STRIKE ! - OHSU PostDoc Workers United (AFSCME)

STRIKE ! - OHSU PostDoc Workers United (AFSCME)

Join the Picket Line - For Living Wages, Benefits and Immigration Expenses

Thurs. Aug. 15 + (open ended), 9am-4pm

OHSU Center for Health & Healing (Elizabeth Caruthers Park) 3508 S Moody

OHSU is offering 0% wage increase while shelling out billions to acquire Legacy Health

Wear union gear, bring signs, chants, friends and solidarity!

SIGN UP HERE!

Not able to make it in person? Contribute to the Hardship Fund: https://gofund.me/6b11c3f6

Add Your Name to these Petitions! Tell Peter Barr-Gillespie to Stop Targeting International Workers! Tell OHSU to Pay Your Fair Share!

More info: https://www.ohsupostdocs.org/

Another Great Union Win To Report Today: Thousands Of Nevada State Employees Are Getting Robust And Much-Needed Wage Increases!

Another union win, and another AFSCME victory, to report today:

LAS VEGAS – Thanks to the union they formed through the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), thousands of Nevada state employees are getting robust and much-needed wage increases.

On July 1, which marks the start of the fiscal year 2025 for Nevada state government, the workers got an 11% wage increase.

Members of AFSCME Local 4041 secured the largest wage increases during the 2023 legislative session due to their work at the bargaining table and advocacy at the legislature. Electing pro-worker legislators is an important part of ensuring state workers get the respect they deserve and resources to provide the best services to all Nevadans.

This year’s 11% wage increase follows last year’s 12% for state workers not covered by a collective bargaining agreement, and 13% for state workers covered by AFSCME’s collective bargaining agreement. Since winning collective bargaining rights in 2019, AFSCME members have won more than 30% in wage increases for state workers.

And that’s the difference a union makes.

Local 4041 members thank pro-worker champions in the legislature, including Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager, Assembly Ways and Means Chairwoman Daniele Monroe-Moreno and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, for their strong support of Nevada state employees.

AFSCME wins a historic union contract that equalizes protections across University System of Maryland campuses

We have a few major and ground-breaking union wins to report today that may impact Oregon even if the wins are won in other regions.

The union win reported below comes from Maryland, but I believe that it speaks to a problem we're facing here in Oregon. Over the years our Oregon higher ed system has centralized and decentralized and downsized. Campus administrations have had high turnover, and it feels as if the presidents or other leadership of the institutions have often descended on Oregon as if they were locusts, bled the instiutions dry as they appointed their friends to top positions, and then moved on after a time to their next targets. Some of these institutions have been led by people who either encourage or tolerate unconscionable levels of corruption and whose goals seem to be either privatization of highr ed or personal enrichment. Students, workers, and the public all get ripped off as this occurs. We do not have a unified higher ed system that treasures developing and modeling critical thinking skills and that fosters or models democratic and people-centered education for Oregonians. Workers in the campuses are represented by many unions yet still lack a unified voice, and there is an absence of on-going student-worker and student-worker-community solidarity.

The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) has won a victory in Maryland that points in a different direction than the one we're going.

The folowing post comes from radio station WYPR and the Metropolitan Washington Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

 

Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal

 Employees union and university leaders gathered at a signing ceremony

 Friday to mark the official start of the standardized protections.

Workers at nine of 12 schools in the University System of Maryland are now protected under the first-ever system-wide union contract.

The new agreement raises wages, establishes health and safety protections, and guarantees permanent salaried positions for contractual employees after two years of service. The changes affect around 5,700 employees, from Frostburg to the Eastern Shore.

Members of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union and university leaders gathered at a signing ceremony Friday to mark the official start of the standardized protections. Before, each campus had different contracts, and therefore different working conditions.

“It shouldn't be that somebody at one school has designated water when it's 100 degrees outside, but yet on the Eastern Shore, you may not,” said Quiana Tilghman, director of student outreach and leadership development at University of Maryland Eastern Shore. “This makes sure that everybody gets the same equal, equitable and fair treatment.”

Melanie Lombardi, who runs the cable channel at Frostburg State University, said securing these protections was only possible through the collective power of multiple campus workers.

“It's finally giving equal footing for large and small campuses,” she said. “And with the voices of everyone together, we were loud, and we were able to get it completed.”

From the other side of the bargaining table, USM Chancellor Jay Perman also praised the new contract, saying in a statement that it “supports the University System’s employees, values their hard work and contributions, and stewards our resources responsibly.”

