San Jose, CA – On Monday, March 10, around 1500 bus and light rail operators and mechanics for Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), walked off the job. The workers are represented by Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 265. This is the first strike at the VTA since its founding in 1973.

Around 9 a.m. upwards of 70 ATU rank-and-file members could be seen picketing in front of the VTA headquarters as the strike began. Pickets were held at four other light rail and bus yards beginning at 4 a.m.

VTA and ATU have been in contract negotiations since August. After six months of bargaining, the ATU members decided to call a strike – which was approved by more than 96% of the union’s membership. The strike vote came after negotiations fell through and their contract expired last week.

SEIU 521, representing roughly 200 of VTA’s office workers, bus and light rail yard maintenance roles are also currently negotiating with VTA management and may be affected by the ongoing strike.

Raj Singh, ATU Local 265 president and business agent, picketed with rank-and-file members in front of the VTA headquarters and said, “Our current demands at this point are fair compensation, but our top priority is our arbitration clause – a dispute resolution process. Over the last year and half the agency has decided that on a handful of items that they were not going to participate in our arbitration proceedings.”

Singh continued, “I don’t understand why they don’t realize how unfair it is for [management] to just unilaterally decide if an issue has any merit or not. In a sense, it makes it so that all our employees are essentially at-will employees if we can’t challenge the decision that they come out with in regard to discipline issues.”

With the workers on strike, transit riders will need to plan alternatives to get to school and work. ATU has announced 24-hour picket lines at the VTA headquarters as well as at four transit yards until another tentative agreement is reached between ATU and VTA.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Labor #Transit #ATU #Strike #Feature

In the last 15 years, major workers’ strikes have been on the upswing since an all-time low in 2009. That year, there were only five major strikes, with 12,500 worker out on the picket line. The total number of days of work lost because of strikes that year was only 124,000.

But the number of strikes, striking workers, and days out on strike is still much lower than the recent peak in 1974, when there were 424 major strikes. That year, almost 1.8 million workers, or more than six times as many as 2024, were out on strike and almost 32 million days of work didn’t happen.

In terms of sectors, 14% of the workers on strike last year were in manufacturing, almost the same as their share of workers which was 13.8% in 2023 (latest data available).

Government workers, who make up only 11.8% of the workforce, were more likely to go on strike, with 42% of strikers working for a government at local and state levels. Government workers are more likely to be in a union, with 32% of government workers belonging to unions as opposed to less than 6% for the private sector workers.

However, the ratio of government to private sector workers on strike can vary a lot. In 2023, private sector strike numbers surged, with the strikes at UAW and Kaiser Permanente. However, in 2018 there was a wave of public school teacher strikes, with statewide strikes by teachers in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Arizona, along with local strikes in many other states driving up strike days among government workers.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Labor #Strike #BLS

Duluth, MN – At 4 p.m. on a blustery January 15 in Duluth, workers from Essentia Health-Deer River pulled up in a bus in front of the Essentia Health-Duluth hospital and began a solidarity picket in front of the main entrance to the hospital.

The Deer River Essentia workers are represented by the Service Employees International Union, Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa (SEIU HCMNIA). January 15 marked their 38th day of an open-ended strike at their hospital and nursing home.

The healthcare workers are striking over pay, saying that cost of living has gone up and they need real raises to keep paying the bills. After 38 days on strike, they decided to take their fight to Essentia headquarters in Duluth, nearly 100 miles from Deer River.

The small hospital and clinic in Deer River, Minnesota was bought up by the rapidly expanding Essentia system, which has purchased many of the hospitals in the northern half of the state.

The striking workers were joined at the solidarity picket by members of the Minnesota Nurses Association and the United Steel Workers, who both represent large numbers of workers at the Duluth Essentia hospital, as well as by supporters from the AFL-CIO and the surrounding community.

Around 100 union members and supporters picketed for two hours from 4 to 6 p.m. It was cold, and high winds off of Lake Superior buffeted the crowd. Picket signs could be seen blowing off of sticks and taking to the wind, but the picketers were undeterred, with loud chanting and warm coffee and hot chocolate donated from supporters.

Sarah Jo Roberts, a certified surgical technologist at the Deer River Hospital for over 14 years stated, “What we are asking for is fair sustainable wages for our members. We are the lowest paid Essentia Health workers in the entire state of Minnesota and that is just not acceptable. Cost of living goes up every year and what we are asking for is a fair livable wage. Essentia is saying ‘nope we can't afford to pay you any more because you are in a small community’ but why is it that our Essentia CEO is one of the highest paid in the state of Minnesota and gets a $1.1 million bonus, which was tripled from the prior year? How is that ok but you can tell us, the ones that are doing the work, that you can't pay us more? That's not ok.”

When asked about what is coming next, Roberts said, “We will be meeting management at the bargaining table on the 22nd and we hope to get an agreement, but if we don't, we're gonna stay on the line til we get a contract that is sustainable for us.”

