Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where I am wrapping up a very refreshing and reflective High Holiday season. Big thanks to all those who donated so that a Jew could enjoy the High Holidays.
Be sure to check out my piece “Praying Kaddish for Mariam Abu Dogga.”
2 Million Italians Strike for Gaza
In Italy, over 2 million Italians went on strike to protest the Global Sumud Flotilla being blocked by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF).
“This is not just any strike. We’re here today to defend brotherhood among individuals, among peoples, to put humanity back at the centre, to say no to genocide, to a policy of rearmament,” CGIL trade union leader Maurizio Landini told Reuters.
Help Us Cover Unions Striking Globally for Palestinian Rights
While unions globally are going on strike for Palestinian rights, the U.S. labor movement has largely engaged in symbolic gestures. To help persuade more trade unions to take more direct action, it's important that we cover what unions like those in Italy are doing to demand an end to the genocide in Gaza.
Boeing to Train Permanent Replacement Workers
As a strike of 3,200 fighter jet workers enters its third month, Boeing announced that they intend to bring in permanent replacement workers.
“We are now activating the next phase of our contingency plan to expand the work we are performing in the fourth quarter. Our initial job fairs for permanent replacement workers for munitions and assembly mechanics have been a success," Dan Gillian, Boeing Air Dominance vice president and general manager and senior St. Louis site executive, wrote in a message to employees Thursday.
Teachers Alliance Formed to Bust Teachers’ Unions
Last week, Oklahoma School Superintendent Ryan Walter announced that he was resigning from his post to start the Teachers Freedom Alliance. He stated that his goal was to present an alternative non-union organization for teachers.
“We’re going to destroy the teachers’ unions,” Walters said in a Fox News appearance last Wednesday. “We have seen the teachers’ unions use money and power to corrupt our schools.”
The group appears to have scored its first victory in Powers, Oregon, where they ran a campaign to get teachers to decertify their affiliation with the National Education Association (NEA).
For more on the growing teacher union decertification movement, check out the South Coast Times.
Is WNBA Headed for a Strike?
Finally, the WNBA looks like they could be headed for a strike over the low pay that many female basketball players receive, similar to the NHL in the 90s. From The Athletic:
The league’s current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on Oct. 31. Questions loom about what might be next for the WNBA and tensions seem to be rising after Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier recently blasted the league’s leadership with a chorus of other players supporting her comments. Revenue sharing and player salaries have been hang-ups in negotiations. NHL owners locked the players out for 103 days during the 1994-95 season, and the league missed 468 games.
“There was incredible momentum,” said Ian Pulver, an NHL agent who worked as a labor attorney for the NHLPA for 15 years, including during the ′94 talks. “I think the momentum fizzled after that. I think it took years for the NHL to catch up again.”
That is a fear in the WNBA. Could a potential work stoppage halt momentum and stunt what has been the most prosperous time in the league’s history? It’s a question both sides — the Women’s National Basketball Players Association and the league’s representatives — must consider.
“The league and the teams look to be trying to play the only card they have, and that is running out the clock,” WNBPA executive director Terri Jackson said. “If that’s what they’re doing, we will need to be prepared.”
For more, check out The Athletic.
News & Headlines Elsewhere
- Government workers say their out-of-office replies were forcibly changed to blame Democrats for shutdown
- GM lays off 900 Fairfax Assembly workers in Kansas City, Kansas
- Thousands of TV commercial production department workers win 1st union contract after “Stand With Production” movement
- Starbucks union baristas secure “layoff effects” bargaining following company’s store closure announcement
- Kickstarter United Workers will strike beginning October 2
- U.S.-South Korea strike deal to allow Korean workers to enter on short-term visas
- Finally, Eiffel Tower closed as nationwide strikes held across France against austerity
Alright folks, that’s all for today. Keep sending comments, complaints, and cooking recipes to melk@paydayreport.com
