Unions
Here's a look at documents from unions
Featured Stories
United Flight Attendants Ratify New Contract
WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA issued the following news release on May 12, 2026:
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United Flight Attendants Ratify New Contract
United Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, today voted by 82% to ratify a new contract. The agreement provides a 31% average wage increase for the nearly 30,000 Flight Attendants plus boarding pay (additional 7-8% compensation on average) this summer, and $741 million in retroactive pay among many other improvements.
"The contract will immediately change the lives of United Flight Attendants,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA issued the following news release on May 12, 2026:
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United Flight Attendants Ratify New Contract
United Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, today voted by 82% to ratify a new contract. The agreement provides a 31% average wage increase for the nearly 30,000 Flight Attendants plus boarding pay (additional 7-8% compensation on average) this summer, and $741 million in retroactive pay among many other improvements.
"The contract will immediately change the lives of United Flight Attendants,especially our thousands of new hires who have been hired since the pandemic, said Ken Diaz, AFA United President. "Our solidarity delivered the goods."
The contract was ratified with 82% voting for the agreement and 88.85% votes cast of all eligible. This contract was reached at the National Mediation Board with the assistance of mediator Michael Kelliher.
"The United Airlines Flight Attendant contract now leads the industry in total value for Flight Attendants and it should," said Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, representing over 55,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines. "We will continue to press forward with all of our contracts and build power with our organizing to ensure Flight Attendants are respected with meaningful return for our work as aviation's first responders."
The five-year contract includes:
* 31% base pay rate increase this summer - Average increase in base pay with June and August '26 raises compounded
* Boarding pay (on average 7-8% increase to compensation)
* $741 Million in Retro Pay
* Expanded job security aligned with United Pilots including limits on Express flying, code and revenue share
* Restrictions on red-eye flying
* Sit Pay for scheduled and rescheduled sits over 2.5 hours (incentive to decrease long, unpaid sits)
* Per Diem and 401k contribution increases
* 10 weeks paid maternity and two weeks paid parental and adoption leaves
* Elimination of 24 hour on-call reserve with 14 Hours Reserve Availability Periods
* Improved language in Hotels and Electronic Notification
* Increased Pay for premiums including International Purser and Language position
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The Association of Flight Attendants is the Flight Attendant union. AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for over 80 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits, working conditions, and public awareness about the role of aviation's first responders. Over 55,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 500,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at afacwa.org.
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Original text here: https://afacwa.org/united-flight-attendants-ratify-new-contract/
[Category: Union]
SAG-AFTRA National Board Decisively Approves TV/Theatrical Deal
LOS ANGELES, California, May 12 -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued the following news release on May 11, 2026:
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SAG-AFTRA National Board Decisively Approves TV/Theatrical Deal
The SAG-AFTRA National Board met today in a special videoconference meeting and decisively voted to approve the tentative agreement reached for the 2026 TV/Theatrical Contracts. The agreement will now be submitted to the membership for ratification with the board's recommendation for a "yes" vote.
The parties have committed to merging the SAG-Producers
... Show Full Article
LOS ANGELES, California, May 12 -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued the following news release on May 11, 2026:
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SAG-AFTRA National Board Decisively Approves TV/Theatrical Deal
The SAG-AFTRA National Board met today in a special videoconference meeting and decisively voted to approve the tentative agreement reached for the 2026 TV/Theatrical Contracts. The agreement will now be submitted to the membership for ratification with the board's recommendation for a "yes" vote.
The parties have committed to merging the SAG-ProducersPension Plan and AFTRA Retirement Fund into a single merged plan with an additional 1% to the contribution rate effective on the target completion date of January 1, 2028. The merger will increase contribution rates and improve benefits for both SAG and AFTRA participants.
Additionally, the agreement builds on our existing guidelines around AI including new provisions strengthening consent and compensation and establishing new and enhanced guardrails on synthetics including:
* Agreement to a principle strongly favoring human performances.
* Producers do not intend to use a synthetic in a human role that would otherwise be performed by a human unless the synthetic brings "significant additional value" to the motion picture.
* Performers' digital replicas are now protected from crossing a picket line during a strike.
* Protections for minors on the use of their digital replica.
* Producers must have an articulable business reason to scan someone for a digital replica.