This change has been years in the making, with union advocacy leading to a law passed in June 2021 greenlighting the joint contract model. The USM Board of Regents approved the contract in a special meeting on July 31, according to AFSCME.

“While Maryland is considered to be a rather progressive state, collective bargaining and public labor unions are really only a recent development in the state's history,” said Todd Holden, president of the AFSCME local that represents workers at the University of Maryland College Park and University of Maryland Global Campus. “It was really appropriate to look at this for what it is, as being really a first contract, and first contracts take a long time.”

Holden said implementing the new contract’s provisions will be another uphill climb.

“When it comes to proactively notifying workers of dangerous heat and dangerous air quality, that's something that's actually going to require work to do,” he said.

The contract increases the minimum wage for workers from $32,000 to $38,000, and gives a 5.5% minimum raise to all covered staff.

AFSCME members and leaders called the gains “historic.” But they also said there’s more work to do.

Under the new contract, some conditions will still vary by university, including telework availability and work hours.

That variability leaves the door open to favoritism, Lombardi said, with some workers approved to telework while others are not..

Tilghman said she wants to see a childcare subsidy included in the next contract. And Sally Davies, a retired worker from University of Maryland College Park, said staff also need transportation assistance.

“How do you get to the campuses? What do you pay for when you get there?” she said. “Right now, all of that costs a lot of money, and sometimes the public transportation is inconvenient.”

The new contract expires June 2027.

Medical university research workers seek to build power through Oregon AFSCME

 From Oregon AFSCME:

PORTLAND, Ore. – Citing pay and job security, nearly 2,000 eligible biomedical research workers at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) are looking to form a union through Oregon AFSCME.

A strong majority of those workers submitted union authorization cards to the Oregon Employment Relations Board (ERB) on April 26.

OHSU research workers at OHSU are on the cutting edge of live-saving biomedical research focusing on a range of topics, including cancer, ALS and seizure disorders, coronaviruses and mental health disorders. Eligible workers who signed cards range from scientists to clerical staff to software/analytical tool makers.

“In choosing to focus on academic research instead of going to the private sector where we could make several times our wages, we’re helping drive revolutionary advances in medicine that will have a lasting effect on the health and well-being of people in need,” said Madeline Hedberg, a pancreatic cancer researcher in the Department of Surgery.

“We organized our union in order to raise standards in our industry so that our jobs can be seen as stable careers and not just ‘stepping stones.’ Up until now, we haven’t been listened to, but now with our union, we’re stronger together,” added Hedberg.

Like so many OHSU researchers, Hedberg started off barely scraping by.

“My starting wage was about $36,000 a year, while at the same time I had about $300 a month in private student loan payments and another $200 in federal student loan payments to make — on top of the cost of living in Portland,” Hedberg said.

Prior to submitting authorization cards, OHSU Research Workers United asked OHSU to voluntarily recognize their union or remain neutral in the ERB election process and allow workers to use their voice freely without coercion. OHSU declined to voluntarily recognize the union, choosing to rely on the formal ERB process for verifying that a majority of research workers did indeed sign authorization cards.

“These workers are conducting and supporting cutting edge research, which is the foundation of work done at OHSU and literally saves lives. However, they’re barely able to afford to live in the community they’re such an important part of,” said Joe Baessler, executive director of Oregon AFSCME.

“In joining the over 8,000 Oregon AFSCME-represented workers at OHSU, these research workers have the power to make their voices heard in the decisions that affect themselves and their research. They are standing up to make sure the work they do is supported for the benefit of patients,” added Baessler.

In forming their union with Oregon AFSCME, Research Workers United join the House Officers (AFSCME Local 4820), Graduate Researchers (AFSCME Local 402), Postdocs currently bargaining their first contract, as well as OHSU workers represented by Local 328.

