Warning: Attempt to read property "zones" on null in /home/rln1300/public_html/randomlengthsnews.com/wp-content/plugins/broadstreet/Broadstreet/Vendor/Broadstreet.php on line 273
Minneapolis Educators Continue Strike
On March 8, members of the Minneapolis Federation of Teachers and the St. Paul Federation of Educators staged a walk-out after a Feb. 18 strike authorization was passed. The strikers are in two bargaining units: 3,000 teachers and 1,000 education support professionals (ESPs), which includes teacher’s aides.
The SPFE, a combined unit of 3,600 teachers and ESPs, got a last-minute tentative agreement.
Two hundred Minneapolis Public Schools food service workers with Service Employees (SEIU) Local 284 filed their own 10-day strike notice on March 15.
ESPs in both cities are paid poverty wages and some live out of cars. The strikers are demanding a living wage for ESPs, along with more mental health workers and smaller class sizes — all of which they say translates directly into stability and supportive learning opportunities for students.
MFT is also demanding more counselors, caseload caps, lower health insurance premiums, and policies to support and retain educators of color.
The settlement in St. Paul will limit class size, add new counselors, and raise ESP wages substantially.
“MFT members get it,” said Shaun Laden, president of the MFT ESP chapter. “If St. Paul can add mental health workers, cap class size, and pay their ESPs $37,000, Minneapolis can figure out how to do that too.”
All three unions face a threat to the very existence of public schools: a proposed constitutional amendment that would end the state’s mandate to fund public education.
Broader Fightback Emerging
These unions are part of a larger coalition of Minnesota unions threatening strikes — including county and school clerical staff (AFSCME Locals 56 and 2822), social workers (AFSCME Local 34), and janitors and security guards (SEIU Local 26).
“At a time when billionaires’ wealth is exploding and our state is sitting on a $7.7 billion surplus, it is maddening we are still stuck in a debate where one side insists there is not enough to provide for the common good,” wrote leaders of the coalition in a joint op-ed. It has been fifty years since the MFT last strike.
A Few Gains and Plenty of Frustration as Minneapolis Teachers’ Strike Ends
After three weeks, the Minneapolis teachers strike is over. The Educational Support Professionals and teachers’ tentative agreements were ratified by 76 percent and 80 percent, respectively. While the contract does include some gains, the result is far less than what teachers demanded and deserve. Many teachers vow to continue the struggle for quality public schools for all.
Union Election at Leo Marine in SP
Michael Vera, Patrolman with the Inland Boatmen’s Union of the Pacific (Marine Division ILWU) told RLn that “The NLRB has ruled that an election for representation at Leo Marine should take place in both San Francisco and LA/LB. They have set the ballot to have Inland Boatmen’s Union, Masters, Mates and Pilots, Seafarers International Union or No Union. Ballots go out on March 28 and the vote will be conducted by mail. Ballots will be counted on April 25.”
The board decided that Centerline Logistics, the parent company of Leo Marine, illegally recognized the SIU in March 2021. The IBU and the MMP are competing over jurisdiction for the Leo Marine employees.
Additionally, the NLRB has issued a consolidated complaint based on several charges in violation of the National Labor Relations Act when Centerline Logistics transferred work away from IBU represented Westoil Marine Inc. to the new company Leo Marine. Charges include bargaining in bad faith and repudiation of contract. The board will conduct a hearing on the matter on June 21. Theoretically the work (Glencore) should be returned to Westoil Marine Inc. and the workers should be made whole for any lost wages and damages.
Grocery Store Workers Overwhelmingly Authorize their Unions to Call a Strike
Los Angeles– Grocery store workers represented by seven UFCW Locals voted overwhelmingly to authorize a ULP strike at Ralphs, Albertsons, Von, and Pavilions stores across Central and Southern California. These locals represent over 47,000 supermarket employees impacted by this vote.
