Featured Stories
Union election at MedStar Franklin Square too close to call and marred by MedStar Health union busting
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United posted the following news release:
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Union election at MedStar Franklin Square too close to call and marred by MedStar Health union busting
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Union contends illegal behavior by hospital and intend to file objections with NLRB
Registered nurses at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore, Md. voted on whether to join National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the country's largest nurses union, in an election held on Oct. 14 and 15, 2026. The results were inconclusive at
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United posted the following news release:
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Union election at MedStar Franklin Square too close to call and marred by MedStar Health union busting
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Union contends illegal behavior by hospital and intend to file objections with NLRB
Registered nurses at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore, Md. voted on whether to join National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the country's largest nurses union, in an election held on Oct. 14 and 15, 2026. The results were inconclusive atthe end of the night, with challenged ballots still to be resolved.
Whatever the final outcome, nurses at MedStar Franklin Square and NNOC/NNU do not believe this was a free and fair election. Because of the employer's illegal interference during the runup to the election, NNOC/NNU intends to file objections with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the coming days.
"Right now we have an inconclusive result, but we are confident we will eventually prevail. This is a prime example of the lengths that hospital corporations will go to silence nurses," said Sandy Reding, RN and president of NNOC. "MedStar Health was willing to spend enormous sums of money on expensive lawyers to union bust, instead of using that money to address the patient care needs in their hospital. They were even willing to break the law to stop us from unionizing and that is disgraceful. But rest assured, we will not give up on the patients at MedStar Franklin Square."
Nurses say they faced an aggressive anti-union campaign by management in the months preceding the election. The campaign included management interrogating nurses about union support, surveilling nurses, and using security to block nurses from speaking with coworkers. Based on previous contracts reported to the U.S. Department of Labor, NNU estimates MedStar Health spent between $28,000 to $40,000 per week on professional union busting efforts.
More than 900 nurses are in the bargaining unit at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center. NNOC/NNU currently represents more than 2,200 nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.
National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/union-election-at-medstar-franklin-square-too-close-to-call-and-marred-by-union-busting
UMC New Orleans nurses to hold press conference on LCMC short-changing patients and nurses
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United posted the following news release:
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UMC New Orleans nurses to hold press conference on LCMC short-changing patients and nurses
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LCMC claims to honor the "Spirit of Charity" while giving CEO nearly $1.5M raise and refusing to improve pay for nurses at the bargaining table
In the wake of LCMC's "Spirit of Charity Gala" last week, Registered Nurses from University Medical Center (UMC) in New Orleans, La., will hold a press conference on Friday, Oct. 16, to highlight their patient safety concerns, including short-staffing,
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United posted the following news release:
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UMC New Orleans nurses to hold press conference on LCMC short-changing patients and nurses
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LCMC claims to honor the "Spirit of Charity" while giving CEO nearly $1.5M raise and refusing to improve pay for nurses at the bargaining table
In the wake of LCMC's "Spirit of Charity Gala" last week, Registered Nurses from University Medical Center (UMC) in New Orleans, La., will hold a press conference on Friday, Oct. 16, to highlight their patient safety concerns, including short-staffing,high turnover, and wage theft, announced National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). NNU is the largest and fastest-growing union of registered nurses in the nation.
Who: RNs at UMC New Orleans
What: Press Conference
When: TODAY, Friday, Oct. 16, 8 a.m
Where: University Medical Center New Orleans, 2000 Canal St., near Tulane and Galvez
Despite LCMC's claims to honor the "Spirit of Charity," it is clear LCMC has betrayed Charity Hospital's legacy of providing quality and accessible care for all New Orleans residents. Since opening UMC, LCMC has consistently prioritized profits over patent health, worker safety and affordable care.
"Since 2017, UMC has not used any funds for charity care that weren't offset by outside revenue, so 0% of UMC's total expenses are going towards charity care," said Terry Mogilles, RN in UMC's Orthopedic Clinic. "Yet they still claim the legacy of Charity Hospital, where many of us worked for years, and use it as a marketing ploy."
Nurses have been bargaining with LCMC, the parent company of UMC, for over two years. In the first year of bargaining, LCMC withheld regularly scheduled wage increases for union nurses as part of their anti-union measures. Last year, after the threat of a strike and pressure from Senator Bernie Sanders, nurses received their merit increases, but those raises averaged under 2%, well under the rate of inflation.
In 2024, CEO Greg Feirn received a nearly $1.5M (64%) raise, bringing his total compensation for the last 10 years up to $22.4M. LCMC system-wide made $251M in net income in 2025, and has reported $227M in net income in the first half of 2026 alone. Since then, management has refused to meaningfully bargain over wages, even as costs have risen dramatically.
