Tag Archives: Labor

11/18-19 News Roundup & Open Thread

The Progressive Wing Posted on by

Greetings birdies!

While Democrats gave away all leverage to pass a good BBB bill, one spark of good news on the labor front.

John Deere Workers Approve New Contract, End Strike

The picketers won significant concessions since their strike began in mid-October.

The first contract agreement reached between Deere and UAW negotiators, on Oct. 1, offered immediate raises of 5 to 6 percent, depending on the job, and an additional 3 percent in 2023 and 2025. It also proposed eliminating pensions for new hires. Workers rejected the offer by a wide margin.

The second agreement offered an immediate 10 percent raise and an $8,500 ratification bonus, plus 5 percent raises in 2023 and 2025. Deere workers rejected that one, too, but the vote was closer — 55 percent to 45 percent.

The latest contract made “modest modifications” to the second offer, the UAW said. Workers said those included tweaks to how Deere calculates bonuses for workers who meet production targets.

Kristin Jordan, a 19-year veteran at a Deere combine factory in East Moline, Ill., said she was relieved to see the vote pass.

“I’m exhausted and nervous, but I’m proud of what was accomplished,” she said Wednesday night.

Picketers at other companies have also recently won concessions: striking Nabisco and Frito-Lay employees returned to work after negotiating better terms for pay and working hours.

More news, tweets, and of course, your comments below. This also serves as an open thread. Sure Happy It’s Thursday!

11/18 News Roundup & Open Thread

The Progressive Wing Posted on by

Greetings birdies! A bit of news you won’t see in the NYT today.

Airport Workers Rally for “Healthy Terminals”

Give Thanks, give health care” – that’s the message airport workers will deliver to Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a rally today at noon at LaGuardia Airport.

In July, New York lawmakers passed the Healthy Terminals Act, a bill supporters say would provide some 25,000 terminal cleaners, baggage handlers, security officers and other service workers at New York airports access to quality, affordable health insurance. But the governor still hasn’t signed the bill.

And according to Rob Hill, vice president of SEIU local 32BJ, despite being urged to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus, many people will travel for the holidays.

“We know that travel is going to pick up at the same time the pandemic is picking up again,” Hill said. “And these workers are still being asked to work in close quarters inside without health care. And that’s got to get fixed.”

Opponents of the bill say it actually could eliminate jobs by raising costs for airlines already facing huge economic losses due to the pandemic.

But Hill pointed out the airlines got $50 billion in federal relief through the CARES Act and could get more in a second relief package. And without the Healthy Terminals Act, he said, many frontline airport workers won’t have access to health care.

“To the extent employers offer some health care, it’s usually something that has a copay or it’s out of reach for what these workers can afford, and so they generally don’t have it,” he said.

The bill would require airline subcontractors to pay a benefits supplement of $4.54-an-hour so workers can acquire quality health insurance.

Hill noted workers at other airports get similar benefits. And he contends that, if it is left up to employers, the problem of inadequate health care will not be addressed.

“The bottom line is, the only way they’re going to have decent health care is if it gets mandated,” he said. “And there are other cases – LAX airport and San Francisco airport – where they mandate this same kind of thing. So, it’s something that’s been done before that should be done here in New York City.”

Cheap-ass Cuomo. Just in time for the busiest air travel.

More news, tweets, videos, etc in the comments. See you there!