all of UPS’ most recognizable brown package vans purchased after Jan. 1, 2024 with in-cab air conditioning systems.”

“The union for thousands of West Coast dockworkers has reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, it was announced Wednesday, after more than a year of negotiations and several work disruptions that snarled shipping traffic at some of the largest ports. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union reached the tentative deal for a new six-year contract with the Pacific Maritime Association, a trade group for cargo carriers and terminal operators. Its members include such global shipping giants as Maersk and Evergreen Marine. The agreement will require ratification by PMA and union members and would affect 22,000 dockworkers at 29 ports from Washington state through California.”

“One of the dirty little secrets of the electric vehicle boom is that many of its workers are paid less and enjoy fewer benefits than those who manufacture the nation’s gas guzzlers. But if unions have their way, that won’t be the case for long. On September 14, the United Auto Workers' contract with the Big Three automakers — GM, Ford, and Stellantis — will expire. Negotiations for a new agreement are set to begin in July, and electric vehicle jobs will be a defining issue with potential to put the 380,000-member union on strike this fall. The union’s leadership team held a town hall late last month where they laid out the stakes.”

“‘Here Lies Love,’ the new David Byrne musical scheduled to start previews on Broadway next week, has bowed to objections by a labor union and agreed that 12 musicians will be part of the production. The producers of the musical, which is a dance-club-like show about Imelda Marcos, and the union, Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, announced the agreement late Friday afternoon.”

“After a two-year fight for a first contract and a 13-day ULP strike – the longest digital media strike in history – members of Insider Union today announced that they have reached a tentative agreement with management, including settlement of a ULP related to management’s unilateral changing of workers’ health care coverage. The approximately 250 members of Insider Union are represented by The NewsGuild of New York.”

“On Monday June 5, Local 73 shop members at Woodside Industries ratified a historic collective agreement with Irving Shipbuilding. The company, understanding how inflation, retention and recruitment of qualified skilled tradespersons is affecting the industry, came to the bargaining table with a fair offer. One highlight of the four-year agreement includes a 39.6% wage increase.”

“The Teamsters and UPS Inc. came to terms on all noneconomic issues during national contract negotiations on Tuesday, the union said. “We have reached tentative agreement on well over 40 noneconomic issues that affect all our members at UPS, and we did it as a team. The Teamsters haven’t sacrificed a single concession in these negotiations,” said Teamsters General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman in a statement on the union’s Facebook page.”

“ABF Freight System provided the details of a recently inked tentative agreement with its union workforce Thursday after the market closed. The new labor deal, if ratified, would provide employees with wage increases, a step up in health and welfare contributions, additional sick time, one more paid holiday and a revised profit-sharing program. The new five-year collective-bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters would become effective when the current deal ends on June 30.”

“After standing strong on the picket line for nearly a month, UAW Local 174 members at Constellium Automotive in Van Buren Charter Township, MI, have ratified a new contract. The agreement provides improved contractual language, including a stronger grievance procedure and additional holidays, while also securing strong pay increases for workers. ‘These contract negotiations were very difficult,’ said Region 1A Director, Laura Dickerson. ‘The company was unwilling to work with us and repeatedly canceled negotiating sessions. Despite this, our members stood together and forced Constellium to offer them a contract that reflects their immense value to the company.’”

"For the new AFSCME members at the Waukegan Public Library (WPL) in Chicago’s northern suburbs, the first chapter in the story of their union ends on a high note. They’ve won a first contract guaranteeing them a strong voice on the job and fair wages that reflect how valued they are in their community. When working under a new library administration in early 2020, arbitrary new rules hampered their ability to do their jobs. Job duties were frustratingly inconsistent and could change at the drop of a hat. Under the new library administration, the number of staff shrank from 70 to just 35 in the span of a year…WPL workers organized and their union was certified with AFSCME Council 31 in December 2021. The union represents 38 library clerks, specialists, assistants, associates, coordinators and librarians."

“In a new video, UAW President Shawn Fain lays out a key goal of 2023 contract negotiations with General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis: winning back COLA, or Cost of Living Adjustments. Without COLA, inflation has far outpaced the raises UAW members negotiated in 2019. By contrast, CEOs of the Big Three have seen their pay jump over 40 percent between 2019 and 2022. ‘Inflation is hammering the American people. We see it in the cost of eggs, the price of milk. We feel the squeeze at the gas pump, and when we pay rent. Bills go up and our paychecks don’t. Working people can’t keep up.’...Big Three contracts are set to expire on September 14th.”

“The Directors Guild of America has voted to ratify a new labor contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. On Friday evening, as the seventh week of the Writers Guild of America’s ongoing strike was drawing to a close, members of the Directors Guild of America “overwhelmingly” ratified a new labor agreement with the AMPTP that guarantees pay increases and larger residual payouts and includes some language about protections against artificial intelligence tools.”

“Now that the Supreme Court has forced a fight over fundamental rights into statehouses across the country, working people are speaking out in favor of legislation that would protect and expand the right to bodily autonomy and the confidential relationship between providers and patients. We are also demanding that electeds must prioritize overdue and necessary investments in our child care system and family and medical paid leave, end the gender wage gap, and increase access to jobs with high wages and good benefits. Efforts from extremist lawmakers to curtail our rights will only continue to ramp up over the next several months, but the labor movement will continue to stand in the gap.”

“Spirit AeroSystems (SPR.N) and its machinists union reached a tentative contract agreement on Tuesday, with about 6,000 workers set to vote Thursday on whether to end a strike at the company's plant in Wichita, Kansas. The four-year contract includes wage increases of at least 23.5% over the life of the deal, guaranteed annual bonuses and a yearly cost of living adjustment, and a $3,000 signing bonus if the contract is accepted by Thursday, Spirit said in a statement.”

“Over 1,000 Compass food service workers ratify life-changing union contracts that include more than $8 in raises, 4 weeks paid parental leave, affordable or free healthcare, an end to non-union temporary workers in their shops, and more.”

“Union workers are having a moment due to declining unemployment rates and a lack of skilled workforce, prompting companies to dish out better pay packages and benefits to prevent employees from leaving for greener pastures. Companies in many industries are finding employees downright impossible to replace, particularly with the jobless rate just off 50-year lows.”

“The International Brotherhood of Teamsters said Wednesday that negotiations over a new contract with shipping giant UPS had ‘collapsed,’ increasing the odds of a massive strike next month. The two sides still have time to reach a new agreement and avoid a work stoppage, with the current contract in effect until July 31. But the Teamsters had said they wanted a new tentative deal in place by the end of the July 4 holiday to give workers time to digest and vote on it.”

“The two parties announced that they would delay the expiration of the union’s current TV/Theatrical contracts package on Friday, mere hours before those agreements were set to expire at midnight. This move will allow for more time for negotiations and for ongoing projects to continue operating under SAG-AFTRA agreements until the new expiration date. If the two parties do not reach an agreement by the end of the day on July 12, the union can still call a strike — which, if it came to pass, would be its first targeting major film and television companies in four decades, and, coupled with an ongoing writers’ strike, would further hamper the industry.”

“Hundreds of California state workers descended Thursday on the state Capitol to protest what they call an ‘offensive’ and ‘unfair’ contract offer from the state. The workers, who are represented by Service Employees International Union Local 1000, dressed in all black to ‘mourn the death of California’s middle class’ and carried signs that read ‘Respect Us.’ Local 1000 represents about 100,000 workers in jobs as diverse as prison librarians, janitorial staff and educators at California’s schools for the deaf and blind.”

“Six thousand Machinists working for Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas, ratified a new four-year contract last week, returning to work today. The company had locked workers out on June 22, two days before their strike. Machinists (IAM) Local Lodge 839 accepted the latest offer on June 28 by 63 percent, compared to 79 percent who rejected the first tentative agreement and 85 percent who voted to strike.”

“Concessions that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters won from United Parcel Service Inc. promise to reshape the trucking business, even with the broader labor situation unsolved, and give organized labor a surer foothold at Amazon.com Inc. and other delivery firms that rely on contractors. Before negotiations collapsed on July 5, UPS agreed to end a two-tier wage system that the union says short changes part-time drivers who also do warehouse work, as well as outfit its delivery trucks with air conditioning for the first time. Because of the way collective bargaining works, it’s unlikely that those agreements would be revisited, strike or no strike.”

“AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after Child Care Providers United (CCPU) reached a tentative contract agreement with the State of California: ‘This historic agreement will dramatically improve the lives of thousands of child care workers who do some of our most essential jobs. After months of standing together, CCPU members have won continued health care funding, historic pay increases and the first ever retirement fund for child care providers in this country. Not only does this agreement deliver long-overdue relief for the everyday heroes who teach and nurture California’s children, it also gives them the security and peace of mind to plan for their own futures. CCPU members have shown that real change is possible when workers speak with one voice in a strong union. All child care providers deserve the same seat at the table.’”

“Union Pacific railroad has reached a tentative deal with a major union regarding paid sick leave. The railroad and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers said that the deal reached over the weekend provides up to eight paid sick leave days to around 5,900 railroad employees. While all Union Pacific employees receive some form of paid leave, the proposed agreement will provide the union members an additional five paid sick days annually, prorated for 2023. Starting next year, they also will have the ability to convert up to three paid leave days for use as paid sick time.”

“A dissident group within the Amazon Labor Union filed a complaint in federal court Monday seeking to force the union to hold a leadership election. In its complaint, the reform caucus argues that the union and its president, Christian Smalls, illegally 'refuse to hold officer elections which should have been scheduled no later than March 2023.'"

“Those of us who are old enough to have lived through the late 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s remember a long, dismal era for the labor movement. Ronald Reagan using a federal law banning federal employees’ strikes to bust the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO) in 1981 was the signal anti-union assault of that period. Yet, concessions bargaining across many industries during that time may have played an even greater role in eroding unions’ status as reliable fighters for economic justice and the right choice for workers seeking to secure middle-class jobs.”

“American Airlines' (AAL.O) pilot union has warned that the ratification of the company's new contract deal is in "jeopardy" as United Airlines (UAL.O) has raised the benchmark with its own deal, according to a union memo seen by Reuters. American pilots are due to start voting next week on a new four-year deal that provides for a pay increase of about 42% and other benefits. But the Allied Pilots Association (APA), which represents over 15,000 American pilots, said the proposed pay rates as well as some quality-of-life items in the agreement pale in comparison with those in United's preliminary deal.”

“As the climate crisis intensifies, workers are being forced to work amid noxious wildfire smoke and in dangerously high temperatures. But workers at UPS and elsewhere are organizing to demand health and safety precautions from their employers.”

"Meat, Seafood & Deli Workers (UFCW) Local 88 reached a tentative contract agreement with Schnucks grocery stores in Missouri and Illinois last week after earlier authorizing a strike 'should it become necessary' as negotiations continued."

"Food and beverage workers at Barclays Center have a new tentative agreement with their employer, Levy, averting a planned strike authorization vote. If ratified by membership vote, Levy workers will receive raises between $5-$11.20 an hour. By the end of the contract, the lowest paid worker will earn a wage of $25 an hour."

“In interviews, three studio chairs who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the labor situation, said Hollywood’s content factories could sit idle for little more than a month — roughly until Labor Day — until there would be a serious impact on the release calendar for 2024, particularly for movies. A work stoppage that stretches into September could force studios to delay big projects for next year by six months, making 2024 resemble the ghost town of recent memory set off by the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“[Seth Harris] appeared on CNBC's Squawk Box early Tuesday morning, July 25, to discuss the state of the unions during this 'strike summer.' With anchor Becky Quick and the Cato Institute's Scott Lincicome, [Seth] talked about the ongoing negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS and the UAW's talks with the Big Three automakers, as well as the Hollywood strikes and the general state of worker activism in the United States.”

“UPS and the Teamsters reached a tentative deal for a huge new contract for the courier’s employees, and labor experts say it sets the stage for other major victories for workers as more unions head to the negotiating table this year. From pilots at airlines and other shippers to auto workers, the UPS deal signals that the rank and file has momentum behind them for negotiations. The Teamsters also said they have their eyes on Amazon for future organizing. Here’s what the deal could mean for labor in the U.S.”

“The United Auto Workers has begun contract negotiations with General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford. Under new leadership elected on promises of greater transparency and militancy, bargaining is looking very different from years past.”

“AFGE has reached an agreement with the Social Security Administration (SSA), allowing 42,000 SSA employees nationwide represented by AFGE to enjoy new workplace rights and protections. AFGE and SSA agreed on updates to six articles of the contract, originally ratified in 2019, covering such issues as employee training and career development, employee rights, child care and elder care, disciplinary and adverse actions, and employee details to alternative duty stations.”

“1,500 members of UAW Local 833 have ratified a new five-year agreement with the Kohler Company that will increase wages and improve benefits. Local 833 members work in production and skilled trades positions at the company’s Village of Kohler and Town of Mosel manufacturing facilities in Kohler, WI.”

“Operating Engineers Local 399 members at the Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery here are currently working under a temporary extension to their contract… because they overwhelmingly rejected the company’s 'final' contract offer because it did not adequately address the safety concerns, work-life balance issues, reduction of forced overtime, job proficiency improvements and wages.”

“United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain said on Tuesday the union was seeking ambitious benefit increases in contract talks with the Detroit Three automakers, including double-digit pay rises and defined-benefit pensions for all workers. The UAW presented its economic demands to Chrysler-parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI) on Tuesday and will make presentations to General Motors (GM) (GM.N) Wednesday and Ford (F.N) Thursday ahead of the Sept. 14 expiration of the current four-year contracts, Fain said.”

“When the Writers Guild of America told its members on Tuesday night that movie and television studios had asked for “a meeting this Friday to discuss negotiations,” it was the first sign of movement in a stalemate that had begun in early May. It also signaled a shift in strategy for Hollywood executives working behind the scenes to resolve dual union strikes that have ground the vast entertainment industry to a halt. The 11,500 screenwriters represented by the Writers Guild went on strike in May after contract negotiations with the studios broke down. Last month, they were joined on the picket lines by tens of thousands of actors after their union, SAG-AFTRA, called a strike. Both unions are worried about not receiving a fair share of the spoils of a streaming-dominated future, among other issues.”

“UPS and the Teamsters have reached a tentative deal on a contract that would affect 340,000 UPS workers, narrowly avoiding a strike that would have severely hampered package delivery service in the country. Contract adoption is contingent on rank-and-file members voting in favor of the agreement this month. The proposed five-year contract raises wages for full-time and part-time unionized UPS workers by $2.75 this year, amounting to a $7.50 hourly increase throughout the contract. It sets the minimum wage for part-time workers at $21 per hour and ends a two-tier wage system that created a class of new drivers known as ‘22.4s’ who earned significantly less than senior drivers. The agreement would also give all workers Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a holiday and end forced overtime on drivers’ days off.”

“The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and BNSF Railway have reached a systemwide agreement on paid sick leave and schedule improvements. The tentative agreement, announced today, includes up to eight paid sick leave days and grants access to scheduled time off in an effort to improve work-life balance for BNSF locomotive engineers. BNSF and the BLET called the tentative agreement a “breakthrough” that came after several months of negotiations. If ratified, ‘it is expected to bring positive changes to both the professional and personal lives of locomotive engineers,’ the railroad and union said.”

“After hundreds of workplace actions and countless displays of solidarity big and small by AFSCME Council 31 members all across state government, the AFSCME Bargaining Committee – comprised of 220 union members elected by their co-workers – and the State of Illinois reached a tentative agreement July 1 and members ratified it by the end of the month. The new contract covers more than 30,000 state workers.”

“In a post published at the end of March 2023, I posited that "2023 could be the most important year for collective bargaining agreements in recent history." Of course, collective bargaining agreements have great importance to the workers, unions, and employers governed by them…We are now more than halfway through 2023 and it seems like an appropriate time to offer a preliminary assessment of the state of this year's collective bargaining.”

