Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where I am preparing to take a few days off for a 4th of July Vacation.
81% of 4th of July Goal Reached
Currently, we have raised $1,610 towards our $2,000 goal for the 4th of July.
Last week, we asked our readers to help us raise $2,000 by the 4th of July to help cover part-time editor costs, rent, healthcare premiums, and some tech work we are doing. The money also would allow me to take a few days off from fundraising.
Donate to help us cover these crucial costs. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our recurring donors.
Colorado Grocery Store Strike Expands to 38 Stores
In Colorado, a grocery store workers strike at Safeway has expanded to 38 stores.
“We want a fair contract. That's what they need to do. They need to come to the table and be fair with us,” Safeway worker Darelene Montez told KMGH
Federal Unions Win Fight in Budget Bill Battle
Last week, the Senate Parliamentarian ruled that a series of measures designed to hurt federal unions could not be included in Trump’s budget bill.
The measures included a provision that would have charged unions 10% of union dues deducted from workers’ paychecks, a measure to charge unions for releasing union leaders for “official time,” and a measure that would have required unions to pay a $350 fee for each complaint filed with the Merits Systems Protection Board.
Now, the Senate GOP has stripped these measures from the budget bill. Unions celebrated it as a victory.
“The thousands of postal supervisors, managers and postmasters who participated in NAPS' online legislative advocacy campaign to defeat the anti-postal employee provisions should be proud of their efforts,” the National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS) said in a statement.
For more, check out the National Association of Postal Supervisors (NAPS).
Writers Union Denounces Paramount Settlement with Trump
Yesterday, Paramount, the owner of CBS, reached a $16 million settlement with Trump over a 60 Minute segment that upset him. The Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) denounced the settlement as a threat to journalism.
“The Writers Guild of America East stands behind the exemplary work of our members at ’60 Minutes’ and CBS News. We wish their bosses at Paramount Global had the courage to do the same,” the WGAE said in a statement. “This settlement is a transparent attempt to curry favors with an administration in the hopes it will allow Paramount Global and Skydance Media merger to be cleared for approval.”
Feds Tell Florida Brightline Rail System to Stop Union Busting
Finally, in Florida, a new private intercity rail system, Brightline, has been repeatedly accused of union busting by attempting to block a union election for on-board attendants. The private rail-line, which has received more than $36 million in federal grants, has argued that their employees should be forced to hold a union election under the National Labor Relations Board, which has far weaker protections than the National Mediation Board, which covers rail and airline workers.
Now, the Federal Rail Authority has ruled that Brightline, which has received federal transit grants, must hold a union election under the National Mediation Board. The fact that the Trump Administration ruled in favor of the union surprised many, but Transport Workers Union general counsel, Angel Cucuzza, says it makes sense.
“The conditions that were set forth with requesting those grants — that hasn’t changed,” Cucuzza told Orlando Weekly. “We don’t see the administration making such drastic changes to what has been outlined, as far as the grant decision-making or distribution process.”
For more, check out Orlando Weekly.
News & Headlines Elsewhere
- Milwaukee Sheriff blocks ridesharing drivers’ strike at airport from proceeding
- Up to 70% of farmworkers not returning to California farms following ICE raids
- New York farms refuse to follow new union contracts
- Half of all private-sector workers in the U.S. have no access to a retirement plan, study finds
- Union rallies in San Antonio after family detained by ICE with concerns for child's health
- Finally, union members from all over the South are traveling to Louisiana to protest ICE”s inhumane detention facilities in the state.
Alright yinz, that’s all for this week. We will be back next Tuesday with a lot, but keeping sending tips, comments and complaints to melk@paydayreport.com
Donate to help us reach our 4th of July goal. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our recurring donors today.
See yinz next week,
Melk
