BlueCollarWriter Labor News Update

Labor News

New Jersey VW workers file to vote on unionizationWorkers at New Jersey's Volkswagen parts distribution center have voted to join the United Autoworkers union, a historic move as negotiations continue.

Teamsters at Foremost Farms Ratify Contract(SPARTA, Wis.) – Teamsters dairy workers at Foremost Farms USA have overwhelmingly ratified a strong four-year agreement. The new contract will provide Teamst

Southern California grocery workers build on Colorado strikeBUENA PARK, CA.—Over 700 union grocery workers rallied outside an Albertsons store here on February 28, demanding a new contract as the previous agreement was set to expire on March 2.

South Bay Transit Strike Threat Looms Over VTA Talks After Contract Expires | KQEDThe South Bay’s transit agency and its biggest workers union have not reached an agreement after six months of contract negotiations, and a strike threat is looming.

“La Union Esta Presente” - HighlanderThe University of California (UC) faced a system-wide strike last week led by service and patient care workers, represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 3299 (AFSCME 3299). The strike is motivated by what the union describes as unfair labor practices, restrictions on employee rights and unlawful access policies. AFSCME […]

KY 120 United-AFT holds 'Protect Our Kids' Day of Action KY 120 United-AFT organized a rally in Lexington on Tuesday as part of the American Federation of Teachers' national "Protect Our Kids" Day of Action.

Cincinnati teachers, parents respond to potential education cutsAccording to the American Federation of Teachers, the proposed cuts could impact nearly 50 million public school children nationwide.

Paraprofessionals in western Mass to wear red for ‘Protect Our Kids’ national campaignEducators in more than 50 Massachusetts communities are planning to walk in together at the start of school to express solidarity with each other, students, and families.

Scranton teachers rally for public education, against federal cutsSCRANTON — A rally organized by the Scranton Federation of Teachers Tuesday afternoon protesting cuts by President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency to the U.S. Department of…

GM-LG Tennessee battery plant workers approve first union contract with companyThe United Auto Workers said on Wednesday that workers at a battery manufacturing joint venture between General Motors and South Korea's LG Energy Solution have overwhelmingly approved a first contract with the company.

Whitefish Ski Patrollers Are Working Without a Contract"We have agreed on many articles and are in the home stretch," said Whitefish Mountain Resort President Nick Polumbus.

Cafeteria Workers Contract ApprovedThe Board of Education unanimously approved a new contract for the school district's cafeteria workers union that includes a $6-per-hour raise over four…

WATCH: Winning Better Grocery Store Staffing at the Bargaining Table — UFCW 3000Last week, our union and Teamsters 38 held a webinar to discuss our proposals to ensure better staffing at grocery stores across the region.

Appalshop: Appalachian Flood Support Resources

In February 2025, Eastern Kentucky experienced another catastrophic flood. We are updating this page, originally made for the 2022 floods, to share resources and means of support to aid the recovery process.

Below are clean-up resources and ways for folks to make financial donations that will continue to help those in need as we go through the long path to recovery.

MORE...

Editor’s Note

Hey everyone,

I want to apologize for the recent delays in getting out the Labor News Update. The truth is, like many in our region, I’ve been dealing with the aftermath of the devastating floods that tore through Appalachia. My home suffered some damage—not nearly as bad as what so many others have endured—but between cleaning up, keeping up with work, and running BlueCollarWriter, I’m stretched thin and running on fumes.

I appreciate your patience as I work through this, and I ask that you take a moment to show some love to the people of Appalachia. For many, these floods have changed their lives forever. They need support, solidarity, and whatever help we can offer.

Thanks for sticking with me. I’ll keep the updates coming as best I can.

In solidarity,

Matt Alley

Editor, BlueCollarWriter Labor Media

2025 UAW-Union Built Vehicle Guide - UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of AmericaThese vehicles are made in the United States or Canada by members of the UAW and Canada’s Unifor union, formerly the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW). Because of the integration of vehicle production in both countries, all of the vehicles listed as made in Canada include significant UAW made content and support the jobs of UAW members.