#DuluthMN #MN #Labor #Strike #Healthcare #SEIU #Feature

Anaheim, CA – El 22 de diciembre, alrededor de las 4 de la mañana, cerca de 40 trabajadores de Amazon, algunos de los cuales también son miembros de la Hermandad Internacional de Camioneros (Teamsters) del Local 396, formaron una línea de piquetes frente a un almacén de Amazon en Anaheim. Llevaban carteles de protesta que decían “Huelga por prácticas laborales injustas de Amazon” y marcharon frente a la entrada del almacén. Los gerentes vigilaron de cerca la línea de piquetes, desalentando a los conductores que salían de hablar con los piqueteros

Esta línea de piquetes es parte de la huelga más grande contra Amazon en la historia de los Estados Unidos y está ocurriendo en un momento crucial del período de mayor actividad comercial del año.

Rubie Mosqueda, conductora de reparto de Amazon de la Ciudad de Industry, explicó: “ Hay una huelga nacional en marcha porque varios almacenes han alcanzado la mayoría para sindicarse y Amazon sigue negándose a sentarse a la mesa. Queremos discutir mejores salarios, seguridad laboral y la negociación del contrato. ¡Estamos en huelga para mostrarle a Amazon que estamos unidos como sindicato!”.

El sindicato Amazon Labor Union, afiliado a los Teamsters, quiere expandirse y llevarlo a nuevos almacenes como el de Amazon en Anaheim. Mientras los piqueteros hablaban con los conductores sobre las condiciones de trabajo y la lucha por un contrato, Mosqueda dijo: “Hemos extendido la línea de piquetes para venir a apoyar a otros locales. Queremos ver cómo se sienten los conductores acerca de traer el sindicato aquí. Primero plantamos las semillas, luego hacemos el piquete, conseguimos contactos, ¡y después nos comunicamos y organizamos!”

Los cánticos llenaron la calle mientras los piqueteros gritaban: “¿Qué queremos? ¡Un contrato! ¿Cuándo lo queremos? ¡Ahora!”. Los vehículos que pasaban tocaban el claxon en apoyo de la huelga.

La gerencia de Amazon llamó al Departamento de Policía de Anaheim, y dos patrullas se detuvieron, amenazando con multar a la gente por caminar mientras el semáforo estaba en rojo. Los piqueteros respondieron a la gerencia con el canto: “¡Romper sindicatos es repugnante!”

Los piqueteros planearon regresar a la Ciudad de Industry el 23 de diciembre y mantener la huelga con fuerza.

#AnaheimCA #CA #Labor #Teamsters #ALU #Amazon #Strike #Huelga

New Orleans, LA – On Christmas Eve, Starbucks Workers United called for an escalation of their strike to include over 300 stores across the country. The strike started on December 20. It responded to Starbucks’ refusal to negotiate economic benefits in good faith and its failing to bring any offers to the table. More stores walked out over the five days leading to Christmas.

In New Orleans, the location on Jefferson highway successfully unionized in the middle of 2023 and has been waiting on the completion of the contract ever since. There was not a scab in sight for the five hours that workers picketed the store. The location was completely closed for the Christmas Eve rush.

The workers complained about their old manager and his slimy union-busting tactics. Many of the employees have worked at Starbucks for over a year, and their tight bond was what kept the union together through corporate’s anti-union campaign. The election was tight, with an eight to five vote. But since then, the union has brought a real mindset of camaraderie which has left the supermajority of the store solidly pro-union.

A leader of the union effort said that she was unsurprised corporate was unwilling to yield on the non-economic concerns during the bargaining process, stating, “The managers displayed clear favoritism when promotions were on the table. They dangled the carrot of promotion to try and keep us in line saying, ‘If you do x, y, and z you could get a promotion.’”

Partners at the store also complained about staffing issues. Another union leader, complained, “We’ve gone from being one of the low-volume stores to the second most busy store in the district, but staffing has not changed at all to reflect that.”

Fortunately, despite being in a very suburban area, many of the regular customers were very supportive of the workers on strike, with one saying, “I can’t function without my coffee in the morning, but I will never cross a picket line so home brew it is for today!” Several customers mentioned their own union ties, and rarely would a work truck or big rig roll by without honking. One customer even asked for several of the fliers to pass to their friends.

One worker commented how Starbucks corporate is probably waiting for a friendlier Trump presidency to continue negotiations on the contract. But the organized population will be there every step of the way to make sure that the workers around the country recognize an attack on one as an attack on all.

A sign from the line read, “The only thing brewing today is solidarity!”

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor #SBWU #Starbucks #Strike

Anaheim, CA – On December 22, at around 4 a.m., nearly 40 Amazon workers, some of whom are also members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from Local 396, picketed in front of an Amazon warehouse in Anaheim. They carried signs stating, “Amazon unfair labor practices strike” and marched in front of the warehouse entrance. Managers watched the picket line closely, discouraging outgoing drivers from speaking to picketers.