Climate justice is worker justice

AFSCME Local 1072 member Rhonda Leneski speaks at AFL-CIO's "Climate, Equity & Jobs" convening in honor of Earth Day 2024 Heat is the leading cause of death among workers. Millions of U.S. workers are exposed to heat in their workplaces, both outdoors and indoors, and Black and Brown workers can be the ones hardest hit. The connection between labor, racial justice, and environmental justice was the theme of today's Climate, Equity & Jobs Convening hosted by AFL-CIO. The event discussed the challenges climate change has created for workers and the need for increasing federal funding to build a worker-friendly and sustainable green economy. “I have worked for 27 years to keep the dorms clean for the students," Rhonda Leneski, a member of AFSCME Local 1072 and housekeeper at the University of Maryland, said at the event. "Climate change has presented a new challenge to AFSCME members and the community. In my work, climate change has created worsening working conditions for myself and my coworkers caused by stress and heat.” Watch the recorded event » Taken from the Metro Washingto Council AFL-CIO

AFSCME Local 2067/ City of Salem has announced three endorsements in Salem City Council races

AFSCME Local 2067, the union representing most City of Salem workers, has made the following endorsements in our Salem City Council races:

* Mayor - Chris Hoy
* Ward 5 - Dr. Irvin Brown
* Ward 7 - Vanessa Nordyke

Local 2067 focuses on the local elections that most impact their members: City Council and City Mayor. I believe that the Local conducted eleven candidate interviews before making their endorsements. These interviews and endorsements come as the Local is going into difficult contract negotiations. We urge everyone to support Local 2067 in their efforts to win a strong and fair contract.

Please Support AFSCME Local 2067 City of Salem Workers!

AFSCME Local 2067 represents the main body of City of Salem workers. Their contract expires on June 30 of this year. Contract bargaining started on February 21. The Local is holding an infomational rally at noon on Friday, March 15.in Peace Plaza (the space between the library and the Civic Center). Please show up!

According to the union's website, there have been two negotiating sessions and the second one has been more productive than the first. 

Kathy Knock, a Local 2067 leader, did a great interview on  KMUZ on January 25 that sets a strong context for contract negotiations. Thanks to Tina Turner-Morfitt, President of the Oregon Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and an AFSCME retiree and a Labor Chapter leader, and Melanie Zermer of KMUZ for doing that grewat interview. Sister Knock breaks down some complex issues in the interview.

Oregon Legislature Passes Historic Investment in Public Safety Workforce

From Oregon AFSCME:

Salem, Oregon - Oregon's 82nd Legislative Assembly passed HB 4045, the Public Safety Workforce Stabilization Act, an historic investment in Oregon's public safety workers.. HB 4045 received overwhelming bipartisan, bicameral support, marking a significant step forward in prioritizing the dedicated workers who serve on the front lines of public safety by allowing them to retire with enhanced benefits.

HB 4045 creates a new "Hazardous" category within the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) for 911 operators as well as nurses and physicians at Oregon State Hospital (OSH) who are members of the Tier 3, Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP). The Public Safety Workforce Stabilization Act also allows all OSPRP members in the Police & Fire category to retire five years earlier with full benefits, changing the retirement age from 60 to 55. This change impacts thousands of workers at the Stabilization and Crisis Unit (SACU) and Department of Corrections (DOC) who day in and day out, experience heightened levels of stress and injuries due to the high levels of physical demand.

"This bill is a game-changer for public safety workers across Oregon. By recognizing the unique challenges and hazards faced by public safety workers, HB 4045 sends a clear message of appreciation for the indispensable contributions 911 operators make to our communities. This change will also make the field more attractive to prospective employees at a time when public safety agencies across the state are facing staffing crises” said Fred Yungbluth, 911 Operator in Clackamas County and President of Oregon AFSCME

"The passage of HB 4045 is what happens when workers who have been physically and mentally drained by harsh working conditions come together and fight for change,” said Joe Baessler, Executive Director for Oregon AFSCME. “Today, we celebrate this policy change that will start to positively impact the lives of thousands of workers who selflessly dedicate themselves to protecting and serving our communities," added Baessler.

With its passage through the Oregon Legislature, HB 4045 now advances to the desk of Governor Kotek, where it is expected to be signed into law.

A Request For Solidarity From Oregon AFSCME

Tell OHSU: Pay Your Fair Share

OHSU benefits from taxpayer dollars, funding innovative cures through biomedical research. The 235 Postdoc researchers, securing $600 million in federal funding, are now negotiating their first contract. They aim to address the global crisis in postdoc recruitment, retention, and support for foreign workers who constitute 52% of their members. Despite these critical issues, OHSU has only offered zero-cost proposals, stating an unwillingness to pay for postdocs. This reflects a prioritization within OHSU's mission, where Research and Innovation are acknowledged, but not equally supported across all missions. Click here.

AFSCME Council 28/WFSE Sets A High Bar For The Rest Of Us. Let's All Try To Get There Together!

