Unions
Here's a look at documents from unions
Featured Stories
Nurses at Ford Chicago Assembly Persevere, Vote to Join UAW Local 551
DETROIT, Michigan, April 24 -- The United Automobile Workers issued the following news on April 23, 2026:
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Nurses at Ford Chicago Assembly Persevere, Vote to Join UAW Local 551
Local 551 is one of the most historic units in the UAW. The local's roots go all the way back to the very beginning of the union in 1935, and over 5,000 of its members work at the iconic Ford Chicago Assembly plant, the automaker's oldest operating manufacturing facility.
So, it would probably surprise many people to learn that the plant's nursing staff has never been unionized. Yet, that was the case until April
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DETROIT, Michigan, April 24 -- The United Automobile Workers issued the following news on April 23, 2026:
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Nurses at Ford Chicago Assembly Persevere, Vote to Join UAW Local 551
Local 551 is one of the most historic units in the UAW. The local's roots go all the way back to the very beginning of the union in 1935, and over 5,000 of its members work at the iconic Ford Chicago Assembly plant, the automaker's oldest operating manufacturing facility.
So, it would probably surprise many people to learn that the plant's nursing staff has never been unionized. Yet, that was the case until Aprilof this year, when the six nurses at Chicago Assembly withstood a vigorous anti-union campaign from the company and voted to join the UAW.
The organizing win is a testament to the determination of the nursing staff, who had attempted to unionize in two previous efforts that came up just short in recent years, and the unwavering support of Local 551, the UAW Ford Department, and Region 4.
"Every worker deserves to have a union," UAW Vice President and Director of the Ford Department Laura Dickerson said about the union's support of the nurses in their fight. "Every worker deserves to have the support they need to form their union if that's what they choose to do. Our decision to get behind these six workers really came down to that belief."
Mary Quasney, an associate nurse at the plant, said she felt they needed more say in how their workplace operated, citing concerns about chronic understaffing and the company's lack of training opportunities as reasons for the organizing drive.
"We felt like management didn't want to make any type of financial investment in us that would allow us to increase our skills and our knowledge," Quasney said. "We felt like we were understaffed, and that can have negative effects on the work we do. We truly care about the workers in this plant, and we want to provide the best care possible for them when they come to us."
Ford plant management was adamantly opposed to the nurses' efforts from the get-go and ran an aggressive intimidation campaign to dissuade them from organizing. The company held multiple one-on-one meetings with nurses and distributed anti-union flyers filled with misleading information.
UAW representatives made sure to hold multiple meetings of their own with nurses to counter the company's false messaging and were readily available 24/7 to answer any questions nurses may have about what joining the union would entail.
Throughout the organizing drive, Local 551 leaders and members working at the plant continuously showed their support for the nurses, stopping by the medical department to offer positive words of encouragement, recording a solidarity video, and delivering support cards with messages urging nurses to keep fighting.
"The support from the workers was amazing," Quasney said. "They truly had our backs the entire time. I think it made us want to be a part of the union even more."
On April 9, nurses voted 5-1 to join the UAW.
"I've been a member of this local for over 30 years, and during that entire time, the nurses here have never been unionized," Local 551 President Chris Pena said. "So, to see them finally win a seat at the table, everyone at the local is incredibly proud of them for demanding a voice."
"Some people might be asking, 'Why so much effort for only six workers?'" Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell said. "But for us, it didn't matter whether it was six workers or 600. Those nurses deserve the same support as anyone else. Our union was committed to making sure that was the case at Chicago Assembly."
Now that the nurses are UAW, they will soon elect a bargaining chairperson and then begin negotiations with the company on a first-ever contract. For Quasney, finally having a voice on the job is just one of the many benefits of joining Local 551.
"We're all just very excited to be joining the UAW," Quasney said. "Local 551 does so much great work in the community and holds a number of events for its members every year, and now we get to be part of that. We're very happy."
