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.
AFT President Randi Weingarten Delivers Major National Address 'In Defense of Public Education': “American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has issued a clarion call to defend public education, transform learning and support children as the institution comes under existential threat from extremist, culture-war peddling politicians. In an address to the National Press Club, the leader of the 1.7 million-member union urged civil society to fight for the future of public schools and help kids learn in the face of relentless attacks from the far-right intent on dismantling the schools that 90 percent of kids attend. ‘Attacks on public education are not new. The difference today is that the attacks are intended to destroy it. To make it a battlefield, a political cudgel,’ Weingarten said.”
Medieval Times’ Sound and Lighting Technicians Plan to Unionize: “The rebellion inside Medieval Times’ Southern California castle has spread to another wing. The castle’s sound and lighting technicians informed the company Tuesday that they intend to unionize, filing a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board. The castle’s show cast formed a union of their own last year and have been on strike since February. The workers said they plan to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 504, the union that represents stagehands at Disneyland. In their letter, the workers said they want Medieval Times to pay better attention to safety and increase wages to ‘meet industry standards.’”
Lawmakers to Reintroduce Federal Nurse Staffing Ratio Bill: “The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the struggles of front-line healthcare workers including long-standing issues like staffing shortages and burnout. Some workers have taken action through union organizing, picketing and strikes to secure new contracts with terms to quell challenges—especially regarding staffing levels. National Nurses United is among the unions lobbying for federal staffing standards, arguing that safer conditions are needed to keep nurses from ‘leaving the healthcare field in droves’ and making the crisis worse for workers who remain, NNU President Deborah Burger said at a Thursday press conference.”
United Airlines Reaches Tentative Labor Agreements with Ground Workers Union: “The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said the two-year tentative agreements cover ‘industry-best’ wage rates, as well as job protection and certain guards against outsourcing roles. The specific terms of the contracts were not disclosed.”
MLBPA and Major League Baseball Agree on CBA for Minor League Players, Per Report: “Major League Baseball and the minor-league players in the MLB Players Association have reached an agreement on a Collective Bargaining Agreement, the first in history that will apply to minor-league players, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The CBA will have a five-year duration, as is the usual for CBA in the world of baseball, and will at least double pay at all levels.”
Workers of Color Made Up 100% of Union Growth in 2022: “Recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the number of unionized workers in the United States increased by 200,000 from 2021 to 2022. And that growth came entirely from workers of color. There was an increase in 231,000 unionized workers of color last year, while white unionized workers actually decreased by 31,000. Further, of all racial and ethnic groups, Black workers have continued leading unionization rates, at 12.8%, higher than the figure of total unionized workers.”
Actors' Equity Association and League of Resident Theatres Reach New Five-Year Agreement: “Actors' Equity Association and the League of Resident Theatres have reached a tentative agreement for a new five-year contract. The agreement remains subject to ratification by both Equity members and LORT members. ‘We are pleased to have come to a tentative agreement with LORT that guarantees fair wages while also making significant gains reflecting the hard work of stage managers, understudies and actors who play musical instruments on stage,’ said Actors' Equity Association Assistant Executive Director Andrea Hoeschen, who served as Equity's lead negotiator on the agreement. ‘The mutual respect between Equity and LORT was palpable throughout the bargaining process, which resulted in an agreement that benefits both sides.’”
Iowa Federation of Labor Against ‘Child Labor’ Bills: “The Iowa Federation of Labor calls two bills moving through the legislature ‘gross’ and ‘extreme’, saying they’ll put Iowa’s kids in dangerous jobs. Both bills change child labor laws, expanding what younger teens can do for work as well as expand work hours.”
The Bosses Still Aren’t Back in Charge: “‘The people who are actually making the lattes and restocking the grocery shelves and shipping all those packages that enabled us to stay home are rising up and saying we’re not going to take it anymore,’ Shuler said.”
Unions Praise Whitmer for Signing Right to Work Repeal, Prevailing Wage Restoration Bills: “‘After decades of anti-worker attacks, Michigan has restored the balance of power for working people by passing laws to protect their freedom to bargain for the good wages, good benefits, and safe workplaces they deserve,’ said Ron Bieber, president of Michigan AFL-CIO. ‘Ten years ago, Governor Whitmer was standing side by side with well over ten thousand working people who showed up in Lansing to protest the devastating attack on their rights. Today, she has demonstrated yet again her unwavering commitment to putting working families first. After decades of attacks on working people, it’s a new day in Michigan, and the future is bright.’”
Pay Transparency Is Spreading. Here’s What You Need to Know: “U.S. employers are increasingly posting salary ranges for job openings, even in states where it’s not required by law, according to analysts with several major job search websites. Following new legislation in New York City, California, Washington, Colorado, and elsewhere, employers across the country are becoming more transparent about pay in order to stay competitive with companies in states that require employers to post salary ranges, experts say. A tight labor market and significant increase in remote work have also contributed to the rise.”