This picket line is part of the largest Amazon strike in U.S. history and is happening at the crux of the busiest shopping time of the year.

Rubie Mosqueda, Amazon delivery driver from the City of Industry, explained, “There is a nationwide strike happening because a number of warehouses have reached a majority to unionize, and Amazon is still refusing to come to the table. We want to discuss better pay, job security and contract negotiation. We are striking to show Amazon that we are standing together as a union!”

The Teamster-affiliated Amazon Labor Union wants to expand and bring it to new warehouses like the Anaheim Amazon warehouse. As picketers talked to drivers about working conditions and the fight for a contract, Mosqueda said, “We’ve extended the picket line to come support other locals. We want to see how drivers are feeling about bringing the union here. First, we plant the seeds, then picket, get contacts, then we reach out and organize!”

Chants filled the street as picketers shouted, “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!” Passing cars honked in support of the strike.

Amazon management called the Anaheim Police Department, and two patrol cars pulled over, threatening to ticket people for walking while the street light is red. Picketers chanted back at management, “Union busting is disgusting!”

Picketers planned to return to the City of Industry on December 23 and keep the strike going strong.

#AnaheimCA #CA #Labor #Teamsters #Amazon #Strike

San Jose, CA – On December 24, Starbucks workers took to the picket line at Capitol Square Mall, one of the busiest locations in San Jose. They joined more than 5000-plus workers across the country as part of a five-day Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) strike.

The strike comes after more than nine months of bargaining between Starbucks Workers United, the union representing the interests and will of the baristas and shift leads at unionized locations, and Starbucks Corporation.

Starbucks Corporation promised its workers in February of 2024 that it would move forward with good faith bargaining and follow through with resolving its violations of labor law against its unionizing workers. This promise of good faith bargaining fell through as Starbucks Corporation offered a meager 1.5% raise, a raise which the workers of SBWU called “laughable” and “insulting.” Meanwhile, the new CEO of the company, Brian Niccol, received a $133 million compensation package, makes $53,000 every hour. He has a private jet paid for by “the company,” but actually the jet is paid by the company’s profit off the labor of the rank-and-file workers of Starbucks.

Chants included “2-4-6-8! Starbucks come negotiate! 3-5-7-9! Don’t cross the picket line!” and “Who has the power? We’ve got the power! What kind of power? Worker power!” as well as “What do we want? A contract! When do we want it? Now!” and “If we don't get it? Shut it down!”

“He is paid $56,000 an hour, we don't make that in a year. Starbucks in the same breath claims they just do not have the money to give us ample raises,” said Devasya Kumar, who is a barista at the striking location at Capitol Square Mall, referring to Niccol, echoing the common sentiment across the striking workforce of unionized baristas.

December 24 was the last day of the strike. With the strike occurring before and on Christmas Eve, the workers of unionized locations intend to put considerable financial pressure on the company to resolve its unfair labor practices and resume bargaining in good faith. “We want answers, and striking is our last resort,” said Kumar.

#SanJoseCA #CA #Labor #SBWU #Starbucks #Strike

Tampa, FL – On Christmas Eve, about 15 current and former Starbucks workers and their supporters picketed the Starbucks store on the corner of N Dale Mabry Highway and Linebaugh Avenue. Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) started an unfair labor practice strike on December 20 at a few locations across the country, building to a strike at all unionized stores. Tampa’s unionized store joined the picket line on day four.

“Starbucks has yet to remedy several hundreds of unfair labor practices, and then they also came with a very poor economic package in bargaining, so they started bad faith bargaining with us,” said Blake Smallen, a Starbucks worker and member of Starbucks Workers United.

Starbucks initially offered unionized workers a one percent wage increase, then they upped the offer to one-and-a-half percent. If the union accepted this offer, it would mean a raise of less than 50 cents for most workers.

Standing in front of the drive-thru entrance, picketers chanted, “No contract, no coffee!” and held signs with the SBWU logo.

“Starbucks doesn’t exist without worker labor,” Smallen added.

#TampaFL #FL #SBWU #Starbucks #Strike

Caledonia, MI - For 48 straight hours, from December 19 to 21, members of Teamsters Local 406 picketed outside the Amazon GRR1 Fulfillment Center in solidarity with the Amazon Teamsters on strike nationwide. Braving snow and temperatures as low as 23 °F, the trade unionists stayed outside passing out literature, leading chants and talking with community members from Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Caledonia. 

During the 48 hours outside, many drivers from Amazon and the nearby Coca-Cola facility honked their horns and raised their fists in support. “There seems to be a lot of interest from the drivers,” one activist on the picket-line stated. “Amazon likes to hire them out as independent contractors. Drivers are more likely to get screwed over when they don’t have legal protection.”

The nationwide strike began because of Amazon’s refusal to bargain with workers.