Minimum wage rates will increase by 3% annually (compounded) from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2030. The health plan contribution rate will increase by 1% effective July 1, 2026, there will be a one-time increase to the quarterly eligibility premiums, and the earnings thresholds will increase by an additional 1% (at 3% per year instead of 2%) over the term of the agreement.
The full summary of the tentative agreement can be read HERE.
"Today the SAG-AFTRA National Board reviewed the TV/Theatrical Contracts reached with the AMPTP. The board approved the agreement in a decisive vote, and with a recommendation that members vote 'yes' on the contract.
"Now, it is the members turn to learn about the tentative agreement. The ratification ballots will be in the mail shortly and it is my earnest desire that there will be full participation.
"In my view, this is a very strong deal that builds on the gains of 2023. It is a structural agreement that confronts the realities of streaming economics, artificial intelligence, digital identity, pension stability, data transparency, and the increasingly fragmented nature of employment in our business.
"I am proud and pleased to send it to the membership with my full support for ratification.
"This would not have been possible without the extraordinary work of our volunteer member negotiating committee including Los Angeles Local Vice Chair David Jolliffe, New York Local Vice Chair Linda Powell, Committee of Locals Vice Chair Eric Goins and our negotiating staff team led by National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland and Lead Negotiator Ray Rodriguez," said SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin.
"This contract is a testament to the incredible unity and determination of our members, and I am proud to deliver an agreement that results in meaningful gains across the board, from benefit plans to artificial intelligence to residuals, and beyond. I especially want to thank President Astin and the members of the negotiating committee, Ray Rodriguez, our Chief Contracts Officer, and Jessica Johnson, our National Director of Entertainment Contracts, and the negotiating staff, for their outstanding leadership throughout these negotiations. I look forward to seeing these gains locked in for our members," said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
Other highlights include:
* Improved residuals and contributions when television programs and theatrical motion pictures move to subscription streaming (SVOD) platforms.
* A provision requiring producers to make as many virtual auditions available as necessary to accommodate anyone who prefers them over self-tape for many categories of television roles.
* A new higher scale for recurring weekly performers and guest stars engaged on more than 60% of episodes in a season.
* Improvements on relocation allowances for series regulars.
* Eliminate the Group 9+ rate for dancers and apply the "Group 3-8" rates to all groups of three or more.
* Improvements in casting protections and a commitment, subject to legal review, to fund a new casting platform with a SAG-AFTRA Producers Industry Advancement and Cooperative Fund (IACF) grant.
* 12.55% increases to scale minimums over four years.
* Additional 1% contribution rate to fund the SAG-AFTRA Health Plan.
* 1% increase to SAG-AFTRA Pension Plan upon merger, with a Jan. 1, 2028 target date.
* Substantial gains towards parity between the East and West Coast background zones.
* Establishment of a parental leave fund.
* Representation of and contract coverage for choreographers.
* A provision we've spent many years pushing for: producers will display the SAG-AFTRA logo in the end credits.
Member informational meetings are being scheduled and additional details will be available at sagaftra.org/contracts2026 in the coming days.
Postcards will be mailed on Thursday, May 14, 2026 to eligible SAG-AFTRA members, and they will have until 5 p.m. PDT on June 4, 2026 to cast their vote on ratification.
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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/sag-aftra-national-board-decisively-approves-tvtheatrical-deal
[Category: Union]
IATSE Warns: Weakening the Voting Rights Act Harms Working People and Our Communities
NEW YORK, May 12 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees posted the following news release:
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IATSE Warns: Weakening the Voting Rights Act Harms Working People and Our Communities
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) condemns the recent decision issued by the Supreme Court affecting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965. The Voting Rights Act is a landmark federal law enacted to prohibit discrimination in voting and to protect equal rights and representation within the democratic process.
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, May 12 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees posted the following news release:
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IATSE Warns: Weakening the Voting Rights Act Harms Working People and Our Communities
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WASHINGTON, D.C. - The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) condemns the recent decision issued by the Supreme Court affecting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965. The Voting Rights Act is a landmark federal law enacted to prohibit discrimination in voting and to protect equal rights and representation within the democratic process.Section 2 specifically serves as one of the most important safeguards of the voting process by allowing challenges to redistricting and other practices that dilute the voting strength of historically underrepresented communities.
