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.
Wells Fargo Faces Labor Board Complaint Over Union Vote: “The National Labor Relations Board has accused Wells Fargo of illegally threatening and retaliating against employees and coercing workers to prevent fair unionization votes at a California branch. Most employees of an Atwater, California, branch who signed cards supporting unionization in December 2023 voted against unionization the following month, a regional director of the NLRB alleged, in a complaint filed Tuesday and seen by Bloomberg, The NLRB claims Wells Fargo coerced workers to vote against unionization. Wells Fargo has denied that allegation.”
Chicago History Museum Workers Want to Join an Arts Industry Unionization Wave: “About two dozen workers at the Chicago History Museum have signed a letter saying they plan to unionize. In the letter, issued Wednesday morning, the employees said they are seeking clear communication from management and competitive wages. The move is one in a wave of similar organizing efforts at other Chicago cultural institutions. The workers are organizing with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME Council 31. Workers from the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum and Newberry Library, among others, have joined that same union in recent years.”
‘Stand with Grocery Workers Who Are Overworked, Understaffed and Underpaid’: “For too long, the hardworking union grocery workers of Southern California have been overworked, understaffed, and underpaid. These essential workers, who showed up day in and day out during the pandemic to keep our communities fed, now find themselves struggling to make ends meet. With inflation driving up the cost of living at an alarming rate, it’s time for major grocery corporations—Kroger/Ralphs, Albertsons/Vons, Stater Bros., and Gelson’s—to step up and provide the fair wages and benefits that these workers have earned. Southern California UFCW Locals are gearing up for what will likely be the toughest round of negotiations in decades. Bargaining with Kroger/Ralphs and Albertsons/Vons kicks off on February 13, with Stater Bros. negotiations beginning on March 6. Dates with Gelson’s have yet to be scheduled, but our message to all these companies is the same: Grocery workers are rising for our futures, our families, and our communities.”
How Teachers Union Leaders Are Gearing Up for the ‘Resistance’: “Sure. So, ‘Resistance Committee’ is pretty much shorthand for ‘Committee to Help Everyone Have a Better Life.” I know that sounds very general, but AFT represents not just public education but also health care professionals and nurses. Particularly in this moment, where—you know, it began with hospitals and places of worship and schools being removed as sensitive sites—we really had to think about how we protect our students, families and patients.”
SEIU Hospital Workers Ratify Contract, Avert Possible Strike: “SEIU workers at UPMC Washington Hospital and UPMC have agreed to a new contract. According to a press release, the contract includes average raises of 12% over three years, with some workers getting as much as 19% raises over the life of the contract. The union said the new contract ‘is major progress from UPMC’s original proposal of a 1% raise per year.’ ‘Our new contract will help us support ourselves and our families with the increased cost of living. This proves that when health care workers unite and take action—even at a small community hospital—we can create concrete positive change,’ said Melissa Duran, the chapter president of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania at Washington Hospital, where she works as an EKG technician.”
Federal Workers, Lawmakers to Rally at Capitol Hill to Protect Civil Service: “Hundreds of federal workers are expected to gather on Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon for the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) ‘Rally to Save the Civil Service.’ The event, part of AFGE’s annual legislative conference, aims to push back against efforts to politicize federal jobs.”
Retail Unions Are Gaining Ground as Employee Dissatisfaction Grows: “Americans are increasingly taking the side of workers as public opinion has turned overwhelmingly pro-union in recent years. Fifteen years ago, only about half of Americans approved of unions. Last year, it rose to 70%, just one percentage point below the 71% hit in 2022. That was a historic high since 1972 when Gallup began tracking union approval ratings annually.”
Union Leaders to Try Again on Rail Safety; Corporate Greed Sidetracked It: “Titus and Cassidy joined AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Greg Regan, who organized the session, along with co-sponsoring Reps. Emilia Sykes, D-Ohio, and Chris Deluzio, D-Pa. Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas, sent a short video. All but Nehls discussed the massive Norfolk Southern derailment and venting of toxic chemicals into the. air and water precisely two years before, on Feb. 3, 2023, in East Palestine, Ohio. ‘The people of eastern Ohio have suffered so much from corporate greed,’ Sykes said. ‘Our greatest fear is a train derailment can become a mass casualty event. But we have yet to see meaningful reform out of Congress’ to force railroads to put safety and people over profits, said Regan.”
As Off Broadway Crews Unionize, Workers See Hope, Producers Peril: “A unionization wave sweeping across Off Broadway is poised to reshape the economics of theater-making in New York—for workers as well as producers. Striking stage crews have idled the nonprofit Atlantic Theater Company—the birthplace of the musicals ‘Spring Awakening,’ ‘The Band’s Visit’ and ‘Kimberly Akimbo,’ which all transferred to Broadway and won Tonys. The strike, which began last month, comes amid a drive to unionize stage hands and crews at Off Broadway theaters. The drive is being spearheaded by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE, which represents workers on Broadway and in Hollywood. It has won union contracts at two long-running commercial Off Broadway shows: The crew of ‘Titaníque,’ a musical that spoofs the film ‘Titanic’ and the pop star Celine Dion, approved a contract last October, and the crew at ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ a revival of the sci-fi musical comedy, did so in January.”
First Labor Official Ousted from NLRB in 90 Years Is Now Suing Trump. Hear Why: “Former National Labor Relations Board member Gwynne Wilcox speaks to CNN’s Victor Blackwell after being fired by President Donald Trump, making her the first member of the board to be removed in 90 years. Wilcox called her firing “unprecedented” and has since filed a federal lawsuit.”