The Weekly Download

“More than 80 contract drivers and dispatchers who handle deliveries for Amazon Inc. have joined the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, marking the labor movement’s latest attempt to gain a foothold in the company’s e-commerce empire.”

"[A]fter working for more than three years at three different stores in Illinois, Tennessee, and Vermont, I now know the company does not treat its workers with the dignity—nor pay them the wages—they deserve. As workers at two Trader Joe’s locations—the Rockridge store in Oakland, California and the Essex Crossing store in New York City—move forward from union elections in April, it’s worth peeking behind the Hawaiian-print curtain.”

“As a new and emerging industry, cannabis is a case study in modern-day collective action. Companies involved in cannabis, from farms to dispensaries, are making billions of dollars as more states legalize their products. The problem: as the industry expands, so has cannabis workers’ need for union representation.”

“Today, workers at Sega of America’s Irvine, California, office have filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The new union, Allied Employees Guild Improving Sega (AEGIS), is partnered with the Communications Workers of America and consists of a supermajority of 144 employees across Sega’s QA, localization, live service, marketing, and product development departments, making AEGIS the largest video game union in the United States made up of workers across numerous departments.”

“Delta workers and labor and community allies rallied on Saturday at the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation headquarters to push for union representation at Delta Air Lines. The rally featured remarks from Delta workers from across the system.”

“A group of YouTube contract staff in Texas have unanimously voted to unionize in a labor victory that could force parent company Alphabet Inc. to collectively bargain with US workers for the first time in its history. The US National Labor Relations Board counted ballots on Wednesday, with 41 of the roughly 50 eligible employees voting for the union, nobody voting against and around eight people not voting.”

“Several workers at an Apple retail store in Kansas City, Missouri, say they were recently fired for attempting to organize a union. Now the Communication Workers of America (CWA) has filed unfair labor practice (ULP) charges against the company for wrongful termination and intimidation on the job.”

“Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) supervisors at a Florida service center violated U.S. labor law by telling employees not to discuss pay and other working conditions or bring complaints to higher level managers, a U.S. labor board official has ruled. Managers at the Orlando repair shop illegally silenced workers in 2021 after some of them complained that new hires were being paid more, according to the decision issued Tuesday by National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Administrative Law Judge Michael Rosas.”

“A company accused of lying about retirement benefits to stop workers from organizing can be sued in a class-action lawsuit, a federal judge ruled. The decision came on April 7 after the defendant, the California-based grocery retailer Save Mart Supermarkets, asked the judge to dismiss the case, which experts are calling a creative use of labor law against union-busting.”

“Republicans in the Florida House passed a bill Wednesday aimed at reducing membership in public-sector unions and weakening organized labor’s political clout, delivering the controversial legislation to Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for his signature. Progressive lawmakers and labor groups have blasted the legislation as a political power grab meant to kneecap teachers unions and other labor groups that tend to support the Democratic Party. The bill would make it harder for unions representing government employees to collect dues and make it easier for the state to “decertify” them and nullify their contracts.”

“In a new decision issued today by the National Labor Relations Board in Noah’s Ark Processors, LLC D/B/A WR Reserve, the Board detailed potential remedies it will consider in cases involving Respondents who have shown repeated or egregious disregard for employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act (the Act). The Board determined that when the unfair labor practice violations found in a case justify a “broad” cease-and-desist order (traditionally ordered in cases where the Respondent has shown a proclivity to violate the Act or has engaged in egregious or widespread misconduct), in addition to the cease-and-desist order, the Board should consider a non-exhaustive list of potential remedies, discussed in depth in the Noah’s Ark decision and, depending on the circumstances of the case, apply some or all of those remedies.”

“For the first time in their history, 3,000 grocery workers in the local chain Cub Foods across the Twin Cities metro area were set to strike. They were going to shut down 33 stores during the busy Easter weekend. Hours before the strike was to begin, the company offered a settlement that gave the workers much of what they wanted, and none of the concessions it had been demanding.”

