The Weekly Download

“In this blogcast, Burnes Center Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Madison Zack-Wu, lead organizer of Strippers Are Workers, and Kim Kelly, freelance labor journalist, to discuss Washington state's new bill to protect dancers in their workplaces. Watch now to hear about the Strippers' Bill of Rights, how the COVID-19 pandemic affected dancers, and how the labor movement can get involved in securing rights for strippers.”

“The largest union in the country has locked its own workers out of their jobs after they went on strike for three days, escalating an ugly contract dispute that has already involved the White House. Staffers at the National Education Association said they were told not to report to work at the union’s headquarters in Washington on Monday. Last week, the employees went on strike during the NEA’s annual convention in Philadelphia, prompting President Joe Biden to back out of a planned speech. The staff union claimed the lockout was retaliation for their Philly walkout, calling it a “dangerous” and “reactionary” move by the NEA. A lockout is a work stoppage initiated by the employer, essentially the opposite of a strike.”

"The journalists of the South Florida Sun Sentinel announced today they are forming a union to defend the future of their newsroom and South Florida’s access to quality local journalism. The last two decades have been difficult for journalism in general, and for Sun Sentinel staffers in particular. They have seen staff levels razed and salaries and benefits cut. With diminishing resources, they pulled together and provided the region and the nation with Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the slaughter of 17 students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018. They continue to win awards and earn national praise for their reporting.”

“Over 150 workers at TC Transcontinental in Brooklyn, N.Y., joined UFCW Local 342 on May 1. TC Transcontinental is a leader in flexible packaging in the United States, Canada, and Latin America, and the workers produce flexographic printing, as well as the lamination of plastic film and covering.”

“Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to significantly disrupt the workplace, and in particular, to change how employers make decisions about hiring, firing, and promotions. According to one prediction, up to 40% of employers will use AI to interview job candidates instead of conducting in-person interviews by the end of 2024. Unions such as the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the Communications Workers of America (CWA), and the AFL-CIO have all sought to protect their membership from the harmful effects of AI’s disruptions in the workplace.”

“To understand how work is valued in American culture, take a look at workers’ houses. The house, after all, is where recent generations have experienced work’s rewards most vividly—a sense of security, upward mobility, and hard-earned comfort. But amidst today’s affordability crisis, housing is increasingly difficult to find and a source of anxiety for many. I wrote Building a Social Contract to get a longer view of the relationship between work and housing in America.”

“Nearly 50 labor organizations representing a wide range of U.S. workers—from teachers to letter carriers to mine workers—are urging members of Congress this week to oppose Republican efforts to roll back a slew of Biden administration rules aimed at protecting the nation's workforce from abusive employers and unscrupulous Wall Street investors. Led by the AFL-CIO, the country's largest federation of labor unions, the groups sent a letter to lawmakers on Tuesday warning about the GOP's attempted use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to overturn pro-worker rules enacted by the Department of Labor and other U.S. agencies.”

“The U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) ended its 2023-2024 term with a flurry of massive decisions, and several stand to damage the agencies designed to protect workers. The right-wing rulings are understandably causing anxiety among progressives, including labor activists.”

“Unions are a critical force in American society, ensuring that everyday Americans can earn decent pay and benefits and have a voice in our democracy. Study after study has shown that unions make our economy and democracy stronger by boosting wages for workers, reducing wage inequality, increasing voter turnout for union and nonunion voters alike, and providing a counterbalance to wealthy interest groups. This is part of a historical tradition of unions playing a powerful role for American workers: Unions helped create the 40-hour workweek, child labor laws, and improvements in health insurance. At their height in 1945, unions represented one-third of all U.S. workers. Unfortunately, decades of attacks on unions, weak U.S. labor laws, and a changing economy have caused union membership to steadily decline; in 2023, unions represented just 10 percent of workers. However, in recent years, the popularity and activity of unions has grown to levels not seen in decades, bolstering their ability to deliver on these benefits.”

“Thanks to the activism of UFT members, parents and community groups, the $112.4 billion New York City budget for the 2025 fiscal year restored some, but not all, of the cuts that Mayor Eric Adams made to 3-K and pre-K. The restorations, which were spearheaded by Speaker Adrienne Adams and the rest of the City Council in budget negotiations, include $20 million so that the more than 1,700 children who had been waitlisted for 3-K and pre-K spots this fall will now get seats, according to the mayor. The budget also includes funding for additional seats and services for preschool children with disabilities who were waitlisted, as well as 4,000 seats for free or low-cost child care for up to 10 hours a day year-round for families who qualify.”

