The state Assembly voted 53-14 to give employees on strike access to state unemployment insurance benefits, despite concerns about an indebted and poorly structured fund. The Senate will consider the bill next.
The package of deals will include annual raises of between 3.25 to 4 percent over the next several years. The city says that it has now resolved more than three-quarters of the contracts that were pending when Mayor Adams took office last year.
For many lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender workers, having to stand up for yourself is nothing new, making unionizing the logical next step. By the end of last year, union filings were up more than 17 percent in the Chicago area.
The program is aimed at both union leaders and rank-and-file members and will focus on what unions should do before a walkout, how to prepare financially for going without pay, what to do on the picket line and more.
The nation’s second largest school district and the teacher’s union have reached a tentative agreement that would avert the possibility of a second strike this year. The agreement includes raises for several position types and reduced classroom size.
As the work-from-home revolution shows signs of creating a “two-tiered system” of public employment, government employees who can’t do their jobs remotely are going to expect to be paid a premium.
Some states have encouraged or required labor peace agreements when establishing legal cannabis marketplaces. But employers don’t always adhere to them and penalties for misbehavior are weak. So far, 21 states allow recreational marijuana use.
About 10 percent of union workers reported being homeless at some point while working for the Los Angeles Unified School District. Nearly 30 percent reported being at high risk of homelessness. The strike ended on March 23.
More than 30 states have laws classifying assault on transit operators as a special category of misdemeanor. Incidents are increasing, and transit workers and their unions are pushing for action at all levels of government.
A handful of new state labor laws will go into effect on Jan. 1. With the new laws, employers will be required to include salary and wage ranges on job postings, minimum wage will rise and millions will receive greater paid family leave.
Workers at John Deere, Starbucks, University of California and Cedar Rapids’ Ingredion are all a part of the wave of organized labor strikes that occurred this year. An economics professor explains the impacts of these movements.
Inflation is pressuring state and local employers to grant big cost-of-living increases. But they’ll need to keep in mind the prospect of diminishing revenues in coming fiscal years.
This week, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration announced that it would rescind its telework policy that was established during the pandemic. Union leaders and members have expressed frustrations over the decision.
Voters on Tuesday approved an amendment to enshrine a right-to-work law in the state’s constitution by a more than 2-to-1 margin, which will make it more difficult in the future to change how union workers collect dues.
The Labor and Workforce Development Agency will spend $480 million over the next three years to expand apprenticeship programs across the state in an effort to help workers increase their salaries.
The legislation would provide $400 million worth of tax credits to reimburse a portion of union members’ dues payments starting in 2024; it’s not yet clear how much each member would be eligible to receive.