At Amazon facilities, supervisors play into anti-union propaganda during captive audience meetings and by impersonating union reps, one activist at the GRR1 facility told the picketers early Friday morning. Events from the last few days have corroborated these claims. Videos from pickets nationwide have shown such repressive tactics as police arresting striking workers, police violently pushing back trade unionists to allow scabs to cross the picket, and – in one instance – Amazon supervisors turning on an outdoor wastewater release near picketers at the Queens, New York DB4K facility during the afternoon of the December 21.

Eduardo Montiel, the chair of the Grand Rapids Alliance Against Racist & Political Repression who was formerly employed at the Amazon GRR1 plant, stated, “The bosses have shown brutality in the way they treat these picketing workers and have even arrested a few – all for using their rights to protest work conditions.”

At the GRR1 facility, the picketers had to park far away from the line or risk having their cars towed, making it difficult to warm up or rest during the cold evenings. During the first day of picketing, one supervisor allegedly confronted a reporter for parking in the massive lot near the picket line. 

Local activists from Palestine Solidarity Grand Rapids (PSGR) and Freedom Road Socialist Organization stood alongside the Teamsters at GRR1. When asked about the importance of showing up for workers, Emerson Wolfe the chair of PSGR stated, ”With so many of our tax dollars funding the U.S. war machine, we know how important it is to join the fight for workers’ rights. Jeff Bezos is profiting off the surveillance and targeting of Palestinian families, and over a million Amazon workers are forced to be complicit in the genocide. A strong, unionized workforce would put bargaining power in the hands of workers and allow regular people the right to stand up against the greed and depravity of billionaires.”

As of Christmas day, the strike has expanded into Staten Island and Atlanta Amazon facilities. 

Starbucks workers have also begun their own strike – and Teamster delivery drivers to the coffee chain are, by contract, not allowed to cross the picket line. 

#CaledoniaMI #Teamster #Amazon #AmazonStrike #Strike #Labor #UnionPower #GrandRapidsMI #GrandRapids

Dallas, TX – On December 23, four north Texas Starbucks locations joined the national strike led by Starbucks Workers United (SBWU). The next day, December 24, ten north Texas locations were on strike.

Pickets began at each location, then converged in Denton for a march between striking locations. Starbucks management called police on strikers at the Rayzor Ranch location, but police came and went without arrests.

Chants included “No contract? No coffee!” “3, 5, 7, 9, don’t cross a picket line!”, and “H-O-T-T-O-G-O, Brian Niccols got to go!” Brian Niccols is the new CEO of Starbucks.

On December 24, despite heavy rain, workers braved the weather to picket outside a Farmers Branch location with scabbing workers inside. Picketers wore ponchos and held umbrellas as they chanted “Hail or sleet, rain or shine, don’t cross a picket line!”

Fatemeh Alhadjaboodi, a strike captain and a five-year Starbucks partner, stated, “Not only do we want to come back to the bargaining table and secure a not just livable, but thriveable, contract to work under, we are also demanding a resolution to all unresolved unfair labor practices.”

Bre Byrd, a rank-and-file member of SBWU, spoke to their experience as a pregnant worker, saying, “I returned to Starbucks in 2023 because I was promised family expansion benefits, really competitive pay. Unfortunately, that was not my experience. So 25% of my pay goes to health insurance right now, which is really rough, and then it still took our entire life savings and a lot of debt for one round of IVF. So this contract really means everything to me and the future of my family.”

In Arlington, Starbucks workers held a picket outside of their store. Rhea Lanawant, a union member and strike captain of the SBWU, said, “We need to consider whose wallets those billions are lining. We are being choked. We cannot pay rent while their CEO makes more than $50k an hour.”

#DallasTX #TX #Labor #SBWU #Starbucks #Strike #Feature

Seattle, WA – On Friday, December 20, Starbucks workers at five stores in Seattle went on strike. Anchored by the 24 hour picket line at the Reserve Roastery, one of Starbucks’ premiere stores, workers on these picket lines are planning to strike through December 24.

Baristas are on an unfair labor practice strike after the company has continually stalled negotiations and engaged in bad faith bargaining. Starbucks workers say the company has not been willing to agree to pay that meets workers’ needs.

“We make our store so much money, we make Starbucks so much money,” said Bruce Halstead, a striking worker at the Reserve Roastery. “If our CEO can afford to have a private jet, they can afford more than a dollar at the minimum for us for raises.”

Since the strike authorization vote was announced Tuesday morning, the price of Starbucks’ stock has dropped almost 10%. “The number one thing that we provide for our company is profits. So, when we go on strike or have actions like these, those are the ways that the company will actually listen,” Halstead explained.

“Starbucks is not bargaining in good faith with us,” continued Halstead.

Mari Cosgrove, who has worked for Starbucks since 2014, further stated, “Credit card tipping was withheld from union stores. A judge found that was illegal and Starbucks has to pay us all, but Starbucks has been dragging their feet on actually paying us the last year.” On the picket line, one worker cited the effect this had on them – because of thousands of dollars in withheld tips, they were unable to make payments for secure parking, leading to their car being broken into and stolen.

