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☆ Los Angeles city workers walk out for one-day strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/6] Los Angeles city workers hold a rally outside the city hall during a one-day walkout strike in protest over labor negotiations, in Los Angeles, California, U.S., August 8, 2023. Hundreds of city workers, including mechanics, lifeguards and traffic officers marched in picket lines at city hall and the Los Angeles International Airport, saying city management has engaged in unfair labor practices during negotiations over recruitment, retention and hiring issues. Some city services will be unavailable during the one-day strike, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement. Passengers departing from Los Angeles Airport should arrive an hour earlier than usual in case of delays, Bass said. In July, thousands of hotel workers in Los Angeles staged a three-day strike over wages, benefits and working conditions.

Persons: Mike Blake, Raymond Mesa, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Bass, Brendan O'Brien, Jonathan Oatis, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Los Angeles International Airport, Service Employees International Union, SEIU, KTLA, Los Angeles Mayor, Los Angeles, Thomson Locations: Los Angeles, Los Angeles , California, U.S, Angeles, Los, Hollywood, Chicago

REUTERS/Heather Somerville/File PhotoAug 3 (Reuters) - Cruise, General Motors' (GM.N) robotaxi unit, said on Thursday it had signed the driverless car industry's first labor union agreements, a significant milestone as unions and robotaxi firms have historically been at odds. The company is partnering with two local San Francisco union chapters that represent electrical workers and janitors, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 6 and Service Employees International Union Local 87. Reuters could not definitively determine if these are the driverless car industry’s first union agreements. Cruise, which offers limited service in San Francisco with a fleet of Chevrolet Bolts fitted with driverless technology, has accumulated over 3 million driverless miles, the company said. Reporting by Anna Tong in San Francisco; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Heather Somerville, ”, John Doherty, Cruise, Anna Tong, Leslie Adler Organizations: General Motors Corp, REUTERS, General Motors, San, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Employees International Union Local, Reuters, United Auto Workers, Detroit Three, GM, Chevrolet Bolts, California’s Public Utilities Commission, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, California, U.S, IBEW

☆ Waffle House violence is so common it has become a meme. Now, fed-up workers are unionizing and demanding the company improve security.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Dominick Reuter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Waffle House restaurants have developed a reputation for violent incidents over the years. In response, some employees in South Carolina have unionized, demanding better security and pay. Representatives for Waffle House did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on this story. About two dozen other labor organizers joined the Waffle House workers for a three-day strike, backed by the newly formed Union of Southern Service Workers. Waffle House denied engaging in unfair labor practices in a letter to employees that was shared with the newspaper.

Persons: Jenna Ortega, Marcello Hernández, I've, Jessica Gantt, Naomi Harris, Harris, Gantt, Shae Parker, Dominick Organizations: Workers, Service, Representatives, Waffle, Waffle House, Union of Southern Service Workers, Service Employees International Union, Columbia, Courier Locations: South Carolina, Wall, Silicon, Columbia, Union, North Carolina, Georgia

☆ Franchising industry holds its breath as FTC takes a closer look at regulations
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The FTC told CNBC it received more than 5,500 comments on the inquiry, indicating "broad interest in ensuring fairness in franchising." The agency sought input from stakeholders, including franchise operators, workers and parent corporations, as it scrutinizes franchising practices. Industry watchers say an initial proposal from the FTC on franchise rule amendments could come as soon as the end of year. The NOA's public submission said, "The McDonald's system was, and could again be, the gold standard for the franchise business model. "Since McDonald's founding in 1955, our franchising model has successfully served the brand, franchisees, employees and the local communities we operate in."

Persons: Lina, Matt Haller, they're, Haller, franchisors, McDonald's, NOA, Danielle Marasco, Marasco Organizations: FTC, CNBC, Federal Trade Commission, Franchise Association, Microsoft, Activision, Twitter, Industry, IFA, Service Employees International Union, Strategic, Marriott, Hilton, Brands, National Owners Association, National Locations: U.S, McDonald's, Marriott, California

☆ In Philly, union members say they don't care about Biden's age: 'I never heard someone who is Catholic say the pope is too old'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-17 | by ( Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Union members told Insider they are not too concerned about Biden's age or electability. "I never heard someone who is Catholic say the pope is too old," one union member said. Biden's path to reelection depends in part on touting those achievements and turning out union members in November 2024. "There are a lot of politicians in this country who can't say the word 'union,'" Biden said Saturday afternoon, supporters in colorful union merchandise cheering behind him. At Saturday's rally, however, union members insisted it is not a concern — and that the discourse around it is an indictment of the times.

