Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s the latest edition of the Working People Weekly List.
Workers Memorial Day Honors Those Who Died on the Job: “The country’s largest labor union is calling for stronger safety protections for workers after a new report found more than 5,000 people died on the job in 2021, including 105 in Wisconsin. The AFL-CIO details the findings in the latest installment of its annual report evaluating health and safety conditions for the country’s workers. According to the report, 343 workers die each day in the U.S. from hazardous working conditions, with the fatality rate rising in 2021 to 3.6 per 100,000 U.S. workers. In 2021, 5,190 workers were killed on the job, the union estimates, while another 120,000 died from job-related diseases.”
Wildcat Materials Employee Strike Ends with New Contract Agreement: “Employees of a Columbia construction supply company returned to work Thursday after a eight-day strike. Wildcat Materials employees, who are members of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 955, voted unanimously to ratify their contract Thursday morning, according to a news release.”
Senate Panel Advances Biden Labor Nominee Julie Su: “The AFL-CIO is fighting back, running ads in Arizona and D.C. backing Su’s efforts to counter wage theft in California. The ads tell viewers that workers are ‘tired of getting ripped off by big corporations.’ The labor federation is also mobilizing its members to lobby senators. ‘We’re going to defend Julie against these baseless corporate special interests attacks,’ AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler told reporters last week. ‘Every senator, especially those that haven’t yet said that they’ll vote yes, needs to be aware of how much this confirmation means to working people’s lives.’”
Bustle Digital Group, Writers Guild East Reach First Union Contract: “Bustle Digital Group and the Writers Guild of America, East have reached a tentative agreement with management on a first union contract, the publisher announced Wednesday. BDG says it won guaranteed minimum salary increases, strong benefits, and fair severance and protection from layoffs in its two-year contract fight. More details will be made public when the contract is ratified by members.”
Storytellers at a Los Angeles Planetarium Join the Union Representing Broadway Actors: “The planetarium lecturers at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles have unionized. They hope that doing so will help preserve their longstanding tradition of live storytelling.”
Julie Su Is a Champion for Workers Everywhere. The Senate Must Confirm Her: “President Biden’s nomination of Julie Su for Labor secretary presents an opportunity to appoint an experienced, historic, and committed leader who has dedicated her career to advocating for workers’ rights. Her nomination comes at a crucial time, as the country emerges from the economic crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and workers across America are exercising their constitutional right to form a union in the face of corporate opposition and union-busting. At this critical juncture, workers need a strong advocate in the Department of Labor.”
Paper Mill, Union Workers Agree on Labor Contract: “There’s a new labor contract for workers at a Lyons Falls paper mill. Twin Rivers paper company and the United Steelworkers Local 956 have agreed on a new 3-year deal. There are 44 union workers at the mill. Twin Rivers bought the facility in 2016. It was the Burrows Paper Corporation.”
The Bank Crisis Is the Latest Argument to Expand Postal Service Banking: “Since the government is already in the business of supporting the banking system, the people ought to demand a system that is designed to better serve the public interest and the common good. Any debate about the future of banking in the United States should first take a page from the history of postal banking. During its 55-year existence, beginning in 1910 by an act of Congress, the U.S. Postal Savings System became one of the largest depository institutions in the country. It served as a safe harbor during the Great Depression and provided simple and reliable basic banking services, especially in rural communities.”
Goddard College Workers Reach Contract Agreement, End Strike: “After 28 days on strike, staff at Goddard College in Plainfield have struck an agreement with the administration that union members are calling a success. After a nearly month-long strike, unionized staff at the school reached an agreement and are now back on the job. ‘We’re all very happy to be back, and it’s been a long month for sure,’ said Trevor Utton, a union organizer.”