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LIRR Faces 32-Year First as Unions Strike Over Wages
After last-minute talks failed to secure wage increases, a coalition of five unions including BLET walked out at Long Island Rail Road, affecting about 3,500 workers (500 engineers) and marking the first LIRR strike in 32 years; the move comes despite two Presidential Emergency Boards siding with labor offers, and amid more than three years without raises, with the MTA blaming mismanagement while unions say they deserve fair pay.

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Deliverista Hub Opens at City Hall Park, Marking a NYC Labor Milestone
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer helped inaugurate City Hall Park’s Deliverista Hub—the first rest and charging station for NYC delivery workers—giving 24/7 access to e-bike batteries, phones, bike repair space, and safety guidance, funded by federal infrastructure money after years of delays and pushed forward by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and labor advocates. The hub is run by the Workers Justice Project in partnership with Los Deliveristas Unidos, with plans for additional hubs across the city amid ongoing safety concerns about lithium-ion batteries.

NYU Non-Tenure-Track Faculty Strike Ends as Union Wins Raises and Job Security
NYU reached a tentative five-year contract with about 950 non-tenure-track faculty represented by CFU-UAW, ending a strike that began earlier this week. The deal includes minimum raises of $14,000 by the next academic year, with 95% of members projected to earn more than $100,000, and 3.5% annual raises retroactive to September 2025. It also addresses salary compression and includes guardrails on AI use and academic freedom, pending ratification by union members.

Court Reinstates AFGE-VA Union Contract Covering 320,000 VA Employees
A federal judge ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs to reinstate AFGE/NVAC’s master and related collective bargaining agreements after Secretary Collins terminated them in August 2025, finding likely violations of the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act; the injunction protects union rights for over 320,000 VA employees while litigation continues.

WGA West Sets Bargaining Compass: Healthcare, AI Rules, and Residuals in Focus Ahead of AMPTP Talks
WGA West leaders outline bargaining priorities ahead of AMPTP talks—sustainable healthcare funding, AI protections, improved streaming residuals and backend pay, and expanded employment protections (including writers’ rooms and against unpaid work)—while stressing ongoing member outreach, opposition to longer contract terms, and concerns about the Warner Bros. Discovery merger amid the staff strike.

Union momentum defies political pressure to reach 16-year peak in 2025
U.S. union membership rose to 14.7 million in 2025 and 16.5 million workers were covered by union contracts—the highest since 2009—despite the Trump administration’s push to roll back bargaining for about 1 million federal workers; density climbed to 11.2%, and public approval for unions remains high (67–71%), signaling renewed organizing over years.

WGA West Staff Strike Ahead of AMPTP Negotiations
WGA West staff walked off the job and picketed outside the Hollywood guild as the Writers Guild Staff Union pushes for its first contract, accusing management of bad-faith bargaining and surveilling union activity and filing an unfair labor practices charge with the NLRB. The guild says it will bargain in good faith as talks with the AMPTP loom, HQ is closed and events canceled ahead of a March start to MBA negotiations and the May 1 contract expiry.

Minneapolis Labor Federation Backs Jan. 23 General Strike Amid ICE Crackdown
The Minneapolis AFL-CIO endorsed a January 23 general strike in protest of ICE operations, calling for solidarity with affected workers and pressuring leaders to address immigration enforcement. The action, tied to a broader “Day of Truth and Freedom,” has sparked solidarity actions in other cities and is being coordinated by regional labor federations and unions nationwide, with further discussion planned to help spread the movement.

Minnesota Unions Rally Against ICE Raids with Statewide Economic Blackout
America’s largest labor federation (AFL-CIO) denounces ICE raids in Minnesota as dangerous to innocent workers, while local unions back a January 23 statewide economic blackout and a rally in Minneapolis to pressure ICE to leave Minnesota; the Metro Surge operation has arrested thousands and caused broad disruption amid ongoing tensions after a fatal ICE shooting.

US Labor Movement Faces Challenges Amid Political Turmoil
The US labor movement faces significant challenges under Trump, including a crippled NLRB, legal delays, and hostile policies, which hinder workers' rights to organize and protect their interests, despite some recent victories like the Whole Foods unionization.

Iowa Pork Plant Fined for Illegal Child Labor in Hazardous Conditions
An investigation has revealed that children were employed in hazardous conditions at a slaughterhouse in Iowa, working dangerous shifts in violation of labor laws. The inquiry highlights significant breaches in child labor regulations, raising concerns about the enforcement of these laws and the safety of young workers in the industry.