“Detroit may be headed for a tumultuous labor showdown. The United Auto Workers union has made a bold opening bid in negotiations for new four-year collective bargaining agreements with General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis. Its new president, Shawn Fain, has declared that the 150,000 hourly workers employed by the companies are prepared to strike to achieve the union’s goals. The U.A.W. presented the automakers with a list of demands, including a 40 percent wage increase — premised on the compensation gains that the union says the companies’ chief executives have made over the four years since the last contract talks. And with the pivot to electric vehicles, the union wants guarantees that workers hired at the automakers’ new E.V. battery plants will be covered by the U.A.W. national contracts, or at least given contracts with comparable wage and safety terms.”

“Amazon warehouse worker Paul Blundell has spent the past year talking to his co-workers about how UPS Teamsters were getting organized to strike… ‘Everybody’s jaw dropped’ when they heard that night shift workers at the Philly UPS air hub will get an immediate raise to $24.75, Blundell said. ‘We top out around $20.90 after three years, so UPS is now starting well above that—with raises for the rest of the contract.’”

“In Ohio, memories of the episode remain raw: As president in 2017, Donald Trump traveled to the eastern part of the state and vowed that industrial jobs are ‘coming back,’ adding, ‘Don’t sell your house.’ Less than two years later, the General Motors plant in Lordstown closed down, and its workers screamed betrayal. Trump’s broken promise has created a big opportunity for President Biden right now, because of another major labor dispute unfolding in the same region. The United Auto Workers union is demanding that workers at an Ultium Cells plant near Lordstown — a closely watched GM-backed project that manufactures electric vehicle battery cells — get wages and working standards that match those of conventional autoworkers, and the UAW wants Biden to get much more active in publicly pushing for an equitable resolution.”

“Among the many demands that the new leadership of the United Auto Workers has made to the Big Three legacy automakers, I have a personal favorite. It calls for a 40 percent raise for its members over the four-year period of its next contract, which is based on the 40 percent compensation increase that the companies’ CEOs have received during the past four years. In other words, if the bosses are raking it in, why aren’t their employees? The demand is my favorite because it goes to the core of how the American economy has become so misshapen, and because it dramatizes that misshapenness in a way that can both inform the public and build public support for systemic change.”

“Pushed by angry members, unions representing actors, autoworkers and UPS employees are becoming increasingly assertive under new leadership.”

“The clock is ticking toward September 14 at midnight, when the Auto Workers’ contracts with the Big 3 automakers expire. The new leaders of the UAW have come out swinging, and in quickly growing numbers, members are stepping up to prepare for a strike. The agreements cover close to 150,000 workers at Ford, General Motors (GM), and Stellantis…Instead of the UAW’s past tradition of targeting just one auto company in bargaining, then basing contracts for the others off that model, Fain warned all three companies to consider themselves targets, keeping them guessing about which one may ultimately be struck—or whether union members might walk out at all three.”

“It’s been nearly two years since Starbucks Workers United went public with its union drive at the global coffee mega-chain. Since then, the campaign has seen some astounding breakthroughs…At the same time, the campaign has run into challenges that may not disappear anytime soon…In recent months, the union has initiated new actions to maintain momentum, including Pride strikes, a bus tour, walkouts and ‘sip-in’ protests, as well as finding creative ways to publicize its bargaining demands. The union also kicked off a national campaign to recruit and mobilize labor allies and customers, inaugurated by a day of action on August 7 that saw more than 1,000 supporters across the United States participate, according to the union.”

“As contract bargaining heats up across the state, the chairs of California’s statehouse committees on labor and public employment have called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to bargain fairly with the largest public employee union in state government. Assembly Labor and Employment Committee Chair Ash Kalra, along with the chairs of the Assembly and Senate committees on public employment and retirement, wrote to Newsom urging his administration to reach a contract agreement with SEIU Local 1000 this week.” 

“Southwest Airlines Co (LUV.N) said on Tuesday it had reached a tentative agreement with the union that represents about 17,120 transport workers who handle ramp, operations, provisioning and cargo. The workers will now earn $36.72 per hour, higher than the hourly wages at United Airlines Holdings (UAL.O) and Delta Air Lines Inc (DAL.N), based on the tentative agreement uploaded on Transport Workers Union Local 555's website.”

“After more than a year of negotiations, leaders of Metro Transit’s main employee union, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 788, and agency management have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract.”

“Averting a strike that could have shaken the U.S. economy, the union representing more than 300,000 United Parcel Service employees announced Tuesday that its members had ratified a new labor agreement with the shipping giant. The union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said that its UPS members approved the five-year contract with more than 86 percent support. The Teamsters have said that the agreement includes wage gains of at least $7.50 an hour for current employees over its five-year term. It also raises the minimum pay for part-time workers to $21 an hour from under $17, and raises the top rate for full-time delivery drivers to about $49 on average.”

“A day after Walt Disney Studios was bustling with thousands of union members for the National Day of Solidarity, the mood Wednesday was more subdued at the Burbank lot as writers voiced their frustrations with the latest offer from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers…The AMPTP on Tuesday night released details of its Aug. 11 offer to the WGA that included percentage increases in salary, span protections and some guardrails on the use of generative artificial intelligence. But it was the notion that the AMPTP put out the details of its offer that seemed to strike the biggest chord with writers. The guild criticized the counteroffer and its release to the public as a ploy ‘not to bargain, but to jam us. It is their only strategy — to bet that we will turn on each other.’”

“Shawn Fain, the president of the United Auto Workers, said that he viewed the 40 percent pay increases received by the auto industry’s CEOs as a benchmark for the pay increase the union’s members should be receiving in their next contract. It’s not clear if he intends to make the pay of the CEOs and other top management a topic in negotiations, but it would be great if he did. While there has been some shift from wages to profits over the last four decades, most of the upward redistribution went from ordinary workers to high-end workers like CEOs and other top managers, Wall Street types, and the elite in the tech sector. If the union can put some serious downward pressure on the pay of top management it could be a big step in reversing this upward redistribution.”

“After almost a year of stalled negotiations for a new bargaining agreement, CWA and IBT passenger service members at American Airlines rallied outside 10 airports as part of a national day of action to demand better pay, job security, and working conditions. Union members both in the airline industry and other sectors joined passenger service workers in solidarity on informational picket lines in Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, St. Louis, Miami, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt, who is also Chair of CWA’s Passenger Service Airline Council, joined the line in Charlotte and CWA District 2-13 Vice President Mike Davis participated in Philadelphia.”

“The largest union at Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works in Maine overwhelmingly approved a new three-year contract, the union said Sunday, averting another strike like the one three years ago that contributed to delays in delivering ships. The contract, which takes effect Monday, raises pay a range of 2.6% to 9.6% in the first year with differences due to a mid-contract wage adjustment that already took effect for some workers, and will be followed by a 5% increase in the second year and 4% increase in the third. Workers are receiving an increase in contributions to their national pension plan while health insurance costs will grow. Machinists’ Union Local S6, which represents about 4,200 production workers, touted the biggest pay raises by percentage since the union’s founding in the 1950s.”

“Support staff at Maryland’s flagship public university are seeking fair pay, safer working conditions and more. Nearly 100 workers at the University of Maryland-College Park, as well as students and community allies, held a rally on Aug. 16 on the UMD campus, just outside Washington, D.C. Housekeeping and facilities staff and others called attention to ongoing issues such as insufficient pay that barely keeps up with the cost of living, stressful and unmanageable workloads, a reliance on underpaid contractual workers who have few rights or benefits, discrimination and bullying by management staff, and more.”

“The University of Michigan’s Graduate Employees’ Organization held a vote Monday evening on whether or not to authorize their bargaining team to agree to the University’s ‘last, best and final’ contract offer, which was proposed to GEO over the weekend. According to a GEO press release shared with The Michigan Daily Tuesday morning, GEO voted to authorize the contract, which, if accepted, would end almost five months of striking. GEO will formally vote on the contract later this week.”

"Chicago hotel workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 1 at Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt-operated properties have ratified a new contract. The announcement comes two weeks ahead of the August 31st contract expiration date."

“SAG-AFTRA’s negotiating committee said Sunday it ‘remains ready at a moment’s notice to go back to the bargaining table to secure a righteous deal’ to end the actors’ strike, which is now in its 46th day. ‘Unfortunately, as we’ve seen from the recent news out of the WGA negotiations, it appears the AMPTP is still unwilling to make the concessions necessary to make a fair deal that would bring the strikes to a close.’”

“After six years of negotiations, AFGE’s National VA Council and the Department of Veterans Affairs signed a collective bargaining agreement that defends critical protections for VA workers while modernizing the hiring process.”

“United Auto Workers-represented employees at the General Motors Co. and LG Energy Solution joint-venture battery plant in northeast Ohio have approved a wage increase agreement, Ultium Cells LLC, the GM-LG company, and the UAW said Sunday. The interim wage increase for about 1,100 employees was ratified with a 97.6% approval, according to Ultium Cells. The UAW said the agreement was approved 895 to 22.”

“On August 10, the Humboldt Bay Harbor District approved a project labor agreement (PLA) for the construction of an offshore wind terminal at the Port of Humboldt Bay that also secures the ILWU’s traditional, historic, and geographic jurisdiction at the Port.”

“After a seven-month contract campaign and a seven-day strike, the Oakland Education Association won substantial raises and broad benefits, including 'common good' demands. It was a hugely popular tentative agreement—ratified with a 90 percent yes vote, with nearly 80 percent of members voting—in large part because of our 'big bargaining' approach, meaning an expanded bargaining team with robust communication back and forth with the members.”

“Cleveland-Cliffs and the United Steelworkers (USW) have reached a tentative agreement. The new three-year contract will cover the approximately 430 workers who mine taconite in Babbitt and make iron ore pellets in Silver Bay at the Northshore Mine. This comes after the workers chose to unionize in July.”

“United Airlines has reached tentative agreements with a union representing nearly 30,000 ground workers, the labor group said Wednesday. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said the two-year tentative agreements cover “industry-best” wage rates, as well as job protection and certain guards against outsourcing roles. The specific terms of the contracts were not disclosed.”

“The tenor of the relationship between the league and its players’ union seems a far cry from the contentious moments that have dotted their history: the players’ very first attempts to unionize in the 1950s; tense years in the 1990s; and antagonistic battle in 2011 that led to the league’s most recent lockout. Recently, the N.B.A.’s labor landscape has been peaceful, but the strength of that collegiality is being tested by pressure points during a negotiation that has addressed issues like the age limit for players entering the league, a possible in-season tournament and the league’s luxury tax system.”

“For the first time since SAG-AFTRA went on strike in July, the performers’ union and Hollywood studios and streamers have set a date to return to the bargaining table. ‘SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP will resume negotiations for a new TV/Theatrical contract on Monday, October 2. Several executives from AMPTP member companies will be in attendance,’ both sides said in a joint statement Wednesday evening. The news was announced Wednesday, the day that the Writers Guild of America’s nearly 150-day-long strike concluded.”

“For the sake of students and parents, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1181 New York City school bus workers have reached a tentative agreement with five major school bus providers after marathon contract talks over the past few weeks, averting a strike. The strike had the potential to impact anywhere between 85,000 to 150,000 students in the city.”

“Thousands of state government workers will see fair and much-needed pay increases under a new contract negotiated through their union, Oregon AFSCME, and ratified last month. The contract offers more evidence of the union difference and benefits of workers securing a voice on the job. Negotiated by an Oregon state bargaining team known as the ‘Central Table,’ the contract covers employees of 19 departments, agencies and offices.”

“Once talks resume between SAG-AFTRA and the studios, the AI debate could prove even stickier for them than it was with the writers. Some see the threat of displacement posed by the technology as more imminent for actors than it is for writers, which could incentivize SAG-AFTRA to pursue a longer, more aggressive strike in a bid to proactively regulate a technology that grows more powerful every year.”

“Unions representing roughly 53,000 Las Vegas workers on Tuesday kicked off critical negotiating sessions with hotel and casino operators after its members voted at the end of September to authorize a city-wide strike. The culinary workers union and bartenders union represent workers at properties around the city, including those operated by MGM Resorts International (MGM.N), Caesars Entertainment (CZR.O), and Wynn Resorts (WYNN.O). Workers are negotiating for a new five-year contract to boost wages and benefits as tourism in Las Vegas recovers from depressed visitor levels during the pandemic.”

“New Orleans city employees, who are celebrating their right to form a union through AFSCME, are putting together their first contract. AFSCME Council 17 members had been advocating for their right to form a union since 2018. In June, the New Orleans City Council unanimously passed a landmark ordinance that established collective bargaining rights for police, fire and general government employees. AFSCME now represents 3,000 workers in the general government unit. The ordinance provides workplace protections for organizing and creates a process for recognition, collective bargaining and dispute resolution. Now, these city workers can gain a voice on the job by negotiating a contract that addresses salaries, benefits, working conditions, and more.”

“Workers at Asian Health Services approved a new union contract on Friday after more than 300 employees last month had threatened to go on strike. The three-year contract for members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021 raises wages by an average of more than 21%.” 

“After nearly three months of sporadic strikes at dozens of hotels in Southern California, the union representing workers at one property — the Biltmore in downtown Los Angeles — announced Friday that it has reached a tentative deal for higher pay and benefits. The union, Unite Here Local 11, said in a written statement that once the contract is ratified, the 300 workers at the Biltmore will see ‘unprecedented wage increases that keep pace with the soaring cost of housing.’”

“Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) approved a new three-year contract with major studios on Monday, five months after the union called a strike that plunged Hollywood's film and television production into turmoil. The WGA said 99% of the roughly 8,500 votes supported the deal, which provides pay raises, some protections around use of artificial intelligence and other gains.”

“Indeed, across the country — but perhaps most intensely in the South — the rising heat at work is having a surprising ripple effect: It is driving workers to organize. At workplaces from Waffle House and Dollar General to e-bike-share warehouses, extreme heat is often the last straw for workers in previously temperate jobs. Once workers complain about heat, calls for better wages, benefits and schedules often follow.”

“Nearly 2,000 AFSCME Council 5 union correctional officers have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a landmark new contract that places historic and transformational investments in our corrections workforce in order to better recruit and retain the best talent in our corrections system and enhance public safety. This new union contract that our AFSCME Council 5 Correctional Officers secured will provide corrections officers working for the State of Minnesota the largest wage increases they've ever seen. Within a period of 10 months, these brave heroes will see historic pay increases ranging from 18% all the way up to 34%.”

“The Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) museum and their employee union have come to an agreement, securing their first contract which promises pay raises, new career opportunities, and affordable healthcare while protecting workers' rights on the job for four years. The union, which comprises over 500 employees of the museum and its affiliated school, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), has been in negotiations for over one year with AIC. At the approach of the one-year mark, the union began plans for a strike, but the museum presented a bargaining contract, which was accepted.”

“Kaiser Permanente and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions came to a tentative agreement for a four-year contract on Oct. 13, with the proposed agreement raising wages and increasing job training opportunities for Kaiser workers at hundreds of Kaiser facilities across the U.S. The deal comes after nearly seven months of bargaining and a three-day strike that took place Oct. 4-7 with more than 75,000 Kaiser employees walking off the job and launching the largest health care strike in U.S. history. The tentative agreement will now go to the 85,000 members of the coalition who will vote for ratification. In the meantime, the coalition has withdrawn a notice for a seven-day November strike that would have taken place if an agreement had not yet been reached.”

“Microsoft’s $69-billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard could provide the growing labor movement among video game workers a boost because of a labor neutrality agreement the company entered last year. The agreement between the Communications Workers of America and Microsoft, which states that Microsoft will take a neutral approach when employees express interest in joining a union, kicks in at Activision Blizzard 60 days after the acquisition closes.”

“The IAM, North America’s largest air transport union, has reached its first tentative agreement with National Airlines. The tentative agreement calls for across-the-board pay raises, including two raises a year for the first nine years of employment for most Flight Attendants, with the first raise consisting of an increase to the current rate of pay ranging from 8% to 30% per hour, depending on years of service on the Date of Ratification (DOR). The IAM represents approximately 55 Flight Attendants at the Orlando, Florida-based Airline.”  

