Cornell Grad Workers Tackle Administration’s Union-Busting, Form CGSU-UE

From November 6 to 9, graduate workers at Cornell University voted with a 96 percent majority to form a union with United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America. 1,873 grad workers voted yes, and 80 voted no; 60 percent of eligible voters voted. The results were ratified by the NLRB on November 20. Cornell Graduate Students United-UE now represents over 3,000 graduate workers in Ithaca, Geneva, and New York City.

Local 155 Wins Highest Raise in a Half Century at Portescap

The Portescap members of amalgamated UE Local 155 ratified a contract with the Regal Rexnord-owned company on November 30. The workers won the highest wage increase they've seen in at least 50 years — a four percent increase for each year of the three-year contract. After the company came in with an insulting initial proposal of 2.5 percent, workers organized to put pressure on the company, including a “black shirt” day. Almost everyone showed up to the plant in black — some wearing all black.

Local 155 has also recently settled contracts with Stepan and Chasen Fiber Technologies.

UE Members Take Action for Palestine Ceasefire

Over the past two weeks, UE members have been taking action to demand a permanent ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. Janvi Madhani of UE Local 197-Teachers and Researchers United spoke at a Unions for Ceasefire Now press conference on Thursday in Washington, DC. On Monday, rank-and-file members of UE Locals 667 and 696 visited the offices of Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) and participated in a Zoom meeting with staff from the office of Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), demanding that the two senators support a ceasefire. UE members have also spoken at a number of peace rallies as union calls for peace have grown, with the UAW, American Postal Workers Union, National Nurses United and National Education Association, along with many regional and local unions, joining UE in calling for a ceasefire.

Strike Threat Wins Solid Second Contract for Local 728

On October 31, members of UE Local 728 ratified a new two-year agreement with their employer, federal contractor LDRM LLC, several days after members voted down the company’s “last, best and final” offer, and one day before a strike deadline set by the local. Read UE NEWS coverage of the contract campaign and Local 728 President Kevin White’s reflections on how they organized to win.

Local 1466 Reopener Raises Wages, Aligns Future Negotiations with Other Campus Unions

The 1,600 graduate workers in United Graduate Workers-UE Local 1466 secured a six percent raise at the University of New Mexico in their recent compensation reopener negotiations with the university’s administration. This raise will go into effect at the outset of the spring 2024 semester, on top of the 10 percent raise negotiated in Local 1466’s first contract, which went into effect on December 22, 2022. Over the past year, the members of Local 1466 have raised the minimum pay for graduate workers 23.5 percent. Read more »

UE-Endorsed Candidates Win in PA, NC

State Representative Sara Innamorato, a strong UE ally since she was elected in 2018, won election as Allegheny County Executive in November, making her the most powerful local elected official in Western Pennsylvania. She will be the first woman to hold the post, which oversees a county budget of over $3 billion. Innamorato has pledged to build “a county for all,” with good jobs, strong protections for workers, and housing for all. A UE-backed candidate also won election to the city council in Durham, NC. Read more »

Auto Contracts a Step Forward for Entire Working Class

On November 27, the UE officers released a statement hailing the UAW victory at the Big Three. “Workers engaged in creative, militant tactics and won not only significant economic improvements but also important measures to strengthen their union and exert control over production and investment decisions. Their victory makes it clear that if workers exercise the power to withhold their labor, they can shape the future, including the economic transitions necessary to address climate change.” Read more »

FEATURE

New Book Describes Workers’ Efforts to “Claim the City”

In his new book Claiming the City: A Global History of Workers’ Fight for Municipal Socialism, labor historian Shelton Stromquist describes how, following a “global strike wave” in the late nineteenth century, workers turned to municipal politics in an effort to improve their lives. Cities were the places where workers and their families worked, lived, and suffered from low wages and long hours, poor and crowded housing conditions, adulterated and expensive food, and other indignities. They were also the places where workers experienced social solidarity, and could imagine using their greater numbers to transform their lives by participating in the political process. Read UE NEWS Editor Jonathan Kissam’s review »

Feds Close Loophole, Cleaner Trains on the Way

After months of pressure from grassroots advocates and UE members, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially gave states some power to regulate locomotive emissions in early November. This ruling, a major step forward for the UE Green Locomotive Project, clears the way for California’s In-Use Locomotive Regulation to be implemented. The Green Locomotive Project was also featured at the International Labor Communications Association (ILCA)’s bi-annual convention at the end of November.

UE in Solidarity with Striking Public-Sector Workers in Quebec

420,000 public-sector workers — including members of UE’s close ally the Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN) — held a one-week strike across the province of Quebec from December 8-14. UE’s officers wrote in a solidarity letter to the CSN that “Public sector workers are the backbone of our communities, maintaining our infrastructure and public spaces, teaching our children, and supporting our social services. These essential roles deserve better pay and respect, just as you are demanding in your negotiations.” Read more »

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