Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where our Congresswoman Summer Lee (D-PA) was just appointed to serve on the House Education and Labor Committee. (Yes, we know anti-union Republicans changed the name to House Education and Workforce, but in the pro-union stylebook of Payday, we will call it by its real name).
Female Sports Bar Owner Has History of Wage Theft
Yesterday, there was a lot of buzz in Pittsburgh about the opening of the Title 9 Sports Bar in East Liberty, which aims to play only female sports on TV.
However, commentators on social media, were quick to point out that its owner Sheree Goldstein, who also owns Square Cafe, was found guilty of both wage theft and NLRB charges.
In 2023, the Department of Labor found that Goldstein had stolen $89,000 in tips from its employees. The National Labor Relations Board also found that Goldstein illegally retaliated against employees, who shared information about salaries with other employees.
"We asked on a daily basis, can you show us the breakdown of where these tips are going and who's getting these tips? It never happened," Blue Leigh, a former server, to WTAE.
Migrant Workers Lose Jobs in LA Fires
As the LA Fires continue to burn, many migrant workers employed in landscaping and domestic work face a loss of their jobs. From Spectrum News:
“So far, the six homes he worked at are now just rubble, leaving him heartbroken for his employers and also for himself.
On paper, Saucedo will not be counted as one of the fire’s victims, but every charred lawn is a reminder of the uncertainty he faces.
"I am going to save as much as I can to make rent, but I know I’ll have to tell my landlord I am short this month," Saucedo said.
Not being able to apply for unemployment due to his immigration status, he knows the next couple of months will be difficult, as he says getting these jobs doesn't come easy. It is why he has advocated for the Excluded Workers Program bill for the past couple of years — which, if passed, would provide unemployment benefits to non-citizen workers. That bill has died, but workers hope the states take it up again as thousands find themselves unemployed as a result of the fires.”
For more, check out Spectrum News.
Help Cover Workers & the LA Fires
As the LA fire story continues to capture national attention, Payday hopes to continue to cover it, but we need your help to do so.
(See our special newsletter on workers and the fires)
Donate to help us cover worker abuses during the LA fires. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our recurring donors.
JP Morgan Faces Union Threat After Implementing Return-to-Work Order
Earlier this week, JP Morgan Chase announced that they were going to require all of their workers to return to the office. The announcement sparked a backlash from workers at the financial giant.
Now, workers at the firm are talking about unionizing. From Barrons:
“On Friday, the company told employees that it would implement a new five-day in-office mandate in March, shifting from a three-day policy. In the days since, frustration has mounted for some employees who say the new mandate will pose challenges.
Some employees have held private conversations about the possibility of forming a union, Barron’s has learned. Some said in interviews that they were reading up on a small union organized at Wells Fargo , where the negotiation process for a contract between executives and union employees is under way.
Some staffers have internally passed around a Google form, created by an employee, which poses a series of questions about whether colleagues would support an effort to organize a union and how they view the office policy. Worker unions in the financial services sector are rare and gathering enough support among employees may be a long shot.”
Costco Workers Practice-Picket as January 31st Deadline Looms
With a January 31st strike deadline looming, Costco workers are beginning to practice picketing. Workers say they are frustrated with the pace of bargaining.
“I’ve been a Costco driver for 12 years, and watched this company grow into one of the largest retailers in the world,” said Robert Campus, a Teamsters Local 174 member and fleet driver in Sumner, Washington. “It’s time for Costco to stop prioritizing Wall Street and corporate executives over the workers who built this company. We’re fully prepared to strike if offered anything less than an industry-leading, record-breaking contract.”
For more, check out the Teamsters website.
Labor Reporter to Run for DNC Chair
Finally, Faiz Shakir, announced his intention to run for DNC Chair and immediately drew support from many organizations. Shakir served as campaign manager for Senator Bernie Sanders.
Prior to working in politics, Shakir was one of the founders of Think Progress in the late 2000s. He most recently founded the labor media outlet More Perfect Union.
(Full disclosure: I freelanced for Shakir at both outlets)
Now, with backing from many in labor and the Bernie world, Shakir has entered the race for Democratic National Committee Chair. The odds of Shakir winning are long, but his race is likely to raise key issues.
“As I have listened to our candidates, I sense a constrained, status-quo style of thinking,” Mr. Shakir wrote in his announcement. “We cannot expect working-class audiences to see us any differently if we are not offering anything new or substantive to attract their support.”
For more on Shakir, check out Payday’s 2019 profile “Bernie’s Campaign Manager Talks Baseball and the Immigrant Experience”
News & Headlines Elsewhere
- Justice Department attorneys vote to unionize on cusp of Trump
- How 2 food industry workers are dealing with the L.A. wildfires
- Amazon workers’ 2024 holiday strike captured In new short film
- Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio workers file to unionize
- 2,200 Oregon nurses file to unionize
- Dozens of survivors and dead pulled from abandoned South African mine
- Swedish dockworkers vote to block military shipments to and from Israel
Alright folks, that’s all for today. Keep sending tips, story ideas, comments, and complaints to melk@paydayreport.com
Donate to help us keep covering workers abuses in LA Fires. Please, if you can, sign up as a recurring donor. Thanks again for all the support.
Love & Solidarity,
Melk
