Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
San Joaquin County Nurses Ratify New Contract: Members of the California Nurses Association, an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), who work for the San Joaquin County health system voted overwhelmingly last week to ratify a new three-year contract. Registered nurses (RNs) secured this victory after going on a one-day unfair labor practice strike earlier this year and issuing another notice of a work stoppage that was set to begin March 9. Highlights of the deal include improved safety provisions, stronger nondiscrimination language and competitive wage increases. “This has been a long, hard-fought victory for San Joaquin County nurses,” said Kelly Mertz, an RN in the trauma department, in an NNU press release. “With this contract, San Joaquin County can be a competitive health care employer—meaning it can recruit and retain experienced nurses and avoid staffing crises. Our collective union power, our solidarity, and our commitment to each other and to patient safety brought this monumental contract to reality. We have once again proven that when nurses stand up and fight for what is right, we win.”
SAG-AFTRA Reaffirms Commitment to DEI and Accessibility: In the wake of studios rolling back equity pledges under the Trump administration, SAG-AFTRA’s national board passed a resolution this weekend acknowledging the vital role that diversity and accessibility plays in the entertainment industry and reaffirmed the union’s commitment to these principles. In recent weeks, major studios have silently scrubbed their websites of DEI commitments and dropped commitments to equitable hiring and promotion practices as the White House rails against these initiatives in both the federal and private sector. SAG-AFTRA pushed back against this trend and highlighted the union’s historic commitments to the authentic portrayal of the “American Scene,” which references a contract clause that affirmed a nondiscrimination policy across productions. “For decades, SAG-AFTRA has advocated for equal employment opportunity within the entertainment and media industry, including meaningful representation of historically underrepresented communities and holding employers accountable to their commitments,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland in a joint announcement. “That advocacy continues unabated, and is as important now as it has ever been. We will be engaging directly with employers to reaffirm their obligations under the various SAG-AFTRA contracts and that they remain in full compliance with those commitments.”
Federal Court Orders Reinstatement of Fired Probationary Federal Employees: On Thursday, a U.S. District Court judge ordered the immediate reinstatement of fired probationary workers at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, the Interior, Energy, Defense and the Treasury and mandated that these agencies must immediately cease termination of probationary staff. Additionally, the judge also barred the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from giving any guidance to federal agencies on which employees should be terminated. The plaintiffs in this case include AFGE, AFSCME, the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) and multiple advocacy groups. “AFGE is pleased with Judge [William H.] Alsup’s order to immediately reinstate tens of thousands of probationary federal employees who were illegally fired from their jobs by an administration hell-bent on crippling federal agencies and their work on behalf of the American public,” said Everett Kelley, national president of AFGE, in a press release. “We are grateful for these employees and the critical work they do, and AFGE will keep fighting until all federal employees who were unjustly and illegally fired are given their jobs back.” “Public service workers are the backbone of our communities in every way,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders in a press release. “Today, we are proud to celebrate the court’s decision which orders that fired federal employees must be reinstated and reinforces they cannot be fired without reason.”
UFCW Members Ratify Utah’s First Cannabis Union Contract: United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 99 members who work at Utah-based dispensary WholesomeCo made history last week when they ratified their contract, becoming the state’s first cannabis industry workers to do so. Workers first organized with UFCW in November 2023 as part of the union’s larger national Cannabis Workers Rising campaign. The history-making deal includes guaranteed wage increases over the contract lifetime, company-provided insurance coverage, paid meal breaks, a ratification bonus and other huge wins. “With the ratification of this historic contract, WholesomeCo will continue to be a great place to work while helping raise the standard of living for employees industry-wide,” said Local 99 President Jim McLaughlin.
IATSE Secures Tentative Agreement for Off-Broadway Workers: After a two-month strike, the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Atlantic Theater Company said Monday that they had reached a tentative agreement (TA) covering production workers. The bargaining unit spans nearly 100 workers at the off-Broadway nonprofit theater who will soon vote on whether to accept the TA terms. Stage crew handle vital roles for performances at the New York City venue like audio, videography, hair and makeup, costuming, props, carpentry and lighting. “The proposed agreement includes significant compensation increases including comprehensive benefits that both parties believe reflect the essential contributions of the production crew to Atlantic Theater Company’s success,” said IATSE in a press release. “Ultimately, after extensive discussions and dialogue, the Atlantic Theater Company is poised to become the first not-for-profit theater company producing solely Off-Broadway in history to have a union agreement covering production classifications.”