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.
Penn Hills Library Employees Vote to Unionize Amid Management Changes: “According to Jenn Wood, communications representative for USW, the Penn Hills Library is the second Pittsburgh-area library to join the union. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh joined USW in 2019. ‘We’re all really excited,’ Kuhn said. ‘The Penn Hills Library doesn’t work without library workers. This is a chance to show up for ourselves and our community.’”
Chattanooga Workers at Volkswagen Logistics Provider Vote to Unionize: “Inspired by the successful contract push at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, workers for Schnellecke Logistics recently voted by a 2-to-1 margin to join the United Auto Workers, according to the union. The vote tally was 183 to 91 in favor.”
SAG-AFTRA Ratifies Four-Year Deal with Studios and Streamers: “Members of SAG-AFTRA have ratified the four-year deal with studios and streamers that union negotiators reached in early May. 91.42% of voters of voted to approve the contract, while 8.58% were opposed. 19.25% of eligible members turned out in the vote. SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin said in a statement, ‘I’m proud of our SAG-AFTRA membership and the strength they continue to show when we move together with a shared purpose. This agreement builds on the foundation members fought to establish and carries that work into the next chapter of our industry. It delivers meaningful gains in compensation, strengthens protections around artificial intelligence and digital identity, reinforces the long-term security of members’ benefit plans and recognizes the realities of how performers work today.’”
Building for the Future: “Sheet Metal Workers Local 16 is building out its Northeast Portland training center—and using the expansion to test out a model project labor agreement that local unions hope could become a template for private construction projects. Known as the Sheet Metal Institute, the training center is financed and overseen jointly by the union and its signatory contractors. At the center, apprentice sheet metal workers learn all aspects of the trade, including reading blueprints, installing custom ductwork, testing and balancing HVAC systems, using plasma tables, hydraulic presses, and welding equipment to cut, bend, and join sheet metal plates.”
Labor Unions Celebrate World Court Ruling Enshrining Right to Strike: “‘At a moment when workers’ organizations face sustained attacks around the world, this opinion reaffirms that the freedom to withhold one’s labor is not a privilege granted by the powerful, but a fundamental human right grounded in international law,’ AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement.”
San Diego REI Votes to Unionize. It’s Now the Co-Op’s Biggest Union: “San Diego workers at the Kearny Mesa REI store voted to unionize this week and become the largest organized store in the retail chain. The union will now work to secure a contract with the Seattle area-based retailer. Workers said they are seeking higher pay, better scheduling practices and other benefits. Workers were organized under the large United Food and Commercial Workers Union, or UFCW. The Kearny Mesa store becomes the 12th REI in the U.S. to unionize and, with roughly 119 workers, the largest. ‘We’re disappointed in this result but respect our employees’ right to choose or not to choose union representation,’ said a statement from an REI spokesperson on Friday. ‘We remain confident in what makes REI a great place to work—meaningful work, flexibility, and a shared commitment to our co-op values—and will continue listening, learning, and showing up for our employees across the co-op.’”