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AFL-CIO and Its Sports Council Oppose Protect College Sports Act (S. 4668)
WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following news release:
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AFL-CIO and Its Sports Council Oppose Protect College Sports Act (S. 4668)
The AFL-CIO and the AFL-CIO Sports Council, which represents athlete workers across professional sports leagues, opposed the Protect College Sports Act (S. 4668) today because "[t]he bill empowers the NCAA to unilaterally set rules for athletes, shielded from antitrust liability, with no suggestion that the rules ever be collectively bargained with athletes at the table."
In a new letter to senators, the AFL-CIO and its Sports Council speak to
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following news release:
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AFL-CIO and Its Sports Council Oppose Protect College Sports Act (S. 4668)
The AFL-CIO and the AFL-CIO Sports Council, which represents athlete workers across professional sports leagues, opposed the Protect College Sports Act (S. 4668) today because "[t]he bill empowers the NCAA to unilaterally set rules for athletes, shielded from antitrust liability, with no suggestion that the rules ever be collectively bargained with athletes at the table."
In a new letter to senators, the AFL-CIO and its Sports Council speak tothe "significant progress" college athletes have made "in asserting their rights to their own names, images, and likenesses and...to press...for improved terms and conditions at work." But as they emphasize, "The athletes' assertion of their rights by what has been the primary source of talent and labor that makes a multi-billion-dollar industry possible has rattled the power structure of college sports. This slightest shift in power is what the PCSA purportedly aims to resolve."
"Normally, when employers collude to limit the rights and compensation of employees, our antitrust laws step in to protect the freedom of the marketplace, breaking up the powerful trust and allowing individuals to exercise some bargaining power," the AFL-CIO and its Sports Council write. "College athletes partook of our antitrust laws to challenge the many decades of collusion that exploited their labor, and they have been winning." But the bill under consideration in the Senate "stems their progress and enshrines the old power structure." And while "stability and predictability...could be achieved through good faith negotiations and binding collective bargaining agreements with the athletes themselves[,] [t]hat would mean power-sharing...and this bill is designed to ensure power ultimately remains in the hands of the NCAA, its conferences, and member institutions."
Under S. 4668:
* The NCAA is permitted to set the terms and conditions of work from one employer to the next -- or one member institution to the next -- without collective bargaining with the athletes and be shielded from antitrust liability for doing so.
* Federal law would overrule state laws and carve college athletes out of legislation passed to protect their health and safety, including workers' compensation. And rather than provide wage replacement and other benefits for athletes injured on the job, it would cap compensation and limit it to medical expenses only.
* Title IX and the hard-fought progress for women athletes is undermined by locking in compliance standards at a level that does not sufficiently address gender discrimination.
As the AFL-CIO and its Sports Council write, "the bill affirms some of the athletes' recent victories.... It codifies a lawsuit settlement that both guarantees athletes' rights to their name, image, and likeness and limits their rights to compensation for such. The bill affords a limited set of other benefits for athletes, though the bill's structure serves to delimit benefits rather than open the door to more progress."
The AFL-CIO and its Sports Council emphasize that "the Protect College Sports Act of 2026 is not a compromise between competing interests, but a legislative effort that preserves institutional control at a time when courts, lawmakers, and the public are increasingly questioning the fairness of the existing model...[which] only gained its current momentum not when athletes' interests were satisfied but when the richest intercollegiate conferences in the country voted to endorse the bill."
"We urge you to stand up for athletes and vote no," the letter concludes.
The full text of the letter can be found here (https://aflcio.org/sites/default/files/2026-08/AFLCIO_Sports_Council_Opposition_to_PCSA_S.4668.pdf).
