Tag

Unions

All articles tagged with #unions

technology7 hours ago•3 min saved

Bethesda unions mobilize protests against Xbox layoffs with ‘Save Our Devs’ rally

Bethesda Game Studios’ union members are organizing a ‘Save Our Devs’ protest across ZeniMax offices in Rockville, Austin, Dallas, and Montreal on July 15 in response to Microsoft/Xbox’s announced 3,200 layoffs (1,600 immediate). Union leaders say about 440 positions across Bethesda Game Studios, ZeniMax Online, id Software, ZeniMax Workers United, and ZeniMax corporate are affected and insist they must bargain over the reductions, seeking preferential transfers, stronger severance, extended healthcare, and recall rights. The move comes amid morale declines and concerns for projects like The Elder Scrolls VI, with Xbox CEO Asha Sharma also co-leading a U.S. Fed productivity task force on employment.

via Eurogamer.net|

#bethesda-game-studios #layoffs #save-our-devs

business22 hours ago•5 min saved

Bethesda unions mobilize after 440 layoffs spark protests and recall demands

OneBGS members across Bethesda Game Studios, Id Software and ZeniMax Online Studios plan protests next week in Montreal, Rockville, Austin and Texas after 440 staff were laid off amid Microsoft/BGS restructuring. The union says it has rights to effects bargaining and is demanding preferential transfers to open Xbox/Microsoft roles, stronger severance and extended healthcare, and recall rights for laid-off workers; Microsoft/BGS say the cuts aim to align talent with core franchises, and the union notes this is the third ZeniMax studio to unionize while the fight continues at the bargaining table.

via GamesIndustry.biz|

#bethesda-game-studios #business #layoffs

energy4 days ago•5 min saved

Wind Jobs at Risk as Trump Halts Projects and Bets on Lease Buyouts

Trump’s wind-energy crackdown—stop-work orders, halted leases, and more than $2.6 billion in lease buyouts—has unsettled union workers on offshore projects like Revolution Wind, threatening thousands of well-paid jobs even as some turbines come online; supporters say the moves prioritize existing infrastructure while critics call them costly and job-destroying for the industry.

via The Guardian|

#energy #offshore-wind #stop-work-orders

business5 days ago•8 min saved

Brooke Shields backs Casa Bonita performers as union presses for pay and safety upgrades

Brooke Shields is backing about 80 Casa Bonita performers who unionized with Actors’ Equity to demand higher pay and stronger safety protections amid allegations of hypothermia, chlorine toxicity, sexual harassment, and security gaps. Performers earn $21–$26/hour, less than servers who recently received raises, while management has offered only a small wage increase and has not commented on ongoing negotiations. Actors’ Equity has filed multiple NLRB complaints alleging retaliation and failure to bargain, and Parker and Stone have largely remained silent as their Denver venue faces ongoing labor disputes.

via CNN|

#business #casa-bonita #entertainment-industry

government8 days ago•7 min saved

USDA Relocation Plan Sparks Legal Battle Over Staffing

The Agriculture Department is pursuing a nationwide reorganization that relocates thousands of Washington, D.C.-area staff to five regional hubs, with many employees asked to move or resign. Unions have filed suit seeking a preliminary injunction, arguing the plan would degrade key programs and violate congressional funding restrictions, while noting attrition could parallel a large workforce reduction. USDA officials say the move is not intended as a large-scale reduction, but internal documents indicate substantial staffing cuts across multiple agencies as part of the plan.

via Federal News Network|

#government #injunction #relocation

news11 days ago•14 min saved

Xbox Unions Push Back on Layoffs, Demand Protections for All

Xbox employee unions held a press conference responding to mass-layoff reports, arguing workers should not be treated as disposable and pointing to factors like CEO pay, Microsoft’s AI investments, and console price hikes to question if money is truly tight. They called for universal layoff protections (advanced notice, two years of recall rights, hiring freezes) across Xbox, criticized management for stalling on contracts, and pledged cross-studio unity among World of Warcraft, Zenimax, and Activision unions. While no layoffs have been officially confirmed, a significant restructuring is expected after the fiscal year ends, with rumors of studio shutdowns and leadership changes (including the resignation of Xbox Game Studios’ Craig Duncan).

via Kotaku|

#layoffs #microsoft #news

business14 days ago•2 min saved

VW plans 100,000-job cut and four plant closures in sweeping overhaul

Volkswagen reportedly aims to cut about 100,000 jobs (roughly 15% of its workforce) and end production at four German plants (Hanover, Zwickau, Emden, and Audi’s Neckarsulm) as part of a broader five-year cost-cutting plan that includes roughly 130 billion euros in capex reductions. The move comes amid intensifying competition from Chinese brands and faces pushback from unions and the Works Council, though VW says decisions will be made by governing bodies and that a 2024 agreement to avoid factory closures and compulsory redundancies until 2030 remains in place.

