The Weekly Download

“The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) plays a vital role in the United States’ workforce development system, funding programs that provide training, employment, and support services to millions of workers, particularly those facing significant barriers to employment. Yet, since it was first enacted in 1998, WIOA has lacked a critical layer of accountability: The funding process governing public workforce development programs does not adequately ensure that federal workforce development dollars are not awarded to companies that have recently violated labor laws. The “Representation of Compliance” provision of the current WIOA reauthorization Senate discussion bill (US Senate 2024, sec. 191(1)(B)) aims to close this gap by preventing employers who violate labor laws from receiving federal funding—a critical measure to protect workers and deter unlawful employer practices that undercut both worker power and safety and high-road business practices.”

“Democrats spent months hand-wringing about losing their grasp on rank-and-file union members. On Tuesday that was the least of their worries. Despite persistent fears that labor might break for former President Donald Trump, exit polling showed Vice President Kamala Harris winning voters in union households 55 to 43 percent, roughly on par with President Joe Biden’s performance in 2020. (A separate survey from NBC News had Harris up 10 points among union voters.) In fact, union voters were one of the few groups that did not appreciably shift toward Trump and Republicans in what is shaping up to be one of the party’s strongest presidential election cycles in recent memory. Union leaders were quick to take credit for holding the line, though they acknowledged they faced headwinds from Democrats’ overall economic messaging.”

“One uncertainty around Trump-administration labor policies is a divide among Trump’s inner circle between traditional pro-business conservatives and ascendant right-wing populists, labor experts tell The Post. The latter includes Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio, who supports some policies aimed at helping working-class Americans. But labor leaders and Democrats, including Seth Harris, who formerly served as President Joe Biden’s top labor adviser, have been sounding the alarm that a Trump victory would be ‘catastrophic for the labor movement.’ A Trump administration would be ‘eager to test the outer limits of executive power for the purpose of weakening and destroying unions,’ Harris said. Here are the top labor priorities Trump allies have discussed, according to interviews with eight former Trump administration officials and seven labor policy experts with ties to Republican administrations, including Trump’s.” 

“Voters in red states have approved ballot initiatives mandating paid sick days for workers, showing that the progressive policy enjoys broad support across party lines. Sick leave measures in Missouri and Nebraska passed by comfortable margins on Tuesday, while one in Alaska appeared likely to pass with about 70% of votes counted early Wednesday morning. Under the new laws, workers can accrue one hour of paid sick time for every 30 they work, capped at 56 hours per year at large employers and 40 at small ones. Assuming the Alaska measure prevails, then 18 states would now have paid sick leave requirements on their books, with Missouri, Nebraska and Alaska being the most conservative. Former President Donald Trump handily won Missouri and Nebraska on Tuesday and appeared likely to take Alaska; he won all three states in 2016 and 2020 as well.”

“In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Gregg Johnson, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives, and Robert Bruno, a Director of the Labor Education Program and a Professor of Labor and Employment at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Watch now to learn about Illinois' groundbreaking new bill for students in high schools to learn about the workforce, unions, and the labor movement. Hear the perspective from both the sponsor of the bill Rep. Gregg Johnson, and a labor expert in the state, Robert Bruno.”

“On October 9, 101 workers from across Mississippi Market Co-op’s three locations in the Twin Cities voted in a union election, and 82 workers voted yes to union representation. Around 158 employees will be represented by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 1189, which also represents thousands of health care, food processing, cannabis, and other retail workers in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, including workers at the Wedge Co-op in Minneapolis, the River Market Co-op in Stillwater, Minn., and the Whole Foods Co-op in Duluth, Minn. The other Mississippi Market locations are on East Seventh Street and Selby Avenue in St. Paul, Minn. According to a press release from UFCW Local 1189, workers at all three stores have cited unpredictable schedules, unrealistic attendance policies, and inconsistent management as reasons for forming a union.”

“The 24-hour chain famously stays open come hell or high water (inspiring FEMA’s Waffle House Index), but pays workers as little as $3 an hour….In May 2024, Waffle House CEO Joe Rogers III announced that the company would be making its ​’single largest additional investment in our workforce’ by raising the base pay for servers like Gleaton to three dollars an hour. That raise came as a direct result of a yearlong campaign led by the Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW), a worker-led union of low-wage service workers backed by the Service Employees International Union’s long-running Fight for a Union campaign (formerly Fight for $15 and a Union). The USSW has continued to push for more, calling for a $25 hourly wage for its members.” 