“On Wednesday, workers at the New York Times and the Washington Post engaged in collective actions, mobilizing hundreds of workers demanding fair contracts. Both groups called on newsroom management to get to the negotiating table and agree to contracts raising minimum pay immediately.”

“But the primacy of streaming is also the reason why TV writers are now threatening to go on strike. For years, streaming services have slashed residual payments, which writers rely on, prompting the Writers Guild of America (WGA) to vote to strike.”

“Many unions are engaged in climate action initiatives to help reduce the harm that carbon emissions have on our communities and our environment. Often collaborating with environmental and community organizations, unions are mobilizing to ensure that the transition to a clean energy economy keeps workers at the center – all the while benefitting the greater communities in which they live. A just transition to a clean energy economy will include well-paying jobs in renewable energy industries as well as support for fossil-fuel workers so they adapt and thrive as well.”

“In a victory for AFGE and employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs Roseburg Healthcare System in Oregon, an arbitrator ordered the VA to restore all vacation and sick leave and reimburse all leave without pay for employees who took time off or were told to stay home due to COVID-19. The arbitrator found that the agency should have offered employees other leave options available through various laws passed in response to the pandemic.”

“‘Workers across the battery supply chain, from electric vehicles to agricultural equipment, must have the right to organize,’ said UAW President Shawn Fain. ‘We applaud SPARKZ for doing the right thing in agreeing not to interfere with workers’ right to join a union and look forward to winning a strong contract that sets the standard for the battery industry.’...‘UAW members in California have a critical role to play in the fight for climate justice,’ said UAW Region 6 Director Mike Miller. ‘Collective bargaining in the emerging green economy is a key piece of that work.’ California will be the first location for the partnership. SPARKZ has committed to over 800 new, full-time jobs and over $700 million of investment in the state.

“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).”

“Watch Burnes Center senior fellow Seth Harris interview Andy Levin, former U.S. representative for Michigan’s 9th congressional district and current distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, as they discuss Levin's history as a union organizer, labor law reform, his home state, and more.”

“Listen to Burnes Center senior fellow Seth Harris interview Andy Levin, former U.S. representative for Michigan’s 9th congressional district and current distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, as they discuss Levin's history as a union organizer, labor law reform, his home state, and more.”

“The wave of unionization continues apace across the United States and elsewhere in the world, but there’s often much less attention paid to the part of the process that comes after the winning of a union election: the bargaining of a contract. It can seem like the hard part is over when the votes are counted, but our guest this week reminds us that the hard part is just beginning. If that sounds daunting, well, Jane McAlevey is here to share her knowledge of how to make that hard part, if not easier, at least to help you succeed.”

“Increasingly, Amazon plays the central role in capitalism’s distribution and logistics system, as well as in the tech sector through Amazon Web Service’s dominant role in cloud computing. The monopolistic behemoth fully intends to keep growing. Its hyper-exploitative model is percolating throughout the entire economy, even seeping into currently unionized workplaces. Few jobs are insulated from its influence. Nearly 90 years ago, basic industry worker organizing was key to the revival of the labor movement. Today, Amazon workers occupy the same strategic position, standing at the front lines of the battle to determine whether working people have a fighting chance in the 21st century. Organizing Amazon is labor’s pinnacle challenge: A project that is extraordinarily daunting—and yet equally obligatory to tackle. It will take years of work and tremendous resources.”

“Strikes in the U.S. rose by nearly 50% in 2022, according to Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. And the trend has continued this year, including a three-day strike by some 30,000 Los Angeles school teachers' aides, bus drivers, custodians, and other support staff in March. Wall Street tycoons and their allies in elected office and the media have devoted decades to vilifying unions and the very notion of workers going on strike to better the lives of workers and the communities they live in. Yet 2022 also witnessed the largest rise in support for unions in half a century, up to 71% public approval. The message seems clear: Even when facing virulent retaliation from employers, workers were willing to engage in dynamic workplace actions, with growing support for unions.”