“The United Auto Workers strike against the Big 3 Automakers -- General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Stellantis -- has been underway for more than one month. We have analyzed the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike here on the Power at Work Blog several times, including two blogcasts with UAW front-line leaders, a discussion with labor experts, and clips of several television appearances by Burnes Center Senior Fellow Seth Harris. The start of the second month of this historic Stand Up Strike creates an opportunity for us to connect current issues in this bargaining relationship to previous negotiations.”

“When Shawn Fain sought the presidency of the United Automobile Workers union last year, he ran on a platform that promised: ‘No corruption. No concessions. No tiers’…The first fruits of that approach may have emerged Wednesday, when negotiators for the union and Ford agreed on terms for a new four-year contract, including a wage increase of roughly 25 percent over the four years, according to the union.”

“Southwest Airlines(LUV.N) said on Wednesday it has reached a tentative agreement with the Transport Workers Union Local 556, representing nearly 19,000 flight attendants, making it the first major U.S. airline to strike such a deal. The union would communicate details about the agreement and the voting timeline directly to its members, the company said. Transport Workers Union Local 556, which represents Southwest's flight attendants, has said its members have not received a pay raise in the last four years.”

“Just before midnight on Sunday night, 1,100 UAW members who make tanks and armored vehicles for General Dynamics reached a tentative agreement with the company. The workers are members of five UAW Locals across three UAW Regions: Lima, OH (Region 2B, Locals 2075 & 2147); Sterling Heights, MI (Region 1, Locals 412 & 1248), and Scranton, PA (Region 9, Local 1193).”

“Unite Here Local 11, the union representing hotel workers in Southern California who have been striking on and off for nearly four months, said it has reached a tentative agreement with Loews Hollywood. The deal came as workers at five properties scattered across Pasadena, Long Beach, San Pedro and Dana Point walked off the job Monday, kicking off the latest burst of strikes. The work stoppage was planned after a bargaining session on Thursday went poorly, union spokesperson Maria Hernandez said.”

“One striking feature of the current labor resurgence is a trend for greater openness during national contract negotiations. This year the Auto Workers (UAW) at the Big 3 and Teamsters at UPS have provided members with detailed information about their bargaining proposals. But the Letter Carriers (NALC) has yet to embrace this modern approach. The union is still clinging to the outdated practice of closed-door negotiations.”

“CSX and another division of union members with the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen have ratified a sick leave agreement. This agreement covers approximately 200 employees working on CSX’s Louisville & Nashville (L&N) property.”

“[Burnes Center Senior Fellow Seth Harris] appeared on Bloomberg television with Katie Greifeld and Scarlet Fu on Monday, October 30 to discuss the United Auto Workers' tentative agreements with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.”

“The United Auto Workers union reached a tentative agreement on a new contract for 48,000 General Motors workers on Monday, bringing a potential end to the union’s roughly six-week strike against the ‘Big Three’ automakers.”

“Labor experts said the proposals that union negotiators agreed to with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, the parent of Jeep, Ram and Chrysler, had produced gains that could in fact reverberate well beyond the workers that the union represented. ‘It is a historic and transformative victory by the U.A.W.,’ said Nelson Lichtenstein, a labor historian at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Lichtenstein said that winning substantial gains through a strike in a critical industry demonstrated the benefits of work stoppages after decades in which workers had been taught to regard strikes warily.”

“Toyota is raising the wages of its factory workers — all of them non-unionized — after the UAW strikes at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis culminated in pay hikes for unionized employees. Why it matters: After reaching tentative deals with the Detroit Three, the UAW is setting its sights on organizing non-unionized automotive plants in the U.S. — with Toyota a possible target. Driving the news: Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin confirmed Tuesday in an email to Axios that the automaker ‘did provide wage increases today’ for workers at all of its U.S. plants.”

“Over the last decade, Minnesota unions have meticulously coordinated their contracts to expire at the same time in order to maximize bargaining power. Now, as these expiration dates are within sight, they're beginning to prepare.”

“Unionized staff of the Brooklyn Museum, members of Local 2110 UAW, have set a strike deadline and will begin picketing the Museum on Wednesday, November 8, if no agreement on a contract is reached before that date…The staff’s union, Local 2110 UAW, has been in negotiations for a first union contract since January of 2022 and has held repeated protests at the Museum over its low wage offer and unfair labor practices. Workers say salaries at the Brooklyn Museum have been stagnant for years and point to an exodus of employees over the last two years.”

“The members represented by Boilermakers Local 92 who are building the U.S. Navy’s latest replenishment oiler ships at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego have been in negotiations for over two months and have yet to reach an agreement. After rejecting NASSCO’s latest offer several weeks ago, the members continue working under an extension that expires October 31.”

“The union representing actors across the television and film industries announced late Wednesday that it reached a tentative contract deal with major studios, bringing to an end a monthslong strike that—combined with a simultaneous writers strike—shut down much of Hollywood's production. In a statement, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) said the contract agreement is valued at over $1 billion and has ‘extraordinary scope,’ including significant pay increases, ‘unprecedented provisions for consent and compensation that will protect members from the threat of AI,’ and a ‘streaming participation bonus.’"

“The Culinary union has reached a deal with MGM Resorts International covering 25,400 members, averting a strike at eight casinos that had been set to start Friday. The deal, announced in a tweet by the union, comes a day after a similar deal was reached with Caesars Entertainment that averted a strike by 10,000 other union members at nine casinos operated by that company.”

“The United Auto Workers (UAW) union on Monday said members at the General Dynamics (GD.N) plants at Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania have voted to ratify a new tentative agreement. The vote was ratified with 74% members in favor of the new four-year deal, which provides a 14% wage hike, protection against inflation, reduces the time it takes to get to top pay and ’beats back the company's proposed healthcare concessions’, UAW previously said.”

“Workers at the Brooklyn Museum, members of UAW Local 2110, voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first contract yesterday, one day before the union had been set to strike on November 8…The staff’s union, Local 2110 UAW, had been in negotiations for a first union contract since January of 2022 and has held repeated protests at the Museum over its low wage offer and unfair labor practices. Workers announced the November 8 strike deadline two weeks ago.”

“Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) said on Monday it will hike wages for nonunion production workers at its Alabama factory by 25% by 2028, weeks after the United Auto Workers won new contracts with the Detroit Three automakers. The Korean automaker joins Toyota Motor (7203.T) and Honda Motor (7267.T) in raising U.S. factory wages after the UAW won a new contract with General Motors (GM.N), Ford Motor (F.N) and Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI) that will result wage increases of 25% through 2028. The Detroit Three wage hikes amount to 33% when expected cost-of-living adjustments are factored in.”

“SAG-AFTRA leaders are defending the artificial intelligence terms of their tentative deal with the major Hollywood studios in response to criticism from some members that the union did not secure enough protections for performers. Both SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland have given interviews this week addressing actors’ doubts about the proposed new contract — which is currently in the member ratification process after the negotiating committee voted unanimously to recommend it and 86% of the national board approved it. Voting began Tuesday and will close the first week of December.”

“Production workers at Ford's (F.N) Louisville assembly and Kentucky truck plants have voted against the tentative labor agreement, while skilled trades workers voted in favor, the local chapter of the United Auto Workers (UAW) said on Monday. The ratification of the contract was voted down by 55% of the production workers whereas 69% of the skilled trades workers, which includes maintenance and construction employees backed it, the UAW Local 862 said in a Facebook post.”

“Teachers in Andover, Massachusetts, returned to the classroom Wednesday after their union and the Andover School Committee agreed on a new contract. The Andover Education Association announced shortly before 5:10 p.m. Tuesday that a deal had been reached to end its strike, which lasted five days and led to three days of canceled classes.”

“More than 12,000 janitorial workers across New England represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ reached a tentative contract agreement on Wednesday, November 15, with the Maintenance Contractors of New England (MCNE), an organization representing 60 individual employers. The deal outlines historic wage increases, an increased number of full-time positions, and more.”

“After a strike that lasted more than three weeks and canceled 11 school days, Portland’s teachers have a new contract. On Tuesday, members of the Portland Association of Teachers voted to ratify the tentative agreement with Portland Public Schools. According to the union, teachers approved the contract with overwhelming support. More than 93% of members voted, with 94.7% voting to ratify. PAT represents the largest group of educators in the district, including classroom and special education teachers, counselors, speech-language pathologists and many more.”

“In a significant milestone for the semiconductor manufacturing industry, IUE-CWA, Alameda County Building and Construction Trades Council, Jobs to Move America and Akash Systems, an innovative chip-maker, have announced labor agreements covering both construction and production workers, including an historic first-in-the-industry labor neutrality agreement for semiconductor production workers at a new $432 million Akash Systems factory set for construction in West Oakland, California. The facility will employ an estimated 500 workers over the next five years, of which about half will be production related.”

“Labor and trades employees in Arlington County and the city of Alexandria, Virginia, made history by voting to ratify their first contract in the final days of October, securing raises and protections on the job. Last year, some workers for Arlington County and Alexandria city voted to unionize with AFSCME after public employees across the commonwealth fought to pass legislation allowing them to bargain collectively. The two units represent over 500 employees who work on essential public services such as water treatment, traffic enforcement, parks and recreation, and more.”

“After weeks of negotiations, members from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1490 (District 4), in collaboration with 20 Millwrights and 38 oilers and steam and water plant operators from Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 330-3 and Millwrights Local 1121, have accepted the latest offer from Woodland Pulp. The decision brings an end to the strike that commenced on Saturday, Oct. 14.”

“Over three days in October, 75,000 frontline healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente held an unfair labor practice strike. The actions, led by workers across multiple states and Washington, D.C., constituted the largest strike of healthcare workers in U.S. history ... The following is an interview with Christian Siguenza, a laboratory assistant at Kaiser Permanente in Southern California and a member of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.”

“After 118 days on strike, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) board voted Nov. 8 on a tentative new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) by a majority of 86% to 14%. After sending ballots to its 160,000 members over the past few weeks, voting on the contract wrapped on Dec. 5.”

“Southwest Airlines and its pilots union are closing in on a new contract that would raise pay for the carrier’s more than 11,000 aviators and end months of contentious negotiations, weeks ahead of the crucial holiday travel season.”

“Two weeks after Hollywood Casino at Greektown and MotorCity Casino ratified a new contract, workers at MGM Grand Detroit have followed suit, officially ending the Detroit casino strike. Union members with the Detroit Casino Council voted Saturday to ratify a new contract with MGM after 47 days on strike, the council announced in a news release. The five-year agreement, which covers 1,700 employees, includes the largest wage increases ever for MGM Grand Detroit workers. Upon ratification, workers will receive an immediate $3 an hour raise and $5 more per hour total over the life of the contract.”

“After more than two years of negotiation, the union for the Animal Legal Defense Fund, ALDF United, has officially ratified its first collective bargaining agreement with its employer.”

“2023 was a very important year for collective bargaining --- perhaps the most important in a generation. This year certainly proved, yet again, collective bargaining can successfully address workplace problems. We already knew that. This year’s collective bargaining brought more. Collective bargaining produced generational changes in workers’ lives.”

"After months of negotiation gridlocks, Starbucks union workers represented by Workers United may have a contract in sight. Starbucks sent a letter Friday to Workers United President Lynne Fox saying the company is ready to bargain and wants to finalize contracts for all stores in 2024.”

“Microsoft Corp. has agreed to union contract language governing its use of artificial intelligence, creating an avenue for workers to challenge how it deploys the evolving technology. As part of negotiations with the Communications Workers of America – the first US collective bargaining in the company’s history – Microsoft has reached a tentative agreement on an AI article to include in a contract covering a few hundred staff at Microsoft’s video game studio ZeniMax.”

“Southwest Airlines flight attendants have voted down a contract offer reached by negotiators for the airline and the union. The Transport Workers Union Local 556 said Friday that the proposal was voted down 64% to 36%. The local’s president, Lyn Montgomery, said the vote followed five years of negotiations during which the flight crews have not received pay raises.”

“Over 80% of Graduate Student Workers at the University of Southern California (USC) have voted to ratify a first-ever contract…The agreement includes significant wage increases, lump sum bonuses for every graduate worker and arbitrable protections from harassment and discrimination. The deal also ends the university’s ability to implement wage freezes.”

“Gomez is one of 700 Minnesota janitors for big box or retail stores negotiating a new union contract with SEIU Local 26. Her current one, which expires February 28, 2024, does not include any guaranteed paid holidays or sick days.”

“Game studios and publishers have collectively laid off an estimated 9,000-plus workers this year. Microsoft (which itself has laid off workers from Xbox teams in 2023) is bucking the trend to a certain extent by hiring dozens of ZeniMax quality assurance contractors as unionized employees.”

“Major contract fights in 2023 at UPS, the Big 3 automakers, and Hollywood studios set the tone for next year’s contract campaigns. Impressive gains and increased transparency got members of other unions asking, ‘Why can’t my union be like that?’”

“Unite Here Local 11 has reached tentative contract agreements with 10 more Southern California hotels covering hundreds of housekeepers, cooks, dishwashers, servers and front desk workers who have been pushing for higher pay and better benefits.”

“Despite successful union campaigns at national companies including Amazon, Apple and Trader Joe’s over the last two years, none of those nascent unions have been able to settle a collective bargaining agreement. They’re not alone: just 36 percent of new unions reach their first labor agreement within a year of unionizing, according to research by Kate Bronfenbrenner, the director of labor education research at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. Within three years, 66 percent of unions manage to secure a first contract.”

“The Washington Post reached a deal on Friday for a new contract with the union representing the majority of its newsroom employees, bringing an end to 18 months of bellicose negotiations that included a one-day work stoppage.”

“You wouldn’t know it to look at them. Junior Alaska Airlines flight attendants say they are barely getting by on poverty level wages, many of them building up debt and scrambling to make rent.”

“Governor Kathy Hochul today announced a tentative labor agreement lasting over five years between The City University of New York and District Council 37, Teamsters Local 237, and SEIU Local 300 covering over 10,000 employees, including custodial staff, college assistants, IT and public safety officers. The proposed retroactive contract is subject to approval by the CUNY Board of Trustees and ratification by the union membership.”

“Recording new voice-overs without speaking a word: For a busy voice actor, it might sound like a dream — unless that actor is worried about artificial intelligence being used to devalue her work and make hiring her unnecessary. But under a new deal with an artificial intelligence company, members of the Screen Actors Guild will be able to create and license digital simulations of their voices for video games and other projects while enjoying safeguards against their potential misuse, the Hollywood labor union announced Tuesday.”

“The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has reached agreement with auto parts maker Allison Transmission Holdings Inc (ALSN.N) on a tentative deal covering 1,500 workers in Indianapolis, the labor group said on Friday. The four-year contract guarantees a starting wage of $20 an hour for UAW employees and retroactive pay hikes until Nov. 15 last year, and two categories of bonus that amount to $7,000, the union said.”

“IATSE international president Matthew Loeb did not rule out a potential 2024 crew strike when several of his union’s contracts come due this year in an appearance on Tuesday.”

“UAW members at Allison Transmission's (ALSN.N), opens new tab Indianapolis facilities voted to ratify a new labor agreement, adding to the union's recent list of victories including record wage hikes for workers at the Detroit Three automakers. Nearly 82% of workers voted in favor of the proposed four-year deal, which guarantees a starting wage of $20 an hour along with retroactive pay hikes, 6-8% gains for 401k contributions and two bonuses amounting to $7,000, the union said on Wednesday.”

“Retired-active Local 2924 member David “Hutch” Hutcheson won a seat on the Virginia Beach City Council in a special election on January 9. Hutcheson’s win means firefighters will have another advocate on the city council to pass a collective bargaining ordinance.”

“Shortly after midnight on Tuesday the POLITICO and E&E News (PEN) Guild reached a tentative agreement for its first-ever collective bargaining agreement after 20 months of negotiations. Covering three years, the tentative contract includes numerous improvements for the company’s journalists, including higher pay that helps close inequities in the newsroom, stronger benefits and layoff protections — including enhanced protections against adoption of artificial intelligence, some of the industry’s first contract language regarding the use of AI.”

