Featured Stories
Statement on Israeli bombings of medical supply warehouses
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Aug. 2 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
* * *
Statement on Israeli bombings of medical supply warehouses
*
National Nurses United (NNU), the United States' largest union and professional association of registered nurses with more than 225,000 members, castigated the Israeli government for destroying or badly damaging almost all of Gaza's medicine warehouses as part of its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people and in flagrant violation of a United Nations resolution prohibiting the targeting of medical facilities
... Show Full Article
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Aug. 2 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
* * *
Statement on Israeli bombings of medical supply warehouses
*
National Nurses United (NNU), the United States' largest union and professional association of registered nurses with more than 225,000 members, castigated the Israeli government for destroying or badly damaging almost all of Gaza's medicine warehouses as part of its ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people and in flagrant violation of a United Nations resolution prohibiting the targeting of medical facilitiesand medical workers during armed conflict.
As a union of registered nurses, we stand in solidarity with health care workers in Gaza and everywhere around the world, who must be protected and never targeted during armed conflicts so that we can do our jobs providing medical care and aid to all who are wounded or sick -a humanitarian goal that should be respected by Israel but is clearly not.
Since the beginning of Israel's bombardment of Gaza, Israeli defense forces have killed at least 1,700 health care workers, according to Palestinian authorities. Israel has also systematically bombed hospitals and other health care facilities, wiping out almost all of Gaza's health care infrastructure.
The Israeli government has killed nearly 75,000 Palestinians, including more than 20,000 children, since it began its deliberate annihilation of Gaza in 2023. Hundreds of thousands more have suffered catastrophic injuries, are starving, and living in abhorrent conditions, deprived of basic necessities like food, water, housing, and medical care due to Israel's cruel blockades and continued bombing and drone strikes that appear to violate the current ceasefire.
NNU has consistently called for a true ceasefire in the region and for the United States to stop funding the Israeli military, recently supporting an amendment to a spending bill that would have eliminated $3.3 billion in funding. The amendment ultimately did not pass, but a record number of legislators voted to cut off aid.
NNU nurses are also demanding that our hospitals, governments, elected officials, and public pension funds cut ties with corporations, such as Palantir, whose U.S. government-subsidized A.I. technology enables Israel to carry out its genocide of Gaza and is likewise used in U.S. hospitals to maximize profits by depriving patients of needed care.
"It's despicable and unacceptable," said Puneet Maharaj, executive director of National Nurses United. "The intentional bombing of hospitals, schools, and public infrastructure necessary for basic living are war crimes against humanity. The health care workers, including the many nurses and doctors who take an oath to care for every patient, deserve to be alive today. The Israeli government must be held accountable for these atrocities, and the genocide must stop."
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.
***
Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/statement-on-israeli-bombings-of-medical-supply-warehouses
Joint Statement from President Shawn Fain and Vice President Rich Boyer: Fatality of UAW Stellantis Member at Center Line National Parts Depot
DETROIT, Michigan, Aug. 1 [Category: Union] -- The United Automobile Workers posted the following news:
* * *
Joint Statement from President Shawn Fain and Vice President Rich Boyer: Fatality of UAW Stellantis Member at Center Line National Parts Depot
*
This morning, at Stellantis' Mopar Division, Center Line National Parts facility in Center Line, MI, our UAW family lost longtime member James Brasher. Brasher was a thirty-plus-year UAW member and laborer working on a renovation project at the PDC when the incident occurred.
A member of our union went to work today expecting to complete his
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, Aug. 1 [Category: Union] -- The United Automobile Workers posted the following news:
* * *
Joint Statement from President Shawn Fain and Vice President Rich Boyer: Fatality of UAW Stellantis Member at Center Line National Parts Depot
*
This morning, at Stellantis' Mopar Division, Center Line National Parts facility in Center Line, MI, our UAW family lost longtime member James Brasher. Brasher was a thirty-plus-year UAW member and laborer working on a renovation project at the PDC when the incident occurred.
A member of our union went to work today expecting to complete hisshift and return home to his loved ones, but sadly, that will not happen.
The UAW will investigate and demand details from the company of exactly how this tragedy occurred to ensure this kind of accident never happens again.
Our entire UAW family mourns with James Brasher's family and will support them every possible way we can. Our focus is to make certain that every UAW member, and every American worker, knows they are safe on the job.
On behalf of the UAW, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family of James Brasher, his loved ones, and the members of UAW Local 1248.