AFSCME Council 28--Washington Federation of State Employees is doing some great organizing, they're moving legislation forward, and they're building a stronger community presence. You can catch up with their latest news here and on Facebook. They have a diverse membership and a progressive leadership. I greatly appreciate that Council 28 is encouraging support for the Poor People's Campaign. 

The photos below come from Council 28 and the call to action comes from the Washington State Poor People's Campaign. We could use a Poor People's Campaign here in the Mid-Willamette Valley, I think. 

Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists: Black History Month Events

Black History Month

Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists: Black History Month Events

Ongoing throughout February both on Zoom and in person in Portland

The Oregon Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) cordially invites you to join us for a month-long recognition of Black excellence in conjunction with the Pacific Northwest Labor History Association, Portland Rising, Oregon AFSCME, and AFRAM/SEIU Local 503. The primary focus is health care.

February 8, 2024 at 6:30pm: Black Relevance in Politics Forum

February 15, 2024 at 6:30pm: Health Care Forum

February 22, 2024 at 6:30pm: Labor History Workshop (In Person at Oregon AFL-CIO)

February 29, 2024 at 7:00pm: Movie Night (In Person at SEIU Local 503)

Click here to learn more about these exciting events!

AFSCME is asking for your help!

 

AFSCME is asking for your help!

The United Mine Workers is supporting AFSCME by voting for their "I Am Story" limited series podcast at this year's NAACP Image Awards.

The 1968 Memphis sanitation strike is a powerful example of the change working people can make through collective action. Thirteen hundred African American sanitation workers, represented by AFSCME Local 1733, put everything on the line for dignity and respect, marching with signs that declared their humanity with the slogan, “I AM A MAN.” It is one of American history’s most compelling fights for labor rights and civil rights.

Last year, to mark the 55th anniversary of the strike, AFSCME President Lee Saunders produced a five-episode podcast called “I AM Story” that introduced a new generation of activists to this iconic struggle. The podcast has now been nominated for an NAACP Image Award in the Outstanding Podcast – Limited Series/Short Form category, and we can vote to determine the winner.

VOTING IS EASY!

1. Click on this link.

2. Click on the “Outstanding Podcast – Limited Series/Short Form” category under the “Recording” header.

3. Click the “Vote” button located underneath the “I AM Story” podcast—please note that this does not officially count your vote!

4. You must click “Back to Categories,” which will return you to the original page.

5. Finally, scroll to the bottom of the categories page and click the “Submit Your Votes” button.

6. Enter your email into the pop-up window, and once it says, “Vote received,” your vote has officially been counted.

At a moment when issues of racial and economic justice are again front and center, it is more important than ever that we honor the Memphis strikers, raising their profile and telling their remarkable story.

Thank you so much for helping us carry on the legacy of the Memphis sanitation strike. Our union siblings at AFSCME, the strikers, and their families appreciate your vote.

In Solidarity,

UMWA Activist Team

A celebration of the legacy of William Bill Lucy: Truly a Magical Night---Respectfully submitted By Tina Turner-Morfitt Vice President AFSCME Retiree Chapter

Sister Tina Turner-Morfitt, President of the Oregon Chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and a rank-and-file Oregon AFL-CIO leader and an active Oregon AFSCME retiree and a delegate to our Labor Chapter, sent the following post in. It captures vital moments in labor history and that point of confluence where the Civil Rights Movement and the Labor Movement flow together and become a might river.

The evening of December 10, 2023, was coined: ‘Make a Joyful Noise’. Hundreds of union and civil rights activists filled the ballroom of the Kimpton Holtel Monaco to pay homage to Brother William Bill Lucy on this celebration of his 90th birthday. Some the accolades used that evening described Brother Lucy, as: “the gold standard”, “a courageous visionary”, “a charismatic changer maker” and “the North Star of the labor movement.”

Reverend Terrence Melvin, the current International President of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, reflected that we were all witnessing a tribute to a rare human being, celebrating a rare milestone. The night was truly indeed magical.

