Latest News
Detroit, MI – Union members affiliated with the Detroit Casino Council at Hollywood Casino at Greektown and MotorCity Casino have voted to ratify a new contract with historic wage increases and other gains. The successful ratification triggers the end of the 34-day strike at both properties, effective tonight (11/19/23) at 9:00pm. Union members at MGM Grand […]
Manhattan, NY — Attorneys at the Center for Reproductive Rights announced their intent to join the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) – UAW Local 2325 on Friday, November 17, 2023. The Center for Reproductive Rights Lawyers Union supports the Center’s sibling union of non-attorney U.S. staff in UAW Local 2110 and aligns with its goals of transparency and equity in decision-making and hiring, sustainable workloads, less staff turnover, and clearer and more protective standards for staff well-being.
Founded in 1992, the Center for Reproductive Rights is a global human rights organization of lawyers and advocates who ensure reproductive rights are protected in law as fundamental human rights for the dignity, equality, health, and well-being of every person. Through strategic litigation, legal policy, and advocacy, and by holding governments accountable, the Center’s U.S. Program—with offices in New York and Washington, DC—works to strengthen legal guarantees to ensure that reproductive rights and reproductive health services are available across the country.
Labor rights are reproductive rights and human rights. This shared vision of fundamental human rights is why the Center’s attorneys have decided to unionize. The union will hold Center leadership accountable to its staff and its mission. It will strengthen decision-making by valuing staff input—including by accounting for each staff member’s needs, especially the Center’s Black staff, non-attorney staff, and other underrepresented staff. Strengthening protections for the Center’s workforce enables the Center to meet this pivotal moment.
Center attorneys call on management to immediately voluntarily recognize the union after an overwhelming majority of eligible attorneys signed union authorization cards.
“It is crucial that we collaborate so that the Center’s treatment of its employees consistently reflects the same values that go into its human rights work. Unionizing will allow the Center’s attorneys – from legal fellows to more senior lawyers – to advocate for equity, transparency, and accountability within the organization,” said Sol Vàzquez Ortiz, Legal Fellow.
Nick Kabat, Staff Attorney, stated, “I support the Union because as a lawyer, I know the importance of having a strong advocate on your side. That’s what I believe a union will be.”
“The reproductive rights, health, and justice movements cannot afford to go on with business as usual in the post-Roe world. The Center for Reproductive Rights Lawyers Union will empower and support workers who answer directly to providers, patients, and advocates on the ground to bend the arc of the movement towards justice,” said Israel Cook, Staff Attorney.
“The Center for Reproductive Rights Union Local 2110 UAW stands in solidarity with our attorney colleagues that have decided to form their own union. Since formation of our own union in February 2020, our attorney colleagues have been staunch advocates and supporters of our efforts to improve working conditions for everyone at CRR. We are honored to work beside our attorney colleagues each day to protect and expand reproductive rights in law, and we are thrilled to stand together now to build a more equitable organization, said Genevieve Oliver, Unit Chair, Center for Reproductive Rights Union.
If their union is recognized, the attorneys at the Center for Reproductive Rights will join more than 2,700 members of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) – UAW Local 2325. ALAA – UAW Local 2325 is a union for legal and social service workers, including attorneys, paralegals, social workers, investigators, receptionists, interpreters, advocates, administrative staff, and counselors with chapters at 25+ non-profits in the NYC metropolitan area. The Union represents members at public defender and public interest legal organizations such as the Legal Aid Society, Bronx Defenders, Neighborhood Defender Service, Queens Defenders, Brooklyn Defender Services, as well as advocates for the indigent at non-profit social services organizations such as VOCAL-NY and New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE). The Association of Legal Aid Attorneys is the oldest union of attorneys, legal services, and advocates for the indigent in the United States.
State of Michigan UAW employees have approved the 2024 wage reopener for the fiscal year 2024 by a significant ninety-five percent yes vote. Local 6000 and the TOP Department negotiated a five percent wage increase, a $2,250 bonus, which is the first bonus ever received, and language to adjust wages due to market conditions, retention, and recruitment.
UAW local 6000 represents workers in every Department of State of Michigan government: from nurses, teachers, doctors, probation officers, social workers and secretaries.
On November 17, 1985, the UAW was certified as the exclusive representative for the Human Services and Administrative Support Units employed by the State of Michigan. Local 6000 represents approximately 15,000 members in 1200 worksites throughout the State of Michigan. It is committed to providing quality services to the citizens of the state. Member worksites are located in regions 1A and 1D of the UAW.
Workers at the Brooklyn Museum, members of UAW Local 2110, voted overwhelmingly to ratify their first contract yesterday, one day before the union had been set to strike on November 8.
“We’re thrilled to have finally reached this agreement with the Museum,” says Elizabeth St. George, an assistant curator of Decorative Arts. “I will now have the opportunity to do the work I love at a Museum I love in a workplace with union rights.”
The staff’s union, Local 2110 UAW, had been in negotiations for a first union contract since January of 2022 and has held repeated protests at the Museum over its low wage offer and unfair labor practices. Workers announced the November 8 strike deadline two weeks ago.
The new three-and-a-half-year contract will boost pay by over 23% over the life of the contract, raising minimum pay rates and guaranteeing annual increases. The contract also reduces the employee’s share of health premium costs, expands eligibility for health care benefits to part-time staff averaging 20 hours per week and establishes an annual $50,000 set aside for professional development.
“This agreement will bolster salaries and invest in staff professional development,” says Lauren Bradley, an associate conservator who has worked at the Museum for more than 8 years. “This contract will lay a solid foundation for building long term professional careers at the Museum.”
