Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where union activists are celebrating a big win at Penn State.
90% of Penn State’s 2,000 Graduate Employees Vote for UAW
The UAW gained a major foothold in Pennsylvania when more than 2,000 graduate employees at Penn State University voted to unionize by a margin of 90%-10%.
“The results of our vote demonstrate the collective power we have built and the strong mandate we have as we head into bargaining,” Maddy Jupina, a graduate assistant in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences told the Daily Collegian.
Now, efforts are underway by SEIU to unionize 7,600 faculty, who are employed in the Penn State branch campuses throughout Pennsylvania.
For more, check out StateCollege.com
Nashville Special Congressional Election Tightens to 8 Point Race
In Tennessee, Democratic Tennessee state representative Aftyn Behn, a telegenic 35-year-old community organizer, claims that her internal polling shows that she has narrowed her Republican opponent Martin Van Epps’ lead to only 8% in the 7th Congressional district special election to be held on December 2nd The district encompasses West Nashville, Clarksville, and several well-educated suburbs of Nashville.
Earlier in the week, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report downgraded the likelihood of Republicans winning the special election from “Solid Republican” to “Lean Republican.” The downgrade was the result of GOP voter turnout dropping by 75% in the recent October district primaries, a sign that Republicans in the area are not enthusiastic about their party.
Now, the Democratic Party is pumping in serious resources on a national level to help Behn in the district.
“On the heels of last week’s historic blue sweep, the DNC’s distributed organizing team – comprised of thousands of volunteers across the country – is now turning its focus to supporting Rep. Aftyn Behn’s special election in Tennessee,” DNC Organizing Director Lorenza Ramirez told the Nashville Banner.
For more on the race, check out the Nashville Banner.
Donate to Cover Tennessee Uprising
Payday Report is raising money to travel to Tennessee to cover the Chattanooga Volkswagen workers, who just voted to strike. (See our write-up “Following Strike Vote, Volkswagen Chattanooga Workers Build Momentum”)
Now, with the Congressional special election in Nashville heating up, Payday hopes to cover both stories. An uprising in Tennessee could inspire the nation.
St. Louis Boeing Machinists Accept Contract, Ending 15-Week Strike
After 15 weeks on strike and multiple tentative agreements, 3,200 Boeing fighter jet workers voted by 68% to approve a new contract with Boeing. From the Missouri Independent:
The approved offer includes a $6,000 signing bonus, instead of the original $5,000 offered in August. However, Boeing extended the contract’s term from four to five years, with a 24% general wage increase – 8% in the first year and 4% in each of the following years.
What didn’t make it into the contract for union workers was their demanded $10,000 ratification bonus, 401K benefit match, and a higher wage increase for longtime employees.
“IAM District 837 members stood strong and united for over three months,” according to a union statement after the vote. “We thank our bargaining committee for their tireless efforts, and we appreciate the unwavering support of our members, their families, the St. Louis community, our labor allies, and elected officials throughout this fight.”
For more, check out the Missouri Independent.
West Virginia Miner Dies Saving 17 Miners from Death
On Thursday, the body of 42-year-old coal miner Nick Limpscomb was found after he was killed earlier in the week in tragic flooding at the Alpha Metallurgical Resources’ Rolling Thunder mine in Nicholas County, West Virginia. Limpscomb was a Marine Corps veteran and Purple Heart recipient, who colleagues say acted with bravery to save the lives of 17 miners.
Nikki Bowman of West Virginia Living Magazine, who attended the same high school as Limpscomb, wrote a moving obituary of him on Facebook:
Last Saturday, a routine shift in a West Virginia coal mine turned tragic. Leading the crew was 42-year-old foreman Steve Lipscomb of Elkview—a Marine veteran, devoted family man, and the kind of West Virginian whose steady presence carried weight both above and below ground.
Less than an hour into the shift, nearly three-quarters of a mile underground, a hidden pocket of water burst through the mine wall. As the flood rushed in, Steve did what great leaders do—he put his men first. Witnesses say he stayed calm, clear-headed, and focused solely on getting all seventeen miners to safety.
He was last seen making sure his crew escaped the rising water.
For six days, West Virginia held its breath as rescue teams worked around the clock to pump millions of gallons from the mine. Steve Lipscomb made the ultimate sacrifice.
Alice Wong, Disability Advocate, Dies
Alice Wong died yesterday at the age of 50
Finally, today Alice Wong, the fierce disability advocate, author, writer, and founder of Disability Visibility, died at the age of 50 after a life full of struggling with severe and debilitating health issues.
In her last letter, she encouraged other disability advocates to find the courage that she had to find in herself as a disability self-advocate.
“I did not ever imagine I would live to this age and end up a writer, editor, activist, and more. As a kid riddled with insecurity and internalized ableism, I could not see a path forward,” Wong wrote. “It was thanks to friendships and some great teachers who believed in me that I was able to fight my way out of miserable situations into a place where I finally felt comfortable in my skin.”
“We need more stories about us and our culture. You all, we all, deserve everything, and more in such a hostile, ableist environment,” wrote Wong. “Our wisdom is incisive and unflinching. I’m honored to be your ancestor and believe disabled oracles like us will light the way to the future. Don’t let the bastards grind you down. I love you all.”
For more remembrances, check out the Bluesky page of her close friend, author Steven Trasher, who has been sharing tributes from various people all day long.
Check out Steven Trasher on Bluesky here
News & Headlines Elsewhere
- Tennessee partnerships with ICE multiply as feds offer $14B in incentives nationwide
- ‘A huge, huge divide': New Orleans nurses strike while colleagues work
- MLB meets with union as salary cap, lockout talk swirls
- What's at stake for every WNBA player in the CBA negotiations
- Delta settles flight attendant lawsuit over sexual harassment and union retaliation
- SEPTA workers to vote on strike authorization as contract talks continue
- Hollywood unions make historic push to unionize YouTube content studio Theorist Media
- Finally, a Pennsylvania sheriff struck a deal with ICE. Months later, he was voted out.
Alright yinz, that’s all for today. Keep sending story ideas, comments, and complaints to melk@paydayreport.com
