Demanding More: Recent Union Negotiations with Essential Workers: LRI INK

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Subject: Demanding More: Recent Union Negotiations with Essential Workers: LRI INK

June 29, 2023

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Demanding More: Recent Union Negotiations with Essential Workers

by Kimberly Ricci

Undoubtedly, the healthcare industry still feels the most pain while the world returns to “normal.” Chronic staffing shortages persist, and there is no indication that healthcare will feel relief anytime soon. On this fertile organizing ground, unions have waged the most prolific strikes of this year. Still, union activists have turned their attention to other workers who feel burned by the pandemic.

Workers like grocery store staffers who served amid humanity during a time when many shoppers only left their homes for food runs. Other “essential” workers who kept the global economy rolling at the height of the pandemic include longshore workers, meatpackers, transit workers, and delivery drivers.

The unions representing these economic frontline workers now wish to capitalize upon paying back essential staffers with more than verbal gratitude. In many instances, the timing is also fitting with key contract renewals providing unions the opportunity to negotiate such demands.

We will likely see much more news on this subject. Some unions are honing in on additions to the “hazard pay” already offered to many workers, and they have further been negotiating for “hero bonuses” during dockworker negotiations.

The International Longshore Workers Union recently negotiated a 32% raise in addition to a collective $72 million “hero bonus” to be divided among members. Transport Workers Union of America also held out and won an “essential worker bonus” worth $4,000 apiece for around 40,000 NYC transit workers.

In all likelihood, this theme lurks in ongoing negotiations between UPS and the Teamsters ahead of a July 31 contract expiration date. The union rejected what they alleged was a “disrespectful package” offered by the company. The union gave the company one week for a tentative contract, and workers have already authorized a strike.

Still, don’t take your eyes off healthcare: This week, the biggest RN strike in Texas history began at Austin’s Ascension Seton. Although the strike was meant to only last one day, Ascension informed striking workers that they would be locked out for three additional days. National Nurses United alleged this was an intimidation tactic, but Ascension maintains that the longer duration allowed them to hire temp nurses and fill necessary gaps in care. The strike also counts as the first Texas acute care strike on the books, so unions are ramping up their game as conflict continues.

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A UAW Shakeup Ahead Of Detroit Big Three Negotiations

by Kimberly Ricci

Whether talking about a company or a union, personnel changes are to be expected after a significant leadership change. New CEOs are nearly synonymous with the dreaded “restructuring” word, so it shouldn’t be too surprising when incoming international union presidents clean some house, too.

What does raise some eyebrows, however, is that new UAW President Shawn Fain has made substantial changes in the legal department just before a pivotal set of negotiations for the union. Going into this moment, Fain fired General Counsel Abigail Carter as well as two other key members of the legal team.

Fain did this on the cusp of crucial bargaining sessions with the Detroit Big Three – Stellantis, General Motors, and Ford – as both sides stare down a Sept. 14 contract expiration date. The UAW chief’s decision, as revealed in a memo obtained by the Detroit News, was “the direct consequence of information regarding ongoing federal investigations of UAW officials – information which had been concealed from me until very recently.”

Yes, that’s clear as mud. Yet Fain is alluding to something regarding federal watchdog Neil Barofsky’s monitoring of the UAW. Barofsky ostensibly aimed to keep the disgraced union on the straight and narrow after a high-profile corruption investigation, which led to over a dozen convictions and prison terms for two ex-UAW presidents.

Fain’s move raises questions about the general counsel's ethical responsibilities and when it remains appropriate to “conceal” information from a union president. No matter his reasoning, however, this shakeup before major negotiations is bound to cause ripples.

Fain did point toward the “common” nature of “staff changes,” and he hinted at an upcoming search to “find someone who can effectively help to guide our great union."

Yet this surely won’t boost confidence for union members who fear the Big Three negotiations yielding ”sellout” contracts, especially after Fain took great pains to declare “war against the one and only true enemy.” How far can the UAW take Fain’s agenda if they aren’t legally covering their butts, though? We’ll soon find out.

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Subject: Demanding More: Recent Union Negotiations with Essential Workers: LRI INK