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Original text here: https://uaw.org/nurses-at-ford-chicago-assembly-persevere-vote-to-join-uaw-local-551/
[Category: Union]
WGA Statement on Warner Bros. Discovery Shareholder Vote to Approve Paramount Merger
NEW YORK, April 23 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Writers Guild of America East issued the following news release:
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WGA Statement on Warner Bros. Discovery Shareholder Vote to Approve Paramount Merger
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK - The following is a statement from the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW):
The proposed merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery would be a disaster for writers, the entertainment industry, consumers, and the country. While shareholders approved this deal today, this merger is far from final. This proposed acquisition
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NEW YORK, April 23 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Writers Guild of America East issued the following news release:
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WGA Statement on Warner Bros. Discovery Shareholder Vote to Approve Paramount Merger
LOS ANGELES and NEW YORK - The following is a statement from the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW):
The proposed merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery would be a disaster for writers, the entertainment industry, consumers, and the country. While shareholders approved this deal today, this merger is far from final. This proposed acquisitionis exactly what our nation's antitrust laws are designed to prevent. We are confident California Attorney General Rob Bonta and his fellow State Attorneys General will investigate this transaction fully and follow the law.
Every time media and entertainment companies merge, they promise lower prices, more choices for consumers, increased production, and improvements for workers. And every time those promises are broken; the mergers instead result in higher prices, fewer choices, significant job loss, and suppression of underrepresented voices and stories.
The Writers Guild of America urges antitrust enforcers to intervene and stop further harms to competition in an already consolidated industry. This merger can and must be blocked.
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Original text here: https://www.wgaeast.org/wga-statement-on-warner-bros-discovery-shareholder-vote-to-approve-paramount-merger/
Teamsters California Calls for SB 1371 Passage to Hold Waste Contractors Accountable
WASHINGTON, April 23 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Teamsters California Calls for SB 1371 Passage to Hold Waste Contractors Accountable
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Press Contact: Matt McQuaid Phone: (771) 241-0015 Email: mmcquaid@teamster.org
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - Teamsters celebrate the passage of Senate Bill 1371 (SB 1371) out of the California State Senate Committee on Local Government and call for every lawmaker in the upper chamber to support the bill when it comes up for a floor vote. SB 1371, authored by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, would
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WASHINGTON, April 23 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Teamsters California Calls for SB 1371 Passage to Hold Waste Contractors Accountable
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Press Contact: Matt McQuaid Phone: (771) 241-0015 Email: mmcquaid@teamster.org
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - Teamsters celebrate the passage of Senate Bill 1371 (SB 1371) out of the California State Senate Committee on Local Government and call for every lawmaker in the upper chamber to support the bill when it comes up for a floor vote. SB 1371, authored by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, wouldprevent municipalities from being forced to pay for waste and recycling services that aren't rendered because of a work stoppage.
"SB 1371 will lead to healthier communities, cost savings for local governments, increased corporate accountability, and a higher standard of living for the unsung heroes who power our state's recycling and waste management infrastructure," said Victor Mineros, Director of the Teamsters Solid Waste and Recycling Division and Co-Chair of Teamsters California. "Passing this bill is a no brainer. Every lawmaker in Sacramento should get on board with it."
During strikes, waste companies usually impose force majeure provisions in their contracts with municipalities. These allow the companies to collect money from taxpayers without providing trash or recycling pickups.. SB 1371 would ensure force majeure provisions can no longer be invoked because of labor disputes, which companies have the clear ability to stop or prevent. This will incentivize sanitation contractors to resolve the strikes they cause much faster.
"Workers don't choose to strike -we are forced to by employers that fail to bargain fair contracts. When we are left with no choice but to withhold our labor, we lose wages but we still have families to feed," said Marcus Ford, a member of Teamsters Local 396 at Republic Services. "Waste companies know exactly what they're doing -the longer they drag out strikes, the more the trash piles up and the more our communities suffer. But employers are barely affected because the force majeure clause sitting in their back pockets is a get-out-of-jail-free card."