“CHICAGO — Workers at Flex-N-Gate have voted overwhelmingly to form a union with the United Auto Workers (UAW). In the election, held yesterday and today, the 370 workers at the auto parts manufacturer in Chicago overcame an aggressive anti-union campaign by the company that included threats, intimidation and even firings of union supporters.”

“DENVER – A majority of Arapahoe County Human Services employees have voted overwhelmingly to unionize as AFSCME Colorado. They became the largest unit of workers to organize under Colorado’s collective bargaining law for county workers, which took effect last year. Human Services employees hailed their Nov. 1 vote as an historic win that will give them a seat at the table to address important issues to improve their jobs and the services they provide. Key issues include manageable workloads, fair pay, improving safety standards, and enhancing health care and job security. The new unit will include 520 Human Services workers.”

“RICHMOND, Calif. – Workers at NIAD Art Center, a northern California institution that serves artists with disabilities, have formed a union. The group of cultural workers and service providers organized as NIAD UNIDAD (NIADU) and are seeking representation through AFSCME Council 57. The new union would cover approximately 35 workers across NIAD, short for the National Institute of Arts & Disabilities, and include teaching artists, direct service providers, administrative support staff, and others — many of whom serve in more than one of these roles.”

“The Anchorage News Guild won their NLRB election today in a 13-4 election vote in favor of the union. Anchorage journalists will join the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Guild, a local union of The NewsGuild-CWA. The journalists and news staff at Anchorage Daily News filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board in September and have now pulled off a historic win, becoming Alaska’s first unionized newspaper.”

“Labor prosecutors have accused the LGBTQ+ dating app Grindr of wielding a return-to-office policy to thwart a union organizing effort. A spokesperson for the National Labor Relations Board said the agency’s general counsel filed the charges Friday, alleging Grindr used the mandate to force out employees because they had ‘joined the union and engaged in concerted activities.’ The NLRB is responsible for investigating union-busting claims and overseeing union elections. The complaint also accuses Grindr of presenting workers with an unlawful severance agreement and refusing to bargain with the workers’ union, the Communications Workers of America.”

“Workers are battling an overhaul of the U.S. Postal Service that would cost thousands of jobs and slow the mail for half the country. In the name of efficiency, a letter mailed within Cheyenne, Wyoming, would travel to Denver and back. And if you miss a package, your local post office would no longer have it. It might be 45 minutes away. In March, Buffalo became the first place to fend off the closure of its mail processing plant, in a team effort by Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 3 and Postal Workers (APWU) Local 374. The unions turned out 300 people to picket in front of the plant, and 700 to pack a public hearing, said Branch 3 President David Grosskopf. They deluged USPS with feedback in its online survey. They lined up the support of their state reps and city council; they got neighboring town councils to pass resolutions too. They even got their senator to call the Postmaster General personally—and it didn’t hurt that their senator was Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Within a few weeks, the plant consolidation was canceled.”

“A year and a half into bargaining for a new contract, CWA-represented passenger service and ramp agents at Piedmont Airlines walked the picket line at airports across the country to show the company they are serious about a contract that secures the livable pay, health care, and workplace safety they deserve.”

“NEW YORK – The Times Tech Guild – the union that powers the technology behind election coverage at The New York Times – has walked off the job in a ULP strike that threatens Election Day. The work stoppage began at 12:01 a.m. ET Monday despite multiple rounds of intense bargaining and a practice picket that drew more than 400 outside the headquarters of The Times and another 200 remotely on Wednesday.”

“Honolulu, Hawaii – Nearly 2,000 hotel workers at the Hilton Hawaiian Village have reached a tentative agreement for a new contract. If ratified as expected during a vote today, it will conclude a 40-day strike at Hawaii’s biggest hotel. Marriott workers in Boston have a tentative agreement and will vote to ratify their contracts on Wednesday. The hotel workers’ union UNITE HERE celebrated the settlements as a signal of momentum but noted that 2,000 hotel workers remain on strike at Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott hotels in San Francisco and cautioned that more strikes are possible in cities across the country.”

“San Francisco, Calif. – Eighty-five striking hotel workers and supporters were arrested in San Francisco during a non-violent civil disobedience yesterday as widespread strikes continued to affect the U.S. hotel industry. Over 3,800 Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott hotel workers with the UNITE HERE union remain on strike in San Francisco and Honolulu, and guests report significant disruptions to hotel operations. Approx. 756 Hilton workers in Boston have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract and will hold a ratification vote today. Approx. 650 Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott workers in San Jose have ratified or will vote today to ratify their new contracts.”

“​​Highland, IL  — Approximately 400 members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 660 are on strike for a fair contract at Eaton Corp., facilities in Highland and Troy, Ill.”

“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.”