"There are many reasons we decided to form our union, but a primary motivation was recruitment and retention of experienced Nurses," said Heidi Tujague, an RN in the forensics department. "Our patients deserve a stable, committed nursing staff who are connected to our community. But what we are seeing instead is rampant turnover due to a lack of competitive wages
Earlier this year in May, nurses filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against UMC for surface bargaining and held a five-day strike, their sixth strike since forming their union in 2023.
NNOC/NNU represents more than 650 registered nurses at UMC.
National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/umc-new-orleans-nurses-to-hold-press-conference-on-lcmc-short-changing-patients-and-nurses
UAW President Shawn Fain, International Executive Board Sworn In for New Four-Year Term
DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- The United Automobile Workers posted the following news:
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UAW President Shawn Fain, International Executive Board Sworn In for New Four-Year Term
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United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain and the union's newly elected International Executive Board (IEB) were sworn into office for a new four-year term in a ceremony honoring the will of the membership and reaffirming the union's commitment to fighting for its members and all working-class people.
Press is encouraged to use photos from the swearing-in ceremony.
The ceremony marked the
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DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- The United Automobile Workers posted the following news:
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UAW President Shawn Fain, International Executive Board Sworn In for New Four-Year Term
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United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain and the union's newly elected International Executive Board (IEB) were sworn into office for a new four-year term in a ceremony honoring the will of the membership and reaffirming the union's commitment to fighting for its members and all working-class people.
Press is encouraged to use photos from the swearing-in ceremony.
The ceremony marked thebeginning of a new term for Fain and the International Executive Board, who pledged to faithfully serve the union's membership and advance the interests of UAW members, families, and their communities.
UAW member and longtime union leader Paul Caucci administered the oath of office to Fain, who begins his second term as International Union president. Fain then administered the constitutional obligation to the newly elected members of the International Executive Board.
In remarks following the ceremony, Fain reflected on the responsibility of union leadership and outlined the priorities for the next four years: growing the UAW, building worker power and winning improvements for working-class people.
Fain connected the UAW's history of collective action to the challenges facing workers today, pointing to the legacy of the 1930s sit-down strikes and the union's more recent Stand Up Strike in 2023.
"Our union built the American Dream," Fain said. "From the Sit Down Strikers of the 1930's to the Stand-Up Strikers since 2023, regular working-class people have led this union and led this country from the ground up."
"Over the next four years, our job is to do more than just to ensure the survival of our organization," Fain said. "We need to grow. We need to build. We need to win. And to do that, we need each other."
Fain emphasized that the UAW is a democratic, member-driven organization and that the union's future depends on members being prepared and empowered to fight for their interests.
"This is a democracy," Fain said. "We are only in this room because the members put us in this room. And we will only win what the members are prepared and empowered to fight for."
The president also highlighted the broader stakes of the labor movement, citing wealth inequality and the influence of corporate power as challenges facing working people. He urged UAW leaders to meet those challenges through faith, solidarity and collective action.
"The only path to turning this situation around is by abandoning fear and having faith that's rooted in solidarity," Fain said.
Fain closed his remarks by calling on the board to approach the next four years with a shared sense of purpose and responsibility.
"It's not our individual legacies on the line. It's not just our union on the line," Fain said. "It's the fate of the working class and the fate of humanity."
"And together, we will rise to the occasion--to meet our generation's defining moment. And we will do it as a United UAW."
Newly Sworn-In UAW International Executive Board
The International Executive Board members sworn into office alongside President Fain are:
* President: Shawn Fain
* Secretary-Treasurer: Brandon Campbell
* Vice President: Laura Dickerson
* Vice President: Kevin Gotinsky
* Vice President: Ryan Hiestand
* Region 1 Director: LaShawn English
* Region 1A Director: Mark DePaoli
* Region 1D Director: Scott Zuckschwerdt
* Region 2B Director: David Green
* Region 4 Director: Lucas DeSpain
* Region 6 Director: Mike Miller
* Region 8 Director: Tim Smith
* Region 9 Director: Jimmy Lakeman
* Region 9A Director: Brandon Mancilla
The UAW enters its new term focused on expanding the union's reach through a $100 million investment in new organizing, building worker power and fighting for a better future for workers and their families.
As growing wealth inequality threatens the foundations of democracy, the union will confront the challenges and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence and automation, fight for a new trade policy that puts workers first, and fight for a political system that puts workers at the center. The focus of this work will remain the UAW's core priorities: higher wages, quality health care, retirement security and more time off the job.