Starbucks workers have long faced issues of understaffing, unpredictable scheduling, inadequate pay, and harassment on the job. Their organizing drive began with workers in Buffalo, New York, who filed petitions to unionize in 2021. Starbucks Workers United has since spread to over 10,000 workers at over 150 union stores. Many rounds of short-term strikes and organizing drives forced Starbucks to the negotiating table in February, and SBWU is now turning up the heat.

This round of strikes will be the longest of the strikes at Starbucks so far. Workers came from other stores which were still open to keep striking workers company overnight.

According to Cosgrove, “Being here overnight means that we’re able to block deliveries. The Teamsters famously will respect picket lines as long as you are picketing. So, we need to be able to be here when a truck shows up.” At close to midnight on the second day of the strike, striking workers were able to turn around a recycling truck.

Strong community support has raised the morale of workers on the picket line. Members from unions around the city, such as the CWA, UAW, and Renton Education Association, all came out to the picket line, as well as student and anti-war organizers.

“It means a lot to us, especially since we are paycheck to paycheck workers, we’re low-wage workers,” said Cosgrove. “So even just going on strike, it creates a lot of extra costs on us beyond just losing pay.” While would-be customers tried to pull open the locked doors, many were sympathetic to the striking workers and wished them good luck. One regular customer brought food to workers on the picket line.

Both Halstead and Cosgrove offered advice to those in the food service industry looking to unionize their workplaces. “It goes so much more above just complaining about what is going on, like we experience being short staffed, we experience not being paid enough, and the way that that really will change is through each other,” said Halstead. “I didn’t know that I had so many skills like this where I can get other people to listen, and I can engage my community.”

Cosgrove focused more on the attitude towards organizing, stating “Everything you do has to be fun. This is an industry that grinds you down.”

Cosgrove continued, “Keep it fucking real. Keep it so real, because there’s a reason food service hasn't been organized in a mass scale before, and it’s because we didn’t feel heard by a lot of organizers, and really just involve the rank and file, be incredibly pro-worker, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly food service can organize themselves.”

On the picket line, the work organizers have put in towards the strike is clear. While workers were hopeful that this strike would bring Starbucks back to the bargaining table on pay, they were prepared to fight for as long as necessary for a strong contract.

#SeattleWA #WA #Labor #Starbucks #Strike #SBWU #Feature

Early in the morning, Teamsters from Local 455 and Local 17 showed up outside DEN3 to pass flyers to workers coming in and out of the warehouse. Picketers carried signs that demanded Amazon recognize the union and stop breaking the law through unfair labor practices.

The Teamsters in California, New York and Atlanta have been in the process of forming a union, but Amazon has refused to recognize their union and negotiate with the workers for a collective bargaining agreement. The actions happening now are part of a push throughout the country demanding that Amazon recognize their union and come to the bargaining table.

Teamsters President Sean O’Brien has announced that warehouse workers and drivers who are in the places where a majority of workers have signed cards to form a union will be on strike until an agreement is met. O’Brien called for Teamsters locals across the country to show solidarity and to try to get Amazon involved.

Both Amazon and the mainstream media have been critical of the strike because of the effects it will have on holiday shopping. However, the Teamsters union has repeatedly clarified that this would not be an issue if Amazon came to the bargaining table. Amazon has also claimed that this strike is not happening or is not causing any delays. At the same time, they have used police to attempt to force strikers off Amazon property. Amazon has also been hiring scabs across the country and demanding workers in non-union shops work upwards of 70 or 80 hours in the next few days.

Two women onsite at the pickets said that they were told they would be fired if they did not work the three 16-hour shifts they were scheduled for Christmas. Amazon has been able to become the company that it is today due to the labor of its large workforce, yet many of its workers say they can’t afford homes, food, cars or insurance while putting their body on the line every day at work.

The battle at Amazon could have ramifications for other companies that use similar models of low-wage workers and high profits. Amazon has run a robust and expensive union busting operation across its company and the Teamsters union hopes that these actions can signal an uptick in worker power and organization at Amazon.

Many community groups as well as other unions, such as SEIU, IBEW, SMART, UA, SBWU and AFL-CIO, came out to show their support for the Teamsters effort to organize at Amazon.

#ThorntonCO #DenverCO #Teamsters #Amazon #AmazonStrike #Strike #Labor #UnionPower

Los Angeles, CA - On day four of the largest strike of Amazon workers in U.S. history, over 100 Amazon workers picketed outside an Amazon facility in Rosemead, California, December 22. Amazon workers want better pay, safer working conditions and respect from management as workers fight to unionize.

The workers turned in union recognition cards signed by a majority of the Rosemead workers and have since been demanding recognition of their union - the International Brotherhood of Teamsters – by Amazon. However, the corporation has not been willing to recognize their union and refuses to come to the bargaining table to negotiate a first union contract.

