Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Alaska Flight Attendants Overwhelmingly Ratify Contract: Late last week, Alaska Airlines flight attendants—who are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA)—ratified a new three-year contract with 95% of members in favor of the deal. With a remarkable 91% voting participation, this industry standard-setting deal is being celebrated across membership. Highlights of this agreement include double-digit raises for the 7,000-member bargaining unit, boarding pay, company 401(k) match increase, higher per diems and more. “This contract will immediately and significantly improve the lives of Alaska Flight Attendants,” said Jeffrey Peterson, AFA-CWA MEC president at Alaska Airlines in a press release. “Alaska Flight Attendants’ solidarity pushed management to recognize our critical role to the safety and success of this airline. This contract also raises the foundation for the new joint Alaska-Hawaiian negotiations following the merger.”
NBC Digital NewsGuild Secures Tentative Three-Year Contract Deal: Editorial staff at NBC News, NBC News NOW and Today, represented by NewsGuild of New York, TNG-CWA Local 31003, reached a tentative agreement (TA) with the network on Friday. The scope of the deal covers approximately 300 digital staff who work as reporters, producers, editors, designers, videographers and in other roles. This victory has been years in the making: NBC NewsGuild members first organized in 2019 and, if this TA is ratified, it will be their first contract. The contract includes wins like the establishment of minimum salary floors, job security protections, an end to forced arbitration in cases of discrimination and harassment, and more. “This contract is a huge step forward for journalists at NBC News,” said Tate James, documentary video editor and unit chair in a NewsGuild of New York press release. “We will now have the job security essential to fighting for transparency and accountability without fear.” “NYGuild members contribute to the reach and value of NBC News every day,” said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York. “I’m glad that NBC is finally recognizing their essential work by agreeing to a contract that enshrines the wages and workplace protections they deserve.”
Maryland State Supervisors Overwhelmingly Vote to Join AFSCME: In a victory more than a year in the making, nearly 5,000 supervisors who work for the state of Maryland have voted to form a union with AFSCME Maryland Council 3. State supervisors worked with AFSCME to pass legislation last year that granted them collective bargaining rights in Maryland. “With our AFSCME union, we as supervisors can finally have a say in workplace policies that affect us, such as expanded hours, how our scheduling works, how comp time works, and more,” said Michael Lawson, acting assistant superintendent and a bus maintenance supervisor at the Maryland Transit Administration. “We are experts at how our agencies and offices operate, and now we have a seat at the table to weigh in on decisions that shape our work, our services, and our agencies.”
Equity Reaches New Developmental Work Agreement with Broadway League: The National Council of Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) voted last week to ratify a new five-year Development Agreement with The Broadway League, ending an eight-month strike against early-stage development work. This agreement is used during the development of new works by members of The Broadway League—the trade organization representing theater producers and owners—before entering into an intended Production Contract engagement. The previous version of this contract expired in February of last year, after which the union unanimously voted to authorize a strike. Highlights of the new agreement include a cumulative pay increase of over 8%, more pre-production time for stage managers and the establishment of a new joint working group between the union and employers. “Today is a day to celebrate the hard work of Equity’s team in getting us back into the rehearsal halls and making some magic,” said Equity Negotiating Team Chair Stephen Bogardus in a press release. “The talent and commitment our members bring to their work is vital in transporting what’s on paper to the stage, and Development work sessions are a crucial step in that process. This was a long strike, but it was worth it. I know our members are looking forward to digging into the work we love doing while being more fairly compensated for that labor.”
Victory: Federal Court Finds Firing of Probationary Federal Employees Illegal: On Thursday, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted a temporary restraining order against the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and its acting director, finding that the termination of probationary federal employees was illegal because OPM had no authority to order it. The coalition of plaintiffs on the case include AFGE, AFSCME, United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) and various community ally groups. “This ruling…is an important initial victory for patriotic Americans across this country who were illegally fired from their jobs by an agency that had no authority to do so,” said Everett Kelley, national president of the AFGE. “These are rank-and-file workers who joined the federal government to make a difference in their communities, only to be suddenly terminated due to this administration’s disdain for federal employees and desire to privatize their work.” “We know this decision is just a first step, but it gives federal employees a respite,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “While they work to protect public health and safety, federal workers have faced constant harassment from unelected billionaires and anti-union extremists whose only goal is to give themselves massive tax breaks at the expense of working people. We will continue to move this case forward with our partners until federal workers are protected against these baseless terminations.”
UAW Members Reach Tentative Agreement with Rolls-Royce, Averting Strike: UAW Local 933 announced that it secured a last-minute tentative agreement (TA) with Rolls-Royce late Wednesday night, right before their current contract expired. Local 933 represents over 800 workers at the Indianapolis facility where members manufacture aircraft engines for contracts with the U.S. government. Highlights of the deal include the elimination of wage tiers, profit-sharing, improved retirement benefits and a cost-of-living adjustment. In a huge victory for the bargaining unit, under this new TA, the lowest-paid workers would see a wage increase of nearly 70% over the lifetime of the contract. “Winning strong agreements is only possible when our members are organized and united,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “It only happens when the company looks over the shoulder of our bargaining team and sees an army of fired up and fed up members who are ready to do what it takes to win what they deserve. That is exactly what happened here this week when hundreds of members showed up to rally in support of their bargaining team and show the company that they were ready to strike if needed.”
Workers at St. Anselm Secure Election Victory Despite Aggressive Union-Busting: In the midst of intense anti-union pressure from management, workers at popular Washington, D.C., restaurant St. Anselm successfully voted to form a union with UNITE HERE Local 25. The lucrative dining spot is operated by STARR Restaurant Group—which refused to voluntarily recognize the union earlier this month—and the new bargaining unit covers both the front- and back-of-house workers. This victory was the first of three STARR-operated restaurants in the city to hold elections to join Local 25 as part of a larger DC Restaurant Workers Rising organizing effort. Staff are celebrating this powerful victory, and are eager to sit down at the bargaining table and secure a contract with improvements to working conditions and wages. “I’m so proud of what we won today because I know it means real change is coming—in our paychecks, our benefits, and how workers at STARR restaurants are treated,” said Bridget Killburn, a baker at St. Anselm. “I’m excited for my colleagues at Pastis and Le Diplomate to join us in winning their union in the coming weeks.”
Reconsidered Goods Thrift Store Workers Unanimously Vote to Form Union: On Monday, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW) announced that workers at Reconsidered Goods in Greensboro, North Carolina, voted unanimously to form a union. Staff at the thrift store have become the second retail location in the city to join RWDSU-UFCW this year after their union brothers, sisters and siblings at REI Greensboro won their election last month. But the path to get here wasn’t easy: management attempted to exclude two people from the proposed bargaining unit, forcing workers to go on strike until all eligible staff could vote. Members cited concerns like safety issues, working conditions, wages and scheduling as core focuses for when they enter bargaining. “There has been no doubt in my mind that we would win this election,” said fabric specialist Yvonne Rabel. “We’ve been working hard for over a year to build a sense of community and camaraderie with each other….Our community has been nothing but supportive of our goals to ensure a safer work environment, and we’re going to continue to work toward these goals during negotiations. I can’t say whether I expect our directors to be collaborative or not, but I’m hopeful we can work on a solution that includes the workers having a say in the decisions that affect them.”