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Original text here: https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-and-its-sports-council-oppose-protect-college-sports-act-s-4668
[Category: Union]
Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital nurses to protest CommonSpirit layoffs and reduction in services
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Aug. 5 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital nurses to protest CommonSpirit layoffs and reduction in services
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Registered nurses at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, a CommonSpirit hospital in Grass Valley, California, will hold a rally on Aug. 6, 2026, to protest the hospital's planned layoffs of seven nurses who work at the hospital. Nurses are also extremely concerned that hospital management is proposing to cut the patient care hours of the Ambulatory Treatment Center. Nurses say these
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Aug. 5 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital nurses to protest CommonSpirit layoffs and reduction in services
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Registered nurses at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, a CommonSpirit hospital in Grass Valley, California, will hold a rally on Aug. 6, 2026, to protest the hospital's planned layoffs of seven nurses who work at the hospital. Nurses are also extremely concerned that hospital management is proposing to cut the patient care hours of the Ambulatory Treatment Center. Nurses say thesechanges will limit patient access, jeopardize care, and delay treatment.
"Our community has limited access to healthcare services, and our outpatient infusion center provides essential infusion therapies, including antibiotics, blood products, hydration, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and other time-sensitive treatments," said Kaylie Spittler, a registered nurse in the Ambulatory Treatment Center. "Some of our patients require daily infusions, which is why our clinic allows for patients to get care outside of regular work hours, Monday through Friday. As nurses, we do not agree with the hospital's plan to reduce our clinic's operating hours. Shortening our hours will limit access to care, delay medically necessary treatments, and reduce our ability to provide the longer infusion therapies many of our patients depend on. In a rural community, these changes will create unnecessary barriers to care and negatively impact the patients we serve."
Who: Nurses from Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital
What: Rally to protest layoffs and cutting Ambulatory Treatment Center hours
When: Thursday, Aug. 6, 8 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Where: Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital, 155 Glasson Way, Grass Valley, California
CommonSpirit sent out formal notices in June announcing their intention to lay off five nurses from the Family Birth Center and two nurses from the Ambulatory Treatment Center. CommonSpirit is also proposing to cut the Ambulatory Treatment Center hours, which currently can be extended past 5 p.m. during the week and opened to patients on the weekend.
Nurses are calling on CommonSpirit to maintain the flexible hours of operation at the Ambulatory Treatment Center and to rescind the layoffs.
"The hospital's plan to reduce nursing staff in the Family Birth Center puts safe, high-quality patient care at risk," said Lizary Jones, a registered nurse who works in the Family Birth Center. "Labor and delivery emergencies can happen without warning, and having enough experienced nurses is critical when every second matters. Fewer nurses mean slower response times, less one-on-one patient care, and fewer resources during complications. As nurses in a community hospital, we are honored to care for our friends, neighbors, and families during life's most important moments. Our community trusts us to provide safe, compassionate care, and we have a responsibility to speak up when decisions threaten that standard. Our goal is to ensure every family who comes through our doors continues to receive the exceptional care they deserve."
Nurses know that CommonSpirit has the resources to address the hospital's needs. According to its tax filings, from 2020 to 2024, the top 10 CommonSpirit executives were paid in excess of $310.5 million. Its CEO took home a compensation package worth more than $14 million for fiscal year 2025.
California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC) represents 250 nurses at Sierra Nevada Medical Center. The hospital is part of CommonSpirit Health, where CNA/NNOC represents more than 17,000 nurses at 33 facilities across the country. CommonSpirit has issued layoff notices to nurses and support staff at several facilities.
California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/sierra-nevada-memorial-hospital-nurses-to-protest-commonspirit-layoffs-and-reduction-in-services
Teamsters Local 104 Applauds Court Decision Declaring HCR 2040 Unconstitutional
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Teamsters Local 104 Applauds Court Decision Declaring HCR 2040 Unconstitutional
(PHOENIX) - Teamsters Local 104 is applauding a Maricopa County Superior Court decision declaring House Concurrent Resolution 2040 (HCR 2040) unconstitutional. The legislation is an attack on public sector workers that undemocratically restricts their ability to organize and bargain strong union contracts.
"This decision reaffirms the principle that state law exists to protect the rights and
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Teamsters Local 104 Applauds Court Decision Declaring HCR 2040 Unconstitutional
(PHOENIX) - Teamsters Local 104 is applauding a Maricopa County Superior Court decision declaring House Concurrent Resolution 2040 (HCR 2040) unconstitutional. The legislation is an attack on public sector workers that undemocratically restricts their ability to organize and bargain strong union contracts.
