Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where like many, we are shocked at the disarray from changes by the Trump Administration, but there are signs that workers are fighting back.
Border Czar Bemoans Activists Being Educated About Their Rights
Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan went on CNN today and bemoaned that ICE agents aren’t picking up as many immigrants as they desired in their raids in Chicago. He cited efforts to educate immigrants about their rights in preventing detentions.
“They call it “Know Your Rights’,” Homan said on CNN. “ I call it ‘how to escape from ICE’.”
NLRB General Counsel Warns of More Strikes
On a day when Trump made headlines for freezing federal funds for a list of programs, he also fired National Labor Relations Board General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo. WIth unions at all time high approval ratings, it is likely workers will feel emboldened to take action.
“There is no putting the genie back in the bottle,” NLRB General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo said in a statement. “So, if the agency does not fully effectuate its Congressional mandate in the future as we did during my tenure, I expect that workers with their advocates will take matters into their own hands.”
Read the full statement from the NLRB here.
Help Us Cover Workers Fighting Back
While it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by Trump’s actions, we have to keep fighting back as activists. This won’t be easy and will require us to keep morale high so that people don’t give up.
Payday intends to keep covering how workers are fighting back with a special focus on immigration defense and federal workers.
Donate to help us cover the fightback. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our recurring donors.
Trump to Offer Buyout of 8 Months Pay to Federal Workers
Earlier today, the Trump Administration announced that they would offer buyouts and continue to pay employees for another 8 months. The federal workers would have to submit their resignations by February 6th.
The Trump Administration believes that it could force 5%-10% of the workforce to quit.
"This offer should not be viewed as voluntary," said AFGE National President Everret Kelley in a statement. "Between the flurry of anti-worker executive orders and policies, it is clear that the Trump administration's goal is to turn the federal government into a toxic environment where workers cannot stay even if they want to.”
For more, check out the USA Today.
Unions Lost 170,000 Members in 2024
Despite union popularity being at an all-time high, unions overall lost 170,000 union members in 2024 according to numbers released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Once again, the gains were primarily among workers of color while unions had a net loss of white members.
“The BLS unionization numbers always provide a useful reminder that the conventional idea of union members being largely white men is woefully out of date,” concluded the Economic Policy Institute in its report. “Workers of color, taken together, saw an increase in unionization levels of 68,000 in 2024, while white, non-Hispanic workers saw a decrease of 240,000.”
For more on the data, check out the full report from The Economic Policy Institute.
Whole Foods in Philly Unionize in a First
Finally, in Philadelphia, over 200 workers at Whole Foods, which is owned by Amazon, have voted to unionize. The workers are the first to ever successfully unionize at a Whole Foods.
The workers say they intend to organize other locations.
“I expect others to follow, and that will increase the leverage that we have at the bargaining table,” worker Ben Lovett told The New York Times. “We’ve shown them that it’s possible to organize at Amazon.”
For more, check out The New York Times.
News & Headlines Elsewhere
- Trump's DEI orders may halt progress for workers with disabilities
- New Orleans nurses announce second strike at University Medical Center during Super Bowl week
- Another strike at Vail Resorts
- Utah House passes bill to block public sector unions from collective bargaining
- Deutsche Post employees launch nationwide warning strike
- Trains canceled across Bangladesh as rail union goes on strike
- Finally, a look at how Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, turn to faith amid deportation fears
Alright folks, that’s all for today. Take a few minutes to fill out our survey. Keep sending tips, story ideas, comments, and complaints to melk@paydayreport.com
Donate to help us cover the fight to defend unions and immigrants. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our recurring donors today.
Thanks against for reading & donating,
Melk
