The Weekly Download

"In a letter sent by ATU International President John Costa and President/Business Agent of Local 265-San Jose, CA, John Courtney, to the VTA Board of Directors among others, the ATU outlines numerous reasons the independent investigative report was a transparent effort by the agency to avoid any accountability or culpability for the tragic shooting that took the lives of ten VTA workers.”

“The Los Angeles school strike that kept about a half-million students out of classrooms for three days this past week has ended, but that happened even before the union announced a tentative labor contract late Friday. Still, the union’s success is another sign of why short-term strikes like it are surging nationwide.”

“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.”

“Where there is exploitation and oppression, however, there is always resistance. In Vermont, dairy workers organizing with Migrant Justice are engaged in a campaign to compel the grocery store chain Hannaford to join their compact, Milk with Dignity, which would guarantee fair wages, better benefits, and improved working and living conditions on dairy farms throughout the northeast.”

“The rebellion inside Medieval Times’ Southern California castle has spread to another wing. The castle’s sound and lighting technicians informed the company Tuesday that they intend to unionize, filing a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board. The castle’s show cast formed a union of their own last year and have been on strike since February.”

“Most cannabis dispensaries are cash-only businesses, constantly at risk of being robbed. Indoor growing facilities use harsh lighting, and plants get sprayed with pesticides. Those conditions can create daily hazards for cannabis workers, which is why labor organizers are trying to unionize them as legalization spreads and the marijuana workforce grows.”

“Workers involved in organizing the approximately 150 staff members at the store said in interviews they are seeking a union primarily to address what they see as Trader Joe’s disregard for their physical safety and financial security in the high-priced San Francisco Bay Area. The Oakland store is the first Trader Joe’s location in California to join a national push that began in May.”

“Full-time faculty in non-tenured track positions at New York University are demanding that the university administration recognize their union. In February, a group organizing a union called Contract Faculty United-UAW presented the university administration with a petition signed by a majority of contract faculty urging the university to agree to a “fair and neutral process” for voluntarily recognizing their union. These workers say they lack the job security - and many of the benefits - afforded to faculty members in tenured positions.”

“As part of the five-year deal, MLB agreed during the contract not to reduce minor league affiliates from the current 120. The sides reached the agreement two days before the start of the minor league season and hours after a federal judge gave final approval to a $185 million settlement reached with MLB last May of a lawsuit filed in 2014 alleging violations of federal minimum wage laws.”

“If you’re one of the people who’s been following the Warrior Met Coal strike over the past 23 months, it’s almost certain that you’ve heard the name Haeden Wright. The 35-year-old mother of two is a teacher, an activist, an elected official, a coal miner’s daughter and a boss’s worst nightmare. She’s a vocal presence on social media, has given countless interviews, and has participated in panels and other public events in an effort to direct attention to the strike.”

“Reform challenger Shawn Fain has won the presidency of the United Auto Workers, the federal monitor announced today. Fain will be sworn in just in time to chair the UAW's bargaining convention, which begins Monday.”

"Two economic releases today tell us that U.S. economic conditions remain strong for workers. The Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis reported an advance estimate that the U.S. economy grew 2.9% in the last quarter of 2022. That's a slight decline from the preceding quarter, but still strong economic growth. Solid economic growth is a clear indication that the American economy is strong and there are no signs that an unemployment-producing recession is looming."

"Self-organizing a union on a shoestring? Winning the supposedly unwinnable? Workers at a local burger chain out of Portland, Oregon, were doing it before it was cool. The Burgerville Workers Union, which went public in 2016 and won its first contract in 2021, has recently been influencing and supporting independent union efforts in the region—and it has a few lessons to offer independent unions around the country."

“The court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization posed an imminent threat to collective bargaining agreements, and the justices heard arguments earlier this month in a case that could deal a devastating blow to workers’ right to strike … These fights are deeply connected, and in many states where abortion has been restricted, workers’ rights are also severely limited. Working people have the ability to respond and that’s why we launched a new map to help workers make informed decisions to better advocate for ourselves and our families.”

VIDEO: "Ingredion workers in Cedar Rapids have been on strike for more than 6 months. The specialty ingredient manufacturer brought in record revenue of almost 7 billion in 2022 but tried to pay its workers less and cut their benefits."

"Minnesota Starbucks workers interviewed by Workday Magazine attest to “soft” union-busting tactics that are on par with trends across the country: not giving unionized stores the same wage increases as non-unionized stores, not installing credit card tip readers in unionized shops, cracking down on dress code violations that never used to be enforced, cutting hours, denying promotions, and spreading confusion about the union."

"Until fairly recently, games were considered a niche hobby, typically associated with children. But the industry has grown widely in recent decades. About two-thirds of Americans, most of them adults, play video games. The video game industry was worth nearly $200 billion in 2021 — more than music, U.S. book publishing and North American sports combined. It employs hundreds of thousands of people in the U.S. alone."

INTERACTIVE DATA: "Union support hit near-record levels last year, with high-profile organizing at Amazon and Starbucks grabbing headlines. Yet at the same time union membership hit an all-time low in 2022.Why it matters: The shortcomings can be pinned on a powerful mix of forces: institutional labor's missteps, well-funded corporate pushback, and weak federal/local laws have all helped suppress U.S union membership."

"The Animation Guild, Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 839, has secured voluntary recognition for a group of unionizing production workers at Nickelodeon Animation Studios. The company agreed to recognize the bargaining unit of 177 workers that includes production coordinators, production managers, asset production coordinators and others. This will be the largest unit of production workers to join The Animation Guild so far and they will now begin negotiations for their first union contract."

BOOK REVIEW: “In ‘The Great Escape,’ Saket Soni, a labor organizer, recounts the ordeal faced by hundreds of Indian workers who were lured to this country on false promises of green cards and sorely mistreated.”

"Watch Burnes Center Senior Fellow Seth Harris in a conversation with Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants, and Kate Bronfenbrenner, the Director of Labor Education Research and Senior Lecturer at Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations, as they discuss the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Union Members Report for 2022. This live event aired at 10:30 AM, January 19 — just 30 minutes after the release of the report."