via CNBC|

#automotive-industry #business #cost-cutting

politics15 days ago•5 min saved

California wealth tax heads to ballot as Democratic rift widens

A proposed one-time 5% wealth tax on California billionaires’ assets survived qualification for the November ballot, pitting labor-backed advocates led by SEIU-UHW against Gov. Newsom and Silicon Valley billionaires. Supporters say the levy would offset federal spending cuts and protect essential services, while opponents warn it would hurt California’s economy and drive the ultra-wealthy to relocate. The campaign is expected to be extraordinarily expensive and will test Democratic attitudes toward wealth taxes ahead of the 2028 primaries.

via Politico|

#ballot-initiative #california #politics

technology18 days ago•8 min saved

Electricians Confront Ethics and Opportunity in the Data-Center Boom

Big Tech’s data-center buildout is creating plentiful work for electricians, with unions promoting labor as essential to AI. While some workers see clear upward mobility and welcome union-backed paths, others distrust corporate motives and worry about community impacts and the broader ethics of enabling AI infrastructure. The debate mirrors a tension between paycheck-driven demand and concerns about greed, scams, and the societal footprint of the data-center boom.

via WIRED|

#ai #data-centers #electricians

business19 days ago•24 min saved

GM replaces over 1,000 Detroit jobs with 50 cobots at flagship EV plant

GM has replaced more than 1,000 workers with 50 collaborative robots at its Detroit Factory Zero EV plant, saying the cobots improve safety and keep operations flexible amid slowing EV demand and cost-cutting pressures; the move drew sharp backlash from the United Auto Workers, who call it a job-cutting measure, as GM reports solid profits.

via New York Post|

#business #cobots #general-motors

business26 days ago•5 min saved

Code to Carpenter: A 32-Year-Old's Quest for a Millwork Apprenticeship

Jae Park, 32, left a tech career in Las Vegas to pursue carpentry via a union-backed four-year apprenticeship. After paying $60 for an OSHA course and visiting seven construction sites in a week to find sponsorship, she has yet to be sponsored. She hopes for a millwork role, finds the trades slow but rewarding, and values the worker-first culture she’s encountered in the union—a late-life pivot she believes was the right move despite the challenges.

via Business Insider|

#apprenticeship #business #career-pivot

politics1 month ago•2 min saved

House approves Faster Labor Contracts Act as 20 Republicans break with GOP leadership

Democrats, aided by 20 Republicans, bypassed GOP leadership to pass the Faster Labor Contracts Act, which would accelerate first-contract negotiations for newly certified unions by requiring employers to begin talks within 10 days and setting mediation timelines; the bill passed 230-193, with the Senate fate still unclear.

via CBS News|

#congress #democrats #gop

politics1 month ago•8 min saved

Trump Reclassifies 8,000 Federal Jobs Under New Schedule Policy/Career

The White House signed an executive order creating Schedule Policy/Career, moving roughly 8,000 senior federal employees into a new at-will category with reduced civil-service protections to improve accountability and policy execution; the plan faces broad opposition from unions and civil-society groups who say it politicizes the workforce and erodes due process. Agencies have seven days to update personnel records, and officials say the change affects a small slice of positions with potential for more later, though opponents warn of broader impacts on federal merit protections.

via Federal News Network|

#civil-service #executive-order #government

business1 month ago•34 min saved

LIRR strike ends as unions reach tentative wage deal

A three-day strike by workers on the Long Island Rail Road, the nation’s largest commuter railroad, ended with a tentative wage deal between unions and the MTA. The agreement includes raises without any additional fare increases and must be ratified by the five unions; roughly 3,500 workers are set to return to work as service resumes in phases. The LIRR’s ridership remains well below pre‑pandemic levels, and fares for the strike period will be prorated or refunded where applicable.

via Yahoo News New Zealand|

#business #fare-refunds #labor-strike

politics1 month ago•4 min saved

Hochul urges unions to resume talks as LIRR shutdown cripples commutes

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pleaded for LIRR unions to restart bargaining as the system’s first strike since 1994 halted service and threatened weekday commutes; negotiations stalled over pay and healthcare premiums, with the MTA planning limited shuttle service and Hochul urging remote work where possible while talks continue. Trump criticized the situation, arguing blame lies elsewhere.

via PBS|

#hochul #lirr #mta