Friend,
We're less than two months into 2024 and one thing is clear: workers are continuing to build on the momentum from 2023 – across the country and across industries! Whether it's historic UAW organizing at southern auto manufacturing plants or workers going toe-to-toe with anti-union presidential nominees, we're in for a year of tough fights and epic wins.
Continue reading for updates from the JWJ network, labor movement news, and more!
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Minnesota Workers Bargain for the Common Good
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Soon after the UAW won historic contracts with the Big Three in 2023, UAW President Shawn Fain called on unions across industries to prepare for a general strike on May 1, 2028 by aligning contracts to expire on that day. The ambitious plan would be a massive display of solidarity never before witnessed in the U.S.
Locally, we've already seen this tactic ramp up worker power – for the past decade workers and community leaders in Minnesota have already been putting this idea into practice.
"This spring, thousands of workers across Minnesota will have expired contracts all at the same time. Among them are healthcare workers, janitors, security officers, airport workers, construction workers, educators, education support professionals, and public workers. Organizers within Minnesota’s labor movement are making use of this unique moment to exert joint pressure on employers across sectors to meet workers’ demands." Read more.
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A new report claims “resounding evidence” shows that high corporate profits are a main driver of ongoing inflation, and companies continue to keep prices high even as their inflationary costs drop. Read more.
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These statistics don’t capture the number of workers who want to join unions—surveys show that tens of millions of nonunionized workers wanted to join unions but couldn’t. However, these numbers do illustrate a broken system that continues to thwart workers’ ability to form unions and secure a contract. Read more.
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“They stole money from our wages,” said Lamin Jadda, who drives for both companies. “We worked hard, but the money was not showing in our wage.”
James said it’s the largest wage-theft settlement in the history of the office.
“Thank you for refusing to give up because together we won,” she said. “Three-hundred and twenty-eight million dollars that will go back to all of the drivers who were denied their fair pay.” Read more.
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Earlier this month, Central Florida Jobs With Justice took action with the Dignity 2026 coalition to hold FIFA accountable to workers and their communities. The 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament will be held across 16 cities in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. With a long legacy of both violating and ignoring human and workers' rights, it's more important than ever to ensure that workers in host cities are treated with dignity and respect. Read Dignity 2026's full statement here.
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VICTORY! The City of Tucson, under the leadership of Mayor Regina Romero, City Council, and support from Arizona Jobs with Justice and labor unions (The Arizona Carpenters Union and IBEW Local #570 Electrician Union), recently passed a Prevailing Wage Ordinance, emphasizing the city's dedication to supporting its workers. Read more.
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Corporate greed doesn't fly! Chicago, Central Florida, and Philly JWJ joined thousands of flight attendants for a national day of action this week. Flight attendants at Alaska, Air Wisconsin, United, Omni, American, Southwest, Frontier and more are fighting for a contract that delivers fair wages and better working conditions. Negotiations have dragged on, even after pilots at some of these same airlines received pay increases in 2023. Follow the fight at @apafaunity.
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