***
Original text here: https://uaw.org/joint-statement-from-president-shawn-fain-and-vice-president-rich-boyer-fatality-of-uaw-stellantis-member-at-center-line-national-parts-depot/
Statement on John Deere Contract Extension Offer by UAW Vice President Laura Dickerson, Director of the Agricultural Implement Department
DETROIT, Michigan, July 31 [Category: Union] -- The United Automobile Workers posted the following news:
* * *
Statement on John Deere Contract Extension Offer by UAW Vice President Laura Dickerson, Director of the Agricultural Implement Department
*
John Deere cannot ask workers to surrender the benefit of a signed agreement while treating the request as anything less than bargaining.
John Deere is asking to change a collective bargaining agreement that both sides already negotiated and signed. When a company comes back to rewrite the deal, it is asking for something. That is bargaining.
... Show Full Article
DETROIT, Michigan, July 31 [Category: Union] -- The United Automobile Workers posted the following news:
* * *
Statement on John Deere Contract Extension Offer by UAW Vice President Laura Dickerson, Director of the Agricultural Implement Department
*
John Deere cannot ask workers to surrender the benefit of a signed agreement while treating the request as anything less than bargaining.
John Deere is asking to change a collective bargaining agreement that both sides already negotiated and signed. When a company comes back to rewrite the deal, it is asking for something. That is bargaining.Deere does not get to ask the union for a favor while acting like the rules of bargaining suddenly do not apply.
We see the same industry conditions Deere sees. We also see Deere's corporate ledger. We see shareholders enjoying the "continuity" of collecting the rewards of our members' hard work. The people who build the products have earned just as much of a voice in deciding what comes next as the people collecting the dividends.
If Deere wants to change the deal-including the contract's expiration date-then Deere needs to respect the bargaining process. That process is where working people stand on equal footing with one of the biggest corporations in the world, and we will not surrender it because the company wants an answer on its timeline.
If an extension is even going to be considered, the membership decides what it would take to change the contract date-and whether Deere's proposal is good enough.
***
Original text here: https://uaw.org/statement-on-john-deere-contract-extension-offer-by-uaw-vice-president-laura-dickerson-director-of-the-agricultural-implement-department/
Registered nurses to protest layoffs at 17 CommonSpirit Health hospitals in California
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, July 31 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
* * *
Registered nurses to protest layoffs at 17 CommonSpirit Health hospitals in California
*
Registered nurses will hold a press conference and rally at California Hospital Medical Center (CHMC), in Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 3, to protest owner and operator CommonSpirit Health's planned layoffs at 17 hospitals in California. Nurses say layoffs will jeopardize patient care and harm communities. Registered nurses at the majority of CommonSpirit Health facilities in the
... Show Full Article
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, July 31 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
* * *
Registered nurses to protest layoffs at 17 CommonSpirit Health hospitals in California
*
Registered nurses will hold a press conference and rally at California Hospital Medical Center (CHMC), in Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday, Aug. 3, to protest owner and operator CommonSpirit Health's planned layoffs at 17 hospitals in California. Nurses say layoffs will jeopardize patient care and harm communities. Registered nurses at the majority of CommonSpirit Health facilities in thestate are represented by California Nurses Association/National Nurses United (CNA/NNU).
More than 175 health care staff received layoff notices at CommonSpirit facilities in California, from Long Beach to Mount Shasta. At CHMC, which is already short staffed, CommonSpirit has proposed layoffs of 82 positions, including all pediatric unit nurses. The majority of layoffs are ancillary staff positions, including patient transporters, physical therapy aides, occupational therapy aides, telemetry technicians, unit assistants, clerks, and unit secretaries. Nurses, including nurse educators, wound care, and pediatric RNs have also received layoff notices. The loss of ancillary staff will mean less time for nurses to provide care at the bedside with patients as they take on increased administrative work and other non-nursing duties.
"CommonSpirit says they are committed to 'compassion and caring' and 'building healthier communities,' but these cuts are in direct opposition to their mission," said CNA President Sandy Reding, RN at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. "CommonSpirit is putting profits before patients. As one of the biggest nonprofit Catholic health care systems, they can afford to invest in health care staffing."
Who: CommonSpirit Health registered nurses
What: Press Conference and rally to protest CommonSpirit layoffs
When: Monday, August 3, 2026, 8-9 a.m.
Where: California Hospital Medical Center, 1401 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, Calif., in front of hospital entrance
"Nurses depend on ancillary staff to meet the needs of our patients," said Rachel Gutierrez, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit at CHMC. "These layoffs will mean nurses have to take time away from the direct care needs of our patients, because CommonSpirit will also expect us to do the tasks of the ancillary staff they're laying off, like answering phones and opening restricted doors to let visitors in.."
"CommonSpirit has no plan for who will do the work of our essential ancillary staff, except to add it to nurses' workload when we are already stretched thin," said Phil Penn, RN in the intensive care unit at St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach. "Patient care will suffer and nurses won't have time to care for our patients."
