unions
America is in the middle of a labor mobilization moment
Labor Day 2022 comes smack bang in the middle of what is increasingly looking like a pivotal year in the history of American unions. The summer has seen a steady stream of workforce mobilizations. Employees at Trader Joe’s locations in Massachusetts and Minneapolis both voted to unionize. Meanwhile, restaurant chain Chipotle saw the first of […]
Cleveland charter school uses public dollars to fight union drive
Teachers at Menlo Park Academy come to work every day to shape the minds and inspire the dreams of young Clevelanders. They are in the middle of a union drive at the privately operated, publicly funded charter school, which serves gifted students in grades K-8. Management is fighting them every inch of the way. The […]
What’s at stake in Amazon’s Bessemer, Alabama, union vote: 5 questions answered
By Raymond Hogler, Colorado State University Several thousand Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama, are currently voting on whether to form the retailer’s first-ever union. The election has been contentious, with workers complaining that Amazon is using aggressive tactics to defeat the vote, while high-profile figures including President Joe Biden have weighed in on the side […]
Collapsing union pension plans win long-sought help from rescue package
WASHINGTON — Tucked in the Democrats’ massive coronavirus stimulus package was a long-awaited solution for a financial ticking time bomb: private pension funds on the brink of collapse, jeopardizing the retirement plans of millions of union members. The $1.9 trillion pandemic relief measure included $86 billion that will be used for grants to help shore […]
Ohio House GOP again seeks to weaken prevailing wage law
Twelve House Republicans reignited efforts to rollback Ohio’s prevailing wage law, which requires governments to pay union-scale wages on most construction projects. The lead sponsors, GOP Reps. Craig Riedel and Susan Manchester, presented legislation to a House committee Wednesday that would allow various government entities to opt out from the requirements of Ohio’s prevailing wage […]
Elected leaders must protect Ohio workers, not corporations that close factories and cut jobs
Most people living in the Mahoning Valley believe what we do for work is more than just how we make money. Our jobs can give us purpose and build our communities. For decades, that’s what good union manufacturing jobs did for people of all races and backgrounds who made their lives in the Valley. But […]
Landmark labor bill clears U.S. House
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed landmark pro-labor legislation Thursday that backers said could begin to reverse the country’s decades-long decline in union membership. The bill passed largely along party lines by a vote of 224-194. Ohio’s U.S. Congressional delegation split along party lines with all four Democrats voting in favor and all 12 Republicans […]
Congressional Dems advance pro-union reforms with an eye toward Nov. elections
WASHINGTON — Buried under news about the Iowa caucuses, the president’s State of the Union address and the end of the impeachment trial is an upcoming vote on what could be the most significant labor reform legislation in a generation. The U.S. House bill would strengthen protections for workers who organize for higher wages, better […]