Labor
The resurgence of union power is bigger than money
The Portland Public Schools (PPS) and the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) reached a tentative agreement to their labor dispute on Sunday. The impasse had led to a three-week strike, cancelling eleven instructional days in Oregon’s largest school district. Students returned to the classroom Monday. The highlights of the dispute weren’t novel. Teacher pay was […]
Under state deadline, SC employers phase out subminimum wage
COLUMBIA — Angela Greene spent 20 years making as little as pennies an hour for cleaning houses. The Columbia resident worked for a so-called sheltered workshop, which are employers allowed to pay people with disabilities less than minimum wage under a federal waiver. Her biweekly paychecks ranged from 50 cents to $3.50, depending on how […]
Retailers pare back their seasonal hiring to prepare for ho-hum holidays
Black Friday shoppers may notice longer lines and fewer retail associates in some of their favorite stores than in past holiday seasons as retailers scale back seasonal hiring over concerns about consumer spending. JCPenney is hiring 12,000 fewer workers than last year. Macy’s 3,000 fewer. Meanwhile a Walmart executive said the retail giant has been […]
Oklahoma senator challenges Teamsters president to fight at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, challenged the head of the Teamsters union to a physical fight at a U.S. Senate hearing Tuesday intended to showcase how labor unions are making families’ lives better. The tense confrontation at the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing stemmed from acrimonious posts on social […]
Local leaders call for auto workers’ gains to spread to EV plants, Southern Black workers
Local Black elected leaders aligned with racial and economic justice groups want to build on the labor gains made through the United Auto Workers’ six-week strike. The union’s tentative deals with the big three automakers include major wins such as a 25% rise in pay and getting rid of the two-tier worker system. More than […]
Residents of Midwest, Mountain West see biggest pay bumps
Residents of some Midwestern and Mountain states gained the most income per capita during the past four years, a Stateline analysis shows, as competition for workers drove up wages in relatively affordable places to live. With the COVID-19 pandemic now in the nation’s rearview mirror, Stateline’s analysis offers a more complete understanding of how some […]
Refugees came to Noel for opportunity. Tyson’s plant closure leaves their futures uncertain
NOEL, Mo. — On a Sunday afternoon in rural southwest Missouri, dozens of friends and family gather at a modest one-story home to sing and celebrate in the language of their homeland, more than 8,000 miles away. Some arrive from church, crowding into a living room to celebrate two brothers — one turning 7 and […]
UAW head says union has ‘cards left to play’ as Detroit Three negotiations continue
As the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against the Detroit Three automakers stretches into its fifth week, President Shawn Fain said Friday afternoon that the union “has cards left to play” in negotiations. “In the past 24 hours, we’ve gotten new offers from two of the three companies. So despite all the bluster about how […]
Protestors urge Arkansas’ Tyson to commit to child labor, worker safety protections
A coalition of North American worker organizations on Monday marched to Tyson Foods headquarters in Springdale where participants urged the company to treat workers with dignity and respect. Magaly Licolli, executive director of Venceremos, a Springdale-based nonprofit supporting poultry workers, said holding Tyson accountable for underaged children working in its facilities was one focus of […]
Central Arkansas ammo factory to expand, planning 625 new jobs
An expansion at a Central Arkansas gun ammunition factory is projected to bring more than 600 new jobs over the next five years, according to a Friday announcement. New Hampshire-based firearms company SIG SAUER plans a $150 million expansion of its Elite Performance Ammunition manufacturing facility in Jacksonville to help fulfill its contract with the […]
Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to support striking UAW workers
President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan Tuesday in a historic show of support for striking Ford, GM and Stellantis UAW workers. “Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped […]
Michigan congresswoman pushes ‘Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights’
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Michigan Democrat, re-introduced legislation Tuesday aimed at improving the lives of U.S. restaurant workers. The “Restaurant Workers Bill of Rights” would raise wages and improve work conditions for restaurant staff. Tlaib, who also pushed this legislation last year, held a press conference Tuesday alongside U.S. House colleagues and […]