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Original text here: https://uaw.org/uaw-president-shawn-fain-international-executive-board-sworn-in-for-new-four-year-term/
UAW President Shawn Fain, Abdul El-Sayed in Candid Conversation on 2026 Midterm Stakes
DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- The United Automobile Workers posted the following news:
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UAW President Shawn Fain, Abdul El-Sayed in Candid Conversation on 2026 Midterm Stakes
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Today, the UAW released an hour-long conversation between UAW President Shawn Fain and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Recorded the previous week at the UAW's Solidarity House in Detroit, MI, the two Midwest-made trailblazers in their respective fields covered a wide range of topics -- from faith and family to healthcare, retirement security, trade, AI and technology, and other important
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DETROIT, Michigan, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- The United Automobile Workers posted the following news:
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UAW President Shawn Fain, Abdul El-Sayed in Candid Conversation on 2026 Midterm Stakes
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Today, the UAW released an hour-long conversation between UAW President Shawn Fain and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed. Recorded the previous week at the UAW's Solidarity House in Detroit, MI, the two Midwest-made trailblazers in their respective fields covered a wide range of topics -- from faith and family to healthcare, retirement security, trade, AI and technology, and other importantissues that matter to working-class voters ahead of Election Day.
Michigan is one of several states where the UAW is running its most ambitious political operation in decades. As an early endorser of Abdul El-Sayed in the high-profile U.S. Senate race in Michigan, the UAW is also throwing down in several priority House races and potential Republican flip districts where the UAW's density is larger than the margin of victory in recent elections: CD-04, CD-07, and CD-10.
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Original text here: https://uaw.org/uaw-president-shawn-fain-abdul-el-sayed-in-candid-conversation-on-2026-midterm-stakes/
Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Six Illinois Candidates for U.S. House
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees posted the following news release:
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Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Six Illinois Candidates for U.S. House
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Join the 150,000 AFGE members who have already made the switch to E-Dues.
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
tim.kauffman@afge.org
WASHINGTON - The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of six candidates running to represent Illinois in the U.S. House in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The newly endorsed candidates are Donna Miller (CD-2),
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees posted the following news release:
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Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Six Illinois Candidates for U.S. House
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Join the 150,000 AFGE members who have already made the switch to E-Dues.
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
tim.kauffman@afge.org
WASHINGTON - The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of six candidates running to represent Illinois in the U.S. House in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
The newly endorsed candidates are Donna Miller (CD-2),La Shawn Ford (CD-7), Melissa Bean (CD-8), Daniel Biss (CD-9), Jennifer Todd (CD-15), and Paul Nolley (CD-16).
"AFGE is proud to support these U.S. House candidates who will stand up for AFGE members, federal workers and the essential services they provide to the public," said AFGE District 7 National Vice President Jason Anderson.
Donna Miller (CD-2) is a public servant, health care professional and community advocate with decades of experience delivering results. She chairs the Veterans Committee on the Cook County Board of Commissioners and has a 100% voting record on union contracts as a commissioner.
La Shawn Ford (CD-7) is a former Chicago Public Schools teacher and coach. As a state representative, he helps constituents access services like workforce development, and he focuses on social justice, small business and health care access. He holds regular public and media forums, and he has stood on picket lines with striking workers.
Melissa Bean (CD-8) is a former member of Congress who will be ready to work from day one. The daughter of a World War II Marine veteran who became a small business owner, she is running for cleaner air and water, better schools, and safer communities. In Congress, she helped pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, Wall Street reform, and the Affordable Care Act, and she was known for working across the aisle.
Daniel Biss (CD-9) is the mayor of Evanston and a former state representative and state senator. A lifelong community activist and former University of Chicago mathematics professor, he took on entrenched power and big money in Evanston to deliver campaign finance reform. He has a record of fighting the important fights and winning them.
Jennifer Todd (CD-15) is a nurse, a mom and a fighter. Her priorities are affordability, farming, health care, veterans' care and education. As a health care provider, she knows what rural hospital closures do to communities. Her campaign is rooted in showing up, listening and doing the work for working families who have been ignored.
Paul Nolley (CD-16) is executive director of Project First Rate, where he fights for blue-collar apprenticeships, responsible construction practices, and policies that put workers first. He is dedicated to saving Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare, and he will work to strengthen worker rights and pass serious campaign finance reform.
AFGE previously announced other endorsements in Illinois, including Juliana Stratton for the U.S. Senate and nine candidates seeking reelection for the U.S. House.
Nearly 90,000 federal employees live in Illinois - caring for veterans, supporting the military, and getting Social Security recipients their benefits accurately and on time.
AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing more than 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. AFGE represents nearly 43,000 federal employees in District 7, which includes Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.