“Pilots at Southwest Airlines have overwhelmingly approved a new contract that will raise their pay rates by nearly 50% by 2028, becoming the last group of pilots at the nation’s four biggest airlines to score huge raises. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said Monday that the agreement covering pay and other issues for about 11,000 pilots was ratified by a 93% to 7% margin. Airline labor groups – and pilots in particular – have succeeded in negotiating pay raises over the past year as most U.S. have returned to solid profitability coming out of the pandemic. Pilots have been helped by a shortage, particularly at smaller carriers that act as training grounds for American, Delta, United and Southwest.”

“Nearly two years after a contentious yet successful organizing campaign that generated staunch resistance from management at McLean Hospital, nurses and other clinical staff at the world-renowned psychiatric facility in the Boston suburb of Belmont have ratified their first contract. These workers, who formed a union through AFSCME Council 93, will join the McLean Hospital research assistants, who recently ratified their own first contract, to form AFSCME Local 1115 McLean United to advocate for better wages, safer working conditions and improved outcomes for their patients.”

“Over 100 members of UFCW Local 400 who work at Elizabeth Adam Crump Health & Rehab and Elizabeth House Assisted Living in Glen Allen, Va., ratified a new contract on Dec. 21 that strengthens wages and benefits. The two facilities are owned by Trio Healthcare.”

“The closure was devastating to Belvidere, a small town of 25,000 residents built around the Kishwaukee River in northern Illinois. Several restaurants and a grocery store near the plant have already closed, and workers, many of whom had families in the local schools, had grown up in the town, or had moved there for their positions, found themselves out of work, and staring at the possibility of being uprooted. The company’s willingness to walk away from a plant, and a town, where it had operated since 1965 became a symbol of corporate callousness during the UAW’s fall 2023 Stand-Up Strike against the Big Three automakers—Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. It was a source of outrage on picket lines and at rallies. But then something stunning happened. UAW’s strike resulted in a 2023 contract that says Stellantis must reopen the plant to produce mid-sized trucks by 2027, though the language does not specify how many jobs will be created. And there’s more: Stellantis also committed to locating a parts distribution hub, as well as a brand-new electric vehicle battery plant, in Belvidere.” 

“Members of RWDSU/UFCW Local 374 who work at the Post Cereal plant in Battle Creek, Mich., also known as “Cereal City,” recently ratified a new contract that strengthens wages and benefits. The three-year contract includes an immediate $1.50 per hour raise for maintenance employees, who will receive an additional six percent increase over the life of the agreement. Employees in other departments will see an 8.75 percent increase.”

“Workers at the Columbus Museum of Art who are members of Columbus Museum of Art Workers United (CMAWU/AFSCME Ohio Council 8) are celebrating a huge victory this week after their first union contract became a reality. The contract was ratified Monday by the CMA administration after CMA workers voted unanimously earlier this month in favor of ratification. Their victory is the culmination of a process that began after the workers formed their own union in fall 2022.”

“Hours before a transit strike was set to begin, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 616 representing almost 300 workers of Transit Windsor is pleased to announce that a last-minute tentative agreement was reached. Bargaining continued over the last four days until a tentative deal was hammered out. As a result, regular transit service will continue to run tomorrow, Monday, February 5, 2024.”

“The approximately 2,500 members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) 1005 want more from the Metropolitan Council, the municipal agency that manages the transit system in the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area. The previous contract expired on July 31, 2023 and on September 10 and 11 of 2023, members voted to authorize a strike, with 94% of those who turned out voting in favor. Five months later, on February 8, 2024, a tentative agreement (TA) was reached between the Metropolitan Council and the union’s bargaining committee.”

“This spring, thousands of workers across Minnesota will have expired contracts all at the same time. Among them are healthcare workers, janitors, security officers, airport workers, construction workers, educators, education support professionals, and public workers. Organizers within Minnesota’s labor movement are making use of this unique moment to exert joint pressure on employers across sectors to meet workers’ demands. Over the past decade, unions and community groups in Minnesota have been creating partnerships with a shared analysis of power, and holding employers and leaders accountable, all while building an alignment strategy that they say grows their organizations and wins more for their members. It’s culminating in a joint escalation, with a deadline of March 2 kicking off a week of action. At that time, potentially six unions will have expired contracts at once, meaning they would legally be allowed to strike at the same time, and allied community groups, workers centers, and unions have agreed to push social demands.”

“Floor Leads and Cannabis Guides at Enlightened Dispensary, a subsidiary of multi-state operator Revolution Cannabis, voted 20-1 in favor of ratifying their first collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 777…The organizing victory marks a milestone for Local 777, which has successfully secured collective bargaining agreements at virtually all dispensaries it now represents. In addition to wage increases, improvements in the new contract at Enlightened include 11 paid holidays, a better scheduling policy, and employer-provided lunch or celebration on 4/20.”

“The Federation of Nurses/UFT members at Staten Island University Hospital–South overwhelmingly voted in late December to ratify a renegotiated contract that provides additional wage and step increases. After months of advocacy on the part of the union, SIUH Northwell Health agreed to take the unusual step of reopening the contract to renegotiate fair compensation for the nurses, said UFT Vice President Anne Goldman, the head of the Federation of Nurses/UFT.”

“The erosion of the real value of the minimum wage in the United States was a problem before the pandemic and has only gotten worse during recent years. Despite high rates of wage growth over the past two years, the stagnant federal minimum wage and declining rates of union density have contributed to the suppression of average real wages for many Americans…To reverse this trend, there is a pressing need for reforms that include regular adjustments to the federal minimum wage and stronger support for collective bargaining. In addition, sectoral bargaining legislation can offer a nuanced and targeted approach to wage setting where wages have eroded the most.”

“After months of negotiations, pickets, and a strike authorization, over 1,600 members of UFCW Local 3000 who work at PCC Community Markets in Seattle and seven surrounding cities ratified an industry-leading contract on Feb. 6.”

“Last week, the CWA District 9 DIRECTV (DTV) Field Operations Bargaining Committee opened negotiations for a new contract. Amongst other demands, members are seeking wage increases, pension contribution increases, improved medical benefits, and more funding for education. The current agreement expires on April 6.”

“Federation of Nurses/UFT members who are Registered Professional Nurses employed by VNS Health overwhelmingly ratified a contract on Jan. 29 that provides a 15% pay increase over two years, additional money for experience differentials and improvements in scheduling. The contract, which went into effect on Feb. 1 and runs through January 2026, features an 8% pay hike effective April 1, 2024, and a 7% increase effective April 1, 2025. The base salary for new hires, which is now $97,100, will increase to $112,209 by April 2025.”

“After months of negotiations over local issues, UAW Local 862 has reached a tentative local agreement with Ford Motor Co., averting a potential strike this week.” 

“The Teamsters and Anheuser-Busch, the country’s largest brewer, announced late Wednesday that they had reached a tentative agreement on a contract that the union and the company said includes strong wage gains and significant protections for job security. Get a curated selection of 10 of our best stories in your inbox every weekend. Without a deal, the Teamsters union’s 5,000 members had been poised to strike Friday against the company’s 12 breweries across the country, which make Bud Light, Budweiser, Michelob Ultra, Stella Artois and other brands of beer.”

“Starbucks announced Tuesday that it will begin discussing potential collective bargaining agreements with the labor union representing nearly 10,000 employees from around 400 stores. The coffeehouse chain's decision comes nearly three years after Workers United, an American and Canadian labor union, initially organized baristas at a Starbucks in Buffalo, New York. ‘Starbucks and Workers United have a shared commitment to establishing a positive relationship in the interests of Starbucks partners,’ Starbucks said Tuesday in a statement. ‘During mediation discussions last week for the ongoing brand and IP litigation, it became clear that there was a constructive path forward on the broader issue of the future of organizing and collective bargaining at Starbucks.’"

“Hollywood musicians have reached a tentative agreement with the major entertainment companies after a month of bargaining. The American Federation of Musicians, which represents some 3,000 instrumentalists working in the film and TV industry, announced Friday that its bargaining committee had unanimously recommended new movie and TV contracts negotiated by the union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The tentative agreement will affect the musicians who record scores for films and TV series and occasionally appear onscreen in musical scenes.”

“About 25 members of UFCW Local 400 who work at nearly 30 local FRESHFARM farmers markets in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia voted in favor of ratifying their first union contract on Feb. 12. This ratification marks the first time farmers markets workers in the country have secured a collective bargaining agreement. These workers voted to join our union family last year.”

“After months of negotiations over local issues, UAW Local 862 has reached a tentative local agreement with Ford Motor Co., averting a potential strike this week. Workers at Ford’s most profitable plant were set to walk off the job over local issues related to skilled trades, health & safety, and ergonomics. The tentative deal addresses these and other core issues of concern to KTP autoworkers.”

“A coalition of labor unions said on Tuesday it is ending its boardroom fight at Starbucks (SBUX.O), opens new tab after the coffee chain last week agreed to work toward reaching labor agreements. The Strategic Organizing Center (SOC), a coalition of North American labor unions, is withdrawing its three director candidates for the coffee chain's 11-member board one week before Starbucks investors were slated to elect directors to oversee corporate strategy at the company's March 13 annual meeting. The union confirmed what Reuters had reported earlier. Many large investors told the coalition, which includes the parent of Workers United, which represents Starbucks workers, they are optimistic Starbucks is committed to changes and plans to repair its relationship with employees, the sources said.”

“Today, Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch voted by an overwhelming 86 percent to ratify a five-year agreement that significantly raises pay, improves health care and retirement benefits, and protects all members’ jobs. The new agreement rewards 5,000 Teamsters working at Anheuser-Busch breweries nationwide.”

“Thousands of Hollywood crew members and their supporters gathered Sunday in the crisp morning air and muddy fields at Encino’s Woodley Park in a show of unity ahead of contract negotiations that begin this week with the major film and TV studios…Sunday’s rally, organized by IATSE, Teamsters and other unions representing more than 66,000 Hollywood crew members, underscored that the labor unrest that roiled the entertainment industry last year is not over. After writers and actors secured historic gains by striking for nearly six months combined, camera operators, makeup artists, costumers, carpenters, animal trainers and others who work behind the scenes on film and TV sets are pursuing demands for improved pay and working conditions as their contracts with the major entertainment companies come up for renewal.”

“Unionized journalists at The Desert Sun, the Coachella Valley’s daily newspaper, have reached an agreement for a first contract. The tentative agreement comes two days after the 15 NewsGuild-CWA members at the Desert Sun launched a ULP strike — the 25th strike organized by NewsGuild members in 2024 so far — over the company’s refusal to offer consistent raises that reflect the skyrocketing cost of living in the valley, as well as its unwillingness to offer any protections against exorbitant health care cost hikes.” 

“Writers Guild of America East members at Spotify Studios (formerly Gimlet Media and Parcast) and The Ringer have both reached tentative agreements with Spotify on new collective bargaining agreements. Two of the first podcast production companies to unionize with the WGAE, both bargaining units made important gains in wages and achieved first-of-their-kind protections against Artificial Intelligence (AI) during negotiations for their second union contracts. The tentative agreements will now go to the Spotify Studios Union, The Ringer Union and the WGAE Council for ratification votes. Details of each collective bargaining agreement will be made public upon ratification."

“Teamsters Local 688 members at Graybar have ended their strike and have approved a new contract with an 18-percent wage increase.”

“The American Federation of Government Employees is pleased to announce that it has ratified a new contract with the Transportation Security Administration. AFGE Council 100, which represents transportation security officers at airports across the country, and TSA reached a tentative agreement that will significantly improve the working conditions of America’s transportation security officers and strengthen our nation’s air security infrastructure. That tentative agreement was ratified Monday, March 11th, by leaders of AFGE TSA local unions nationwide.”

“Registered nurses at SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital (SLUH) held a candlelight vigil for patient safety on Feb. 29. SLUH nurses are fighting for patient safety and a fair contract that addresses their concerns about nurse retention and recruitment. The RNs have been in contract negotiations since May 2023 with little to no movement on key issues. Their contract expired on June 15, 2023. RNs say chronic short-staffing is affecting patient care.”

“Starbucks has agreed to sit down with workers representing its 400 unionized stores in late April and start hammering out principles for a labor accord, another sign the coffee chain and the union may be on the cusp of a new, productive relationship. Both sides said the bargaining sessions were meant to create a framework for collective bargaining agreements at the stores represented by the union, Workers United. Each union store will have its own delegate, though how many take part in the in-person talks hasn’t been determined yet.”

“Southwest Airlines (LUV.N), opens new tab and the union representing nearly 20,000 of its flight attendants have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract, the carrier said on Wednesday, after two previous attempts failed to secure a deal. The Transport Workers Union's local chapter will directly present details of the deal to the cabin crew members, the airline said, with voting set to begin in a few weeks. Cabin crew members had approved a strike mandate in January after rejecting a second tentative contract, which proposed a 20% pay raise for 2024 and a 3% annual raise in 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028. The previous contract came up for renewal in 2018.”

“St. Cloud Metro Bus workers represented by Teamsters Local 638 have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a three-year collective bargaining agreement. The 100 bus drivers and dispatchers provide transportation services for the cities of St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids, and Waite Park. The agreement includes wage increases from 17 percent to 24 percent over the life of the contract, Juneteenth as a paid holiday, increased pension contributions, reduced disciplinary time, trainer pay for all hours worked, and improved vacation language.”

“Members of the union that represents RTC bus drivers voted to accept their new contract following months of negotiations, threats of a strike, and a previous tentative contract agreement that was rejected. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1637 voted Tuesday to accept the contract with 363 members voting yes and 153 members voting no. ATU members voted against a previous tentative contract agreement on Feb. 16. RTC bus drivers’ union reaches tentative contract agreement following months of negotiations, sources say In January, the union voted to authorize a strike vote. RTC workers cite safety concerns following several recent violent incidents on local buses including multiple shootings and a murder. Workers are seeking better pay and increased safety while on the job.”

“On Feb. 12, over 1,000 members of UFCW Local 152 who work in the retail departments at Acme Markets in New Jersey ratified a historic new contract that protects benefits and strengthens wages. These members are employed as retail clerks at Acme Markets stores in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and southern Ocean counties in New Jersey.”

“At the high school where Kevin Moore has taught social studies for seven years, there is no way to separate Chicago’s housing crisis from teachers’ working conditions—or students’ learning conditions. Of the roughly 1,500 students at George Washington High School, on the far southeast side of the city, about 60 students are housing insecure, he said. But that number is expected to rise this year, with an increasing number of migrant newcomers temporarily staying with family or friends, deprived permanent residence, a status referred to as “doubling up ... .Now, as chair of the Chicago Teachers Union’s (CTU) housing committee, Moore is trying to change that. The union, officially AFT-IFT Local 1, has made a national name for its willingness to fight—and strike—for demands that consider the broader good of the communities where teachers work and often live. With the contract representing roughly 26,000 educators in Chicago Public Schools (CPS) set to expire on June 30, the union is including bargaining proposals that address the crisis of homelessness among Chicago’s children. “

“After months spent on and off the picket lines, employees at about three dozen Southern California hotels, including some of Los Angeles’ most high-end properties, voted this weekend to approve new contracts that deliver higher wages for thousands of housekeepers, cooks and other workers.”

“After a 15-day strike, Teamsters Local 688 members at Graybar have approved a new contract with an 18 percent wage increase and other benefits.”

“Teachers and staff in St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) have ratified a new contract that will see them get their largest raises in nearly 20 years. The new contract, ratified by American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 420 members, gives most teachers a 17 percent pay increase over three years. Special education teachers will receive a 22 percent raise in the contract negotiated by district leaders and Local 420. Special education positions are among the hardest for the district to fill and retain, said AFT Local 420 President Ray Cummings. St. Louis Public Schools don’t receive special funding from the state for special education teachers in the way the Special School District does, and pay difference makes it hard to retain teachers.”

“A digital replica of your face? Programmed to know everything about your job that you know? Owned by your boss? Recent headlines about why and how artificial intelligence (AI) is being implemented at work are sparking anxiety among workers from the entertainment industry in Hollywood to the meatpacking industry in the Midwest.”