The contract also establishes a joint labor-management committee, a grievance procedure with binding arbitration, layoff protection, a health and safety committee and differential pay for workers who take on extra work when a position is unfilled. See HERE for a summary of the contract provisions.
“The hard work of Museum staff is behind the Museum’s incredible exhibitions and programs.” says Samantha Cortez, Senior Registrar. “Having a contract that raises our pay rates and spells out legally enforceable rights is an acknowledgment of the important contribution we make as a staff.”
Communicate with: Maida Rosenstein, maidarosenstein@2110uaw.org, 917-495-8492
DETROIT—The unions representing Detroit’s striking casino workers are launching a new donation program to support workers on strike at MotorCity Casino, MGM Grand Detroit, Hollywood Casino at Greektown and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM). As the weather gets colder and strikes stretch longer, unions and allies are coming together to ensure that strikers can stay warm and feed their families.
Unions and allies are calling on the public to support strikers by donating warm winter clothes, non-perishable food items, diapers, baby formula, feminine hygiene products, cleaning supplies and other essentials. Drop of locations are located at Hollywood Casino at Greektown/BCBSM (Lafayette between St. Antoine & Beaubien), MGM Grand Detroit (3rd Ave & Bagley), and MotorCity Casino (Spruce & Brooklyn).
On October 17, Detroit casino workers launched a wall-to-wall strike affecting 3,700 casino workers who are members of the five unions comprising the Detroit Casino Council. Detroit’s casino workers sacrificed raises and shouldered heavier workloads so the industry could recover from the pandemic. Now that the industry has rebounded, workers are fighting for a fair contract that protects their health care and includes decent raises, fair workloads and other protections.
On September 13, BCBSM workers represented by the UAW launched a strike affecting 1,000 workers who provide customer service for the healthcare giant. The physical proximity of the Hollywood Casino at Greektown and BCBSM picket lines have led to deeper solidarity between the unions on both sides of the street, which is why the DCC has launched a donation drive to encompass both strikes.
###
The Detroit Casino Council (DCC) is UNITE HERE Local 24, the UAW, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters. These five unions represent most of the workers at the three casinos in Detroit: Hollywood Casino at Greektown, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino. Our members work in food and beverage, housekeeping, retail outlets, slots and table games, engineering and more. The DCC partner unions are part of International Unions that have experience representing gaming workers and winning great contracts throughout the United States, including in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Learn more at https://www.detroitcasinocouncil.org/
DETROIT – UAW President Shawn Fain and Vice President Mike Booth will address UAW members on Saturday at noon ET on Facebook to detail highlights of the union’s tentative agreement with General Motors.
The media is invited to view the livestream at the UAW’s Facebook page. It can also be viewed at the UAW’s YouTube Channel. (Media capturing the livestream have had more success with YouTube.)
The contract highlighter and full language will be available online tomorrow at noon, along with other resources, at UAW.org/GM2023.
DETROIT – UAW President Shawn Fain and Vice President Rich Boyer will address UAW members this evening on Facebook Live at 7 p.m. ET to detail highlights of the union’s tentative agreement with Stellantis.
The media is invited to view the livestream at the UAW’s Facebook page. It can also be viewed at the UAW’s YouTube Channel. (Media capturing the livestream have had more success with YouTube.)
The contract highlighter and full language will be available online this evening, along with other resources, at UAW.org/Stellantis2023.
94 UAW Local 1391 members are on strike against CVR Nitrogen in East Dubuque, IL, fighting for wage increases that will keep up with inflation and to protect their 401(k)s.
Workers walked off the job on October 18 after having rejected two tentative agreements, the latest by an 88-2 margin.
For many years, the employer paid into workers’ 401(k)s on an annual basis. However, in 2020, the company stopped contributing to workers’ saving plans, citing the pandemic and the desire to be more financially flexible. CVR has since refused to provide information to the union or to discuss criteria used to determine if a 401(k) match will be provided in the future.
Workers are adamant about securing language in a new contract that will stop the company from being able to unilaterally decline making contributions to their savings plans.
“CVR is financially sound, yet they still took away 401(k) contributions,” Local 1391 President Doug Glab said. “This is a huge problem for our members. It’s got to get fixed.”
The other major issue for Local 1391 members is securing yearly wage increases. The union had proposed a 4% increase per year, 16% total, during the life of a new four-year contract.
“These workers don’t have cost of living adjustments,” Glab explained. “So, inflation has taken a real toll on our membership over the last few years. Given that, 16% wage increases over four years seems very reasonable to us, but the company has refused.”
Since the strike began, management has brought in non-union, at-will workers from its facility in Coffeeville, KS, in an attempt to continue production while UAW members are walking the picket lines.
“At a time when worker power, and perhaps more importantly, their willingness to use it, is at a level unseen in decades, corporations who refuse to negotiate in good faith regarding basic workplace issues like compensation and retirement security are essentially asking for a strike,” said Region 4 Assistant Director, Lucas DeSpain. “Wealthy corporations will either treat their workers with respect and compensate them appropriately or live with the consequences of their disrespect and greed. UAW members know how to handle either scenario.”
“There’s a lot of great guys that work out here that have families,” Glab said. We work nights, weekends, holidays, swing shifts. Basically, what we’re looking for is a good and a fair contract for everybody involved.”
New UAW Analysis Shows U.S. Can Create Tens of Thousands of Auto Jobs Using Existing Capacity
UAW Supports Medicare for All
“INVEST IN US”: UAW Slams Stellantis for Preparing Massive Pay Day for Wall Street While Thousands of Workers are Laid Off in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Beyond