"Patients will not get timely care when hospitals cut nurses and other health care staff because someone still needs to do the work," said Genevieve Bottum, RN in the medical telemetry unit at Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento. "If we no longer have unit secretaries or support staff, nurses may be forced to do that work. The result is delays in patient care, which is unacceptable."
"Nurse educators ensure that nurses maintain their clinical competencies and have the appropriate training and education to give our patients safe, evidence-based care," said Jennifer Powers, RN in the medical-surgical unit at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. "Nurses are always learning because we work in a field where there are always new medical techniques and technologies. It doesn't make sense to cut this critical role."
"We are speaking out about these layoffs because we care about our patients and our communities," said Erin Connor, RN in the telemetry unit at Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale. "We know that cuts negatively affect patients' care.
Nurses were notified in June about the proposed layoffs. Since then, RNs at CHMC held an informational picket about the planned layoffs and pediatric closure on June 29, nurses at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz held a protest about the proposed cuts on June 30, and Bakersfield nurses at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital and Dignity Health Mercy Hospitals (Downtown and Southwest campuses) held a picket on July 16.
CNA represents nurses in California at the following facilities: Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles, Community Hospital of San Bernardino in San Bernardino, Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz, French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, Glendale Memorial Hospital in Glendale, Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria, Memorial Hospital in Bakersfield, Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento, Mercy Hospital of Folsom in Folsom, Mercy Hospital Downtown in Bakersfield, Mercy Hospital Southwest in Bakersfield, Mercy Medical Center in Merced, Mercy Medical Center Mt. Shasta in Mount Shasta, Mercy Medical Center in Redding, Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Carmichael, Methodist Hospital of Sacramento in Sacramento, St. Bernadine Medical Center in San Bernardino, St. Joseph's Medical Center in Stockton, St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach, Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital in Grass Valley, and Woodland Memorial Hospital in Woodland.
CNA represents more than 800 nurses at California Hospital Medical Center in Los Angeles. CNA/National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United, represents more than 17,000 nurses at 33 CommonSpirit Health facilities across the country. Common Spirit has issued layoff notices to nurses and support staff at several facilities throughout California.
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.
***
Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/registered-nurses-to-protest-layoffs-at-17-commonspirit-health-hospitals-in-california
IAM District W24, Local 1005 Respond to Daimler's Decision to Close Portland-Area Manufacturing Operations
UPPER MARLBORO, Maryland, July 31 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers issued the following news release:
* * *
IAM District W24, Local 1005 Respond to Daimler's Decision to Close Portland-Area Manufacturing Operations
*
PORTLAND, July 30, 2026 -IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) District W24 and Local 1005 released the following statement on Daimler's decision to discontinue its manufacturing operations in the Portland, Oregon, area:
"We are saddened by the loss of IAM Union jobs at the facility,
... Show Full Article
UPPER MARLBORO, Maryland, July 31 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers issued the following news release:
* * *
IAM District W24, Local 1005 Respond to Daimler's Decision to Close Portland-Area Manufacturing Operations
*
PORTLAND, July 30, 2026 -IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) District W24 and Local 1005 released the following statement on Daimler's decision to discontinue its manufacturing operations in the Portland, Oregon, area:
"We are saddened by the loss of IAM Union jobs at the facility,which have provided security, competitive wages, solid retirement benefits, health care, and careers for hundreds of members over the decades.
"The IAM's contract with Daimler covers key issues related to a closure, including severance, retiree health care, and benefit extensions, which the union said it will enforce. The IAM and Daimler are also set to begin bargaining next week over the effects of the company's decision to close.
"IAM District W24 and Local 1005 still have our members' best interests in mind and will continue to fight for them, even in these difficult circumstances.
"The IAM said it will communicate with members through its website and text messages and will hold an in-person meeting to answer questions on Aug. 15.
"Our employer's decision to leave the Portland area does not remove the heart and soul that our members have put into their work at Daimler. And the IAM will support and fight for our members regardless of any decision their employer makes."
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America's largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
Share and Follow:
***
Original text here: https://www.goiam.org/news/iam-district-w24-local-1005-respond-to-daimlers-decision-to-close-portland-area-manufacturing-operations/
Largest Federal Employee Union Announces Slate of Virginia Endorsements Ahead of Aug. 4 Primary
WASHINGTON, July 30 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
* * *
Largest Federal Employee Union Announces Slate of Virginia Endorsements Ahead of Aug. 4 Primary
*
AFGE says endorsed candidates will stand up for working families
WASHINGTON -The American Federation of Government Employees today announced a slate of endorsed candidates for election to Congress representing Virginia in the 2026 elections. The statewide primary is Aug. 4, and general election is Nov. 3.