“Crisis-ridden aircraft manufacturer Boeing hasn’t engaged in full-scale contract bargaining with its workers, represented by the Machinists, in over a decade. Workers want to reverse concessions of previous years — and win more input into quality control.”

“CWA Local 9510 members at SEGA of America voted to ratify their first collectively bargained contract on Tuesday. The contract covers 150 full-time and temporary employees across a range of job titles, including designers, translators, editors, producers, quality assurance testers, marketing managers, and more.”

“Valley Ford Truck employees have reached a 3-year contract with the company, ending a strike that began in mid-December, according to the union. Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 1363 reached the contract agreement with the Valley View dealership March 28, Robert Towslee, the union’s business representative, told Signal Cleveland Monday….The agreement covers about 24 union members, most of them either automotive, light truck or heavy truck technicians. They went on strike Dec. 18. Some of the issues they were fighting for involved workers’ 401(k) retirement plans and being guaranteed a certain number of weekly work hours.” 

“Six AFSCME unions representing more than 10,000 Los Angeles City employees have ratified new union contracts with robust wage increases and other benefits. AFSCME Locals 741, 901, 2006, 2626, 3090 and 3672 began negotiating with the city in August 2023 as a part of the Coalition of Los Angeles City Unions, which negotiates benefits for all LA City employees represented by AFSCME, SEIU, Teamsters, LiUNA, LA/OC Building Trades and IUOE. Union members ratified the tentative agreements in March.”

“More than 100 warehouse workers at Sysco Louisville have overwhelmingly ratified a first Teamsters contract in Kentucky. The new four-year agreement includes improved safety standards, better working conditions, more paid time off, and substantial wage increases, with some members seeing 29-percent pay bumps.”

“On March 7, over 190 members of UFCW Local 1776KS who work at 10 AYR cannabis grow facilities and dispensaries across Pennsylvania ratified a new contract that strengthens wages and benefits. About 65 workers in three of the 10 locations in Pottsville, Bloomsburg and Selinsgrove recently joined UFCW Local 1776KS and are celebrating their first union contract.”

“AFSCME members who work for the city of Burlingame showed how persistence and unshakable solidarity reap rewards for working people. Members of AFSCME Local 829 (Council 57) who work for the Northern California city have won the largest contract gains in recent memory, securing cost-of-living allowances of 14% over the next three years and total possible pay raises of approximately 16.5%. The union’s previous one-year contract for 2022 included raises of only 2% — well below inflation in the  surrounding San Francisco Bay area.”

“Fairfax County Fire Chief John Butler recognized Local 2068 and county negotiators earlier this month for successfully bargaining their first contract.  Butler’s remarks and certificate presentation came during the department’s monthly awards and recognition ceremony on April 3. The local is now one of four Virginia affiliates to have a collective bargaining agreement.”

“Registered nurses represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) at two Ascension-owned hospitals in Wichita, Kan., voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying new two-year contracts, successfully winning protections for patient care. In ratification votes conducted from Sunday, April 14, to Monday, April 15, nurses voted overwhelmingly in favor of the new collective bargaining agreement. At Ascension Via Christi St. Francis, nurses voted 96 percent yes in favor of ratifying their new contract. At Ascension Via Christi St. Joseph, nurses voted 100 percent yes in favor of ratification.”

“Writers Guild of America members employed by Sesame Workshop have struck a tentative contract deal with management, averting a strike after negotiations stalled over compensation and union representation for the nonprofit organization’s animation and social media staff. The bargaining unit of 35 — which includes the “Sesame Street” writing staff — and Sesame Workshop settled on a new five-year contract Friday, the day their previous agreement expired. The new deal includes jurisdiction and minimum rates for animation and new media programs, protections against artificial intelligence, paid parental leave benefits and improvements to streaming residuals, according to the WGA.”

“A tentative agreement was reached in Brainerd Monday, April 22, between United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663, Quisberg’s and Miner’s grocery food stores in Brainerd, Baxter, Crosby and Pequot Lakes. Union members were informed of the tentative agreement and were learning more about it, Jessica Hayssen, Communications and Legislative/political director, UFCW Union Local 663, stated in an email update. Hayssen stated members-only informational meetings are set for Sunday, April 28, with a vote scheduled for May 2. More details are expected in the days ahead.”

“General Motors Aramark workers have won a historic tentative agreement that will set the pattern and raise the standard for all UAW GM members in sanitation. In a new video, Mike Booth, UAW Vice President and Director of the GM Department, shares some of the record gains contained in the deal and the strategy behind winning the agreement.  Under the tentative agreement, Aramark workers will receive raises of up to 43% over the life of the proposed three-year deal. The UAW was also able to reduce the time it takes a worker to reach the top wage rate. Previously, it could take years for a worker to reach that mark. Under the proposed agreement, it would take a worker just ninety days.”

“Grant-Illini teachers are offering to extend their contract in order to help out the troubled school district’s financial plan. The members of IFT Local 6600 issued a statement April 11 announcing they will take every action they can to “‘fight for more opportunities for students and the district’s accountability to the community.’”

“Over 40 workers at Madison Sourdough Co. in Madison, Wis., who are members of UFCW Local 1473, ratified a first union contract on March 7 that raises wages and improves benefits. The workers, who joined our union in April of 2023, are employed as bakers, baristas, dishwashers, cooks, and delivery drivers at the bakery, cafe, mill and patisserie.”

“The United Auto Workers' new labor contract with truck and bus maker Daimler Truck (DTGGe.DE), opens new tab is likely to energize workers ahead of the union's next target in the U.S. South - organizing a Mercedes-Benz (MBGn.DE), opens new tab auto assembly plant in Alabama. The tentative Daimler Truck contract, agreed to late on Friday, includes a 25% general wage increase over four years and, for the first time, profit-sharing and cost-of-living adjustments for workers at the maker of Freightliner and Western Star trucks and Thomas Built buses.”

“In a departure from the labor rebellions that roiled Hollywood last year, the latest set of contract negotiations between a major entertainment union and the top studios has unfolded about as smoothly as could be expected. So far. The various West Coast studio locals that make up the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which advocates for film and TV crew members, have engaged over the last month in separate bargaining sessions with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents Walt Disney, Netflix, Warner Bros. and other entertainment companies. Those talks — tailored to the specific concerns of costume designers, hair and makeup artists, set decorators and other workers — transpired without incident. Now the union representing so-called below-the-line workers was poised to enter broader negotiations Monday for its basic agreement, which will cover the most pressing items affecting entertainment craftspeople. This phase is the big one that could, depending on how talks go, result in another historic agreement or yet another work stoppage.”

“A little over a year ago, House cafeteria workers with Unite Here Local 23 were contemplating protests and pickets if negotiations with Sodexo turned sour. Now, they’re celebrating a new contract that raises wages and improves working conditions….Notable in the new contract, which was ratified last month and applies to around 100 House cafeteria workers, is a $3 hourly pay bump in the first year and a raise of $7.50 over five years. By the end of the contract term, the lowest starting non-tipped wage will be $24.15 an hour.”

“On April 17, workers at PEN America, the largest of the one hundred centers worldwide that comprise PEN International, a century-old organization devoted to the promotion of intellectual cooperation and mutual defense among writers, held a rally outside the organization’s headquarters in lower Manhattan. Decked out in red union shirts, the workers’ chants echoed down Broadway. They were hoping to pressure management to speed up bargaining a first contract, which has now dragged on for eighteen months.”

“NewsGuild of New York-represented staff at Condé Nast brands such as Vanity Fair, GQ, Vogue, Glamour, Bon Appétit and more have reached a tentative contract agreement with the company, averting what could have been a work stoppage timed to begin today, the day of the Met Gala.”

“This month at Grinnell College, undergraduate student workers ratified their first contract — the first wall-to-wall undergrad worker union contract in the US. Jacobin spoke to union leaders about the victory.”

“Last week, the Biden Administration announced that chipmaker Micron will meet with CWA to discuss a labor peace agreement as part of the $6.1 billion in federal funding from the CHIPS and Science Act the company is set to receive. A written agreement will be critical to ensuring that the thousands of workers Micron intends to hire in its new semiconductor plants in New York and Idaho will be free to form a union if they choose to and to fight for the kinds of wages and benefits that will grow local economies.”

“UAW members at Daimler Truck turned out Saturday to ratify a new contract that includes raises of more than 25%. According to the United Auto Workers, 94.5% of the 7,300 workers who build Freightliner and Western Star Trucks and Thomas Built buses in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia voted in favor of the four-year agreement. The deal also includes profit-sharing and Cost of Living adjustments for the first time for UAW workers at Daimler, the union said. It also ends a tiered wage system at Daimler, ensuring that workers who make trucks and buses get equal pay for equal work by the end of the contract.”

“Virginia is becoming union strong as more and more IAFF locals are winning contracts in a state that recently approved collective bargaining. One of the latest is Prince William County Local 2598. ‘This is a big moment for us as this contract was decades in the making,’ Local 2598 President Mitch Nason said. ‘It means we have a guaranteed seat at the table as decisions are being made about our livelihood, working conditions, wages and benefits.’ Key provisions of the contract include a cost-of-living wage adjustment each year for the life of the deal, paid family medical leave, and a stipend for paramedics, HazMat technicians and technical rescue personnel.”

“Workers at New Flyer's Anniston, Alabama facility have achieved a monumental victory by overwhelmingly ratifying their first union contract with an astounding 99.39% of union members voting in favor. This resounding endorsement underscores the significance of the contract and reflects the strong collective support among workers for the gains achieved through negotiations. This triumph not only signifies a significant step forward for the employees at New Flyer but also marks a watershed moment in Southern labor history, where unions are making strides in traditionally anti-union territory. Represented by the International Union of Electrical Workers-Communications Workers of America (IUE-CWA), the industrial division of the Communication Workers of America (CWA), these workers have secured a landmark agreement with the largest transit bus manufacturer in North America enhancing their wages, benefits, and workplace rights.”

“On Monday, 72% of participating union members at Mobilization for Justice (MFJ) voted to ratify the contract offer presented by MFJ Management last week. Pending MFJ Board ratification, this agreement will conclude the Union’s nearly three-month strike — the longest NYC legal services strike since 1991 — with major victories including double digit raises for MFJ’s lowest paid workers.”

“For decades, union membership has been strongest among public employees. In 2023, union membership among public sector workers was more than five times that of private sector workers, 32.5% to 6% respectively.   Public employee union membership increased dramatically as states extended collective bargaining rights to public sector professions, starting with Wisconsin in 1959.  In recent years, state legislatures have taken action to retrench collective bargaining rights.  While unions have generally supported the Democratic Party and vice versa, the politics of public sector collective bargaining rights are complex.  In my book, From Collective Bargaining to Collective Begging: How Public Employees Win and Lose the Right to Bargain, I analyze the expansion and retrenchment of collective bargaining rights for public employees to make the complicated politics of public sector unions clearer.”

“Custodians, grounds keepers, and distribution workers at St. Louis University (SLU) who keep the university clean and safe ratified a strong new contract after months of negotiations and member-led actions. The four-year contract includes increased wages, job protection language, additional sick leave, and more. This historic victory for the working people who keep SLU up to the standards students, faculty, and visitors expect comes after months of negotiations and actions that included rallies and marches on campus, delegation letters personally delivered to trustees, and continuous efforts by SEIU Local 1 members to fight until a fair contract was negotiated. This campaign was a collaborative effort with community allies who recognize the essential role Local 1 members play both for the campus and the St. Louis Community in maintaining a desirable staple of the city.”

“Members of UFCW Local 152 who work at the MPX/iAnthus cannabis grow facility in Pleasantville, N.J., recently ratified their first union contract. Members at the facility grow and process cannabis and oversee the entire production process. The three-year agreement includes salary increases and reductions in health care costs for the workers at the cultivation site.”

“IUE-CWA Local 83700 members at New Flyer's Anniston, Ala., facility overwhelmingly ratified their first union contract last week, with an astounding 99.39% of members voting in favor. New Flyer is the largest transit bus manufacturer in North America. The new contract includes pay raises ranging from 15% to 38% by 2026, restrictions on forced overtime, expanded vacation and paid time off, improved parental leave, the addition of Juneteenth as a holiday, guaranteed cost-of-living adjustments, and enhanced retirement benefits.”

“TSA has reached a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which will take effect on May 24. The new agreement will provide benefits for all TSA bargaining unit employees comprised of non-supervisory screening officers. AFGE approved the agreement through the ratification process followed by Agency Head Approval and reflects the expanded scope of bargaining permitted under the 2022 Determination on Transportation Security Officers and Collective Bargaining.”

“Over 200 Webasto workers at the Pilot Road plant in Plymouth, Michigan have voted to ratify their first contract by an overwhelming 96% yes vote, winning raises of up to 51% over three years, among other gains. The workers, who make convertible soft tops for GM, Ford, and Stellantis for the German auto supplier, organized in 2023 with UAW Local 3000, Region 1A.  They are the first Webasto workers in the United States to secure a collective bargaining agreement.”

“Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab and a union representing about 125 of its firefighters said Wednesday they had reached a tentative contract deal, the planemaker and union said in a joint statement. Boeing in early May locked out members of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local I-66 after they rejected two contract offers - a move that drew the concern of President Joe Biden. Boeing and IAFF Local I-66 said they expected results of a vote Thursday on the deal ‘that would end the lockout and months of negotiations. This tentative agreement addresses the needs of our firefighters and the company.’ If the deal is approved, firefighters are expected to return to work Saturday.”

“Will the collective bargaining that takes place in 2024 be as important and influential as the negotiations that occurred in 2023? That’s a high bar. Consider this partial list of contracts settled in 2023: Teamsters and UPS, UAW and the Big 3 automakers (and, separately, Caterpillar), SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America with the Hollywood studios, the International Longshore Workers Union (ILWU) and West Coast port terminal operators, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions and Kaiser Permanente, SEIU and the Los Angeles school district, Major League Baseball and the MLBPA, the National Basketball Association and the NBPA, and the AAUP-AFT and Rutgers University. That’s a prodigious list.”

“Transport Workers Union (TWU) of America members at Local 2001 working for NJ Transit recently voted to ratify a new three-year contract that includes pay raises and additional time off. The new contract, which will go into effect on July 1, the day after the current agreement expires, was ratified with 80% of votes in favor for the unit representing 180 car inspectors, car mechanics and coach cleaners.” 

“Members of Academy Foundation Workers Union (AFWU) have approved a three-year contract with their employer that secures significant gains for workers, including a minimum of 3% annual wage increases.The contract reached with the Academy Foundation on May 22 includes wage increases between 11% and 27% over the next three years, as well as regular step increases. The workers, who are part of AFSCME Local 126 (Council 36), will also have access to an additional four weeks of paid parental leave and an extended medical leave option.”

“Members of the Trumbull Police Union AFSCME Local 1745 (Council 4) accomplished a rare feat. After losing their defined benefit pension plan in 2014, they won their pensions back 10 years later. Since the Great Recession, municipalities have been cutting pensions, especially for police officers. The town of Trumbull, in southwest Connecticut, was no exception. When members of Local 1745 started contract negotiations in 2011, the town had already begun its campaign to eliminate their pensions.”

“American Airlines Group Inc. has offered flight attendants an immediate 17% pay raise and increased profit sharing, an unusual move amid contentious contract talks. The offer was delivered to flight attendants Wednesday, according to the company. It’s separate from pay increases being discussed during contract negotiations, and the union would have to agree to the change, American said. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants said its board would discuss the offer.”

“Boeing Fire Fighters Local I-66 members will return to work after voting to ratify a four-year contract with the Boeing Company that offers better pay and an improved seniority scale. The lockout drew national attention from the media and lawmakers, including Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and President Joe Biden, who urged Boeing to return to the bargaining table and give fire fighters “the pay and benefits they deserve.” Boeing, facing federal investigations over numerous safety violations, returned to talks and finally agreed on May 30 to a contract acceptable to I-66 membership.”