The Supreme Court's ruling, in which Justice Elena Kagen wrote in her dissent "threatens a half-century's worth of gains in voting equality," weakens Section 2 by narrowing how protections related to district mapping and voting systems may be applied and enforced by the courts moving forward. This decision follows years of legal and legislative battles that have attempted to weaken voting rights and political strength of communities at the federal and state level.
For IATSE members, the implications are real. The conditions under which members work are shaped by elected leadership at every level. Entertainment industry workers are deeply impacted by public policy decisions that affect worker protections like workplace safety standards, collective bargaining rights, unemployment systems, workforce development, infrastructure, and arts funding that sustains jobs across IATSE crafts. Policies that affect members' jobs and families are directly shaped by the people elected to represent their communities.
IATSE members live and work across the country in major entertainment and live event growth regions where issues related to voter access and representation are highly consequential. IATSE membership is multiracial, multi-generational, geographically diverse, and frequently mobile across regions. These factors have historically created barriers to voting access and equal political representation. Protecting the VRA, including Section 2, is a civil rights issue and directly aligned with IATSE's DEI commitments to equity, inclusion, and fair representation for marginalized communities.
Worker power and political representation have always been interconnected. History has shown that attacks on political representation have often gone hand-in-hand with anti-union policies including wage suppression, weakened labor protections and exclusion from economic opportunity.
The decision by the Supreme Court raises serious concerns when it comes to political representation. Over time, changes in political representation can drastically shape the laws, labor standards, and economic opportunities that affect working people. Ultimately, it matters who has a seat at the table and how they are elected.
Protecting worker rights and the representation of working people requires continued solidarity, participation, and engagement across our industry and communities. IATSE encourages members to stay informed on voting access, registration requirements, and legislative developments that may affect working people and their families. IATSE's strength has always depended on an informed and engaged membership standing together in solidarity to protect the rights, safety, and working conditions of all people across our industries and communities.
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Original text here: https://iatse.net/iatse-warns-weakening-the-voting-rights-act-harms-working-people-and-our-communities/
IATSE Announces Contract With Beast Games Season 3
NEW YORK, May 12 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees posted the following news release:
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IATSE Announces Contract With Beast Games Season 3
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LOS ANGELES - IATSE announced Monday that it has reached an agreement with the producers of Beast Games season 3. The contract covers more than 500 crew members working on the production, which is based in Greenville, N.C. Members working on the production will receive back pay and benefits for pre-production work that has already been completed and will remain covered by this agreement for this season
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, May 12 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees posted the following news release:
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IATSE Announces Contract With Beast Games Season 3
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LOS ANGELES - IATSE announced Monday that it has reached an agreement with the producers of Beast Games season 3. The contract covers more than 500 crew members working on the production, which is based in Greenville, N.C. Members working on the production will receive back pay and benefits for pre-production work that has already been completed and will remain covered by this agreement for this seasonand subsequent seasons.
The last season of the competition-style reality series was made under IATSE agreements, but producers started production of the third season non-union. As a result, IATSE members and Locals across the United States made a collective push to organize this large-scale production, which was co-created and is hosted by YouTube personality MrBeast.
"Organizing season three of Beast Games boiled down to IATSE solidarity in this difficult production environment," said Michael F. Miller, Jr., Department Director of Motion Picture & Television Production Department. "As employment in our industry continues to face challenges from predatory employers looking to take advantage of the industry contraction, our members and their Local leaders are showing that they have the strength to stand together to maintain standards in the face of repeated attacks on their livelihoods by greedy employers."
This development is the latest in a growing string of organizing efforts in entertainment sectors that have traditionally lacked union representation, including social media and YouTube channels, video games, visual effects, and other digital and interactive media. Workers in these fields face many of the same challenges as "traditional" film and television production crews, including long hours, unstable employment, and limited benefits.
By bringing collective bargaining to these spaces, IATSE is helping set standards for fair pay, safety, and respect as the industry continues shifting and adopting new distribution models. Entertainment workers interested in unionizing their workplace can visit iatse.net/join to contact an organizer.