"This decision reaffirms the principle that state law exists to protect the rights andfreedoms of all Arizonans," said Karla Schumann, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 104 and Teamsters International Vice President for the Western Region. "The court's ruling underscores the importance of ensuring legislation doesn't trample the rights of union members and instead adheres to the constitutional standards that safeguard our democratic process. We stand in solidarity with our dedicated public servants who work every day to keep Arizona safe, healthy, and thriving."
"Public sector workers strengthen our communities, and their voices deserve to be respected and protected," said Dawn Schumann, Political Director for Local 104. "When the rights of one group of working people are threatened, the rights of all working people are diminished. This decision is an important reminder that an injury to one is an injury to all."
Teamsters Local 104 remains committed to advocating for fairness, accountability, and the rule of law. The union will continue to stand alongside organized labor and all working families in defending the constitutional principles that protect the freedoms and rights of every Arizonan.
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Teamsters Local 104 represents workers throughout Arizona. For more information, go to teamsterslocal104.com.
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Original text here: https://teamster.org/2026/08/teamsters-local-104-applauds-court-decision-declaring-hcr-2040-unconstitutional/
South Valley Academy Educators Join Teamsters
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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South Valley Academy Educators Join Teamsters
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Press Contact: Jerry Thorn Phone: (505) 344-1925 ext.13 Email: jthorn0305@teamsters492.org
(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) - Teachers at South Valley Academy in Albuquerque have voted to join Teamsters Local 492, making history as the first charter school workforce to organize with the Teamsters in New Mexico.
"This is a historic day not only for Local 492, but for charter school employees across New Mexico," said Andrew Palmer, Secretary-Treasurer
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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South Valley Academy Educators Join Teamsters
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Press Contact: Jerry Thorn Phone: (505) 344-1925 ext.13 Email: jthorn0305@teamsters492.org
(ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.) - Teachers at South Valley Academy in Albuquerque have voted to join Teamsters Local 492, making history as the first charter school workforce to organize with the Teamsters in New Mexico.
"This is a historic day not only for Local 492, but for charter school employees across New Mexico," said Andrew Palmer, Secretary-Treasurerof Local 492. "The workers at South Valley Academy have demonstrated tremendous courage and leadership by choosing to stand together. Their decision affirms that every worker deserves dignity, respect, and a voice in the workplace."
The certification reflects a growing movement among charter school workers seeking input in their workplaces through collective bargaining. As charter schools continue to expand across the country, employees are increasingly recognizing that the right to organize offers a meaningful avenue to improve workplace conditions and strengthen the educational environment for students. For educators, union protections translate into the ability to focus on serving students.
"We joined the union because public school workers deserve a genuine voice and professional agency," said Joaquin R. Sanchez, a high school math teacher at South Valley Academy. "In today's climate of growing wealth inequality and systemic hostility toward workers, a union is more than a contract. It is a vital shield."
Teamsters Local 492 represents thousands of workers throughout New Mexico in a diverse range of industries. The union is committed to improving the lives of working families and strengthening communities across the state. For more information, visit teamsters492.org.
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Original text here: https://teamster.org/2026/08/south-valley-academy-educators-join-teamsters/
Maine Medical Center nurses demand immediate release of their colleague from ICE detention
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Aug. 4 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Maine Medical Center nurses demand immediate release of their colleague from ICE detention
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Nurses at Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland, Maine are staging an emergency protest Wednesday, Aug. 5 to demand the immediate release of an RN colleague who is being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite the fact that she is legally authorized to live and work in the country while she waits for her asylum case from Zambia to be processed. MMC nurses are represented
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Aug. 4 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Maine Medical Center nurses demand immediate release of their colleague from ICE detention
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Nurses at Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland, Maine are staging an emergency protest Wednesday, Aug. 5 to demand the immediate release of an RN colleague who is being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) despite the fact that she is legally authorized to live and work in the country while she waits for her asylum case from Zambia to be processed. MMC nurses are representedby Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United.
On July 30, ICE took into custody Debora Kapisha, a medical-surgical registered nurse at MMC while she was traveling through Logan Airport in Boston, Mass. ICE plans to transfer her Wednesday from Massachusetts to Louisiana, where she will be far from her family, legal counsel, and support systems. Her union is coordinating with her attorneys to work for her release and prevent the transfer.
