Minneapolis, MN – On March 1, workers held pickets at three Allina Hospitals in the Twin Cities metro area. The pickets were held at Allina’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids, and Unity Hospital in Fridley. Coon Rapids and Fridley are suburbs of Minneapolis. The pickets were part of a fight for first contracts for a large collection of groups who recently organized and joined the Service Employees International Union, Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa (SEIU HMNIA).
Chicago, IL – The Chicago Transit Authority fired trans bus operator and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 241 member Russia T. Brown for waging a struggle for his right to healthcare while refusing to address rampant transphobia that culminated in death threats.
Tampa, FL – On Monday, February 20, thousands of Teamsters gathered outside of UPS facilities across the country to sign cards pledging unity ahead of contract negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS. The Contract Unity Pledge Drive is being rolled out in order to rally UPS employees to demands in the negotiations such as ending the second-tier 22.4 driver classification and higher wages for part-timers.
Hastings, MN – On day eight of the SEIU Local 284 food service worker strike against the Hastings Public Schools, workers gathered at McNamara Stadium here for a rally demanding a decent contract.
Tampa, FL – February 19 is the 55th anniversary of 35,000 Florida teachers submitting their resignations in the United States’ first statewide teachers strike. Teachers and administrators took a stand against the Florida legislature worsening schools. This historic action is relevant today with renewed attacks on teachers unions by the DeSantis administration.
Hastings MN – Energy was high on the fourth day, February 10, of the Hastings Public Schools food service worker strike. SEIU Local 284 members remain strong as management refuses to bargain. Striking workers, fellow unionists and community allies converged at Kennedy Elementary School for an end of the day unity picket and rally. Including the 35 striking workers, the picket line swelled with the support of dozens of family members, building staff and educators, as well as rank-and-file unionists from the area including letter carriers, University of Minnesota workers, Teamsters, other SEIU locals and community members.
Tallahassee, FL – Due to a recent cyber-attack, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital is forcing its employees to use their PTO, take unpaid leave, or to come to job site where bosses will tell them what they will work on. Considering Tallahassee Memorial Hospital is a multi-million dollar organization, this is a major problem for the nonunion, low-wage workers.
Hastings Minnesota – On an unseasonably warm February day, food service workers at Hastings Public Schools, members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 284, walked off the job beginning an open ended strike, February 7.
Chicago, IL – On January 22, the United Faculty Union of the University of Illinois at Chicago ended a four-day strike, winning major improvements for the 1500 full time, tenured and non-tenured faculty represented by the union. The strike has brought more than 300 days of negotiations to a close.
Chicago IL -The United Faculty union at the University of Illinois at Chicago went out on strike, January 17. United Faculty (UF) represents the 1500 full-time tenured and non-tenured faculty at the university. The strike announcement comes after nearly 300 days of negotiations between the administration and UF.
Los Angeles, CA – On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which fell on January 15, Teamsters across the country joined the national action to demand that UPS “Deliver on the Dream” by pressuring the company to make MLK Day and Juneteenth paid holidays in the upcoming national contract.
Alexandria, VA – Transit workers employed by the French multinational rail and transit company Keolis took strike action on January 1, in Loudoun County, Virginia. The ATU Local 689 members had no choice but to take this drastic action in view of company stonewalling at the negotiations table, and in view of the shameful labor relations practices of Keolis. Like many union fights, there are many details and episodes that go unrecorded and unreported (although Labor Notes has a recent article on this struggle). What follows are a few of those background details that will add to our knowledge and improve our ability to continue – and hopefully expand – the work we do to organize the unorganized.
Rockville, MD – A supermajority of quality assurance workers at Microsoft’s ZeniMax Studios have indicated January 2 that they wish to join ZeniMax Workers United/CWA, either by signing a union authorization card or voting via an online portal. In accordance with its stated labor principles, Microsoft has recognized the union.
New York, NY – On December 30, nurses at eight hospitals, including New York City’s largest, representing approximately 16,000 members submitted their ten-day notice to strike beginning January 9. As of Monday, January 9, all but three hospitals have reached a tentative agreement. This means that nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) are beginning their strike at four different locations.
Milwaukee, WI – The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals (WFNHP) Local 5000 held a rally and picket outside of the Milwaukee home of Bernie Sherry, the CEO of Ascension Wisconsin, one of his many houses. The January 4 action was in response to the abrupt announcement of the December 23 closure of St. Francis Hospital’s Labor and Delivery (L+D) Unit.