Problems with municipal waste management plagued California last summer following a nationwide strike caused by Republic Services, which forced a number of the affected cities and towns to sue the trash giant for breach of contract. In September, contracts covering over 3,000 Solid Waste Teamsters who provide services to millions of people throughout Southern California, including Los Angeles County, are set expire.
Teamsters California is the united voice of 250,000 workers across dozens of industries who power the state's economy and communities every single day. For more information, go to teamstersca.org.
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Original text here: https://teamster.org/2026/04/teamsters-california-calls-for-sb-1371-passage-to-hold-waste-contractors-accountable/
Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television & Radio Artists: OPB and KMHD Content Creators Unanimously Ratify Their First Union Contract
LOS ANGELES, California, April 23 -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued the following news release on April 22, 2026:
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OPB and KMHD Content Creators Unanimously Ratify their First Union Contract
The content creators at Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and KMHD Jazz Radio, represented by SAG-AFTRA, have reached a tentative agreement with OPB, the non-profit public media organization, after nearly two years of negotiation. With close to 90 unit members, they are the largest SAG-AFTRA-represented public media organization on the West
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LOS ANGELES, California, April 23 -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued the following news release on April 22, 2026:
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OPB and KMHD Content Creators Unanimously Ratify their First Union Contract
The content creators at Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) and KMHD Jazz Radio, represented by SAG-AFTRA, have reached a tentative agreement with OPB, the non-profit public media organization, after nearly two years of negotiation. With close to 90 unit members, they are the largest SAG-AFTRA-represented public media organization on the WestCoast.
The three-year contract is a first for this group, which includes on-air staff, hosts, reporters and digital, audio and video producers dedicated to telling stories through radio, TV and online platforms.
"We extend our sincere congratulations to our newest members for their unwavering perseverance throughout the process of achieving and ratifying this contract," said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland. "SAG-AFTRA is honored to stand in solidarity as we move forward together."
"The process of securing this first contract has had a powerful and lasting impact across all of OPB. We are truly excited and grateful to SAG-AFTRA for their partnership in making this possible, and we look forward to realizing the full benefits this milestone represents," said the organizing committee.
The tentative agreement raises the minimum salary for many positions, including KMHD hosts who will see a nearly 30% increase retroactive to July 1, 2025. Many others will be realizing livable wages with no minimum salary in the contract set at less than $65,000. Additionally, yearly increases of at least 3% are guaranteed for the entire term of the three-year contract. Moreover, premium payments allow for fill-in pay, hazard pay, language differential and standby pay. Protections around AI, safety, grievance processes and layoffs and severance are also built into this initial contract.
After 20 months of negotiations, the unit unanimously ratified the agreement.
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About SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.
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Original text here: https://www.sagaftra.org/opb-and-kmhd-content-creators-unanimously-ratify-their-first-union-contract
[Category: Union]
Orano USA and NABTU Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Support Construction of Project IKE Uranium Enrichment Facility
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The AFL-CIO North America's Building Trades Unions issued the following news release on April 22, 2026, with Orano USA:
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Orano USA and NABTU Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Support Construction of Project IKE Uranium Enrichment Facility
Agreement establishes cooperative framework to deliver the project safely, on schedule, to the highest quality standards, and in a cost-effective manner.
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OAK RIDGE, TN - April 22, 2026 - Orano and North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining their cooperative relationship
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WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The AFL-CIO North America's Building Trades Unions issued the following news release on April 22, 2026, with Orano USA:
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Orano USA and NABTU Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Support Construction of Project IKE Uranium Enrichment Facility
Agreement establishes cooperative framework to deliver the project safely, on schedule, to the highest quality standards, and in a cost-effective manner.