Between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., the workers picketed in front of the facility’s driveways, proudly chanting “Hey hey Amazon, union busting is disgusting.” As the delivery drivers were leaving the complex, workers picketing along the driveways spoke to workers one on one, asking them to join them and the Teamsters union. Many were interested in talking more and supporting the effort.

The picketing continued as the crowd chanted, “Amazon, Amazon you can’t hide, we can see your greedy side!”

The strikes happening right now are the largest in Amazon’shistory. This uptick comes in a time when workers are forming new unions at rates not seen for many decades in the U.S.

#LosAngelesCA #LA #RosemeadCA #Rosemead #Teamsters Amazon #Feature #Strike #AmazonStrike #Labor

Dallas, TX – Teamsters Locals 745 and 767 held solidarity pickets for Amazon workers in support of the national strike demanding the shipping giant recognize the right to unionize and come to the table to negotiate a contract for better working conditions. Across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, there were multiple solidarity pickets on Thursday, December 19 and Friday, December 20.

On Thursday, pickets were held at the DAL3 (Chalk Hill), FTW6 (Grapevine), FTW2 (Coppell) and FTW5 (Forney) Amazon fulfillment centers. Picketers showed up in shifts to hold a steady line while passing drivers from UPS, Amazon, and its contractors honked their horns and stopped outside the warehouse in solidarity.

At the end of the day, spirits were high as Friday’s pickets included five different north Texas locations from Forney to Fort Worth, adding IAH1 (Southlink) and AFW1 (NE Loop) to the list of solidarity picket locations. Food and hand warmers were brought out as the temperatures dropped in the evening and the pickets continued through the night.

At the picket Amazon drivers and Teamsters from UPS -who had shown up in support – were comparing their trucks, pointing out that to the Amazon workers that air conditioning was not a luxury during Texas summers. For these workers, the strike isn’t a tool for luxuries but for basic amenities to survive the job.

#DallasTX #TX #Labor #Teamsters #Amazon #Strike

On December 20, Amazon Teamsters across the country were on day two of major strikes at Amazon facilities in New York, California, Illinois and Atlanta. Other Teamster locals in Milwaukee, Dallas and Des Moines, as well as many places, were conducting solidarity ULP (unfair labor practice) pickets.

This strike is occurring during what is called “peak season” which is the period around the holidays when the flow of packages is elevated by extreme amounts due to holiday shopping. This Amazon strike marks the largest ever against the company to date.

Over the past two years, Amazon warehouse workers and drivers have led 25 different groups of their co-workers at ten facilities across the country in attempts to form a union with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. This rapid organizing effort has been helped along the way by a National Labor Relations Board ruling acknowledging these workers as employees of Amazon rather than sub-contractors who would not be eligible to form a union under the National labor Relations Act. 

Amazon refused to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement with the drivers and workers. At the same time as refusing to bargain with the workers, Amazon recorded nearly $15 billion of profit in the last quarter alone. The Teamsters union had given Amazon until December 15 to come to the table and negotiate a collective bargaining agreement.

When Amazon did not meet that deadline, the Teamsters went on strike against the biggest company in the world. Members in facilities representing over 10,000 Amazon workers across the country went on strike against the company during the busiest time of the year, holiday rush. Their strike was to demand better pay, better working conditions, benefits and, most importantly for Amazon, to recognize their union, which would mean that Amazon would become legally required to bargain with the newly certified union. 

The Teamsters have also promised to extend their strike to hurt Amazon's business even further, if their demands aren't met. Amazon continues to refuse to meet with the union and it remains to be seen if they will do so as pressure builds during the end of the holidays. The Teamsters at Amazon are taking on a Goliath and say they will not go away until their demands are met.

#Amazon #AmazonTeamsters #Strike

The World Federation of Trade Unions, representing 105 million workers across the globe, extends its fullest support to the militant strikes being launched by the U.S. Teamsters Union members against the gigantic Amazon corporation. Thousands of workers at 7 Amazon worksites across the United States struck on December 19, and additional strikes are planned. The Amazon corporation continues its lawless and dictatorial campaign against its workers who want to join trade unions, and are demanding better pay and conditions. Inaction and paralysis on the part of the U.S. government in the face of this outrageous Amazon company conduct has pushed the workers to take this strike action.

The class struggle in the U.S. is sharpening, and the WFTU extends its complete support for the just demands of the Amazon workers and encourages all its affiliates and friends to express their solidarity the strikers. Workers at Amazon all across the world are in motion, organizing against the company and its monstrous treatment of its employees. Support the Amazon Workers! Support the Amazon Strikes!

#Labor #WFTU #Amazon #Strike

Chicago, IL - On November 13, 1800 members of the Illinois Nurses Association (INA) went on strike against University of Illinois Health for continuing to refuse to negotiate a decent contract. Since June, the union has had 47 bargaining sessionswith UI Health, to no avail. In August, a week-long strike was held, but this did not stop management’s greed. The union wasleft with no choice but to go on an open-ended strike.