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Original text here: https://iatse.net/iatse-announces-contract-with-beast-games-season-3/
AQTIS 514 IATSE Refuses Any Attack on the Social Safety Net of Its Members
NEW YORK, May 12 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees posted the following news release:
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AQTIS 514 IATSE Refuses Any Attack on the Social Safety Net of Its Members
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Montreal, May 11, 2026 -The association representing technicians in the audiovisual sector (all craftspeople working behind the camera) finds itself compelled to reject a request for exemptions submitted by a producer. In a letter addressed to the union president, a major Quebec production house, under pressure from a broadcaster, requested exemptions for several elements
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, May 12 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees posted the following news release:
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AQTIS 514 IATSE Refuses Any Attack on the Social Safety Net of Its Members
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Montreal, May 11, 2026 -The association representing technicians in the audiovisual sector (all craftspeople working behind the camera) finds itself compelled to reject a request for exemptions submitted by a producer. In a letter addressed to the union president, a major Quebec production house, under pressure from a broadcaster, requested exemptions for several elementsstemming directly from a collective agreement signed with the Association quebecoise de la production mediatique (AQPM), of which it is a member.
Among the requests, the refusal to contribute to the group insurance and pension plans represents a significant and unacceptable decline in working conditions for technicians, who are already freelance workers in precarious situations. It is important to note that these are freelance jobs in a sector where work is increasingly rare and wages have not increased for several years. The letter concludes by confirming that should the request be refused, the production will not move forward, meaning members will not have work.
"In a context where audiovisual production as a whole is facing a major crisis, these requests are inadmissible and undermine our members. We stand in solidarity with broadcasters, producers, and all industry stakeholders, but our technicians should not have to bear the cost of a model that needs to be reviewed," states Bernard Lariviere, President of AQTIS 514 IATSE
ABOUT AQTIS 514 IATSE : The Alliance quebecoise des techniciens et des techniciennes de l'image et du son (AQTIS), IATSE Local 514, represents 8,000 freelance professionals in more than 200 trades related to the design, planning, setup, execution and postproduction of audiovisual productions. It supports the professional development of technicians, helps its members use their talent and passion to best advantage at home and abroad, and promotes the growth of Quebec's audiovisual industry.
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Original text here: https://iatse.net/aqtis-514-iatse-refuses-any-attack-on-the-social-safety-net-of-its-members-2/
JCPA, AFT, and Weitzman Museum Launch New Resource Hub to Support Educators Teaching Jewish History, Antisemitism, and Democracy
WASHINGTON, May 11 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release:
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JCPA, AFT, and Weitzman Museum Launch New Resource Hub to Support Educators Teaching Jewish History, Antisemitism, and Democracy
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Today, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History announced the launch of a new resource page to equip educators around the nation with materials on Jewish history, the diversity of Jewish American experiences, antisemitism, and the complexity
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, May 11 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release:
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JCPA, AFT, and Weitzman Museum Launch New Resource Hub to Support Educators Teaching Jewish History, Antisemitism, and Democracy
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Today, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History announced the launch of a new resource page to equip educators around the nation with materials on Jewish history, the diversity of Jewish American experiences, antisemitism, and the complexityof Jewish identity in America. The rollout of these lesson plans coincides with the start of Jewish American Heritage Month to help augment educators' engagement with these topics.
Hosted on AFT's nationally-recognized Share My Lesson platform, the new resource page provides teachers with vetted lesson plans, primary sources, and multimedia content designed to support age-appropriate, accurate, and inclusive instruction. The materials draw on the Weitzman Museum's free Stories that Shaped a Nation curriculum and its extensive archival and educational expertise, while reflecting AFT's commitment to inclusive education and JCPA's work on countering antisemitism and building democratic resilience. This launch is part of JCPA and AFT's broader partnership, which includes programming and tools to educate teachers about antisemitism, build coalitions between local Jewish communities and local teachers unions, and bring communities together to counter hate and strengthen and protect public education and our democracy.
"At a moment of challenging and too-often-politicized conversations on antisemitism and Jewish identity, it's essential to provide educators with trusted, high-quality tools and resources that strengthen - rather than divide - our classrooms and communities. JCPA and AFT's partnership is about just that: advancing constructive, nuanced engagement aimed at understanding the Jewish community, countering antisemitism and hate, and advancing inclusive schools and our democratic values," said Amy Spitalnick, JCPA CEO. "We're proud that The Weitzman's vital tools are now accessible to educators across the country through this partnership and look forward to continuing to work with educators and union leaders across the country."
