The Thanksgiving travel rush may begin with 20,000 airline catering workers on strike across eighteen airports. Workers are threatening to launch a strike against LSG Sky and Gate Gourmet, two of the largest airline catering companies, on Tuesday if contract negotiations are not settled by then. They are fighting for a $15 minimum wage, seniority pay, and better access to health care. Represented by UNITE HERE, the labor union that also represented Marriott Hotel Workers last year, the airline catering workers intend to use this peak travel season to raise public awareness on their working conditions. If the strike does commence Tuesday, demonstrations may be viewed by nearly 3 million travelers in the country’s biggest airports.
Following up on my last post, public transportation workers in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area continue into the third week of their strike. In a close and personal look into the workers’ daily lives, the Washington Post shows how they persevere through the strike despite weak safety nets to fall back on. Metrobus workers walked off the job in October after failing to secure a fair contract with Transdev, the French contractor Metro hired to run Metrobus. Meanwhile, bus drivers directly employed by Metro earn around $12 more than their Metrobus counterparts. In light of this differential, Metrobus employees are seeking higher wages and changes in scheduling. The difference in pay and working conditions speaks to a larger problem arising from the privatization of public services, for Metro contracted out to Transdev in an attempt to cut costs. Metrobus workers are represented by ATU Local 689.
Employees at Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art announced their plans to unionize. This initiative occurs just after the museum announced plans to drop admission fees and make entrance free.
Google employees and other protestors joined outside the company’s San Francisco office demanding that two employees be reinstated. These two employees were placed on administrative leave for “violating” corporate policy on accessing sensitive internal documents and monitoring employees’ calendars. The employees deny these claims, arguing that none of the information was sensitive and company policy has no rule about accessing public calendar events. Those protesting believe Google targeted these two employees not for the benign so-called corporate policy violations but rather for their organizing efforts within the company. This protest occurred less than a week after Google’s appointment with anti-union consultants was publicized, the details of which Jared shared here.
According to an opinion piece in Axios, Google workers are not alone in their fight. Employee organizing within the tech industry is on the rise. Other tech companies like WeWork and Kickstarter are starting to see employees hold company management accountable in a way that had been previously unheard of in the tech world. Could the anti-union sentiment in tech be changing?
Daily News & Commentary
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May 4
In today’s news and commentary, DOL pauses the 2024 gig worker rule, a coalition of unions, cities, and nonprofits sues to stop DOGE, and the Chicago Teachers Union reaches a remarkable deal. On May 1, the Department of Labor announced it would pause enforcement of the Biden Administration’s independent contractor classification rule. Under the January […]
May 2
Immigrant detainees win class certification; Missouri sick leave law in effect; OSHA unexpectedly continues Biden-Era Worker Heat Rule
May 1
SEIU 721 concludes a 48-hour unfair labor practice strike; NLRB Administrative Law Judge holds that Starbucks committed a series of unfair labor practices at a store in Philadelphia; AFSCME and UPTE members at the University of California are striking.
April 30
In today’s news and commentary, SEIU seeks union rights for rideshare drivers in California, New Jersey proposes applying the ABC Test, and Board officials push back on calls for layoffs. In California, Politico reports that an SEIU-backed bill that would allow rideshare drivers to join unions has passed out of committee, “clear[ing] its first hurdle.” […]
April 29
In today’s news and commentary, CFPB mass layoffs paused again, Mine Safety agency rejects union intervention, and postdoctoral researchers petition for union election. A temporary pause on mass firings at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been restored. After a trial court initially blocked the administration from mass firings, the appeals court modified that […]
April 28
WA strike bill goes to governor; MLBPA discloses legal expenses; Ex-Twitter employees seek class certification against Musk.