All articles tagged with #unions
Trump-era plans to overhaul the US Forest Service would move the headquarters to Salt Lake City, consolidate research in Colorado, and shutter regional offices in favor of state directors, prompting unions to call the change illegal and warning it could force staff to relocate or resign and endanger public lands management amid prior staffing cuts and reduced wildfire mitigation.
Most TSA officers who had been working without pay during the DHS shutdown finally received retroactive pay for missed periods, though a small number may face delays due to processing. DHS is coordinating with the National Finance Center to issue the remaining half-pay from the first week of the shutdown. Unions warn the disruption is fueling attrition and recruitment challenges as lawmakers continue to debate funding.
A Rhode Island federal judge moved to enforce an injunction ordering the VA to reinstate AFGE’s contract after the department again terminated the CBA, with possible contempt proceedings for a “blatant” violation of the court order; the VA argues the retermination moots the proceedings, while AFGE contends the department is noncompliant and not honoring contract provisions, and the judge set a deadline for the agency to explain why it shouldn’t be held in contempt.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani enters a challenging round of labor negotiations with around 100 city unions, facing a tight, $127 billion budget secured by depleted reserves and proposed tax measures. With pattern bargaining likely pushing pay hikes higher than the city’s modest reserves, the mayor must balance workers’ demands for raises with fiscal constraints and political pushback, all while navigating a council that has resisted certain tax increases.
More than 450 TSA agents have quit in about six weeks of the partial government shutdown, with roughly 11.7% of agents absent at peak, creating record-long security lines at major airports and complicating staffing for summer travel and FIFA World Cup venues. Union leaders say pay constraints are pushing workers to resign, and recruiters may struggle to replace them quickly even after the shutdown ends.
As the DHS shutdown reaches day 39, TSA workers report pay delays and rising attrition, with more than 400 leaving and thousands calling out, leading to longer security lines. Unions push for the Shutdown Fairness Act to guarantee pay during a shutdown, while ICE officers deployed to airports are paid but viewed by TSA reps as a distraction. Many employees are relying on emergency funds as back pay remains uncertain and the prospect of another shutdown looms.
The WNBA and its players’ union say they have reached an agreement in principle on a transformational new collective bargaining agreement, signaling a major overhaul of league terms and labor relations, with details to follow.
JC Tretter was elected NFLPA executive director, becoming the fifth leader in the union’s history and succeeding Lloyd Howell after a thorough search that narrowed to finalists including interim director David White and Tim Pernetti; a former NFLPA president and chief strategy officer, Tretter has pledged to lead with integrity and put players first, amid a controversial period tied to a collusion grievance.
About 3,800 workers at Swift Beef Co.’s JBS USA-owned plant in Greeley, Colo., walked off in the first U.S. beef-slaughterhouse strike in four decades, pressing for higher wages and better healthcare while unions accuse the company of unfair labor practices and PPE cost charges; the company says its offer is fair and accuses the union of stalling negotiations.
A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs to reinstate a three-year union contract covering more than 300,000 workers, ruling that terminating the agreement was retaliatory and likely violated the First Amendment; the contract, ratified in 2023, must be restored for the remainder of its term.
Whirlpool will lay off about 350 workers at its Amana, Iowa plant on March 9 as part of a modernization plan, underscoring persistent job losses in U.S. manufacturing despite tariff pledges. Unions have pressed the White House for help, while economists point to tariffs, automation, and offshore competition as ongoing headwinds; February manufacturing payrolls fell even as overall private employment rose, highlighting a sector still struggling to rebound.
Argentina’s Senate is poised to approve a broad labour reform that would weaken unions, extend the maximum workday to 12 hours, reduce severance costs, and allow direct employer-employee negotiations while phasing out national labour courts in favor of an hour-bank system; supporters say it will boost formal employment and business predictability, while critics call it unconstitutional, harmful to workers, and unlikely to create jobs amid high informal employment and ongoing protests.
Two major American Airlines unions are pressuring CEO Robert Isom and the board to oust leadership after the carrier posted a modest $0.4 billion profit in 2025 and faced significant weather-related cancellations, including protests outside Fort Worth. While rivals Delta and United posted much larger profits, American is pursuing revenue boosts from paid luxuries and premium services as industry-wide headwinds persist, such as storms and slower aircraft production.
LAUSD's board approved issuing preliminary layoff notices to 657 staff (primarily in central office) as part of a $1.4 billion fiscal stabilization plan to close a multi-year deficit, while signaling additional reductions to positions including hundreds of teachers next year due to enrollment declines; teacher layoffs for 2026-27 are not planned. Notices must go out by March 15, with a hiring freeze and final decisions expected in May or June. The district also plans to move up to 800 certificated positions to other roles and has redirected $50–60 million to restore some classified position cuts, all aimed at protecting schools and frontline staff while balancing the budget.
San Francisco teachers ended a four‑day strike after a two‑year tentative contract that fully funds family healthcare and provides wage bumps of 5% over two years for certificated staff (8.5% for paraeducators), plus special‑education case‑load reductions, a path for security guards to become full‑time staff, and a one‑year pause on sabbaticals, while warning that layoffs and budget cuts could still occur in the future.