Kenneth Quinnell

The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor recently hosted a Summit on Poverty and Homelessness. Hundreds of labor, political and community leaders called for real policy change to help working families tackle the affordability crisis.

Nearly 100 Machinists (IAM) Local 1414 members working at SSA Marine (SSA) terminals in Oakland, California, voted to ratify a robust new six-year contract Nov. 1. The contract includes significant wage increases, enhanced health care and retirement benefits, retroactive pay, and other critical improvements. IAM members working at SSA Marine are employed as heavy equipment, crane, chassis and refrigeration mechanics.

Union workers at Scholastic staged a one-day work stoppage on Nov. 1 following the publisher's rejection of Scholastic Union's proposal for annual raises. The workers held a picket outside Scholastic's corporate headquarters in Soho, New York. The union members are represented by the NewsGuild of New York and have been without a contract since May 2022, when the previous contract expired. The workers staged a "lunch out" on June 12 over the same grievances, which start with the fact that the workers have not received a wage increase since 2021.

The U.S. economy gained 150,000 jobs in October, and the unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 3.9%, according to figures released Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Members of the Machinists (IAM) Mechanics Union Local 701 working at M&K Truck Centers in Alsip, Illinois, are on strike as of Nov. 1 for a fair contract and to keep their union benefits, which they have enjoyed in previous contracts.

Postdoctoral workers at Columbia University, who are members of International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) Local 4100, secured a new contract Tuesday, approving it with a vote of 89.4% in favor.