Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh. It’s been a very happy day. After three years of legal battle, winning this settlement has been a relief. I have way more energy to explore what’s going on now.
Big thanks to all of our readers for the support over these years. We could not have done without yinz. Donate to help us continue to do valuable, hard-hitting work like this.
UAW Endorses Ceasefire in Gaza
On Friday, the UAW became the largest union in the U.S. to call for a ceasefire, joining the United Electrical Workers (UE), American Postal Workers Union, and the National Nurses Union.
“From opposing fascism in WWII to mobilizing against apartheid South Africa and the Contra war, the UAW has consistently stood for justice across the globe,” the UAW said in a statement. “A labor movement that fights for social and economic justice for all workers must always stand against war and for peace.”
For more, check out the Guardian.
Washington Post Union Authorizes One-Day Walkout on Thursday
Fighting layoff attempts at the Washington Post, workers there vowed to go on a one-day walkout on Thursday.
“In solidarity with my union family, I will NOT be covering The Game Awards live on Thursday for The Washington Post, a very high-traffic evening that always beats our political coverage,” tweeted Washington Post Columnist Gene Park on Thursday. “I do have other coverage planned on other days, but Dec. 7 will be a blackout”.
Sunergos Barista Win 7 Day Strike & First Contract
Earlier this year in Louisville, over 230 Heine Brothers coffee workers at locations throughout the city won their first union contract at the largest coffee chain in Louisville. Now, workers at the second-largest coffee shop, Sunergos, have also won a first union contract.
“This is a huge step forward. This contract agreement will make Sunergos Coffee a better place to work and protect the culture that we’ve worked hard to build for our customers and community. It shows that working Louisvillians can make our lives better by joining together in a union to fight for higher-quality jobs,” a union barista told WHAS.
2,000 Ascension Nurses Strike in Texas and Kansas
This week, over 2,000 Ascension Nurses in Kansas and Texas are going on a one-day strike against the hospital chain. Now, their employer announced that they would lock the nurses out for another three days.
“By locking nurses out for three days, Ascension is sending the message, once again, that providing patients with excellent care is not their priority,” Kris Fuentes, RN in the neonatal ICU at ASMCA in Austin, said in a statement. ” As nurses, we are very focused on our patients and winning a contract that sets the stage for optimal care. It is high time for management to prioritize patients and reach an agreement that accomplishes this.”
For more, check out the National Nurses Union site.
SAG-AFTRA Union Ratification Vote Could Be Close
Finally, NBC News has a look at the SAG-AFTRA union ratification vote could be close:
As details of the tentative deal emerged, the hashtag #SAGAFTRAvoteNO began making its way onto social media, with some performers singling out what they deemed insufficient protections around AI.
Alex Plank, an actor and SAG-AFTRA member, called the AI provisions “”disappointing,”” saying he had hoped for stringent prohibitions against actors’actors’ likenesses being used to train AI models. Under the proposed contract, he said, ” producers are allowed to generate a synthetic performer and just have to notify SAG and bargain with the union over its use,” a situation he said amounted to “allowing synthetic performers to compete with human ones.”
Plank also criticized some of the compensation provisions. “”I don’tdon’t think what we got will necessarily help the average actor’sactor’s pay,”” he said, describing the criteria for receiving streaming residuals — a form of royalty — as too narrow.
Strikes & News Happening Elsewhere
- French TV industry to face historic strike.
- UAW’sUAW’s Shawn Fain is onto a new campaign he calls ”Stand Up 2.0′‘
- Climbing gym workers at Vertical Endeavors unionize across Minnesota
- Press Herald has an in-depth look at the growing labor movement in Maine
- Tired of Low Wages and Workplace Violence, Waffle House Workers Are Organizing
- Growers seek leeway under new WA agriculture overtime law
- Finally, Waging Nonviolence has an empirical look at the different that #MeToo made in the workplace.
Alright, yinz, that’s all for today. Keep sending tips, story ideas, comments and complaints to [email protected]
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Love & Solidarity,
Melk