A host of presenters who gave tribute to Brother Lucy’s global legacy include:

 Sister Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO President
 Brother Fred Redmond, Secretary Treasurer AFL-CIO
 Brother Lee Saunders, International President of AFSCME
 Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), United Stated House of Representatives
 Marcia L Fudge, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
 Sister Clayola Brown, CBTU First Vice-President and Senior Advisor for Strategic Partnerships
and Racial Justice, AFL-CIO, A Philip Randolph Institute

On a faithful day in February 1968 Brother Lucy began forging his global legacy of inspiring activist
transitioning in subsequent years to become “a hero for members from every generation”. Later in 1972
he was elected as the first Black secretary-treasurer of AFSCME, one of the highest-ranking Black union leaders in organized labor at that time. To his acumen he didn’t stop there, he along with 4 other Black union leaders set a steady course of ensuring that Black workers and other underrepresented groups would become “full partners” in the labor movement’s leadership and contributing a campaign to broaden their mission statement to be more reflective of direction.

I was blessed to have witnessed this memorable evening and given the opportunity to present him with a signed framed copy of a resolution entitled ‘Legacy to William Lucy’ unanimously passed by the
Delegation of the Oregon AFSCME 2023 Biennial Convention on April 29th, 2023. Here it is, 55 years later, in his retirement, he continues to voice that, “Those that make history seldom see the footprints that they leave because the path is always before them.”

"Dr. King's Legacy and the Future of the Labor Movement"

 Most of us know that Dr. King was assassinated in Memphis in 1968, but fewer of us may appreciate what he was doing there at the time - supporting a strike by sanitation workers organizing with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSME). This workshop uses the 55 minute documentary, "At The River I Stand”, to examine the relationship between Martin Luther King and the Labor Movement. The film will be followed by discussion among attendees. We’ll look at the relationship between the labor and the civil rights movements, whites-only unions and the legacy of racism and prospects for unity between labor and other grassroots movements for racial equity and justice.

WHEN: Monday, January 15, 9:15 - 10:40 AM
WHERE: Garfield High School; 400 23rd Ave.; Seattle, WA

For more information:
Sea MLK Jr Coalition (seattlemlkcoalition.org)

Two important labor solidarity needs

Support Higher Education Workers (SEIU)
4,500 members at seven Oregon public universities
Fair Wages and Working Conditions!

Classified workers are the non-teaching campuis staff who make the Universities run on time - in academic support; IT; housing; health centers; food services admissions; facilities; grounds and more. Without the work of calssified staff, Oregon's public universities literally could not operate and students would not be educated.

Sign and share: https://tinyurl.com/HigherEdWorkers

Johnny Earl. a custodial coordinator at the University of Oregon and chair of SEIU 503’s Higher Ed Bargaining Team, wrote about this struggle with the following words:

Unfortunately, we have yet to reach an agreement with management and are headed to mediation early in 2024. We still need your help. Please share our petition with coworkers, neighbors, friends, family, and whoever you can...As you know, these workers keep Oregon's public universities open and clean, ensure people on campuses are fed, make sure buildings are heated and cooled appropriately, keep labs and libraries running and available to students, provide student health and housing services, support admissions, and so much more. Without the work of classified staff, our public universities literally could not operate, and students would not be educated. In the wake of the pandemic and double-digit inflation, almost 30% of these essential workers make salaries that are eligible for food stamps. We know the universities can do better. We know these workers deserve better.

In 2023, Oregon’s legislature made a historic investment in our universities, allocating more than $1.1 billion. The resources to address this issue exist. We call on the university presidents to agree to a contract that allows classified staff to give students the support they deserve. Workers need a contract that includes fair wages, working conditions, and respect. So, please, share this petition far and wide to help us win a fair contract in 2024.

Photo from SEIU Local 503

Support Grad Researchers at OHSU ! (AFSCME)
OHSU is shortening their already underpaid and overworked Grad Researchers, and denying the union's grievances

Sign and share: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/ohsu-pay-grs-as-promised-in-the-contract

 

The Oregon AFL-CIO and the labor movement are celebrating a year of progress

The Oregon AFL-CIO has a post up marking a year of progress for the labor movement in Oregon. The introduction to the post says in part that "From a windfall of legislative wins during the 2023 Oregon Legislature, to supporting unions on strike around the state, to winning in local elections, to an exciting and inspiring 2023 Oregon AFL-CIO Convention, we are proud and fired up by everything Oregon Labor has done together this year." The Oregon AFL-CIO claims to have 288+ affiliated unions with more than 300,000 members and more than 7500 activists. It has been a good year for most of the labor movement.