The workers are striking for higher wages, safety for nurses (and by extension, their patients), as well as family leave that lasts at least 12 weeks. UI Health has offered a measly 2% pay increase.

On the cold November day, 500 nurses and supporters ralliedoutside of the UI Specialty Care Building. They picketed, marched, chanted and listened to speeches starting at 7 a.m. When the overnight shift of nurses began to walk out of the UI Hospital, the waiting strikers broke out in cheers and applause.

Kathy Bollinger of the Illinois Nurses Association stated, “Who always has time for a break? Management! But do we have time to pump breast milk to feed our children? No! I had to switch to formula at just four months!”

Many drivers came by honking their horns to express solidarity. Supporters joining the rally and picket line included workers from other unions, such as at UPS, postal service workers, workers from the Chicago Transit Authority.

Jackson Potter, of the Chicago Teachers Union stated, “Who would we be as educators and nurses if we didn’t fight for other people to have those things?”

Joe Iosbaker, a retired member of the Service Employees International Union Local 73, spoke about the 2020 strike in the depths of the COVID pandemic. 4000 members of Local 73 joined 1300 INA members for nine days until management caved in. Iosbaker read the names of nurses Joyce Pacubas Le Blanc, Maria Lopez, and surgical technician Juan Martinez, all of whom died of COVID in May 2020. “Management told our members not to wear masks unless they were in a COVID ward, because it would scare the patients. They failed to protect us because they don’t care about us except to make profits!”

At midday, strikers started marching to the Dorin Forum one mile away on the east side of campus, and they kept the militancy up the entire time. People were chanting “No contract, no peace!” and “If we don’t get it, shut it down!”

For about an hour, nurses protested outside the Forum buildingwhere the board of trustees were meeting.

They then marched back to the west side of campus, where the negotiators came out to tell the strikers that the turnout is making management start to finally bend to the will of the workers.

One striker said, “I’m out here striking with the nurses, showing solidarity with my coworkers and my friends, fighting for a safe contract for us and the patients.” He continued, “We’re the ones who take care of this hospital and take care of the patients, and they’ll hear us loud and clear.”

“We’re fighting against workplace violence, we’re fighting for comparable wages to help us keep up with inflation, and we’re also fighting for patient safety,” said another striker.

The picket lines will continue every day and support from students and community is essential and helpful.

#ChicagoIL #INA #IllinoisNursesAssociation #UofIHealth #Nurses #Strike #CTU #SEIU #Feature

As a result of the strike, British Columbia shut down its ports fully, which meant locking out around 7500 other ILWU members from their jobs at the ports and was estimated to cost around $800 million Canadian dollars ($576 million U.S.) per day.

The Local 514 members have been working with no contract since 2023. Two major issues in negotiations have been the threat of automation at the ports, which costs many longshoremen their jobs, as well as fighting for a secure retirement. After negotiations failed to reach a deal that addressed their concerns, the longshoremen voted by 99% to authorize and began their strike on November 4.

Earlier in 2024, Longshoremen members on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts struck in September over similar issues – automation and for significant pay increases. That strike resulted in a partial tentative agreement that would see a $24 per hour pay increase over the length of their contract. However, the East and Gulf coast workers did not reach an agreement around automation. The pay increases are dependent on reaching an overall deal.

On November 12, the ninth day of the strike in British Columbia, the Canadian government announced it will take away the workers’ right to decide for themselves whether to work or continue the strike. It ordered the port reopened and forced both sides into binding arbitration to settle the contract. Arbitration often ends with arbitrators settling deals that are more favorable to management than what the workers would be willing to settle for.

On October 31, around 1200 Longshoremen in Montreal, Canada began a strike, and on November 11 were similarly locked out as part of a strike there. The government order also reopens those ports and forces the Montreal workers into arbitration along with the British Columbia workers.

In 2023, Canada’s other Longshoremen locals settled deals after a 13-day strike. The 13-day strike came after the previous contract had similarly been dealt with by the Canadian government, leaving longshoremen dissatisfied and ready to build towards their 2023 strike.

The ILWU says it plans to fight the order in court. What happens next remains to be seen.

#MinneapolisMN #MN #Canada #Labor #ILWU #Strike #Longshoremen

New Orleans, LA – On October 25, nurses at University Medical Center gathered on the corner of Canal and Galvez Streets for a one-day strike to demand safe staffing ratios, workplace safety protections, higher pay and improved benefits.

The strike began at 7 a.m. on Friday, when nurses joined the picket line outside the hospital. They were joined by dozens of community members, chanting loudly and proudly as they marched. Chants included “What do we want? A contract! When do we want it? Now!” Some signs read “If nurses are outside, there’s something wrong inside.”

The crowd was filled with energy, with music blasting and people dancing together. “It feels so uplifting to be out here standing together surrounded by our community,” said Zoe Krulak-Palmer, a nurse with National Nurses United (NNU). “Nursing working conditions are patient care conditions.”

