Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where we have launched a major fundraising campaign for covering the election.
Western PA Outlets Ignore Polls Showing Union Members Flipping for Kamala
Western Pennsylvania is dominated by two pro-Trump newspapers (Tribune-Review and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette).
Rarely is coverage given to the fact that union voters are now flipping dramatically in Kamala's favor. When we published a story entitled "Poll: PA Union Members Flip for Harris in Stunning Fashion," it went viral because none of the local papers even bothered to cover this poll.
We hope to raise $50,000 to help cover Western PA and unions in this election.
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Stellantis Strike Could Reshape Race in Michigan
The UAW has filed unfair labor practice charges against Stellantis.
The union claims Stellantis reneged on its contractual promises to reopen its Belvedere, Illinois plant. The UAW has also filed a grievance against Stellantis for seeking to move Dodge Durango production from Detroit to Mexico.
Now, the UAW is threatening to strike unless Stellantis keeps the plant open. On a video call with Stellantis members, UAW Shawn Fain warned against accepting company propaganda that the UAW cannot strike mid-contract.
'The company wants you to be scared. We are 100% within our rights and our power to take strike action," said UAW President Shawn Fain.
A strike in Michigan, where Stellantis employs tens of thousands of people, could dramatically reshape the presidential race, forcing candidates to take sides.
4,000 Aerospace Workers Could Strike in Kansas on Sunday
In Wichita, the union representing over 4,000 aerospace workers employed by Textron Aviation rallied for a contract in downtown Wichita. Today, the workers are voting on striking and could strike as early as Sunday.
"We are still far apart on the issues that need to be addressed," wrote IAM Local 774 on its Facebook page.. "The company has not shown this (negotiating) committee that they value the backbone of this company. We need to send a clear message that we will not take concessions on this round of negotiations."
For more, check out IAM Local 774's Facebook page.
500 Michigan UAW Members on Strike
Down in Jackson, Michigan, 500 UAW members are on strike at Eaton Aerospace. The workers are on strike, protesting a two-tier retirement system proposed by the company.
"This company has made billions on workers' backs," Don Donihue, a trustee at the UAW local, told WLNS. "It is insulting that Eaton executives are trying to deny us our right to retire while giving themselves millions year after year. They can clearly afford to pay what we're asking for."
Air Canada Pilots Win Gains Averting Lockout Thanks to Shaky Government and US Labor Wins
Air Canada pilots avoided a major lockout when the company caved in at the last minute. The more than 5,200 Air Canada pilots won a pay raise for the first year of their new contract, nearly equal to what the company had initially offered to spread over four years.
The cave-in by the company is credited in part to the Liberal government no longer having a majority in parliament, which would have allowed them to force union members back to work. The government lost support earlier this month from the New Democratic Party, which said the government legislating Teamster railway workers back to their jobs crossed "a line in the sand."
Victories by US pilots also played a significant role. The company's offer was similar to what Delta, United, and American Airlines pilots had recently won.
Air Canada had asked the Liberal government to use binding arbitration as they did earlier with the Canadian Teamsters on the railways.
However, the New Democratic Party pulled support in parliament. This left the Liberals without enough votes to force the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) into arbitration.
Air Canada conceded just as two by-elections were happening, where the Liberals lost both, coming in second in what was supposed to be a safe seat in Montreal.
McGill University Professor John Gradek said the fracturing of the Liberal coalition played a massive role in Air Canada's folding.
"In my opinion, public opinion basically pressed the federal cabinet, including the prime minister, to basically keep their hands clear of negotiations and looking at imposing a settlement," Gradek continued," Gradek told CTV. "Air Canada ran out of support as the week wore on, and by the time they got to Friday night, Saturday morning, there was nothing left for them to do but to basically try to get a deal set up and accepted by [Air Line Pilots Association]."
600 Amazon Drivers Move to Unionize in Queens
In Queens, over 600 Amazon drivers have petitioned to unionize. Workers, some of whom make as little as $20-an-hour, are seeking to improve wages and working conditions.
A recent NLRB ruling could force Amazon to bargain alongside its contractor DSP as a joint employer.
"Whenever we have to make changes, however small, like switching to a larger van for our delivery volume, our direct managers need to get approval from Amazon," Luc Rene, a delivery driver in Queens organizing with the Teamsters, told The American Prospect.
For more, check out Luke Goldstein's piece at The American Prospect.
Amazon Forcing Workers to Return to Office for 5 Days a Week
Finally, following the pandemic, many tech workers hoped that they would be able to continue to work from home. However, yesterday, in a sign of shifting times, Amazon is requiring all of its employees to return to working five days a week in the office.
"We want to operate like the world's largest startup," wrote Amazon CEO Andy Jassy in an email to employees. "That means having a passion for constantly inventing for customers, strong urgency (for most big opportunities, it's a race!), high ownership, fast decision-making, scrappiness and frugality, deeply-connected collaboration (you need to be joined at the hip with your teammates when inventing and solving hard problems), and a shared commitment to each other."
News & Headlines Elsewhere
- AFT President Weingarten and Ohio Federation of Teachers President Cropper: Springfield community needs help, not hate.
- Indian police release striking Samsung workers detained for planning protest march.
- Generations of workers coveted Boeing jobs. Strike reveals how much has changed.
- Majority Of Handel and Haydn Society Choristers Take Steps To Unionize.
- Harvard to reopen Queen's Head as event venue, hire non-union employees.
- Finally, The Nation has a long look at how workers with disabilities are forcing the labor movement to be more inclusive.
Alright folks, that's all for today. Keep sending tips, story ideas, comments, recipes, and advice to melk@paydayreport.com
Donate to help us raise $50,000 to cover the Western PA & Unions in 2024 election. Please, if you can, sign up as one of our 771 recurring donors today. Thanks again for all the support.
Love & Solidarity,
Melk