The post goes through the 2023 legislative wins by labor and provides a legislative scorecard, it reviews union organizing victories and carries an announcement for the 2024 Oregon Labor Organizing Summit to be held on May 30, 2024 in Portland, reminds us of the strikes and collective bargaining struggles many of us went through in 2023, provides a look-back on the Oregon AFL-CIO's convention, and gives a brief closing statement on what to look forward to in 2024.  

Please read the post here and consider what is being said there and where you fit in. You are absolutely needed and encouraged to participate, learn and lead in 2024.

Some labor media and unions are also making predictions and celebrating wins in 2023. Working In These Times has a list of predictions for U.S. labor in 2024. The Remembering The Triangle Fire Coalition has a moving video up of the October Triangle Fire Memorial. The Metro Washington Labor Council is celebrating some great victories won by the American Federation of Government Employees, and wins by AFSCME.

The Metro Washington Labor Council also lists these union wins:

* Moon Rabbit workers and UNITE HERE Local 25 won union recognition and bargaining of a first contract from InterContinental Hotel Group after picketing for weeks and official calls for a public boycott.
* Compass workers at World Bank, Smithsonian, NIH, and DC universities won contracts with a $20 minimum wage with UNITE HERE Local 23.
* Kaiser Permanente workers went on strike and eventually ratified a landmark new contract with OPEIU Local 2.
* Unionized office cleaners with 32BJ SEIU won a new contract for more than 9,000 workers in the DC region with pay increases of over $3.50/hour.
* ACLU of DC staff unionized with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.
* Brookings Institution staff reached their first union agreement with NPEU.
* More Perfect Union staff ratified their first union contract with Washington-Baltimore News Guild.
* Staff at Solid State Books ratified their first ever union contract with UFCW Local 400.
* Grocery workers at Safeway and Giant ratified strong new contracts with UFCW Local 400.
* Nurses at George Washington University Hospital voted YES to form a union with the District of Columbia Nurses Association.
* Washington Post staff walked off the job for the first time in decades, calling on the company to bargain with the Post Guild.
* Starbucks workers throughout the region unionized with Starbucks Workers United and Workers United Mid-Atlantic Regional Joint Board.
* Maryland public employees won $13 million in back wages after AFSCME Maryland Council 3 filed complaints to the U.S. Department of Labor.
* Tens of thousands of TSA workers got the largest pay raise in decades thanks to bargaining from AFGE.
* Ironworkers at a number of work sites voted YES to unionize with the Ironworkers Union.
* Social Security Administration workers fought for better pay, staffing, and conditions with AFGE.
* Transit workers at Transdev, WMATA, Loudon County, Fairfax Connector, and National Express Transit fought for better wages with ATU Local 689.
* University System of Maryland workers continue bargaining for fair pay, better telework policies, and sustainable workloads with AFSCME Council 3.
* DC Public School teachers with Washington Teachers' Union continued working toward a new contract with the school system.
* Hotel workers at Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square continue to fight for union recognition with UNITE HERE Local 25.
* And Montgomery County passed a landmark bill to stabilize rent, with the support of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, UFCW 1994 MCGEO, UFCW Local 400, UNITE HERE Local 23, and UNITE HERE Local 25.

Washington, DC is far away, but I mention their report because it shows the power of cooperation between unions. An encouraging article on the national AFL-CIO blog goes into great detail on union contract wins in 2023 and shows scores of union wins.

See some great news from IATSE!

 

Closer to home, the Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) shows that Washington State is the third most unionized state. A drop in some union's membership in 2022 doesn't take factor in the union organizing victories won in the state through 2023. A  WSLC report says "According to the latest (Bureau of Labor Statistics) report, Washington had 615,000 union members in 2022, representing 18 percent of the state’s workforce. Only New York and Hawaii had a higher percentage of union members in their workforces than Washington state. For 2021, the BLS estimated Washington had 629,000 union members and 19 percent union density." April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council, is quoted as saying, "As working people have reassessed their jobs and lives during the pandemic, unions have become more popular than ever,” Sims said. “There’s no question that more and more working people are organizing, but these latest statistics don’t reflect that because many of them have yet to get their first union contract or are still fighting in court for union recognition."

Communications Workers of America President Claude Cummings, Jr..

 Photo from the CWA website.