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OAK RIDGE, TN - April 22, 2026 - Orano and North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining their cooperative relationshipto support the successful construction of Project IKE, Orano's uranium enrichment facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.
The MOU reflects a shared commitment to complete the project on time and in accordance with commercial and government expectations by mobilizing a highly skilled, well-trained and productive construction workforce, and by fostering a collaborative labor management environment focused on safety, quality, and efficiency.
Project IKE is Orano's development of a $5 billion facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to deliver new, diversified, and competitively priced U.S.-based production of enriched uranium beginning in the early 2030s.
The construction phase is expected to employ more than 1,000 workers.
"To help quickly establish a significant and secure nuclear fuel supply of enriched uranium for America's reactor fleet, we need the Project IKE facility built on a deliberate timeline that's only possible with a skilled and efficient workforce," said Jean-Luc Palayer, CEO of Orano USA. "Our agreement with NABTU defines and assures that our work relationship is based on productivity, quality, and cooperation."
"When it comes to complex nuclear projects, America turns to the Building Trades because we deliver," said Sean McGarvey, President of North America's Building Trades Unions. "Our three million members are trained for highly regulated, safety critical nuclear work, and they stand ready to build the next generation of America's nuclear energy infrastructure. Project IKE represents the future of U.S. energy security, and this agreement ensures Orano has access to the safest, most highly trained nuclear construction workforce in the world to deliver this project on time and to the highest standards."
Orano is developing an extensive American supply chain for designing and constructing the Project IKE facility, manufacturing and installing the extensive material-handling equipment and systems, and supporting the ongoing uranium enrichment operations.
Learn more about Project IKE: https://www.orano.group/usa/project-ike-enrichment
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About Orano USA:
Based in Bethesda, MD, with global headquarters in Paris, France, Orano is a leading technology and services provider for the commercial and federal nuclear industries. The company specializes in uranium mining/conversion/enrichment, used nuclear fuel management and recycling, federal site clean-up and closure, and developing nuclear medicines to fight cancer. orano.group/usa
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About NABTU:
North America's Building Trades Unions is an alliance of 14 national and international unions in the building and construction industry collectively representing over 3 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada. Each year, our unions and signatory contractor partners invest over $2.5 billion in private-sector money to fund and operate over 1,900 apprenticeship training and education facilities across North America that produce the safest, most highly trained, and most productive, skilled craft workers anywhere in the world. NABTU is dedicated to creating economic security and employment opportunities for its construction workers by safeguarding wage and benefits standards, promoting responsible private capital investments, investing in renowned apprenticeship and training, and creating more construction career pathways to the middle class for women, communities of color, Indigenous people, veterans, and the justice-involved. For more information, please visit nabtu.org.
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Original text here: https://nabtu.org/press_releases/orano-usa-and-nabtu-sign-memorandum-of-understanding-to-support-construction-of-project-ike-uranium-enrichment-facility/
[Category: Union]
NEA Member Leon Smith Named 2026 Teacher of the Year
WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The National Education Association issued the following news release on April 21, 2026:
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NEA member Leon Smith named 2026 Teacher of the Year
National Education Association (NEA) member Leon Smith, a social studies teacher at Haverford High School in Havertown, Pa., today was named the 2026 Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).
Smith has spent more than two decades in Delaware County and teaches Honors and Advanced Placement History, as well as African American Studies. Smith has been lauded for his instrumental work in Haverford's
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WASHINGTON, April 23 -- The National Education Association issued the following news release on April 21, 2026:
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NEA member Leon Smith named 2026 Teacher of the Year
National Education Association (NEA) member Leon Smith, a social studies teacher at Haverford High School in Havertown, Pa., today was named the 2026 Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).
Smith has spent more than two decades in Delaware County and teaches Honors and Advanced Placement History, as well as African American Studies. Smith has been lauded for his instrumental work in Haverford's"Grow Your Own" program, which is dedicated to increasing educator diversity within the district.