The endorsed candidates are incumbent U.S. Sen. Mark
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 30 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
* * *
Largest Federal Employee Union Announces Slate of Virginia Endorsements Ahead of Aug. 4 Primary
*
AFGE says endorsed candidates will stand up for working families
WASHINGTON -The American Federation of Government Employees today announced a slate of endorsed candidates for election to Congress representing Virginia in the 2026 elections. The statewide primary is Aug. 4, and general election is Nov. 3.
The endorsed candidates are incumbent U.S. Sen. MarkWarner; incumbent U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott (3rd District), Jennifer McClellan (4th District), Eugene Vindman (7th District), Don Beyer (8th District), Suhas Subramanyam (10th District), and James Walkinshaw (11th District); and candidates Shannon Taylor (1st District) and Elaine Luria (2nd District).
These endorsements reaffirm AFGE's commitment to electing leaders who will protect federal employees, strengthen collective bargaining rights, defend public services, and stand up for working families.
"Federal employees dedicate their careers to serving the American people, often under challenging circumstances," AFGE District 14 National Vice President Ottis Johnson Jr. said. "These candidates have demonstrated a commitment to protecting the federal workforce, defending collective bargaining rights, and ensuring that the public servants who keep our nation running are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve."
"AFGE members know firsthand the importance of having elected leaders who value public service and understand the vital role federal employees play in every community," AFGE District 4 National Vice President Christine Surrette said. "We are proud to support this outstanding group of candidates who will fight for workers' rights, protect earned benefits, and strengthen the services Americans rely on every day."
AFGE's endorsed candidates have consistently demonstrated a commitment to organized labor, working families, and protecting the federal workforce. The union looks forward to working alongside these candidates throughout the 2026 election cycle to ensure that the voices of federal employees are heard in Congress.
About 235,500 federal employees live in Virginia - 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. District 4 represents about 43,000 employees in Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia, while District 14 represents nearly 70,000 workers in the Washington metropolitan area and Europe.
***
Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/af0d675680a643e2b794a6f69974a7aa.aspx
Ascend Wellness Teamsters Win Biggest Cannabis Strike in U.S. History
WASHINGTON, July 30 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
* * *
Ascend Wellness Teamsters Win Biggest Cannabis Strike in U.S. History
*
(BARRY, Ill.) - More than 300 workers at Ascend Wellness's grow house in Barry, Ill., overwhelmingly ratified their first contract with Teamsters Local 916 and ended a 30-day unfair labor practice (ULP) strike that was the largest in the history of the legal cannabis industry.
"This victory belongs to the men and women at Ascend who stood together and refused to accept anything less than a fair contract,"
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, July 30 [Category: Union] -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
* * *
Ascend Wellness Teamsters Win Biggest Cannabis Strike in U.S. History
*
(BARRY, Ill.) - More than 300 workers at Ascend Wellness's grow house in Barry, Ill., overwhelmingly ratified their first contract with Teamsters Local 916 and ended a 30-day unfair labor practice (ULP) strike that was the largest in the history of the legal cannabis industry.
"This victory belongs to the men and women at Ascend who stood together and refused to accept anything less than a fair contract,"said JP Fyans, President of Local 916. "Our members showed tremendous courage and determination throughout this fight. Their solidarity compelled Ascend to deliver on pay, benefits, and protection of union rights."
Teamsters at the grow house are responsible for every stage of production, from cultivation and processing to packaging and distribution, for one of the largest multistate cannabis companies. The contract includes higher wages, lower health care costs, protection against unjust discipline, improved policies for paid time off, and a new process for settling disputes.
"Cannabis workers are building a powerful movement across this industry, and this strike demonstrates what can be achieved when workers stand together and fight back," said Jesse Case, Director of the Teamsters Food Processing Division. "This contract sets a new and improved standard for cannabis cultivation and manufacturing workers across the country."
"What our members did on the strike line was extraordinary," said Kyle Bollinger, Vice President of Local 916. "For 30 days, they stood shoulder to shoulder and their courage forced Ascend to bargain a fair contract. This strike sends a clear message to cannabis companies that workers who drive their profits deserve to be treated with respect."
"We went on strike because we knew the value of our work, and we knew we deserved better," said Cory Hill, an Ascend cultivator and member of Local 916. "This contract proves that by refusing to give up, workers can win the respect, job security, and opportunities we deserve."
Teamsters Local 916 represents more than 4,000 workers throughout Illinois from Chicago to Carbondale and East Saint Louis to Champaign. For more information, visit teamsters916.org.
***
Original text here: https://teamster.org/2026/07/ascend-wellness-teamsters-win-biggest-cannabis-strike-in-u-s-history/
