US Labor Unions

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Largest U.S. Teachers Union Allows Private Equity To Prey On Educators

The National Education Association’s benefits arm is pushing high-fee, poorly performing retirement plans run by a firm accused of fraud and mismanagement.

https://www.levernews.com/largest-u-s-teachers-union-allows-private-equity-to-prey-on-educators/?

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Share of unionized workers hits new low

Data: Bureau of Labor Statistics; Chart: Axios Visuals The share of American workers who are members of a union hit a new low in 2023 — it's now 1 in 10, Axios Closer co-author Nathan Bomey writes from new data. The big picture: 2023 felt like a strong year for unions. The UAW scored record contracts from General Motors, Ford and Stellantis after an unprecedented strike. The Teamsters won concessions from UPS without a strike. Actors and writers unions got new deals from Hollywood after bruising work stoppages. And public opinion of unions is higher than it's been since 1965, according to Gallup. Yes, but: Unions represent a smaller share of the workforce than ever before. 14.4 million workers were union members in 2023, up from 14.3 million in 2022 — but the percentage fell because the workforce grew at a faster rate than union membership. Go deeper.

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Ford CEO says company will rethink where it builds vehicles after last year’s autoworkers strike

DETROIT (AP) — Last fall’s contentious United Auto Workers’ strike changed Ford’s relationship with the union to the point where it will “think carefully” about where it builds future vehicles, Ford’s top executive said Thursday.

https://apnews.com/article/ford-auto-workers-contract-ceo-rethink-factory-locations-ed580b465d99219eb02ffe24bee3d2f7?

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Amazon Is Afraid Of Its New Union Organizers

On this week’s episode of Lever Time, producer Frank Cappello and reporter Amos Barshad are joined by union organizers Griffin Ritze and Fatou Souare, who are both involved in a current union drive at an Amazon warehouse in Kentucky. Griffin, an Amazon employee who was recently fired as alleged retaliation, and Fatou, a local community leader with the Kentucky African Women’s Association, speak to The Lever about the unique challenges of organizing a large, diverse workforce in one of Amazon’s largest locations — and what their efforts mean for the larger fight ahead against Amazon.

https://www.levernews.com/lever-time-amazon-is-afraid-of-its-new-union-organizers/

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🚗 South's union breakthrough

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Union supporters have renewed hopes of organizing in the South after the United Auto Workers scored a breakthrough victory late last night, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports. Why it matters: The South has historically been a no-go zone for unions at major private companies due to political, legal, cultural and business opposition. VW workers in Chattanooga, Tenn., voted 73% against 27% to become the only non-Detroit Three automotive assembly plant in the U.S. to be unionized. 🔭 Zoom out: The victory came after the UAW's two previous attempts to organize the VW factory in 2014 and 2019 failed by a narrow margin. But public support for unions just hit a near-six-decade high. The UAW is riding high after winning record contracts from GM, Ford and Stellantis. 👀 What to watch: The next milestone is the Mercedes-Benz plant in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., where the UAW has secured a vote May 13-17. Keep reading.

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Following the UAW’s wins against the Detroit Three, TN Volkswagen workers vote to join the union

After the United Auto Workers (UAW) won big contracts last year resulting from its stand-up strike against the Detroit Three — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis — President Shawn Fain vowed that the union would take that momentum into organizing foreign auto companies in the U.S.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/04/21/following-the-uaws-wins-against-the-detroit-three-tenn-volkswagen-workers-vote-to-join-the-union/?

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😬 Dems' union problem

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

Democratic lawmakers in battleground states are worried that their long-running support from union voters may be the latest casualty of a political realignment threatening President Biden's re-election. Republicans have focused on courting labor this year, and — even more concerning to Democrats — the head of one of the country's largest unions is making overtures to the GOP. 💰 In February, the Teamsters made its first major donation to the Republican National Committee since 2004 after its president, Sean O'Brien, met with former President Trump the previous month. O'Brien has since requested speaking slots at both the Republican and Democratic conventions. 🚗 Another sign of a potential shift: The United Auto Workers — a powerful force in battleground Michigan — waited until January to endorse Biden amid tensions over electric vehicles. 💪 The Biden administration has enacted policies strengthening unions, with Biden also taking the unprecedented step of visiting a UAW picket line last September before winning the group's endorsement. Biden says he's the "most pro-union president in history," and has racked up endorsements from dozens of unions, including many of the nation's largest. 👂 What we're hearing: One House Democrat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, chalked up O'Brien's dueling convention requests to his "ego," but said the move "doesn't mean Joe Biden doesn't have a union problem." The lawmaker suggested O'Brien is "playing to his members to some extent," adding: "He does have members who like Trump." "We need to be concerned," said Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.), adding that although Democrats are the more pro-union party, "We can't just assume people are going to figure it out for themselves. We've got to tell the story." Another House Democrat said of union voters' apparent swing to the GOP: "Every Democrat knows that this is going to happen." 🧮 By the numbers: Biden did significantly better with union voters in 2020 than Hillary Clinton in 2016, but NBC polling in February found his strength against Trump in union households has diminished considerably. A March Quinnipiac poll of Michigan voters showed Biden with a 9-point edge over Trump with voters in union households — down from a 25-point lead in 2020 exit polling. 📉 The signs of slippage with union voters come as polling indicates drops in support for the president among other constituencies — Black, Arab and young voters — that are key to his success in swing states. Several Democrats expressed confidence that their party's pro-union record will translate into support from workers in November — and that unions courting both parties is nothing new. "We've always had people within the union movement, especially the building trades, try to be more bipartisan," said Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), a Labor Caucus co-chair. He said the "overwhelming union viewpoint" favors Biden.