University Medical Center nurses successfully unionized in December of last year. University Medical Center was the first private hospital in the state of Louisiana to successfully unionize with an 82% majority. They have been in negotiations with hospital management since March, with no progress on key issues. “We had hoped to avoid the strike, but the hospital left us with no other choice,” Krulak-Palmer said.

While many of the recent strikes in the country have been from an economic stance, the nurses at UMC are striking for better conditions for their patients. The nurses argue that while they give their all for their patients, the hospital does not give them adequate resources, short staffs nurses and leaves them without proper security.

“I have been a nurse at UMC for 18 years and have witnessed the change from a focus on patient care to profit over the years,” said Heidi Tuiague, a nurse on the bargaining team for National Nurses United. “Patients should always be our number one priority.”

The 24-hour strike was set to end at 7 a.m. on Saturday. At that time, as the nurses gathered and walked over to the hospital, they found the entrance locked with hospital security behind the doors. When the nurses walked over to a different entrance, security officers shut and locked the doors right in their faces. One of the nurses exclaimed, “We want to go in and treat our patients, but you are not letting us in!” The buses which brought the strike-breaking travel nurses were still parked right outside that same entrance.

It is clear that University Medical Center does not care about the community nor about employees. The hospital knew that the strike would last only 24 hours, but still chose to punish the striking nurses by not letting them back to work. The hospital chose to keep using the more expensive temporary labor from traveling nurses, who are unfamiliar with the hospital and with its patients.

#NewOrleansLA #LA #Labor #Nurses #NNU #Strike

SeaTac, WA – On October 12, over 400 hotel workers at the Doubletree Seattle Airport and the Seattle Airport Hilton & Conference Center walked out and went on strike, joining hotel workers across the U.S. Workers at the two hotels are fighting for good raises, pension plan improvement, fair staffing and respect in their new contract.

The picket began at 5 a.m., when dozens of workers joined the picket line outside both striking hotels. As they marched, they chanted, “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!” and “If we don’t get it, shut it down!” Workers carried signs that read “Respect our work,” “One job should be enough” and “Make them pay.” Cars and buses passing by honked their horns in support as the picket continued throughout the day.

Doubletree and Hilton workers, including housekeepers, baristas, cooks and front desk agents, say that the company’s proposal falls short of what they need to take care of themselves and their families.

“They have refused to meet our requests that are very reasonable to meet. They basically told us that they don't have the money to pay us what we need to keep up with today’s cost of living in Washington. Their proposal wage is an extra dollar and fifty cents, and that is absolutely ridiculous to live in today’s world,” said Heather Beton, one of the striking workers. “We are demanding for them to stick to their promises that they gave us long ago and have yet to follow through on.”

“We're on strike because we’re fighting for better wages, better benefits, less workload. Since we've returned from COVID, it’s been a skeleton crew working harder than we should have to,” added Jen Webby, a shop steward at the Hilton. “Every bargaining session we’ve been to, they show up and bring nothing. I’ve worked here 26 years and I’ve never seen a company bargaining like this – they don't want to give us any money.”

Chris Rowan, a bartender at the Hilton, says he’s on strike to support his coworkers in other departments. “A lot of the people I work with make below Seattle minimum wage,” he said. “We need to make sure that they get what they need to survive. It’s a very expensive place to live, I see my coworkers struggling.”

Another worker, Miguel Lemus, said he is fighting for wages and healthcare benefits that can support him and his daughter as she undergoes medical treatment, stating, “I have a daughter with NMO, a medical condition like MS. I like to be in the union so I can get the benefits, the medical care. That’s why I’m here now, fighting.”

The pickets remained lively throughout the day and continued into the weekend. Workers played drums, blew whistles, banged pots and pans, and maintained a lively and energetic picket line.

On Tuesday, October 15, the announcement was made that the Hilton had reached out to the union and wants to bargain. “I say that means we are winning, but that also means we need to keep fighting!” said Jenn Webby, as she broke the news to the rest of the picket. “All they’ve said is they’ll come to the table – so we need to keep fighting. When we fight, we win!” Workers cheered, and broke out into chants of “I believe that we will win!”

On Wednesday, 100 striking hotel workers bused to a rally to support IAM machinists who have been on strike against Boeing for the last four weeks. On Thursday, they took the fight to downtown Seattle where they picketed in front of the Westin hotel. Workers at the Westin are also fighting for raises, respect, and better staffing in their contract, and joined the Doubletree and Hilton workers on a two day strike over Labor Day weekend earlier this year. As they picketed in front of the Westin, chants of “Make them pay!” and “My neck, my back, my paycheck is whack!” could be heard from blocks away.

Although the strike is set to end on Friday, October 18, workers have vowed to keep up the fight and have called for a boycott at the Westin, Doubletree Seattle Airport, and Seattle Airport Hilton and conference center until their demands are met.

#SeaTacWA #WA #Labor #Strike #UNITEHERE #Feature