Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where I am struggling with some respiratory issues as Pittsburgh faces yet another Air Quality Action Day, when people with sensitive conditions like me are advised not to go outside.
$435-a-Month Health Insurance Premium
As we reach the part of the summer, where we start to struggle with major pollution events in Pittsburgh, my health insurance is more important than ever. However, it costs $435-a-month just for the premium. (I typically pay another $200-a-month in out-of-pocket costs).
Donate to help us pay the health insurance bill. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our 772 recurring donors today.
Canada Forces Teamster Railroad Workers Into Binding Arbitration
Canadian National Railway (CN) and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) locked out 9,000 Canadian Teamster rail workers on Thursday morning. By Saturday, the Canadian government had intervened and forced the unions and the railroads into binding arbitration.
Unions in the country protested the decision.
“Any federally regulated company, it’s a win for them at this point,” Paul Boucher, President of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference told Reuters . “This is disastrous for labour, for workers.”
UAW Calls for Stellantis CEO to Resign
Recently, Shawn Fain has been facing criticism for cutting a weak, quick deal at Stellantis. The deal’s weakness was used as justification by Fain to demote the UAW Vice President for Stellantis, Rich Boyer. In return, Boyer has fought back that Fain knew about the agreement with Stellantis,
Last week, Fain threatened to call a strike at Stellantis if they didn’t reopen their Belvidere plant in Illinois. The company responded that such a strike would be illegal.
Now, Fain is calling for the CEO of Stellantis to resign. “It’s time for a change, and that starts with the man at the top,” Fain said in a video released by the UAW.
For more, check out Telsarati.
On Luxurious Ibiza Island, Essential Workers Forced to Sleep in Tents
Finally, the New York Times has an indepth look at essential workers on the island of Ibiza, who are forced to live in tents:
“In lieu of a new apartment, Ms. Bocuñano, 38, spent a frightening two weeks sleeping in her car, then three months in a tent with her 10-year-old son, Raúl, by her side, before buying a used caravan in June. For a couple of months, she stationed the Caravelair-brand trailer in Can Rova, an ad hoc village of tents, shacks and campers on the outskirts of Ibiza Town, the island’s capital, just behind a dealership selling expensive powerboats. “When we first came here it was cold,” she said. “Like, very cold.”
Tent cities began popping up here in 2023, but they have mushroomed in size and number this year. Can Rova, the largest of three major camps in and around the capital, was home to some 280 people this summer. On a recent July night, six people and a dog were bedding down on the floor in Ms. Bocuñano’s caravan.
Many Can Rova residents said that, with nowhere else to go, they hoped to stay indefinitely. But on July 31, the police made good on a court order to clear the camp, which had been erected on private land. (The owner is currently embroiled in an array of zoning and legal disputes.) Many said they planned to relocate to one of the other camps, even as those sites lacked the electricity, water and perimeter fence that made Can Rova accommodating.”
For more, check out the New York Times.
News & Headlines Happening Elsewhere
- 500 largely Latino workers move to unionize with UAW in Illinois
- Pa. Cyber Charter advisors, counselors authorize strike
- AT&T’s service outage impacts Charleston amid Communications Workers strike
- Boston U grad worker strike now longest in a decade
- Gainesville union workers have less than a month to organize or risk decertification
- Las Vegas workers want taxes on tips eliminated, expert says it could have consequences
- Finally, a new study shows that teachers union strikes have little negative impact on students and largely positive impacts
Alright folks, that’s all for today. Keep sending tips, story ideas, comments and complaints to melk@paydayreport.com
Donate to help us cover how the rank and file union members are fighting back in the battleground. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our 772 recurring donors. Thanks for all the support and solidarity.
Melk