“the proposed cuts to the RRB released last week by the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies for Fiscal Year 2025 steals from railroaders. These reductions do not save “John Q. Taxpayer” any money. This is RRB Trust Fund money tethered to the federal government’s oversight.”

“On July 3, District Judge Ada Brown of the Northern District of Texas issued an order enjoining the Federal Trade Commission (‘FTC’) from enforcing its ‘Final Rule’ against plaintiffs Ryan, LLC (‘Ryan’) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (the ‘Chamber’). If implemented, the Final Rule would effectively render nearly all non-compete agreements unlawful. Accordingly, this opinion was one of the most highly anticipated judicial decisions in antitrust and labor and employment law in recent memory.”

“Louisiana’s government made headlines in recent weeks for passing a slate of right-wing policies that range from requiring the Ten Commandments be displayed in every classroom to eliminating lunch breaks for young workers. Other priorities, like banning collective bargaining for most public sector workers, didn’t pass this time around but may come back to haunt working people soon enough….Despite some of the least favorable conditions for labor in the country, workers here have been organizing — and making gains. The most recent victory came from Tulane’s non-tenured faculty, and workers have been pushing for union rights and safer, better conditions in workplaces from hospitals to dollar stores. And now workers in New Orleans, organizing with Step Up Louisiana, are campaigning for a Workers’ Bill of Rights in the city, an initiative which will be on the ballot in November.”

“The Texas Supreme Court upheld Austin, TX Local 975’s union business leave provision, protecting members’ rights and setting a strong precedent for IAFF affiliates nationwide. The case, brought forward by taxpayers funded by the Goldwater Institute, challenged the union business leave provisions in Local 975’s CBA, arguing it violates the Texas Constitution’s ‘gift clause.’ However, in a 6-3 ruling, the Texas Supreme Court upheld the provision, recognizing its critical role in promoting fair labor practices and ensuring fire fighter safety.”

“Chicago rideshare drivers gathered between the first and second terminals of O’Hare International Airport on June 25 to launch their latest call for change: an end to ‘unfair deactivations.’ It felt personal for Bernard Moses, a 50-year-old driver based in Plainfield, Illinois. In May, Moses said, Uber deactivated his account without explanation. The change left him without income he’d depended on since the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his massage therapy business.”

“Disney could face the largest strike in the US this year after it was announced that thousands of theme park and hotel workers in California will vote on whether to stage a walkout. Three trade unions representing 14,000 “cast members” at Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney and the Disney hotels announced that an unfair labor practice strike vote would be held next week amid negotiations over a new union contract.”

“St. Louis area unions turned out in numbers June 30 for the 2024 Grand Pride Parade capping off St. Louis Pride Fest in downtown, celebrating their LGBTQIA+ members and reminding the public that unions provide an equal voice on the job to all workers.”

“This is a historic day. After six years of bargaining including five years of mediation, Gate Gourmet workers—for the first time in 20 years—have finally been released from federal mediation. This is an important step towards allowing 8,000 union members across the United States who prepare, pack, and deliver inflight food and beverages to be able to strike.”

“On July 2, 2024, one day after the contract between The Bronx Defenders (BxD) and its wall-to-wall union, The Bronx Defenders Union–UAW Local 2325 (BxD Union), expired, BxD Union’s Bargaining Committee voted to authorize an unlimited Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike beginning the week of July 22, 2024. The difficult decision to authorize a strike comes after the Bargaining Committee attempted for months to engage BxD’s executive management team in bargaining without success. BxD’s failure to bargain in good faith—an unfair labor practice—has left BxD Union with no choice but to call for a strike.”

“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.”

“No protest to simply register discontent, no preaching to the choir, no fool’s errand organizing campaigns: Jane McAlevey was deadly serious about smart, effective strategy for the working class, and demanded organizers around her be the same.”

“Members seeking to transform the United Food and Commercial Workers have added a new weapon to their arsenal: legal action. Grocery workers Kyong Barry (Local 3000 in Washington) and Iris Scott (Local 1459 in Massachusetts) sued the UFCW April 19 over the undemocratic representation of members at the UFCW Convention, which takes place every five years.”

“Civilian employees in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, including automotive technicians and fleet specialists, voted to dissolve their union in May, becoming the first employees in Florida to do so following the adoption of a sweeping anti-union law last year that has already caused over 50,000 public employees to lose their union representation.”