The Weekly Download

“Episode #9 of the Power Half-Hour has arrived! The Power Half-Hour is a livestreamed, fast-paced, bi-weekly roundtable with a rotating group of regular guests. Our guests discuss the biggest labor story of the preceding week and the labor story everyone should be talking about over the next two weeks. Joining Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris for this episode are:”

“Incremental labor reforms in Australia, including some that promote sectoral bargaining, are showing early promise in boosting bargaining coverage, union membership, and wage growth. The Australian reforms have only recently gone into effect, so additional time and further analysis will be required to draw definitive conclusions. Still, initial results have been good.”

“As we discussed in June, the New York State Legislature passed a bill usurping the power of the National Labor Relations Board (‘NLRB’ or ‘Board’) to regulate labor disputes in the private sector while the Board lacks a quorum. On September 5, 2025, Governor Kathy Hochul signed the bill into law, which became effective immediately. Unsurprisingly, shortly thereafter, NLRB Acting General Counsel William Cowen announced that the NLRB is preparing to file a lawsuit challenging the new law, which he called an attack on the “core jurisdiction” of the NLRB. The New York law authorizes the New York Public Employment Relations Board (‘PERB’) to handle labor disputes between private employers and employees while the NLRB operates without a quorum – which it has lacked for months. Though the NLRB lacks a quorum, the President recently nominated Scott Mayer, chief labor counsel at Boeing Co., and James Murphy, a former NLRB attorney, to fill two open seats on the Board, which would give the Board a quorum. Once the Senate confirms the nominees, the quorum will be restored and the New York law will go dormant until the NLRB next lacks a quorum.”

“A group of Democratic senators called on Wells Fargo to end its alleged campaign against employee unions, saying a more constructive approach could address a toxic workplace culture and help the bank recover from scandals that prevented it from growing. In a Wednesday letter to Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf, 15 senators led by Arizona's Ruben Gallego said the fourth-largest U.S. bank's history of setting aggressive sales goals led to mistreatment of consumers, staffing shortages and substandard pay, providing an incentive to unionize.”

“The head of Florida’s statewide teachers union condemned what he described as doxxing efforts that have emerged online after Florida’s top education official threatened to investigate teachers for what they write on their personal social media pages…Florida Department of Education commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, a right-wing appointee of Gov. Ron DeSantis, on Thursday issued a memo to school superintendents, warning that any teacher who makes “despicable” comments about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk could be in violation of professional conduct guidelines and would be subject to investigation and the potential revocation of their teaching license.”

“On September 15, 2023, workers represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) entered into a strike against the Big 3 auto manufacturers – Ford, GM and Stellantis – that ended in the most lucrative agreements for autoworkers since the 1950s. They won more wage increases than over the last 22 years combined, regained lost benefits like cost of living adjustments (COLA), a commitment to reopen a shuttered plant, and much more. The UAW’s success did not happen in a vacuum – it was a strategic campaign waged across mainstream media outlets and social media to shift public opinion in workers’ favor by exposing corporate greed and the dire conditions of workers while growing class consciousness and solidarity. ”

“Members of Machinists District 837 on strike at Boeing have rejected the company’s latest offer by a 57-to-43 percent vote. Boeing’s modified offer did not include a sufficient signing bonus relative to what other Boeing workers have received, or a raise in 401(k) benefits, the union said in a statement. In November 2024, a 53-day Machinists’ strike at Boeing in Seatle was resolved by a contract that provided a 38 percent wage increase over four years and a $12,000 ratification bonus. ‘Our members in St. Louis have once again shown that they will not settle for Boeing’s half-measures,’ said IAM International President Brian Bryant. ‘Boeing must start listening to its employees and come back to the table with a meaningful offer that respects the sacrifices and skill of these workers.’”

“During the summer of 2023, Hollywood weathered the longest strike by Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists in the performers union’s history. One of the final negotiation points, a long-promised ‘Robin Hood’ fund meant to share the benefits of streaming success, has finally been set up. Last week — moments before the labor union named their new president, Sean Astin — the guild announced that a SAG-AFTRA Producers Success Distribution Fund had been formally established. Performers in popular made-for-streaming shows who previously might not have been compensated for their show’s viewership can now earn their ‘first-ever secondary income stream,’ the labor group said in a statement.”

“...One year later, Niccol is driving a ​’Back to Starbucks’ turnaround strategy, implementing a dizzying number of policy and program changes. Baristas have said that the changes are making their jobs harder, not easier, and stores remain understaffed. That strategy at present is bound to fail, since you can’t get ​’Back to Starbucks’ without properly valuing the people who make the Starbucks experience what it is — including current and future union baristas. That’s why we’re calling on Niccol to return to the bargaining table, to address our remaining demands for better wages and conditions for employees, and to listen to union baristas who have thoughtful solutions for how the company might begin to fix what ails the brand.”

“After an intense, two-week strike, UAW Local 647 members at GE Aerospace have secured a strong tentative agreement with the company. The major victory comes just after the strike’s two-week anniversary and was won via the courage and solidarity of over 600 Cincinnati-area workers between GE’s Erlanger, KY, and Evendale, OH facilities who held strong on the picket like 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

“Some 1,400 Teamster service workers at the University of Minnesota won a resounding victory in a five-day walkout that showcased their militancy and underscored the power of solidarity. ’This is what happens when people stick together,’ said Steve Tesfagiorgis, a shop steward and strike captain for Teamsters Local 320 and a senior custodian on the Minneapolis campus. ‘Our members are from different places and speak many different languages, and we all worked together and won.’”

“Striking workers at Boeing Defense will vote on Friday on a four-year contract proposed by their union in an effort to end a six-week strike, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) said on Tuesday. Boeing, however, said the proposal was a waste of time and would prolong the work stoppage in the St. Louis area and nearby Illinois, where the striking workers assemble Boeing's fighter jets, munitions, other military aircraft and wing components for the 777X airliner.”

“On the Line interviewed Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Fight Attendants (AFA-CWA). As one of the leading progressive labor voices in the country, Sara has pushed the labor movement to respond to the attacks by the Trump administration on the working class during his first administration and again today. Sara spoke to us about what she has learned from nearly three decades in the labor movement and what she sees as our path forward today.”