One of the most astute and pointed end-of-year union statements has come from Communications Workers of America President Claude Cummings, Jr. Looking ahead to 2024, Brother Cummings said, "And we’re just getting started. Next year will be one of unprecedented opportunities. We must use every resource at our disposal to bargain stronger contracts, organize more workers to join CWA, and elect pro-worker candidates to office. I want to take what we know in our hearts as union members – that when we work together, we are more powerful than those against us, and we will be even stronger in the future as we continue to build our relationships with our allies. As my work on your behalf takes me across the country, I plan to visit even more worksites so that I can understand the challenges you are facing and discuss what we can do to address them." He added a strong ask to support workers on strike at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, a strike that should be winning stronger support from within the national labor movement than it has.

This is not a complete list of the unions and allied organizations celebrating wins and looking forward to more wins in 2024, but I hope that it gives readers a taste for activism and progress.

Workers at Valley Ford Truck near Cleveland, Ohio are on strike a week before 

Christmas, saying the company hasn’t given them a fair contract. Photo from 

Sean McDonnell, Cleveland.com

The Northwest Labor Press reports on some union wins and on-going struggles

The Northwest Labor Press is reporting several important union victories and on-going struggles in our region. Each link below contains a line from a Northwest Labor Press article and will take you to their great coverage of the events and the issues involved.

There are some common threads here. In most cases workers took risks in organizing, they reached out to coworkers and discussed the issues confronting them, the risks lessened as the heat in the workplace increased, and action followed. Action may not always bring home the goods, but not talking, acting and organizing will always lead to a loss. 

* About 20 Multnomah County dentists represented by AFSCME Local 88 ratified a new contract Dec. 6.

* Mechanics who maintain equipment at the Coffin Butte Landfill in Corvallis ended their strike Nov. 13 after two months on the picket line.

* International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 5 reached a second tentative agreement with Powell’s Books on Nov. 22, about a month after workers rejected a previous offer from the independent bookstore. 

* Oregon Tradeswomen reached agreement with Machinists Local Lodge 63 on a first union contract. Ratified by workers Dec. 7, the three-year agreement takes effect Jan. 1. It spells out cost of living raises, establishes basic union rights like “just cause” discipline, and locks in an existing four-day 32-hour work week. Workers did agree to give up one unusual perk, the right to take up to a month of paid personal leave.

Photo from the Northwest Labor Press/Don McIntosh

A Union's Commitment to Address Racism in our Union and in America

December 05, 2023

  AN ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE DESKS OF PARIS JONES AND WALTER BLAIR:

“The past several years have sparked national mobilization and reckoning on racial equity. To that end, AFSCME adopted Resolutions recommitting itself to “confronting and taking active measures to “address racism in our union and in America” and resolving to “examine our own institutions, procedures, and cultures to identify and address bias.” COURAGE to be Stronger is our union’s program to carry out this commitment.”

From AFSCME’s Resolution #33, “A commitment to standing strong for racial and economic justice, solidarity and equality. At AFSCME’s 44th International Convention in 2020, delegates adopted Resolution 3 entitled ‘Confronting Racism’ in which we committed ourselves to examine our own institutions, procedures, and cultures to identify and address bias to become a more perfect union.”

As stated in Resolution 3:

“AFSCME’s past, present, and future are deeply rooted in the fight against racism and the struggle to build the bridge connecting labor rights, economic rights, human rights, and civil rights for all.  These fights are our fights, as exemplified by the historic 1968 Memphis Sanitation Worker Strike and the sacrifice of 1,300 men and their families who stood in the face of oppression, bigotry, and brutality to demand change and change3 that ultimately cost Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his life.”

As a result of AFSCME’s commitment to our union families, the Beyond Bias Training Workshop was developed and introduced trainers to “An Introduction to Implicit Bias.” The workshop is geared towards training trainers to offer this “Implicit Bias” training to AFSCME locals.

This training offers materials that cover a Beyond Bias curriculum that is complete with handouts that share the eight strategies to reduce and interrupt implicit bias. Trainers and trainees worked together in practice and role-playing. Participants also experienced exploring their own implicit bias for a better understanding of how to interrupt these biases that are automatic from our own individual upbringings and environment.

After I completed this 4-day in-depth training on 12/01/2023, I have a set of new vocabulary in my toolbox to help me understand and interrupt implicit bias. One of my many takeaways is, “The absence of taking risks means no progress.”  We are in a human-invented classification system created by humans who are not like me and are not inclusive to all humans. Physical differences between people are used as a tool for oppression and violence.

I look forward to interrupting the status quo and knowing that as an AFSCME leader, training more leaders on implicit bias means we have power in numbers as we stand stronger together in solidarity!