Besides her release, her union nurse coworkers are demanding that their employer, Maine Medical Center, take immediate steps to formally sponsor her for permanent residency.
"Debora is an amazing nurse and takes great care of her patients," said Abigail Nelson, an MMC RN who has worked alongside Kapisha and considers her a friend. "She is a kind and supportive coworker. We are like a family here and it feels like a piece of us is missing."
* What: Protest demanding that ICE release Debora Kapisha, RN
* When: Wednesday, Aug. 5 10:30 ET
* Where: Maine Medical Center, Western Promenade near 22 Bramhall St., Portland, Maine
"ICE is imprisoning a nurse who cares for and saves lives every day in our community," said Cokie Giles, a Maine RN and vice president of NNU. "When ICE kidnaps critical, upstanding, and hardworking members of our community like this, they are broadcasting their real intentions and goal: To kick all Black and brown people out of the country and turn the United States into a fascist, white supremacist society -as well as terrorize all people who fight back. Nurses envision a just society and say, 'Absolutely not!'"
Since ICE began kidnapping Black and brown people and terrorizing our communities, National Nurses United has called it out as an illegitimate, violent, paramilitary organization that must be promptly abolished. On top of people that immigrant enforcement officers have shot and killed in the streets, such as Johan Sebastian Guerrero, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, VA RN Alex Pretti, and Renee Good, at least 52 people have died within the immigration detention system during Trump's second term mainly due to withholding of adequate medical care, according to Human Rights Watch.
Nurses are outraged though not surprised that their employer, MMC, has said it will not help Kapisha. MMC's owner, MaineHealth, is currently embroiled with its nurses in a fight to end a secretive agreement it has with Palantir, an A.I. company well known for its government contracts helping ICE target people for detention.
Maine State Nurses Association is part of National Nurses Organizing Committee, representing 4,000 nurses and other caregivers from Portland to Fort Kent. NNOC is an affiliate of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest-growing labor union of registered nurses in the United States with nearly 225,000 members nationwide.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/maine-medical-center-nurses-demand-immediate-release-of-their-colleague-from-ice-detention
GE HealthCare Accused of Bad-Faith Bargaining as IAM Union Seeks Congressional Intervention
UPPER MARLBORO, Maryland, Aug. 4 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers issued the following news release:
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GE HealthCare Accused of Bad-Faith Bargaining as IAM Union Seeks Congressional Intervention
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Company benefits from federal contracts and pays CEO 241 times the median worker while denying annual raises and delaying a first contract to workers
AURORA, Ohio, July 30, 2026 - The 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is calling on Ohio's congressional delegation to intervene as
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UPPER MARLBORO, Maryland, Aug. 4 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers issued the following news release:
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GE HealthCare Accused of Bad-Faith Bargaining as IAM Union Seeks Congressional Intervention
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Company benefits from federal contracts and pays CEO 241 times the median worker while denying annual raises and delaying a first contract to workers
AURORA, Ohio, July 30, 2026 - The 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is calling on Ohio's congressional delegation to intervene asGE HealthCare continues to delay a first contract for approximately 130 IAM-represented workers at its Aurora, Ohio manufacturing facility after more than 18 months of contentious negotiations and repeated alleged violations of federal labor law.
The IAM has sent letters to U.S. Sens. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) and Jon Husted (R-Ohio), along with U.S. Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio), urging them to press GE HealthCare to bargain in good faith with IAM Local 1363 members. The outreach comes as Congress considers the Faster Labor Contracts Act, legislation designed to impose stricter penalties on employers that refuse to negotiate first contracts in good faith.
Workers at this facility, an important player in the global medical technology industry, create coils for MRI machines that transmit critical imaging signals.
"These workers have fought for over 18 months to secure a first contract, despite the company continuously engaging in egregious unlawful conduct in violation of the National Labor Relations Act," writes IAM Union International President Brian Bryant in letters to Moreno, Husted and Joyce. "Despite consistent efforts by the workers and their bargaining committee, GE HealthCare refuses to meet to bargain on a regular schedule. It refused to provide any economic proposals until just two weeks ago-and those proposals were regressive, lowering wages below the employees' current rates of pay, slashing PTO and increasing healthcare costs for the workers and their families."