Form a Union!

Organizing a union in your workplace is about getting more rights and more power. Thousands of working people—all across the country and in all kinds of jobs—organize unions every year because unions are the best way to secure the things you care about.

Chicago Teachers Union Responds To CM Punk's Shirt From WWE Raw CM Punk has been no stranger to standing up for causes he believes in throughout his career, and he did so again this week on WWE Raw on Netflix. Punk made a s

Oregon Nurses End 46-Day Strike with Pay and Staffing AgreementsAfter 46 days on the picket line, nurses walked back into eight Providence hospitals across Oregon in good spirits after ratifying a new contract with their employer February 26. Their effort was bolstered by striking doctors, nurse practitioners, and other hospitalists at Providence St. Vincent’s, and doctors, nurses, and midwives at the Providence Women’s Clinics. The agreements for the 5,000 nurses, who are represented by Oregon Nurses Association (ONA), include improvements in staffing language, pay raises, and pay for missed meals or breaks during a shift.

Two more Starbucks locations in Minnesota move to unionizeLocations in Roseville and St. Cloud will vote on whether to unionize in the coming weeks.

In a victory more than a year in the making, nearly 5,000 supervisors who work for the state of Maryland have voted to form a union with AFSCME Maryland Council 3.aflcio.org/2025/3/4/service-solidarity-spotlight-maryland-state-supervisors-overwhelmingly-vote-join-afscme

Government & Politics

AFL-CIO President Responds to Trump’s Joint Address to Congress: 'The Solution…Won’t Come from Political Parties; It’ll Come from Us'AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued a video response to President Trump’s joint address to Congress Tuesday night. In the video, Shuler speaks about the country’s working class, “united,” she says, “in how fed up they are with the system we live in.”

From the Alliance for Retired Americans: Trump’s Lies About Social Security Continue—Americans Deserve the Truth and the Social Security They EarnedStatement by Richard Fiesta, Executive Director of the Alliance for Retired Americans, on President Trump’s Lies About Social Security during his Address to a Joint Session of Congress"Tonight, President Trump doubled down on Elon Musk’s debunked lies about Social Security supposedly paying benefits to the deceased.

Reactions to Trump's hate-filled falsehood festDaily BeastTrump’s Speech Reduced American Democracy to a MAGA Game ShowThe president turned to TV tricks to candy-coat his malignant intentions.By DAVID ROTHKOPFCan you talk a country to death?In the longest address ever delivered by a president of the United States to a joint session of Congress, Donald Trump attempted on Tuesday night to prove that yes, you can.

“The Oligarchs Can Be Beaten”: Bernie Sanders Responds to Trump’s SpeechIn his address to Congress, President Trump ignored the concerns of working people and boasted about his billionaire-run government. In a response, Bernie Sanders says while the fight for a progressive future may feel hopeless, “despair is not an option.”

Wall Street Loots Federal Loans Meant for Affordable HousingPrivate equity firms are exploiting loopholes to tap billions in publicly supported funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank System, a little-known relic of the Great Depression originally established to encourage affordable mortgage lending.

Protect Our Kids: In the States Roundup

It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states. Click on any of the links to follow the state federations on X.aflcio.org/2025/3/5/protect-our-kids-states-roundup

AFL-CIO President Responds to Trump Administration Tariffs Targeting Canada and Mexico

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement as tariffs levied by the Trump administration against Canada and Mexico went into effect:aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-president-responds-trump-administration-tariffs-targeting-canada-and-mexico

AFL-CIO President Celebrates Reintroduction of the PRO Act

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement on the reintroduction of the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act:aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-president-celebrates-reintroduction-pro-act

Gaping at the Cult of TrumpTrump's address to Congress was a reminder that the school bullies are now in charge.