Persons: Joe Biden, —, Jaysin Saxton, Saxton, we've, Biden, Pennsylvania, Donald Trump, John Fetterman, Mary Samaroo, Samaroo, Trump, Nora Dumenigo, Dumenigo, Renee Dozier, Mike Brown, he's, Brown Organizations: Saturday . Union, Service, Starbucks, National Labor Relations, AFL, University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania's Democratic Party, Senate, of Health, Human Services, Service Employees International Union, SEIU, Republican, Miami International Airport, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Locations: Philadelphia, Augusta , Georgia, Pennsylvania, Scranton, Queens, Afghanistan, Cuba, Boston

☆ Battle over Biden labor nominee Julie Su heats up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Julie Su applauds while being nominated by U.S. President Joe Biden to serve as the Labor secretary during an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 1, 2023. Crucial senators in Montana, West Virginia and Arizona, who voted for Su to become deputy Labor Secretary in 2021, are on the fence about her confirmation for the top job. The AFL-CIO will target Montana, West Virginia, Arizona and Maine, communicating support for Su to its members to get them to contact their state senators. A spokesperson for Maine's Republican Senator Susan Collins said she does not support Su's nomination. She voted no on Su's deputy secretary nomination in 2021, as did all Republicans.

☆ Los Angeles Schools Reach Deal on Pay Raises With Support Staff
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Sara Randazzo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Los Angeles District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, at lectern, SEIU Local 99 Executive Director Max Arias and Mayor Karen Bass on Friday. LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles Unified School District reached a deal Friday to increase pay and improve benefits for 30,000 support staff, culminating a week that saw the nation’s second-largest school system shut down for three days by a strike. The accord with Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union, if approved by union members and the school board, will affect a workforce of bus drivers, cafeteria workers, janitors, teachers’ assistants and other support staff, who haven’t had a contract since 2020.

☆ The three-day LA school strike is over. But get used to short, disruptive strikes like it
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But technically, this was a strike to protest the school district’s labor practices, not over the state of the contract negotiations. Most of those short strikes started with both strikers and management knowing the length of the strike at the start. Los Angeles school workers and supporters rally in Los Angeles State Historic Park on the last day of a three-day strike this past week. Sometimes the union waging the strike doesn’t have the option, at least not at that time, to have an open-ended strike. Workers on strike sometimes receive strike benefits but they’re not eligible for unemployment benefits from their state.

☆ Los Angeles School Strike Ends Without New Contracts
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Sara Randazzo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LOS ANGELES—Students are set to return to classrooms in the Los Angeles Unified School District on Friday after a three-day labor strike ended, but without contract agreements for 65,000 teachers and support staff in the nation’s second-largest school system. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stepped in this week to help broker a deal between the district and Local 99 of the Service Employees International Union, both sides said. The union, which represents 30,000 bus drivers, cafeteria workers, janitors, teacher’s assistants and other support staff, hasn’t had a contract since 2020.

☆ Los Angeles schools to reopen after three-day workers' strike
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Jorge Garcia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LOS ANGELES, March 23 (Reuters) - School will be back in session on Friday for 420,000 Los Angeles students after a three-day strike by education workers disrupted classes and social services in the second-largest school district in the United States. ... We look forward to seeing our students and employees back in classrooms," the school district said on Twitter on Thursday. "We're three days in and I'm willing to do some more (strike) days if we have to," said Tiffany Barba, a special education assistant and one of thousands who attended a closing rally on Thursday at Los Angeles State Historic Park. The union was demanding a 30% salary increase plus an additional $2 per hour for the lowest-paid workers, the Los Angeles Times reported. Reporting by Jorge Garcia in Los Angeles and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, Calif.; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