“Contraction. Pullback. Market correction. However you want to describe what’s going on in the Hollywood economy right now, there’s a potentially brutal long-term consequence of the entertainment industry’s ongoing recession (to call it what it is)...All that uncertainty seems to be having a psychological effect on the industry’s leaders and workers, with mounting concerns coming to the fore as Hollywood crew member unions negotiate with studios for better pay and treatment. On Monday, Teamsters Local 399 and the rest of Hollywood Basic Crafts, which collectively represent 7,600 members including animal trainers, casting directors, drivers, location managers, mechanics, cement masons and plumbers, kicked off their main contract talks with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. In addition to the main issues around compensation, Teamsters are concerned about AI and autonomous vehicles. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE, the largest union representing Hollywood crew members, remains in its own contract negotiations with the major studios.”

“UAW Local 1112 has reached a historic tentative agreement at Ultium Cells in Lordstown, Ohio, where workers build electric vehicle batteries for GM vehicles. The agreement marks a historic breakthrough for electric vehicle workers and a path forward that ends the race to the bottom pursued by corporate America throughout the EV transition. The local agreement builds on the successes of the national contract that Ultium workers joined as a major win of the Stand Up Strike.”

“In what some are hailing as a win for workers, the Biden administration has told a call center operator with a history of contentious labor disputes that it will have to reapply for its current $7 billion federal contract — eight years ahead of schedule. Agency officials specifically noted the addition of a “labor harmony” requirement to the contract. On May 16, the Department of Health and Human Services issued a request for proposals to rebid a 2022 call center contract with Maximus Inc. Maximus workers have struck six times since 2018 and accused the employer of various union-busting tactics. Under labor harmony — often also referred to as “labor peace” — employers negotiate with workers for a guarantee of no strikes, pickets or other labor disruptions.”

“Members of the Philadelphia Museum of Art Union and management at the famed cultural institution have settled a contract dispute over awarding veteran employees longevity pay.Philly Cultural Workers United said in an Instagram post about the PMAU win, “Every member owed longevity pay will receive bonuses equivalent to the amount they are owed, issued as two timely payments in May and July of 2024.” (Read our previous coverage of the dispute here).The settlement is yet another victory for PMAU, who first won their contract after going on strike for nearly three weeks in 2022. Since then, the longevity pay issue has stood out as the most prominent example of management obstructionism.”

“Teamsters Local 610 members overwhelmingly approved a new contract with Schnucks Wednesday, June 19, averting a possible strike. Local 610 Principal Officer Dan Thacker said drivers overwhelmingly approved the new contract, which includes better healthcare benefits and wages, by 81 percent. ‘We got a drastically better healthcare plan out of it, which was the main sticking point,’ Thacker said. Local 610 represents 129 drivers at Schnucks.”

“In contract talks, the teachers’ union wants the city to approve an agenda that would transform the district into one of the most environmentally friendly in the nation — and address climate injustice in the process.”

“UAW Local 1112 members voted overwhelmingly to ratify their historic contract at Ultium Cells, which builds battery cells for GM electric vehicles. The local contract, approved by 98% over the weekend, sets a new standard for the EV industry with strong wages and benefits and historic health and safety protections. The Ultium workers speak about the contract victory in a new video launched today by the UAW. The video can be accessed here, and the media is invited to use the footage. ”

“After Gov. Ron DeSantis rammed extreme union-busting legislation through the Florida Legislature last year, the members of Local 871 (AFSCME Florida) resolved to fight to retain their union. They jumped through every hoop, signed and re-signed every new card and were one of the first locals to pass the law’s 60% membership threshold. Today, nearly 85% of the workers in Local 871’s bargaining unit are AFSCME members. Now, these determined workers have a contract to show what keeping a strong union can do. The workers — who all work for Miami’s solid waste department — recently ratified a new three-year contract with the city. Retroactive to October 2023, it holds the line on their pension and health care costs, strengthens their voice on the job and delivers real wage increases.”

“Unionized journalists at the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle and Canandaigua Daily Messenger unanimously ratified a tentative agreement on a two-year collective bargaining contract today, after two and a half years of bargaining and a 19-day strike that forced Gannett to scramble to find coverage for a series of major news events, including the total solar eclipse in the Rochester area. The strike ended on April 24th, but the parties continued discussions over the past several weeks after journalists filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board over allegations of bad-faith bargaining and retaliation for union activity.”

“A union representing Hollywood film and television crew said on Tuesday it has reached a tentative three-year deal with major studios that includes agreed-on pay hikes and guardrails against the use of artificial intelligence (AI). The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) members, which include lighting technicians and costume designers, are to ratify the deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Disney (DIS.N), opens new tab, Netflix (NFLX.O), opens new tab and others. The terms of the agreement include scale-rate increases of 7%, 4%, and 3.5% over the three-year term, the union said.”

“Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members at iHeart Podcast Network ratified their first collective bargaining agreement. The 100-member bargaining unit overwhelmingly ratified a three-year contract that came after more than two years of negotiations and an Unfair Labor Practice charge against management at iHeartMedia for ‘intimidating conduct and by interrogating employees about their support for the union.’”

“Teamsters Local 243 members at UPS Cartage Services Inc. (CSI) voted unanimously this month to ratify their first Teamster contract. The CSI clerks overwhelmingly chose to join Local 243 in Romulus, Michigan back in December. Their new contract includes wage increases, insurance coverage under TeamCare, and pension benefits.”

“Nippon Steel’s bid to acquire U.S. Steel is in jeopardy over concerns about future job losses and plant closures, according to labor officials and previously unreported correspondence obtained by The Washington Post. The United Steelworkers has fought the $14.9 billion deal since its announcement last December — with the backing of President Biden. The president is counting on members’ votes in Pennsylvania and other battleground states to win in November. Former president Donald Trump has said he would block the deal “instantaneously.” Nippon Steel has made a generous offer to the union, including a vow of no layoffs or plant closures under the current contract and a $1.4 billion investment in union facilities, executives said in an interview with The Washington Post.”

“BMW workers at the distribution center in Palmer Township, Pennsylvania, have voted more than 2-to-1 to ratify a new contract securing raises of up to 33% and ending the two-tier wage system over the life of the agreement. The agreement also introduces major improvements to policies on time off, uniforms, overtime exemptions, and attendance. The deal comes after workers at the BMW facility, who package and ship parts, as well as all BMW motorcycles, to BMW’s dealer network, built a credible strike threat that forced the company to offer a contract that properly reflects workers’ immense value.”

“On the morning of Thursday, June 20, unionized nurses at Ascension St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore held a rally outside the hospital to raise awareness of their efforts to secure a first contract and to show management that they’re not backing down from their core demands for safe staffing and an operational model that puts patients and patient care first. ​“St. Agnes nurses are calling on Ascension to accept their proposals to improve safe staffing and, subsequently, nurse retention,” a press release from National Nurses Organizing Committee/​National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) stated. ​“Nearly 20 percent of nurses at St. Agnes began employment at the hospital after January 1 of this year. Meanwhile, just over a third of nurses have more than four years of experience at the hospital… The Catholic hospital system is one of the largest in the country with 140 hospitals in 19 states and also one of the wealthiest, with cash reserves, an investment company, and a private equity operation worth billions of dollars — and, because of its nonprofit status, is exempt from paying federal taxes.” In this on-the-ground episode, we take you to the NNOC/NNU picket line and speak with Nicki Horvat, an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care unit at Ascension St. Agnes and member of the bargaining team, about what she and her coworkers are fighting for.”

“Over 100 members of UFCW Local 1189 who work at Green Thumb Industries (GTI) and RISE dispensaries at seven locations throughout Minnesota ratified their first union contract on May 8. These workers joined our union family in March of 2023 because they were concerned about insufficient hours and wages, as well as issues revolving around seniority and promotions, and their first contract addresses those issues.”

“Unionized journalists at Lifehacker, Mashable, and PCMag – who were  prepared to walk out for the duration of Amazon’s July Prime Day Event, July 16 and 17 –  have reached a tentative three-year contract deal with parent company Ziff Davis that lifts guaranteed wages by up to 3 percent and includes industry-leading AI protections. Union ratification of the agreement will take place on July 24.”

“Two years have passed since workers at the Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) location in SoHo in New York City voted to form the first union in the outdoor equipment retailer’s history. Since then, workers at nine other locations across the country have unionized. They all remain without a contract. Workers say the goal is to hammer out a deal with the company by the end of the year for workers at the 10 unionized stores across the country.”

“Disneyland and its employees said they had reached a tentative contract deal, averting what could have been the first major work stoppage at the Anaheim theme park in 40 years. Members of the Master Services Council — an alliance of unions representing custodians, ride operators, candy makers, merchandise clerks and other Disneyland employees — on Friday voted 99% in support of a walkout. On Wednesday, the unions’ bargaining committee said it had reached an agreement with Walt Disney Co.”

“American Airlines has struck an agreement with the union representing the company's flight attendants, avoiding a large-scale strike that had threatened the airline's profits. At the center of the deal is a proposed new contract for around 28,000 workers which includes increased pay levels, though further terms have not been made public.”

“​​The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it will increase minimum rest time between shifts for air traffic controllers after highly publicized close calls between planes that were following orders from controllers. The FAA and the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, the union representing the workers, agreed to a number of changes that will apply as schedules are negotiated for next year. ‘The science is clear that controller fatigue is a public safety issue, and it must be addressed,’ FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said. He promised more measures to address tired controllers. Rich Santa, president of the controllers’ union, said the group has been raising concern about fatigue for years. He said the agreement ‘will begin to  provide relief to this understaffed workforce’.”

“The Palm Beach and Southwest Florida News Guild have reached a tentative agreement for their first collective bargaining agreement with Gannett after nearly four years of negotiations. The agreements will benefit workers at The Palm Beach Post, The Palm Beach Daily News, The News-Press and The Naples Daily News.”

“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.’”

“Workers at the first unionized Apple Store in the country ratified a labor contract with the tech giant on Tuesday, after a year and a half in which bargaining appeared to stall for long stretches and union campaigns at other stores fell short. After the union announced the outcome, Apple said it did not dispute the result and was pleased to have an agreement. The contract, covering about 85 workers at a Towson, Md., store who voted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in June 2022, will provide a typical worker with a raise of roughly 10 percent over the next three years.”

“A coalition of labor unions representing drivers, location managers, animal trainers, electricians, plumbers and other Hollywood crew members have ratified new three-year agreements with the major studios. Six different groups of craftspeople each approved their respective agreements on Thursday, all by ratification votes of more than 92%. The below-the-line workers are represented by the Hollywood Basic Crafts, a team of unions led by Teamsters Local 399.”

“The University System of Maryland and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Maryland Council 3 signed a system-wide union contract Friday that covers nearly 6,000 university employees. Jay Perman, chancellor of the university system, joined AFSCME members in a signing ceremony Friday after the school’s Board of Regents ratified the agreement Wednesday. The three-year contract closes disparities in pay and working conditions between schools….The contract establishes health and safety protocols around heat and air quality, along with a ‘right to know’ policy in which the university has to notify workers of hazards, safety equipment and safety training.”

“United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab has begun negotiations with the Teamsters union, which is pushing for a new contract covering 10,000 aviation maintenance and related workers in the United States, the labor union said on Tuesday. The Teamsters National Negotiating Committee is seeking industry-leading wages, a faster timeline for reaching the top pay rate, improved healthcare benefits and higher safety standards. The negotiations — which have begun four months before the current contract is set to become amendable — come at a time when thousands of maintenance staff members and flight attendants across airlines are demanding higher wages and more benefits after carriers posted record profits helped by a rebound in travel demand post-pandemic.”

“The Hollywood actors' union SAG-AFTRA announced on Wednesday a deal with online talent marketplace Narrativ that enables actors to sell advertisers rights to replicate their voices with artificial intelligence. As performers fear AI will make theft of their likenesses common, the new agreement seeks to ensure actors derive income from the technology and have control over how and when their voice replicas are used.”

“On July 19, about 1,000 members of UFCW Local 400 who work at 15 Shoppers grocery stores in Maryland and Virginia ratified a strong, new contract. “We’d like to thank the members of our bargaining advisory committee for their work in reaching this agreement,” said UFCW Local 400 President Mark Federici. “Taken together, they have nearly 128 years of combined experience in the stores, and it was this wisdom that helped us to reach a strong contract.””

“Registered nurses (RNs) at Providence Little Company of Mary Medical Center in Torrance, California, voted late last week with 89% supporting the ratification of a new three-year contract. The RNs are represented by the California Nurses Association, an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), and have been bargaining for this agreement since April of this year. Thanks to the bargaining unit’s unfaltering unity—including during an informational picket in June—members are celebrating a powerful new contract that secures critical provisions members need to continue delivering quality care to patients. Highlights of the deal include strengthened health and safety measures, the establishment of an equity and inclusion committee focused on diversity, language to ensure nurses can take their breaks with safe staffing levels and a 14.5% across-the-board wage increase over the three-year term.”

“Costco Teamsters were forced to suspend negotiations for a new National Master Agreement after the wholesale giant, despite its claims of being pro-union, refused to accept a card check agreement that would make it easier for nonunion Costco workers to join the Teamsters. The current national contract, first negotiated in 2022, is up for renewal and protects more than 18,000 workers across the country. The contract expires January 31, 2025.”

“Albany, NY – Yesterday the New York Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) ruled in several cases involving farms in New York contesting the UFW’s certification as the collective bargaining representative for these farms’ workers. In each case, the UFW’s certification was upheld and the growers’ objections were rejected.”

“RWDSU/UFCW members at six Guitar Center locations in New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, and Nevada recently ratified a new contract. The three-year contract includes an increased minimum wage rate for every position, which will continue to go up every year of the agreement. Tenured employees received an additional seniority wage adjustment. The contract also maintains the union health plan with the addition of a short-term disability benefit.”

“Today, the National Women’s Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA) announced their historic new collective bargaining agreement, which ensures free agency for all players, revenue sharing on top of salaries, important health and safety protections, and other provisions that will help create a more equitable League. For the first time ever in American professional sports, this contract also eliminates the draft, empowering athlete workers to have a real say over their futures.”

“The Guilds and Unions of Hollywood stand united with Teamster Casting Directors, Associate Casting Directors and the newly organized Casting Assistants as they seek fair compensation and improved working conditions across all classifications.”

“Employees of the city of Memphis and Shelby County, Tennessee, are celebrating much-needed wage hikes and bonuses they secured through the union they formed — a testament to the power of joining together in solidarity. They are celebrating $5,000 bonuses along with pay raises of at least 5%. Workers who keep Memphis’ hospitals, schools and roads running saw this increase last month.”

“Teamsters in an Indiana grocery warehouse scored big this year with a contract campaign like never before. They organized in five languages and sported a multilingual union button. They opened up bargaining sessions for any member to come observe—on the peak day, 150 showed up. They even pulled off a daring work-to-rule action the week before bargaining kicked off, to start from a position of strength.”

“Springfield, MA – Frustrated Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) workers, represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 448-Soringfield, MA, overwhelmingly voted to reject the PVTA’s ‘final and best’ contract offer and are set to hold a vote to determine a strike date in the coming days.”

“Last week Washington-Baltimore News Guild members at the United Food and Commercial Workers union ratified a successor collective bargaining agreement that included large raises, increased telework and vacation time increases after workers struck for one day in May and planned for a longer unfair labor practice strike.”

“More than 4,000 hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip reached a tentative contract with the Venetian Resort Las Vegas, the latest in a string of recent union victories for over 40,000 hospitality workers on the Strip.”

“NATIONWIDE—Over 8,000 union workers employed by airline catering subcontractor Gate Gourmet at 30 U.S. Airports have officially ratified a new five-year union contract that will bring significant raises and better, affordable health care, among other benefits. Voting to ratify the new contract concluded on Wednesday, capping a negotiating process that began in 2017.”