Trump's address to Congress showed the country's stark partisan divideA president’s address to Congress — even without the formal gloss of a State of the Union address — is typically a time for a call to national unity and predictable claims about the country being strong.

Trump barely mentions federal workers in speech to CongressFiring federal employees has been a key to Trump's first month in office, but they barely came up in his speech to Congress.

What Trump is trying to do to the Education Department, explainedBetween DOGE and new Secretary Linda McMahon, the department is allegedly on its “final mission.”

How Health Care Workers Are Defending Their Transgender Patients from Trump’s AttacksIn the five years Quinn has worked as a licensed counselor, they have seen the astonishing positive impact that gender-affirming care can have on young patients’ lives. But because Quinn’s clinic relies on federal funding, it’s in the crosshairs of the Trump administration. In the wake of Trump’s efforts to outlaw gender-affirming care for people under 19, the clinic did make some changes to its public-facing communications, said Quinn.

US CHIPS Act office lays off about a third of its staff, sources sayAbout one-third of the staff in the U.S. Commerce Department office overseeing $39 billion of manufacturing subsidies for chipmakers was laid off this week, two sources familiar with the situation said.

Judge Says Trump Can’t Fire Chair of Federal Workers Board Without CauseCathy Harris had sued to block her dismissal from the panel that handles government employee disputes. Employees swept up in the Trump administration’s mass firings have appealed to the board.

Democrats seek to probe Musk conflicts and DOGE firings with resolutions of inquiry in the HouseDemocrats on the House Oversight Committee are introducing two resolutions demanding the Trump administration turn over information about billionaire adviser Elon Musk’s potential conflicts of interest and firing of federal workers.

Veterans Are Caught Up in Trump’s and Musk’s Work Force OverhaulNearly 30 percent of civil service employees in the federal government are veterans. Democrats are highlighting their firings by taking some as guests to President Trump’s address on Tuesday.

Trump gets poor marks on how he is handling the cost of living, Reuters/Ipsos poll findsJust one in three Americans approve of President Donald Trump'shandling of the cost of living in the U.S., a sign of unease as he enacts steep tariffs on imports that are stoking inflation worries, a Reuters/Ipsos survey that concluded on Tuesday found.

Trump Abruptly Walks Back His Directive To Fire Thousands Of Federal EmployeesHis administration is suddenly changing tactics after a federal judge ruled that its mass firings of probationary workers were probably illegal.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon announces plans for department's 'final' missionSecretary Linda McMahon has released what she calls the “final mission” for the Department of Education.

US Department of Education workers decry ‘final mission’ email as power grabEducation secretary Linda McMahon’s plan to eliminate department will hurt disadvantaged children, staff say

Some DOGE Staffers Are Drawing Six-Figure Government SalariesEngineers and executives at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency are drawing healthy taxpayer-funded salaries—sometimes from the very agencies they are cutting.

Trump’s Federal Funding Chaos Puts Meals on Wheels on the Chopping BlockWe rode along on a delivery to see how draconian cuts would impact senior services.

Federal workers rally in DC after second DOGE emailSeveral union members, including those from the country's largest defense labor union, cheered on federal workers Monday as they headed into the office.

Teamsters to appeal decision that freed Yellow from WARN liabilityThe Teamsters union told members it is appealing a bankruptcy court’s decision finding Yellow Corp. not liable for failing to provide proper notification ahead of mass layoffs.

Special Report: Project 2025 and Unions

Trump’s Project 2025 is the 920-page document, written by at least 140 Trump advisers and former (and likely future) leaders in the Trump administration, that spells out what they plan to do during a Trump second term.

Utah unions will attempt to repeal HB267 ban on collective bargaining for public workersUtah labor unions said Wednesday they will run a ballot referendum to repeal Utah’s anti-public union bill, HB267, which Gov. Spencer Cox signed into law last month.