☆ Los Angeles education strike cancels school for 420,000 students
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Alan Devall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/9] Los Angeles school workers protest in front of LAUSD headquarters during the first day of a walkout over contract negotiations that closes the country’s second largest school system in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 21, 2023. REUTERS/Aude GuerrucciLOS ANGELES, March 21 (Reuters) - Some 30,000 education workers backed by the teachers' union walked off the job for a three-day strike in Los Angeles on Tuesday, canceling school for nearly half a million students in the second-largest school district in the United States. Thousands of protesters gathered for a rally outside the Los Angeles Unified School District headquarters, vowing to continue their pickets for another two days under the banner, "United for L.A. The service workers are backed by the 35,000 members of the teachers' union United Teachers Los Angeles, which refused to cross their picket line. Dozens of meal and safe-place sites were opened across the city on Tuesday, with school district employees and volunteers distributing more than 124,000 meals, the district said.

A three-judge panel of the San Francisco-based court reversed a lower court ruling in 2021 that the ballot measure, known as Proposition 22, was unconstitutional. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and several gig drivers who challenged Prop 22 will likely appeal the decision to the California Supreme Court, the state's top court. Prop 22 was approved in November 2020 by nearly 60% of voters in California. It exempted app-based drivers from a 2019 state law known as AB5 that makes it difficult to classify workers as independent contractors rather than employees. "Across the state, drivers and couriers have said they are happy with Prop 22, which affords them new benefits while preserving the unique flexibility of app-based work," West said.

Employer Assisted Housing ProgramThe Employer Assisted Housing Program is for government employees who want to buy a home or condominium in Washington, DC. Home Purchase Assistance ProgramThe Home Purchase Assistance Program is in coordination with the DC Housing Finance Agency and offers financial assistance to low-to-moderate income first-time homebuyers. DC Housing Finance AgencyThe DC Housing Finance Agency serves Washington, DC homebuyers and homeowners. DC Open DoorsThrough the DC Open Doors program, the DC Housing Finance Agency offers a 0% interest Down Payment Assistance Loan to potential homebuyers. You don't have to be a first-time homebuyer to be a part of the DC Open Doors program.

☆ Tesla accused of firing union supporters days after organizing effort starts
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Tesla has fired more than 30 supporters of a nascent union at its Buffalo facility, just days after the organizing effort was announced, according to the union. The union, Tesla Workers United, has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging the company illegally fired its supporters. “I feel blind sided,” said Arian Berek, one of the fired employees quoted in the union’s statement. Starbucks Workers United’s first victory came in Buffalo, and it is particularly strong in Western New York. In the past, Tesla has been accused of illegally firing union supporters at its plant in California, its first to build cars.

☆ McDonald's Exec Slams California Lawmakers for Passing Fast-Food Law
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The FAST Recovery Act could raise minimum wage for California fast food workers to $22 an hour. This week, a top McDonald's exec slammed lawmakers for passing the law in an open letter. AB 257 creates a 10-member council of fast food workers, franchisees, franchisors, advocates for fast food employees, and representatives from the governor's office. The organization said higher wage mandates could raise costs for California fast-food restaurants by $3 billion. "As California fast-food workers defend this landmark law and assert their voice, SEIU is absolutely committed to standing with them in their fight."

☆ Chipotle, Starbucks and top chains spend millions to stop landmark state worker law
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The council could raise the fast-food industry minimum wage as high as $22 an hour, versus a $15.50 minimum for the rest of the state. California’s fast-food industry has more than 550,000 workers. Less than 4% of restaurant workers nationwide are unionized. This makes it nearly impossible to organize workers at fast-food and retail chains with thousands of stores. If restaurant worker compensation increased by 60%, limited-service restaurant prices would jump by up to 22%, the study also found.

☆ Medical Residents Unionize Over Pay, Working Conditions
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Dominique Mosbergen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Physicians-in-training at top teaching hospitals across the country are joining unions, demanding higher pay and better working conditions. The Committee of Interns and Residents, the largest group representing doctors in residency and fellowship programs, said it added chapters at five teaching hospitals last year and two in 2021, up from a prepandemic pace of roughly one a year. CIR, which is affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, said it represents about 15% of the nation’s 140,000 residents and fellows.

