Entries by Paul Becker

JULY BITS AND PIECES

CONGRESS DROPS PART OF TRUMP TAX BILL THAT HAD ENDED FEDERAL WORKER PROTECTIONS Yielding to pressure, the House and Senate have dropped a piece of Donald Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill, signed into law July 1 that would have stripped new federal workers of traditional job protections. The provision would have forced new federal employees […]

LABOR PLAYS IMPORTANT ROLE IN “NO KINGS” PROTESTS

For days, the news has been filled with accounts of the massive “No Kings” demonstrations around the country on Oct. 14. The turnout in some 2,000 cities and small towns all across America involving an estimated five million people, the largest in memory, was a thunderous  protest against the policies of President Donald Trump. They […]

LABOR LEADERS CONDEMN ARREST OF UNION HEAD IN L.A. ICE RAIDS

Labor unions around the US rallied together June 8 to demand the release of a labor leader arrested and injured during Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles. David Huerta, president of Service Employees International Union California and SEIU United Service Workers West, was serving as a community observer during an ICE raid […]

SOME LATEST WINS FOR WORKERS

Below are listed some recent lesser-known examples of wins for working people as listed by the AFL-CIO in late May. Northwestern University Food Service Workers Ratify New Contract: After a 12-day strike this year, members of UNITE HERE Local 1 who staff dining facilities at Northwestern University have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. Cooks, cashiers, dishwashers and […]

AFTER TRUMP TAKEOVER, KENNEDY CENTER WORKERS VOTE TO UNIONIZE

The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has long been Washington, D.C.’s premiere stage for the arts and culture — originating with a 1958 act of Congress to advance artistic excellence as a symbol of U.S. cultural soft power. But under the second Donald Trump administration, the center has become the backdrop for much harder political conflict, as well as […]

FLIGHT ATTENDANT UNION REACHES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT WITH UNITED AIRLINES

After five years without a pay raise, United Airlines Flight Attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), and United Airlines reached an historic tentative agreement for 28,000 Flight Attendants. The agreement includes: Industry-leading compensation Hotel, scheduling, reserve and other improvements In the first year alone, Flight Attendants will gain 40% of total economic […]

WRITERS GUILD 2023 STRIKE INSPIRES OTHERS TO ORGANIZE

The strike of members of the Hollywood Writers Guild two years ago brought some big gains for writers but has also brought an additional effect. Inspired by the writers, about 22,000 of the entertainment industry’s lowest paid workers have organized, led by the newly-formed Production Assistants United. They include early career workers like production and […]