Kentucky Distillers' Association: Bourbon industry 'will suffer' amid tariffsAt Bottle Shop and Tasting Room, co-owner Sam Karia anticipated the tariffs and bought more tequila before the tariffs on Mexico went into effect.

From the Kentucky Lantern: A father died mining coal. His son warns KY bill would endanger other miners.House has voted to weaken an emergency protection at small operations. What will Senate do?By LIAM NIEMEYERGrowing up along the Harlan-Letcher county line in Eastern Kentucky, Landen Morris often heard from family that he reminded them of his father.

Kentucky State AFL-CIOThis is from one of our own! Check out Chad’s op-ed on opposing HB 398.

Gov. Beshear says Trump's tariffs will be 'damaging to Kentucky's economy'Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is weighing in on the new U.S. tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

Kentucky State AFL-CIOThank you to Rep. Gentry for his op-ed against HB 398. It’s very powerful. Give it a read if you have a chance.

6.2K views · 43 reactions | Rep Bobby McCool | “Martin County has been the poster child for water and wastewater and they do not receive a penny of these funds.” —Rep. Bobby McCool #MartinCountyWater... | By The Mountain Citizen | Facebook“Martin County has been the poster child for water and wastewater and they do not receive a penny of these funds.” —Rep. Bobby McCool #MartinCountyWater...

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Dear DNC – Stop asking us for more moneyWE’RE NOT GIVING IT – until we hear your plan to address the main reason we lost the 2024 election.

NLRB News & Decisions

NLRB Petitions & Charges for Tuesday, March 4, 2025Total Entries filed Monday, March 3, 2025: 63

Jobs, Business & Economy

What To Expect From Friday's Jobs ReportThe U.S. job market likely chugged along at a healthy rate in February, with layoffs of federal workers not causing a big enough impact to dent the unemployment rate, according to economists.

How Nvidia's CEO Is Evading $8 Billion in Taxes

Trump Pushes His Fossil Fuel-Focused Energy Agenda in State of the Union SpeechIn his State of the Union Speech, President Trump pushed fossil fuel extraction, a plan for developing critical minerals and an Alaska natural gas pipeline

Russia shutting down its mines as Putin woos Trump with mineralsEight coal mines in Russia have stopped operations as the industry faces turmoil due to sanctions.

Tesla's valuation is coming into question by this teacher unionThe American Federation of Teachers (AFT) labor union is urging asset management firms to reconsider Tesla's (TSLA) valuation, highlighting particular concerns tied to potential risks for teacher pension funds, which have millions invested in the EV maker. AFT President Randi Weingarten joins the discussion with Market Domination hosts Julie Hyman and Josh Lipton to emphasize the importance of investment managers fulfilling their responsibilities. Weingarten and the union hoped to send this message to investment banks: "Don't get cowed by the fact that [CEO Elon] Musk has a lot of power in this administration. Do your job because we are really concerned about teacher retirement benefits and their assets." The union leaders is seeking clearer directives from asset manages: "Should we be divesting or not? Should we keep the stock or should we not keep the stock?" She explains that asset managers are avoiding action due to fear of Elon Musk’s influence, pondering where investors can "create the replacement income" if Tesla stock price were to take a significant hit. She further clarifies by saying, "I want them to do their jobs... whether it's Tesla, whether it's Elon Musk, whether it's another big, big, big company." To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Market Domination here. This post was written by Josh Lynch

Labor History in 2:00

March 5 - The Worker Uprising that Sparked the American RevolutionOn this day in Labor History the year was 1770. That was the day of the Boston Massacre, when the first shots of the American Revolution were fired. But did you know that the massacre happened in part because of a dispute over jobs? In 1767 the British had passed the Townshend Revenue Act.

March 6On this day in Labor History the year was 2012. A few thousand artists, activists, teachers and union members lined Broadway in New York City. Each held a pink placard, representing a “pink slip.” As New Yorkers bustled by on their way to work, the protestors stood with their signs from 8:14 in the morning until 8:28.

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