“Mission Hospital used to be where everyone would go if they wanted good care,” Jaquins said, reflecting on her previous experiences with the health care system. Sue Fischer is a longtime HCA employee who’s concerned about patient care in her facility. “We were a great system as Mission Health and we’re an even better system as HCA Mission Health,” she said. “Delays in care is the biggest patient care issue I see because of staffing,” Hernandez said. According to the CMS ranking system, Mission Hospital currently holds an above-average overall quality rating — four stars out of a possible five.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Tuesday hears a dispute between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and a concrete company in Washington state that labor advocates say could weaken workers’ rights if the ruling goes against the union. The legal question is whether the company, Glacier Northwest Inc., can sue the union for damages in state court over an August 2017 strike action in which it says that concrete was lost when drivers walked off the job. Business interests that are often in conflict with organized labor have in the past been heavily critical of the labor board. The Supreme Court's conservative majority has ruled against unions in several high-profile cases in recent years. As a result of the strike, concrete hardened in the trucks and had to be broken up before it could be removed, the company says.

☆ Some restaurant workers could see big wage growth in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-07 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The restaurant industry was already struggling with a labor crunch before the pandemic turned the problem into a full-blown crisis . More than half of U.S. states will hike their minimum wage this year , but some restaurant workers could see even bigger gains in 2023. If California's government has its way, average hourly pay for restaurant workers could soar in 2023. And it's unlikely that restaurant workers will see any wage gains on the federal level this year. President Joe Biden has expressed support for a $15-an-hour minimum wage and the elimination of the tipped wage, which allows employers to pay workers as little as $2.13 an hour.

☆ Democracy Dies in California
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-31 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The early 20th-century era of progressive government gave birth to California’s referendum process. Fast forward 111 years, and California’s progressive leaders are vitiating the right of voters to overturn state laws. On Thursday the group Save Local Restaurants sued in state court to block the state from implementing a destructive new law on Jan. 1. The law creates a state council to dictate wages, working conditions and benefits, among other things, for fast-food workers who aren’t unionized. The law is intended to coerce fast-food franchises to surrender to the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

While travel demand is roaring back, many hotels, airlines, cruise operators and airports are still racing to hire and train workers. That means the level of customer service will likely take a hit, industry experts say. One potential bright spot can be found at sea: During the summer, several cruise lines had to cancel voyages due to staffing shortages, but major disruptions have been largely resolved. “It’s highly unlikely your holiday cruise will be canceled due to lack of staffing,” said Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, a Tripadvisor-run travel site. “This year, I moved my annual holiday travel to earlier in December,” said Abby Rhinehart, an educational researcher in Tucson, Arizona.

☆ A janitor laid off at Twitter's headquarters said one of Elon Musk's team members told him he'd be replaced by robots
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Grace Kay | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A janitor told BBC that a member of Elon Musk's team said his job would eventually be replaced by robots. Four former Twitter cleaners told the publication they were laid off without severance on Monday. Four former Twitter janitors told the publication they were laid off without severance on Monday. Multiple workers told the publication that they are concerned about how they will be able to pay bills in the coming weeks, particularly with the holidays coming up. "Overnight we don't have anything," Adrianna Villarreal, a cleaner who had worked at Twitter since 2018, told BBC.

Airport workers across the country are rallying and walking off the job Thursday to draw attention to their current working conditions and legislation that could improve them. Workers at 15 U.S. airports, including ones in Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and Phoenix, plan to participate in on-site rallies. Formal strikes — which could disrupt operations — are planned at Boston's Logan International Airport, Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and the Newark Liberty International Airport. The rallies are in support of the Good Jobs for Good Airports Act, introduced in June by Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass. It would set a minimum wage of $15 for airport service workers, as well as ensure the workers have paid time off, holidays, adequate health care and other benefits.

☆ This is an incredible moment for unions and working people, says says SEIU president
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThis is an incredible moment for unions and working people, says says SEIU presidentMary Kay Henry, president of the Service Employees International Union, joins CNBC's 'Squawk Box' to weigh in on the recent strikes from airport service workers, journalists at The New York Times, and more.

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