“The companies are not playing fair by violating our rights and federal labor laws. After all the hard work we’ve done through the COVID pandemic serving customers so they can feed their families, we deserve to be able to feed ours,” says Rachel Fournier, a Bargaining Committee member and a cashier at Ralphs in Los Angeles. “While Kroger made over $4 billion in profits last year, many employees are struggling to make ends meet. This has to change. It is time for the grocery corporations to do better and come back to the bargaining table with an adequate contract proposal that respects our work.”
The Unlawful Labor Practices (ULP) charges include unlawful intimidation, harassment, and surveillance of workers protesting low wages and short hours; refusing to implement wage increases as required by the contract; giving small token bonuses when the grocery chains should be bargaining over permanent wage increases and subcontracting food preparation work to non-union outside companies.
Food sales skyrocketed while grocery companies made billions of dollars in profits — Kroger, Ralphs’ parent company, alone made over $4 billion in profits in 2021. This wealth went to CEOs’ wages and stock buybacks.
A recent study conducted among Kroger employees called “Hungry at the Table” showed that 78% of workers struggle to feed their families with nutritious foods; over 63% of Kroger workers have wages that are insufficient to afford basic necessities and 14% of workers are houseless or sleeping in their car.
Workers presented reasonable proposals including a $5/hr raise over the 3-year contract, more hours and staffing, and safety in the stores. The companies only offered $1.80 and rejected proposals to improve safety, minimum guarantee of hours and staffing, among other substantial improvements included in the union’s proposals.
Negotiations resume March 30 with UFCW and Ralphs and Albertsons/Vons/Pavilions. No dates have been set yet for a strike.
On March 29th, labor leaders representing 300 unions and 800,000 workers and their families, affiliated with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO (LA Fed) unanimously approved the UFCW’s request to support a ULP strike at Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions. & Commit to Honor Picket Lines in the Event of a Strike
Union leaders from numerous industries expressed their full support for grocery store workers who recently authorized their UFCW local unions across Central and Southern California to call a strike if deemed necessary.
All the unions pledged their commitment to not cross the picket lines should the UFCW supermarket workers walk out of the stores.
Randy Cammack, President of Teamsters Joint Council 42, joined supporting unions and pointed out that his members won’t cross the picket lines and will also stop delivering merchandise to the grocery stores in solidarity of UFCW members if a strike is called.
“MOUNT VERNON, Washington — Rosa Martinez held up a sign over her head Wednesday that read ‘huelga’ — Spanish for ‘strike’ — with hands covered in clusters of sores she says were caused by the caustic liquid daffodils release when cut.
“Martinez said she and other field workers are left to buy their own medical-grade disposable gloves, which can cost $30 a box, and are only provided a small container of ointment the size of a ketchup packet to treat sores upon request.
“That and several other complaints prompted Martinez and more than 70 other farmworkers employed by Washington Bulb Co. in Mount Vernon to walk off the job Wednesday morning. With the help of Familias Unidas por la Justicia, an independent union of Indigenous families, the workers are also demanding an increase in wages, guaranteed eight-hour workdays, improved sick leave and safer application of pesticides.
“Washington Bulb Co., which farms about 2,000 acres of land, is owned by RoozenGaarde Flowers and Bulbs, the largest tulip-bulb grower in the country and one of the largest employers in the Skagit Valley.“(submitted to Labor briefs by Geoff Mirelowitz from Seattle.
Conde Nast Workers form Union
Hundreds of workers at the publishing giant Condé Nast, which owns titles like Vogue, Vanity Fair, Bon Appétit and GQ, announced 3.28 that they had formed a companywide union. The union is affiliated with the NewsGuild of New York, which also represents editorial employees at The New York Times as well as other publications.
The union includes 500+ employees from all of Condé Nast’s brands, except those from Ars Technica, Pitchfork, Wired and The New Times, which unionized separately with the NewsGuild in recent years. The union has asked management for voluntary recognition. The company has voluntarily recognized the four existing unions.
The employees in the newly formed union, are pushing for better pay, increased job security, and a stronger commitment to diversity and equity.