Written by OPEIU 2 AFL-CIO
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Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/c1a6e80753a046968106834017aab149.aspx
AFT's Weingarten, Teachers Unify's Clements and OSEA's Wofford respond to Bend, Ore., shooting
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release:
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AFT's Weingarten, Teachers Unify's Clements and OSEA's Wofford respond to Bend, Ore., shooting
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WASHINGTON--AFT President Randi Weingarten, Oregon School Employees Association President Sarah Wofford and Abbey Clements, executive director of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence and a survivor of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, issued the following statement after three children and one teacher were killed on Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School in
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WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release:
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AFT's Weingarten, Teachers Unify's Clements and OSEA's Wofford respond to Bend, Ore., shooting
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WASHINGTON--AFT President Randi Weingarten, Oregon School Employees Association President Sarah Wofford and Abbey Clements, executive director of Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence and a survivor of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, issued the following statement after three children and one teacher were killed on Thursday at Silver Rail Elementary School inBend, Ore. Another child and a classified educator were critically injured in the shooting.
"Schools should be the safest places in our communities. But over and over, they are turned into battlegrounds because our elected leaders will do nothing to tackle our nation's shameful gun violence epidemic.
"Today, we are grieving the loss of three children and one teacher who were shot and killed at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Ore. We are devastated and are praying for their families and the recovery of those injured. And we are grateful to the bystander for his heroic actions.
"But we are also angry. Students, families and educators should never have to live like this or accept as normal the hundreds of school shootings that have happened in the 27 years since Columbine or the 28 mass killings in this year alone.
"We can take action to protect our children and communities with secure firearms storage, which we know saves lives. This is why the AFT adopted a resolution to help engage school districts in educating communities on responsible gun ownership. And while Oregon is known for strict gun laws, there are more opportunities for tragedy without accountability at the federal level.
"We must elect leaders who will protect our communities and schools, making them the safe and welcoming places that children and parents deserve, not danger zones where students learn to hide before they learn to read."
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Original text here: https://www.aft.org/press-release/afts-weingarten-teachers-unifys-clements-and-oseas-wofford-respond-bend-ore-shooting
AFGE Celebrates as Judge Again Orders Bureau of Prisons to Reinstate Union Contract
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees posted the following news release:
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AFGE Celebrates as Judge Again Orders Bureau of Prisons to Reinstate Union Contract
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Join the 150,000 AFGE members who have already made the switch to E-Dues.
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
tim.kauffman@afge.org
WASHINGTON - A federal judge has again ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to reinstate the American Federation of Government Employees' union contract protecting 30,000 federal correctional officers and staff.
On Sept. 29, U.S.
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees posted the following news release:
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AFGE Celebrates as Judge Again Orders Bureau of Prisons to Reinstate Union Contract
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Join the 150,000 AFGE members who have already made the switch to E-Dues.
Contact:
Tim Kauffman
202-374-6491
tim.kauffman@afge.org
WASHINGTON - A federal judge has again ordered the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to reinstate the American Federation of Government Employees' union contract protecting 30,000 federal correctional officers and staff.
On Sept. 29, U.S.District Judge Vernon Oliver of the District of Connecticut granted the union a preliminary injunction setting aside the BOP's September 2025 termination of its collective bargaining agreement with the union. The court ordered the agency to immediately reinstate the union's contract. The court's order was in response to the lawsuit filed in November 2025 by AFGE's National Council of Prison Locals (Council 33) and AFGE Local 1661, which represents employees at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut.
On Oct. 7, Director Marshall issued a memorandum announcing he was again terminating the contract effective immediately. The Union promptly filed a motion challenging the BOP's compliance with the injunction. In a ruling issued today, the court said that BOP could not simply ignore the preliminary injunction nor could BOP engage in self-help or use an allegedly new rationale to unilaterally defy the injunction. The court therefore found BOP's retermination to be void.
Council 33 National President Brandy Moore White applauded the court for ordering BOP to again reinstate the contract.
"The employees we represent work in some of the most challenging and dangerous conditions in federal service, and their union contract gives them a collaborative way to speak out when their safety or the safety of the public is in jeopardy," White said. "Our members deserve nothing less than full compliance with the court's decision, and we will keep fighting for our members to ensure the safety and security of the workers we represent."
AFGE National President Everett Kelley echoed White's comments.
"This administration should be ashamed of itself for flouting the rule of law inside our own federal prisons just to silence the voices of the brave correctional officers who work every day in some of the most challenging environments in the country," AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. "AFGE will continue fighting for our members at the Bureau of Prisons and every other agency until union rights are restored for all federal employees."
Written by OPEIU 2 AFL-CIO
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Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/aeee628a15e1450a926845e1a96dfe93.aspx