Today's launch comes amid growing demand for classroom resources that help educators address antisemitism while supporting broader goals of civic education and inclusive, pluralistic democracy.
"The AFT is proud to partner with the Weitzman Museum and JCPA to support educators with tools that are grounded in scholarship," said AFT President Randi Weingarten. "These resources will help educators engage in the rich history of American Jewry while fostering inclusive learning environments -and this partnership will assist educators around the country in teaching about antisemitism, Jewish history, and the contributions of Jewish Americans to our society."
"This collaboration brings The Weitzman's mission of presenting educational programs and experiences that preserve, explore, and celebrate the history of Jews in America into classrooms across the country," said Dan Tadmor, President and CEO of The Weitzman. "By making our educational materials accessible through AFT's Share My Lesson, we are helping educators tell the complete and nuanced story so we may connect Jews more closely to their heritage and inspire in people of all backgrounds a greater appreciation for the diversity of the American Jewish experience and the freedoms to which Americans aspire."
Educators can access the new resource page on Share My Lesson here.
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Original text here: https://www.aft.org/press-release/jcpa-aft-and-weitzman-museum-launch-new-resource-hub-support-educators-teaching
IAM Union Calls on Leonardo DRS to End Lockout of West Plains Workers and Return to Fair Negotiations
UPPER MARLBORO, Maryland, May 11 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers issued the following news release:
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IAM Union Calls on Leonardo DRS to End Lockout of West Plains Workers and Return to Fair Negotiations
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WEST PLAINS, Mo., May 11, 2026 - The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is calling on Leonardo DRS to immediately end its lockout of more than 285 IAM Local 2782 (District 9) members in West Plains, Mo., and return to the bargaining table with a commitment to reach a fair agreement that
... Show Full Article
UPPER MARLBORO, Maryland, May 11 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers issued the following news release:
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IAM Union Calls on Leonardo DRS to End Lockout of West Plains Workers and Return to Fair Negotiations
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WEST PLAINS, Mo., May 11, 2026 - The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is calling on Leonardo DRS to immediately end its lockout of more than 285 IAM Local 2782 (District 9) members in West Plains, Mo., and return to the bargaining table with a commitment to reach a fair agreement thatrespects workers.
IAM Local 2782 (District 9)-represented workers were locked out by the company after voting to reject a proposed contract that failed to provide fair wage increases and unsustainable (or unworkable) increases in healthcare costs. Workers were sent home with pay prior to the contract's expiration, and the company officially began the lockout at 12:00 a.m. on Friday, May 1, following the contract's expiration.
Members had also voted to authorize a strike if a fair contract reflecting their needs was not reached.
"These workers showed up in good faith, ready to negotiate a contract that reflects their value and contributions," said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. "Instead of working toward a fair contract, the company chose to lock them out. That is unacceptable. The IAM Union is calling on Leonardo DRS to end this lockout immediately and return to negotiations with a commitment to reaching a fair agreement that respects these workers and the critical work they perform."
"IAM Local 2782 members are united and determined to secure a contract that reflects their worth," said IAM District 9 Directing Business Representative Jason Tetidrick. "Locking out these workers only delays progress and puts unnecessary strain on working families in this community. The path forward is clear: end the lockout, respect these workers, and negotiate a fair agreement."
"Our members made it clear that the proposal on the table did not meet their needs," said IAM District 9 Business Representative BJ Wear. "Rather than addressing those concerns, the company escalated the situation by locking them out. This is about fairness, fair wages, affordable benefits, and reasonable working conditions. We are ready to get back to the table and reach an agreement, but it takes a real commitment from the company to do so."
The IAM Union stands firmly with Local 2782 members and urges Leonardo DRS to end the lockout and engage in meaningful negotiations that deliver a fair contract for workers.
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Original text here: https://www.goiam.org/news/iam-union-calls-on-leonardo-drs-to-end-lockout-of-west-plains-workers-and-return-to-fair-negotiations/