The IAM Union has filed two unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that GE HealthCare has engaged in unlawful surface bargaining and failed to bargain in good faith. The charges include allegations that the company canceled bargaining sessions, made regressive proposals, and unlawfully refused to maintain the status quo by withholding previously scheduled wage increases after workers chose union representation.
Despite reporting more than $2 billion in annual net income and benefiting from substantial federal research, development and procurement partnerships, GE HealthCare did not present its first comprehensive economic proposal until July 2026.
"Every day, my coworkers and I take pride in building products that help doctors diagnose and treat patients around the world. We care about the quality of our work because we know it makes a real difference in people's lives," said Montana Hayes, a Production Associate at GE HealthCare and member of the IAM Local 1363 Negotiations Committee. "We're not asking for anything extraordinary. We just want GE HealthCare to respect our rights, bargain fairly, and recognize the value of the workers who make this company successful. After more than 18 months, it's time for the company to stop delaying and negotiate the fair first contract we've earned."
The company's proposal cuts wages below employees' current pay rates, slashes paid time off, and increases healthcare costs for workers and their families.
"GE HealthCare has chosen to drag out negotiations instead of respecting its employees' decision to form a union and negotiate a fair first contract," said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. "Our members have shown up prepared to bargain every step of the way. They deserve a company that negotiates in good faith-not delay tactics, regressive proposals and unlawful conduct. We will continue standing shoulder to shoulder with Local 1363 until GE HealthCare does the right thing and these workers secure the contract they've earned."
The approximately 130 IAM Local 1363 members at GE HealthCare's Aurora facility voted to join the IAM Union in January 2025 and have been negotiating their first collective bargaining agreement ever since.
GE Healthcare, which employs over 60,000 people worldwide, has more than 20,000 union-represented workers across the U.S. The IAM Union also represents GE HealthCare workers in Waukesha, Wis., and Warrensville Heights, Ohio.
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Original text here: https://www.goiam.org/news/imail/ge-healthcare-accused-of-bad-faith-bargaining-as-iam-union-seeks-congressional-intervention/
'Worlds of Fun' Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Join IATSE Local 31 in Kansas City
NEW YORK, Aug. 4 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees posted the following news release:
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'Worlds of Fun' Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Join IATSE Local 31 in Kansas City
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KANSAS CITY, MO - In a victory for entertainment workers in the region, employees at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City voted 21-1 on July 7, 2026 to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 31. The newly formed bargaining unit covers 37 workers across Technical Services, Wardrobe and Stitchers, Costumes, and Creative Services.
The
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NEW YORK, Aug. 4 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees posted the following news release:
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'Worlds of Fun' Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Join IATSE Local 31 in Kansas City
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KANSAS CITY, MO - In a victory for entertainment workers in the region, employees at Worlds of Fun amusement park in Kansas City voted 21-1 on July 7, 2026 to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 31. The newly formed bargaining unit covers 37 workers across Technical Services, Wardrobe and Stitchers, Costumes, and Creative Services.
Theroad to this victory was hard-fought at every turn, led by IATSE Representative Thomas Guidugli and Local 31 Leadership. Conversations with workers began in early 2025, setting the campaign in motion, and by summer, a majority of workers had signed and submitted cards to the NLRB.
The employer immediately moved to contest the composition of the bargaining unit, and subsequently sold the company to new ownership, effectively resetting the campaign.
The employer's efforts to delay and disrupt the union did not end there. The day before the scheduled vote, the park fired a lead organizer, an action that constituted an Unfair Labor Practice, which was addressed accordingly.
Rather than walk away, the crew regrouped. Ultimately delivering a resounding answer and winning their union. Together, workers are now moving forward with bargaining a fair contract.
Live event workers looking to unionize to win better workplaces can head to iatse.net/join to contact an IATSE organizer.
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Original text here: https://iatse.net/worlds-of-fun-workers-vote-overwhelmingly-to-join-iatse-local-31-in-kansas-city/