“In the coming school year, the UFT plans to keep up the fight to secure appropriate pay and health benefits for long-term substitute teachers. A substitute teacher who begins a term teaching in a vacant position, or who begins in the middle of the term and performs the role of a regular classroom teacher for two months or more, should be recoded as Q-status, the payroll category that pays a sub at the rate of a first-year teacher and confers health benefits. Yet, prior to December 2023, substitutes who were hired to fill a vacancy — for example, who took over for a teacher who resigned or went on long-term leave — had to wait until the end of the school year and then file a grievance to be retroactively awarded the pay of a Q-status sub. They would lose out on the medical insurance they should have received for that period.”

“The Communications Workers of America (CWA) have informed AT&T (T.N), and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service that it would no longer be a part of the mediation, it said in a statement on Monday. ‘The company was using the mediation process as another delaying tactic,’ said CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt. More than 17,000 Workers represented by the CWA union, which include technicians, customer service representatives, and others who install, maintain, and support AT&T's residential and business wireline telecommunications network, remain on strike which began last month.”

“Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su on Wednesday encouraged Boeing and more than 30,000 of the planemaker’s factory workers to bridge a divide in negotiations and reach a fair contract, as a vote on a new deal looms on Sept. 12. Boeing’s Seattle-area workers, who produce the planemaker’s strongest-selling 737 commercial jet, are voting next week on their first new contract in 16 years, with the two sides still tackling demands such as job security. The workers can strike as early as Sept. 13 if they reject the contract and overwhelmingly support a work stoppage.”

“Members of the United Auto Workers Local 2300 approved a new contract with Cornell University that will deliver major wage increases to workers and officially end a strike that heavily disrupted the Ivy League school’s building maintenance and dining services for over two weeks. The tentative agreement won the backing of 77% of the members that voted, according to a statement from the union on Monday. Some workers will begin to return to work Monday night, and all workers are scheduled to return to work on Tuesday. The negotiations were a stark departure from bargaining between the union and Cornell in terms of what the UAW won in this new contract, and its approach. The UAW had signed agreements to not discuss what was happening at the bargaining table with its membership or the public.” 

“Boeing faces a possible strike as early as Friday if most of the U.S. planemaker's factory workers in the Pacific Northwest vote on Thursday to back a work stoppage and reject a tentative deal that has enraged many of them. Roughly 30,000 workers who produce Boeing's 737 MAX, 767 and 777 jets in Portland, Oregon, and the Seattle area will vote on their first full contract in 16 years. A key union negotiator has acknowledged that many of the workers are angry because they wanted bigger wage hikes and other improvements. The path to a strike, however, is far from clear. According to the union, unless a two-thirds majority votes to strike, the deal is approved, whether or not a second vote focused on contract support passes.”

“The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists announced Thursday that the makers of 80 video games have agreed to the union’s proposed AI terms as the video game performers’ strike rages on. Under the condition that they abide by the union’s artificial intelligence rules, those games are now temporarily exempt from the walkout, and actors have been cleared to work on those titles during the strike. Companies that have entered AI agreements with SAG-AFTRA include Little Bat Games (“Vampire Therapist”), Studio Wildcard (“Ark: Survival Evolved”) and Lightspeed L.A. (“Last Sentinel”).”

“On August 1, over 100 members of UFCW Local 152 who work at St. Mary’s Center for Rehabilitation in Cherry Hill, N.J., ratified a new contract. The members in this unit are employed as certified nursing assistants, and in the dietary, housekeeping, and maintenance divisions and other positions at the facility. The three-year contract guarantees annual wage increases for all members in this unit. In addition, a new longevity pay adjustment has been introduced, rewarding long-term service with up to an extra $2.00 per hour on base pay.”

“Facing a dire countdown to the first dock strike in decades, employers at East and Gulf Coast ports say a new contract is still within reach, and publicly called for the International Longshoremen’s Association to return to contract talks. “There has been no further progress on Master Contract negotiations – we remain committed to the bargaining process and need the ILA to return to the table,” the United States Maritime Exchange (USMX) said in a brief statement Friday.”

“CHATTANOOGA – After an historic victory earlier this year, where Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga voted almost 3-to-1 to join the United Auto Workers (UAW), union members are now turning their attention to securing a strong first contract. On September 19, workers will begin negotiations with Volkswagen, aiming to win a first agreement that raises standards and includes wages, benefits, and protections on par with those secured by autoworkers in unionized plants.”

“American Airlines flight attendants ratified a new contract Thursday, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) said, ending a contentious negotiation process and securing long sought-after compensation for time spent boarding planes. With the new contract, American Airlines flight attendants became the ‘first unionized work group to lock in pay for boarding,’ APFA national president Julie Hedrick said Thursday in a news release, calling the contract ‘a significant milestone.’ Eighty-seven percent of eligible flight attendants voted in favor of the five-year contract.”

“On August 27, more than 200 members of UFCW Local 5 who work for OLAM Americas in California recently ratified a new contract. OLAM Americas is an agricultural harvesting company, and these members harvest onions and garlic from April to November beginning in the Imperial Valley before moving to Blyth, Ariz., and then to the San Joaquin Valley. The majority of the members in this unit are women.”

“The Taos, New Mexico, Town Council voted unanimously last month to ratify Local 5245’s contract, the union’s first. “We are very pleased to have reached an agreement with the town,” Local 5245 President Gabriel Romero said. “The negotiations process was tough, but I think we accomplished our primary goals, which included setting foundational contract language and a wage increase.” The road to success was a long one.”

“CHATTANOOGA— Today, the UAW released a new video outlining the priority demands of Volkswagen workers as contract negotiations between the union and the German automaker begin for a first agreement at the Chattanooga plant. After a historic victory earlier this year, where 4,300 Volkswagen workers voted almost 3-to-1 to join the United Auto Workers (UAW), union members are now campaigning for a strong first contract. On September 19, the 20-person elected bargaining committee kicked off negotiations with Volkswagen, aiming to win a first agreement that raises standards and includes wages, benefits, and protections on par with those secured by autoworkers in unionized plants.”

“Flight attendants at American Airlines were celebrating September 12 after approving a new five-year agreement by 87 percent, with 95 percent turnout. They won a big retroactive pay package and an immediate wage increase of 20 percent. They also became the first flight attendants to nail down boarding pay in a union contract. Flight attendants typically are not paid until the aircraft doors close. All that greeting, seating, sorting out problems, and assistance with bags is off the clock.”

“Editorial workers at LexisNexis-owned Law360 have reached a tentative agreement for a new, five-year contract. The deal marks the end of a weeklong unfair labor practice strike over unilateral changes to their healthcare plan and the illegal layoffs of their colleagues earlier this year. The tentative agreement secures major gains for the 250 NewsGuild of New York-represented (TNG-CWA Local 31003) journalists at Law360, including average wage increases of 12 percent, increased family leave to 14 weeks, an average bonus of $9,000, and strong job protections on artificial intelligence.”

“Recent analyses of the American labor movement have centered around two opposing facts. On the one hand, last year union density, or the percentage of the labor force that are union members, reached its lowest point in the more than 90 years the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has collected this data.* Though historical comparisons before this point are difficult, it seems the last time recorded membership density was this low was 1910. Thus, purely in terms of union membership rates, pronouncements of a New Gilded Age for labor appear truer now than when they were first written more than a decade ago.”

“Unite Here, a union that represents some of the lowest paid workers in the airline industry, managed last month to get a rare release from mediation, enabling a favorable contract deal for for about 10,000 catering workers.”

“Over 1,000 members and supporters of IUE-CWA Local 83761 held a rally outside their GE Haier worksite in Louisville, Ky., last week. With their contract expiring at the end of the year and contract negotiations scheduled to begin next month, members are concerned about the unfair tiered pay system and the high worker turnover. IUE-CWA Local 83761 President Dino Driskell spoke to that concern, saying, “Turnover is incredibly high right now. We have over 2,100 members with less than 2 years seniority. They’re looking for reasons to stay, but as it stands, there’s no incentive since they can never advance to a higher tier. This is going to be a major point for improvement during these negotiations.””

“After months of negotiations, members of UFCW Local 152 who work as budtenders and inventory staff at the MPX/iAnthus cannabis dispensary in Atlantic City, N.J., ratified their first union contract on August 23. These workers joined UFCW Local 152 in January.”

“Members of Utility Workers (UWUA) Local 335 have ratified a strong new contract with Missouri American Water Corporation. Members ratified the contract on Sept. 11 by a four-to-one vote, more than a month ahead of the current contract’s expiration, said Local 335 President Allan Bathon. “The members were pretty happy with it,” Bathon said.”

“Turning onto Volkswagen Drive in Chattanooga, the first big shiny building you pass is actually an Amazon fulfillment center. It’s only a little up the road that you come upon the VW campus, the sleek silver buildings rising from the hills and trees, a series of windowless hulks, one of them proudly proclaiming its GoTo ZERO IMPACT FACTORY. As if a factory can have zero impact on the community, on the people who go to work there each day, let alone the environment, the climate. Factories shape towns. They always have. They shape the world. The workers at the VW plant are trying to do some shaping of their own, now that they’ve won their union. The bargaining process kicked off September 15 with a rally in Chattanooga featuring the VW workers and United Auto Workers (UAW) leaders, including union President Shawn Fain, and the workers were still riding that wave when I arrived in Chattanooga less than a week later.”

“Nearly four weeks into the Boeing worker strike, the parties are no closer to reaching a union contract. The plane manufacturer offered a 30% pay increase over four years, and union members said no. The major sticking point here? Pensions. Boeing workers stopped getting defined benefit plans a decade ago, and they want them back. Fifty years ago, most full-time workers had a pension. Once they retired, their employers sent them a check every month, until they died. But in the 1980s, pensions started to disappear.”

“After months of bargaining, 165 members of UFCW Local 3000 who work in the grocery and meat divisions of Fred Meyer #652 in Ellensburg, Wash., ratified their first contracts on Sept. 30.”

“After we won our union, in our first round of bargaining (in 1981) we had a seven-member bargaining committee representing over 1,000 workers. We relied heavily on our UAW rep. Initially they did all the talking. We were too afraid we would say something wrong. But in subsequent bargaining we made changes based on the belief that the formal bargaining process should be seen as an organizing and leadership development opportunity, not some isolated world where the experts resolved issues.”

“Members of the Graduate Employees of Northeastern University rallied on Centennial Common Oct. 2 to mark the one-year anniversary of their union election and 10 months since contract negotiations began. About 100 demonstrators were in attendance throughout the rally, organizing committee member for the union Shahinaz Geneid told The News.”

“In the past two years, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) has gone on strike twice against studios, partially for artificial intelligence (AI) protections. The union’s “surprise” deals with AI companies for voice actors to license “digital voice replicas,” announced this year, led to immediate controversy among voiceover artists who expressed concern and excitement about AI’s future in the industry.”

“NEW YORK – 11 days ahead of the 25th annual New Yorker Festival, the magazine’s most star-studded and high-profile event, the New Yorker Union, a bargaining unit of The NewsGuild of New York, has settled on a Tentative Agreement with parent company Condé Nast. Days after a Strike Authorization Vote was passed unanimously, and a support pledge signed by dozens of New Yorker staff writers began to circulate, management began to make movement in key areas such as pay, job security and company policies that govern employees’ ability to perform work outside of company time.”

“After 40 days on strike, 33,000 Machinists rejected an improved contract offer from Boeing by 64 percent on Wednesday. The offer included a 35 percent wage increase over 4 years. Members of Machinists (IAM) District 751 and District W24 build passenger jets and and freighters, including the 737, 767, and 777. Most work at Boeing’s huge factories at Everett and Renton, Washington. ‘It’s a little bit better, but it still needs to go further,’ said Ky Carlson, who was staffing a picket line at Everett on Tuesday, where she would normally be assembling the 777. ‘It's an easy no vote for me,’ said Jon Voss, a mechanic and steward at Renton, where he builds wings for 737, ‘because I know Boeing has multiple offers ready to just throw at us until we finally get what we deserve.’”

“After almost half a year of contract negotiations, public service workers who are members of Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE/AFSCME Council 28) have ratified a new general government contract. Applicable to a majority of the members, the new contract includes strong wage increases, a minimum wage of $18 an hour, and expanded leave, among other things. The two-year agreement came after state employees walked out of their jobs to stand in solidarity with each other and demand fair contracts. The Walkout for Washington, held on Sept. 10, mobilized thousands of our union’s members across the state.”

“On October 10, workers at WLNE in Providence, R.I., who successfully joined NABET-CWA earlier this year, held a successful rally ahead of an upcoming bargaining session. The unit is engaged in its first contract negotiations with owner Standard Media, which purchased the station in 2019.”

“About 30 members of UFCW Local 152 who work at Complete Care at Victoria Commons in North Cape May, N.J., ratified a new contract on Sept. 25. The workers are employed as licensed practical nurses, certified nursing assistants, and in the housekeeping, laundry, and dietary departments, and more. The three-year contract includes a market adjustment in wages retroactive to May 1, 2024, providing some members with a significant wage increase. Additionally, to recognize loyal, long-term workers, those with at least 20 years of service at the time of ratification will now receive an annual longevity bonus of $1,000.”

“On Oct. 9, 35 members of UFCW Local 711 who work at the RISE Dispensary in Henderson, Nev., ratified a first contract that strengthens wages and benefits. Henderson’s RISE Dispensary is owned by Green Thumb Industries. The three-year contract includes guaranteed wage increases, increased benefits for part-timers, faster paid time off accrual, predictable scheduling, and workplace protections.”

“Journalists at the Austin American-Statesman secured a tentative agreement last week after years of negotiations and a marathon 21-hour session with owner Gannett. The deal, which needs to be ratified by members, comes after more than three years of negotiations, numerous unfair labor practices (ULPs) and relentless pressure from Guild members on management.”

“IAFF leaders showcased their collective bargaining victories across the Southern U.S. this week as they united in Atlanta for the 30th annualSouthern Federation of Professional Fire Fighters conference. General President Edward A. Kelly gave the opening address Wednesday morning, encouraging delegates to continue their fight for collective bargaining.”

“WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 17, 2024 – The National Partnership for Women & Families (NPWF) and the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU), IFPTE Local 70, are proud to announce the ratification of their first collective bargaining agreement. National Partnership United (NPU), a chapter within NPEU, was formally recognized in January of 2021 and negotiations for a first contract began later that year. The new contract represents a significant step forward in advancing a fair and equitable workplace, with enhanced protections, transparent processes, and strengthened benefits for all union members.”

“Union officials are urging Labor Department leaders to continue negotiating over return-to-office changes. About 7,500 Labor Department employees will have to report to work in person at least half of their work hours beginning in December. That’s according to an announcement agency leadership made last week. But the National Council of Field Labor Locals, which represents the affected workers, said the announcement was made without completing bargaining obligations. The union is now calling on Congress members to get involved in the dispute and looking at options with the Federal Labor Relations Authority.”

“In a malicious ploy, a hospital in Honolulu locked out its nurses after a one-day strike—and not just for a couple days, as hospitals often do, but indefinitely. The message was, you can come back only when you accept our demands. But the nurses stuck it out. They kept building their support with daily demonstrations. And in the end, amid public outrage after elders got arrested in a solidarity protest, management agreed to nurse-to-patient ratio language, a first for the state. The 630 nurses at Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women and Children struck on September 13 over unfair labor practices—specifically, ongoing retaliation against nurses who report unsafe staffing conditions, as documented by their union, the Hawaii Nurses Association.”

“Last week, nurses who are members of Local 875 (AFSCME Michigan) and work for McLaren Flint Hospital voted by a large margin to approve a four-year tentative agreement that includes strong patient safety and welfare provisions — something the nurses pushed hard for.”

“BALTIMORE – Workers at the Baltimore Museum of Art have overwhelmingly ratified their first union contract, with a 98% yes vote. After two years of negotiations with management, the Baltimore Museum of Art Union (BMAU) reached a tentative agreement in late August. The Oct. 3 ratification vote on the three-year contract, which lasts until June 30, 2027, represents a final step towards greater benefits and protections for BMA workers, who announced in 2021 that they were forming a union.”

“In the latest update in a dispute over a campaign to unionize workers at a powerful Kern County agricultural company, a California appellate court has ruled that negotiations can continue between the state’s largest farmworker union and Wonderful Co. The two parties had been forced to pause bargaining following a lower court’s ruling.”