"On behalf of the National Education Association's nearly three million members, we are proud to congratulate Leon - not only for this award and recognition, but for his dedication to all students and his commitment to his school and community," said NEA President Becky Pringle. "Leon embodies the core values of an exemplary educator, sparking imagination, curiosity, and critical thinking, and creating an inclusive environment where every student feels welcome. His work paves the way to ensure a better and brighter tomorrow for all students."
Smith holds a bachelors in secondary social studies education from the University of Maryland at College Park, a master's in educational leadership in technology integration from Pennsylvania State University, and a PK-12 principal certification from Cabrini University. As an educational leader and mentor, Smith is also the freshmen boys' basketball coach and advocates for policies to diversify the educator workforce and build a stronger teacher pipeline.
"The Pennsylvania State Education Association is proud to count Leon Smith as a member," said Pennsylvania State Education Association President Aaron Chapin. "Leon is an inspiration to his students, his colleagues, and his community. He is an educator who encourages his students to think critically and follow their dreams. And his work extends beyond his own school, as he works to ensure a more diverse educator workforce for the future. We admire his passion for teaching, his dedication to his students, and his tireless work to foster more inclusive environments."
CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year program identifies exceptional teachers across the country, celebrates their work in and outside the classroom, and empowers them to take part in policy discussions at the state and national level.
For more information about the 2026 State Teachers of the Year and CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year program, including the 2026 State Teacher of the Year Cohort and bios of the other finalists, visit CCSSO's National Teacher of the Year website (https://ntoy.ccsso.org/2026-national-teacher-of-the-year).
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Original text here: https://www.nea.org/about-nea/media-center/press-releases/nea-member-leon-smith-named-2026-teacher-year
[Category: Union]
Bill that helps transition ADN nurses to employment moves forward
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, April 23 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Bill that helps transition ADN nurses to employment moves forward
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Union nurses with California Nurses Association (CNA) yesterday celebrated the forward movement of a bill they sponsored that would diversify and expand the nursing profession as well as ensure communities across California have nurses to provide care through establishment of a state program to help new nurse graduates of Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs find jobs.
The bill, A.B. 2391, authored
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, April 23 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Bill that helps transition ADN nurses to employment moves forward
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Union nurses with California Nurses Association (CNA) yesterday celebrated the forward movement of a bill they sponsored that would diversify and expand the nursing profession as well as ensure communities across California have nurses to provide care through establishment of a state program to help new nurse graduates of Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs find jobs.
The bill, A.B. 2391, authoredby Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, would specifically support job placement pathways and provide financial assistance to help newly licensed registered nurses from ADN programs transition into jobs in hospitals serving rural and medically underserved communities.
"This legislation is really a win-win for everybody," said Cathy Kennedy, RN and president of California Nurses Association. "Our ADN nurses, who represent about half the newly licensed nurses in California each year, are the ones from diverse, working-class backgrounds and have life experiences that serve them and patients so well. Through this program, ADN graduates will get the help they need to transition to jobs and patients in rural, underserved hospitals that have a hard time recruiting and keeping nurses will get the safe patient care they need."
While California has an adequate supply of nurses, with over 560,000 actively licensed RNs, only about 58 percent are working as nurses. The ones who are providing direct care are not distributed evenly across the state's facilities, with hospitals in rural and high-need areas of California struggling to recruit and retain enough nurses to safely staff units.
And while the state has made investments in nursing education and training, supports for the critical step of transitioning from graduation to employment are missing.
"Nurses are the backbone of our health care system, and while the state has made investments into educating and training nurses, A.B. 2391 addresses the missing supports that transition ADN nurses from graduation to securing a job," said Asm. Ahrens. "At the same time, we are ensuring rural and underserved communities in our state get the nursing care they need. I'm proud to work with the California Nurses Association on these solutions that benefit everyone."
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/bill-that-helps-transition-adn-nurses-to-employment-moves-forward