“CWA members at AT&T West and Southeast ratified strong new contract agreements last week. Thanks to a historic month-long strike by members in the Southeast and strong mobilization efforts supported by CWA members and retirees across the country, the new contracts include substantial wage increases and significant improvements to overtime and scheduling practices.”

“Striking Boeing Machinists will start returning to work tomorrow after voting for a new contract with substantial wage increases. The 33,000 Seattle-area Machinists voted 59 percent to accept, just two weeks after two-thirds of them voted to reject a slightly worse contract.”

“The International Longshoremen’s Association has broken off contract negotiations with East and Gulf Coast port employers, accusing them of pushing automation technology into a new coastwise labor pact that would eliminate union jobs. The ILA and employers represented by the United States Maritime Alliance this week resumed bargaining on a new six-year master contract covering 45,000 union workers involved in container handling at dozens of East and Gulf Coast ports.”

“JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – AFSCME members in north Florida who feed school children had to fight hard for the modest raises they’re getting as part of their new contract. Last month, food service workers for Duval County Public Schools faced a tough choice — continue to accept poverty wages or go on strike. The workers, employed by private contractor Chartwells K12, were simply asking that starting pay move to $14/hour, $1 above the state’s minimum wage and still less than the $15 an hour level mandated in a 2022 law that applies to public employees in school districts across the state.”

“On Oct. 30, about 1,200 members of UFCW Local 8-GS who work at 96 Rite Aid stores in Northern California ratified a new contract that strengthens wages and protects benefits. The new contract includes critical improvements to wages. The contract also restores members to a union-trusteed health care plan with no premiums for member coverage, and includes job protections that reflect the commitment of union members to their work and communities.”

“CHICAGO — The Chicago Tribune Guild won its first contract from Alden Global Capital after six years of bargaining, securing substantial economic gains and 21st-century workplace protections for members as they continue to keep Chicago informed and accountable.”

“The Animation Guild (IATSE Local 839) has a tentative deal with the major Hollywood studios. With less than two weeks left until the current contract expiration and after multiple extensions, the bargaining unit announced Monday that it had finalized another three-year agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.”

“(MONTCLAIR, Calif.) – Public sector workers in the City of Montclair represented by Teamsters Local 1932 have voted unanimously to approve their first contract, marking a significant win for the dedicated workers who maintain and enhance the city’s infrastructure and public services such as parks, sewers, streets, sidewalks, and storm systems.”

“Over 80 members of UFCW Local 152 who work at the Bishop McCarthy Center for Rehabilitation in Vineland, N.J., ratified a new contract on Oct. 23. These members are employed as certified nursing assistants, and work in the maintenance, activities, dietary, and housekeeping departments, and more.”

“The BMWED and CSX reached a tentative agreement this week that builds on the contract based upon feedback we received from members during the initial ratification process that failed earlier this year. We believe that this tentative agreement addresses many of the complications related to work rules on the property, raises wages above those in comparable industries and improves vacation and health benefits without increasing cost to BMWED members.”

“A Wisconsin judge on Monday struck down portions of a2011 law that stripped most government workers in the state of collective bargaining rights and set off fierce demonstrations. The ruling by Judge Jacob Frost of the Dane County Circuit Court is certain to be appealed. But his decision provided at least a temporary victory to labor unions and Democrats in Wisconsin, who turned out by the thousands to protest the law more than a decade ago and who have been trying ever since to take it off the books.”

“The war of words resumed this week between port employers represented by the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX), and the International Longshoremen’s Association union and their 45,000 workers at East and Gulf Coast ports. The sides had agreed to a media blackout when contract negotiations resumed following a three-day strike by the union that shut down container handling in early October. But that ceasefire was apparently abrogated after the ILA broke off talks Nov. 13, accusing employers of trying to force automation technology language into a new master contract.”

“The Animation Guild has unveiled the full terms of its new contract with the major studios, along with a candid explanation as to why it could not do more to protect against artificial intelligence. The union, which represents about 5,000 animators, technicians and writers, reached a tentative agreement on Nov. 23, after three months of bargaining. The deal includes certain guardrails around AI, but does not allow animators to opt out of using it if their job requires it, nor can they prevent their work from being used to “train” AI models.”

“NEW YORK – The NewsGuild of New York, which represents the Times Tech Guild, and New York Times management have reached a tentative deal on a three-year contract, just over a month after the Tech Guild’s election week ULP strike. The tentative agreement is the first for the Times Tech Guild, the largest union of tech workers with collective bargaining rights in the country. The Times Tech Guild is a bargaining unit of The NewsGuild of New York, which represents nearly 6,000 media workers including two other units at The New York Times.”

“As Hollywood grapples with worries about the threat of artificial intelligence, the union that represents animators is facing dissent over its latest deal with major studios. Three Animation Guild negotiations committee members said they will vote “no” on a tentative contract the guild reached with their employers, saying the AI protections they wrangled don’t go far enough. ‘I believe the A.I. and outsourcing protections in this contract are not strong enough — and in my opinion — could lead to the loss of a lot of jobs,’ wrote negotiations committee member Michael Rianda, who directed the animated film ‘The Mitchells vs. the Machines,’ on Instagram. ‘Real members’ lives could be hurt by not having these protections.’

“When Eric Tillotson, who helps sort and ship cards for games like Magic: The Gathering at TCGPlayer, looks at his budget, he does so with dismay. He knows the money he earns at his job at the largest trading card game retailer in the world doesn’t go far enough….Tillotson’s is but one story of the dozens of workers employed at TCGPlayer. The union, supported by the broader Communications Workers of America (CWA), compiled a report in October that found some grisly facts: For one, about 87% of the workers at the Syracuse Authentication Center where Tillotson works earn less than a living wage for the area…Workers, union officials, and elected leaders say the economic instability brought on by TCGPlayer’s low wages is a primary reason why workers and the company need to come together on a first contract that establishes a living wage.”

“Leesburg, VA - After nearly four years of off-and-on contract negotiations, Loudoun County Transit workers finally reached an agreement on a new contract with county contractor, Keolis. Yesterday, workers ratified the agreement with 92% voting to approve. Despite the contractor’s tactics, ATU Local 689, partnering with the ATU International, remained steadfast in their commitment to ensuring that Loudoun County Transit workers’ rights to bargain were upheld.”

“On Nov. 24, over 3,500 members of UFCW Locals 8-GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442 who are essential pharmacy workers at Rite Aid locations across Southern California ratified a new contract. The agreement was reached after months of negotiations and active participation from thousands of pharmacists, pharmacy clerks, and technicians in Southern California.”

“On Nov. 21, more than 20 workers at the Cannabis 21+ dispensary in the Mission Valley area of San Diego voted to join UFCW Local 135, marking a significant step in helping them secure better wages, benefits, and working conditions. The vote was conducted by representatives of the NLRB. With this organizing win, UFCW Local 135 now represents the first of two Cannabis 21+ dispensaries in San Diego County and is eager to assist workers at the company’s second area dispensary in the Sorrento Valley area of San Diego.”

“On Oct. 25, Tonjanika Webster joined a line of nurses on Canal Street, outside of New Orleans’ University Medical Center. Some, like Webster, wore scrubs. Others, red for their union, National Nurses United. A giant banner reading “UMC Proud” unfurled over the hospital’s facade, while Beyonce and Taylor Swift echoed out of giant speakers, punctuated by approving honks from drivers. The air was jubilant, like a party, but it was a picket line. It was also Louisiana’s first-ever strike of private-sector nurses. Unlike in high-profile strikes such as that of the United Auto Workers in 2023, however, the nurses sought more than improvements to their jobs. They wanted a first contract negotiated by their union — the very document that establishes ground rules for improving their jobs. In the process, they joined a nationwide surge in short, pre-contract strikes following a spate of union organizing.”

“Writers Guild of America this week sent a letter to major Hollywood studios asking them to take action against tech companies that are using writers’ work to train AI tools without their permission. ‘The studios, as copyright holders of works written by WGA members, have done nothing to stop this theft,’ the guild’s leadership said in a letter. ‘They have allowed tech companies to plunder entire libraries without permission or compensation. The studios’ inaction has harmed WGA members.’ The guild said its collective bargaining agreement requires studios ‘to defend their copyrights on behalf of writers’ and urged studios to ‘take immediate legal action against any company that has used our members’ works to train AI systems.’ The letter was sent to studios including Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Walt Disney Co., Paramount Global, NBCUniversal, Sony Pictures and Amazon MGM Studios. Representatives from those studios either declined to comment or didn’t respond to requests for comment.”

“A group of Google Help staffers reached a union contract with their employer, Accenture Plc, securing protections on remote work and workplace surveillance that could be a template for others in Alphabet Inc.’s sprawling contract workforce. The collective bargaining agreement between Accenture and the Alphabet Workers Union covers about 25 workers including writers and design analysts. Employees voted Wednesday to ratify the deal, which the union said guarantees permanent work-from-home options, creates a committee where management is required to consider workers’ input on software tools, and prohibits Accenture from monitoring their keystrokes or mouse movements.”

“Alphabet's Google is facing a second complaint from a U.S. labor board claiming that it is the employer of contract workers and must bargain with their union, the agency said on Monday. The complaint issued by the National Labor Relations Board last week claims that Google is a "joint employer" of about 50 San Francisco-based content creation workers employed by IT firm Accenture Flex who voted to join the Alphabet Workers Union in 2023, according to board spokeswoman Kayla Blado. Blado said the board is separately investigating an October complaint by the union that Google and Accenture Flex made changes to working conditions without bargaining first.”

“About half a dozen organizers at the United Academics of Philadelphia (UAP), American Federation of Teachers Local 9608, ratified their first collective bargaining agreement in December after winning voluntary recognition in July 2023. The staff unionized with The NewsGuild of Greater Philadelphia.”

“Inspired by the success of the Big 3 strike, United Auto Workers members at Daimler Truck North America ran a very different kind of contract campaign this year than we ever had before. The 7,300 members at DTNA’s four North Carolina plants and parts distribution centers in Atlanta and Memphis were very active, informed, and involved in the bargaining process. This is not how the union had done things in the past.”

“The International Longshoremen’s Association has settled its East and Gulf Coast contract shortly before a January 15 strike deadline. The deal locks in a 62 percent wage increase over six years and expands existing automation protections. Workers will also see larger “container royalty” payouts. The agreement will go first to a body of ILA delegates, and then members will vote. The full agreement is not yet public. ILA members won the big wage promise after striking for three days in October, shutting down container shipping on the East and Gulf Coasts in their first coastwide strike since 1977. But the 20,000 workers went back to work with the major question of automation still on the table.”

“Negotiations between Starbucks and its union have broken down, with workers calling the company’s proposals ‘almost laughable’ and highlighting the multimillion pay package of the coffee chain’s recently appointed CEO. Since late 2021, over 530 Starbucks stores have won union elections, representing more than 12,000 workers at the company. But talks aimed at negotiating a first union contract have stalled and the company has called the union’s proposals ‘not sustainable’”.

“More than 2,000 UFCW Local 152 members who work in retail positions at 15 ShopRite stores in southern New Jersey ratified a new contract on Dec. 10. These members work in Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland, and Ocean County and play pivotal roles in serving the people in their communities. This contract was ratified after months of hard bargaining between the 24-person negotiating committee and the three ShopRite owner groups (Bottino’s Supermarkets, Saker ShopRites, and Village Super Market).”

“The Council 93 members who work at the Howard Center, a mental health and substance recovery provider in Chittenden County, Vermont, knew what they were up against. For decades, their employer had been vehemently anti-union, maintaining a right-to-work-type contract since they were organized in 1980. Dan Peyser, a psychotherapist at the Howard Center Methadone Clinic, put it this way: “Howard Center is not a normal employer. It’s not that they don’t play ball. For them, it’s more. There is no ball game.”

“The American Civil Liberties Union and other legal groups are pressing a major arbitration provider to stop enforcing workers’ employment debts, saying the cases amount to ‘indentured servitude.’ The ACLU sent a letter Monday to the American Arbitration Association, or AAA, urging the group not to hear disputes involving “stay-or-pay” agreements. Such contracts require workers to put in a minimum amount of hours before quitting or else they’ll have to pay the employer thousands of dollars to cover travel, training and other alleged costs.”

“Two prominent labor groups are joining forces in an attempt to expand union membership and protect members’ interests as they face the likelihood of a less union-friendly federal government under Donald J. Trump. The Service Employees International Union, which represents nearly two million workers in industries like home health care and janitorial services, said on Wednesday that it would become part of the A.F.L.-C.I.O., an umbrella group of more than 50 unions that represent more than 12.5 million workers. The boards of the two groups formally approved the affiliation arrangement earlier in the day.”

“The fundamental concept underlying collective bargaining is simple and elegant. The people closest to the workplace --- workers through their unions and employers through their managers --- negotiate over the rules governing their working relationship. At its best, collective bargaining solves problems by advancing both sides’ interests. Negotiators’ expert knowledge of the workplace makes this possible. In fact, at its very best, there are no sides, only collective solution identification and implementation. Of course, even well-intentioned parties with mature relationships can disagree, sometimes vigorously. Healthy relationships often involve some conflict. That’s human relations. By contrast, at its worst, collective bargaining descends into dishonesty, selfishness, broken communications, anger, and weapon-wielding that has nothing whatsoever to do with problem-solving.”

“After months of pushing the company to Keep The Promise made in 2023 contract negotiations, the UAW has successfully secured a commitment from Stellantis to invest billions in American autoworkers. In response, the union has agreed to settle its grievances concerning the Dodge Durango and the reopening of Belvidere Assembly. Specifically, Stellantis has committed to build the next generation Dodge Durango at the Detroit Assembly Complex and to reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant in 2027 and allocate a new midsize truck, as agreed to in the union’s 2023 contract. Both of these commitments had been walked back by disgraced former CEO Carlos Tavares, and are being honored by the company’s new leadership.”

“A 69-day strike by some 700 non-gaming workers at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas quietly ended Wednesday with a joint announcement that a new contract had been reached. The agreement between the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 and operators of the off-Strip resort was surprising given neither party had announced that contract negotiations had resumed. The last discussions took place seven days before the walkout began Nov. 15.”

“In June, the front-of-house workers of the Guthrie, which includes guest services workers, box office staff, lounge hosts, janitors, and ushers, won their union with 70% of workers voting in favor. Represented by International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 13, the workers are preparing to bargain their first contract. They are fighting for wage increases, reinstatement of some positions that were cut, more transparency of pay tiers, scheduling hours two weeks in advance, additional safety training, and support with parking. Some positions, like ushers, work short shifts, and the cost of their wages for the day are eaten up almost entirely by the cost of parking in downtown Minneapolis, workers say.”

“Workers at Democracy Works, a nonpartisan voter education organization, ratified their first labor contract with the News Media Guild, the union announced. The pact, ratified Thursday, guarantees yearly pay raises, establishes job security, and secures other important workplace rights at the leading civic technology nonprofit organization. The contract offers workplace protections for the next three years to 34 employees across several departments, including engineering, research, partnerships, and more. The agreement was reached after nearly three years of collective bargaining efforts.”

“Nurses and healthcare professionals at University of Michigan Health-Sparrow voted to approve a new contract, the Michigan Nurses Association announced Thursday afternoon. The vote passed with 95% approval, averting a planned five-day strike. Members of the Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital-Michigan Nurses Association (PECSH-MNA) began voting on Monday. Voting ended Thursday and was tallied that same afternoon. Workers would have gone on strike if the contract had not been approved. The new contract runs until Oct. 30, 2027.”

“The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division (BMWED-IBT) reached a Tentative Agreement Wednesday with the freight railroads represented by the National Carriers' Conference Committee (NCCC).* The five-year Tentative Agreement, covering the period from January 1, 2025, to July 1, 2029, ensures BMWED members 18.77 percent compounded wage growth over the next five years, protects health and welfare benefits without additional cost, and improves vacation accrual timing, amongst other gains.”