December 14, 2023 news roundup
Welcome to The Local, a publication of NYC-DSA Labor reporting every two weeks. Send tips, corrections, and other feedback to thenyclocal@substack.com. Alex, David, and David wanted to say thank you for welcoming us back into your inboxes this year, and we’re excited for what the new year holds for NYC’s working class! We’ll be taking a holiday break the next few weeks, but we’ll return on January 11th. In this issue, DC 37 is suing the mayor over budget cuts, Netflix accountants are unionizing, and Amazon workers in Maspeth, Queens organized a walkout over the week.
Photo Credit: Alexandra Chan
Organizing
39 workers at EmPower Solar are looking to unionize with UAW Local 259.
25 workers at Foundation Building Materials are seeking a union with Teamsters Local 11.
20 production workers on the Little Shop of Horrors are looking to join IATSE.
Workers at a Clinton Hill Starbucks voted 15-0 to join Workers United.
10 workers at the Manhattan board game cafe Uncommon voted to also join Workers United.
Olympia Dumbo Condominium filed a petition for 8 workers to join SEIU 32BJ.
4 front door workers are looking to join Building Maintenance Employees Union Local 486.
Netflix production accountants, who joined IATSE Local 161, were voluntarily recognized by the streaming company.
17 workers at the Lower East Side People's Mutual Housing filed a petition of decertification with RWDSU Local 338.
Photo Credit: Alexandra Chan
Bargaining & Action
The New School’s Student Health Services medical staff and counselors union affiliated with UAW Local 7902 reached a tentative agreement on Nov. 29.
The Sinai Postdoctoral Organizing Committee-UAW went on strike Dec. 6, marking the first postdoctoral strike at a private institution and the first postdoctoral unit to strike alone without an accompanying grad worker or faculty strike. The picket is located at Madison Ave. and 99th St, follow SPOCUAW for more updates and specific schedules.
The NewsGuild-NY filed unfair labor practice charges against Condé Nast for surveillance and intimidation by security guards during union actions protesting layoffs.
The Washington Post Guild workers across D.C., N.Y.C., L.A., S.F., and more, struck for 24 hours on Dec. 7 after a year and a half of unproductive bargaining.
Amazon workers walked out Dec. 9 morning at DBK4 facility in Maspeth, Queens in protest of retaliation against union organizing.
Bandcamp United workers affiliated with OPEIU voted yes at a 100% participation rate to ratify a severance agreement with Epic Games after 60% of workers were recently laid off.
20,000 commercial office cleaners represented by SEIU 32BJ will hold a strike vote Dec. 20 in anticipation of their contract expiration Dec. 31 as bargaining goes poorly with the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations representing building owners.
AFM Local 802 orchestra musicians reached a three-year agreement with The New York City Ballet
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA at United Airlines will be joined by UAW on picket lines at LaGuardia and Newark airports on Dec. 14 11:30-12:30
The Law360 editorial staff union affiliated with The NewsGuild-NY walked out on strike for 24 hours on Dec. 13, picketing outside parent company LexisNexis’ headquarters following a ULP charge filed a day prior. Bargaining has continued since November 2022 as their contract expired December 2022. .
WGAEast members at Future PLC media company ratified a contract with 98% approval, including protections from artificial intelligence in journalism.
Photo Credit: Alexandra Chan
Albany
Governor Kathy Hochul signed the Healthcare Data & Transparency Act, which was met with approval by SEIU 32BJ.
Gov. Hochul also signed a minimum wage increase for the rest of New York State to $15/hr and $16/hr for Westchester and Long Island.
City Hall
A $29.93/hour minimum wage for delivery workers went into effect Dec. 4, applying to workers on UberEats, Doordash, and Grubhub, but not to those on Relay, smaller delivery apps such as Hungry Panda, grocery apps, or those employed directly by restaurants. NYC is the first city in the United States to pass minimum pay for delivery workers.
The United Federation of Teachers launched a petition calling on Mayor Adams to abandon plans to evict 2,700 children and their parents from the city’s emergency shelters after 60 days.
UAW Region 9A calls on their endorsed council members to vote no on Mayor Adams’ proposed budget cuts.
Mayor Adams cut a class of 250 school safety agents unionized with Teamsters Local 237 who were set to go into training in October.
1,400 NYC Parks staffers serving 1,700 city parks would lose their jobs under Mayor Adams’ latest budget cut proposals. Parks could be cleaned as little as once a week.
NYC’s largest public union DC 37 sues Mayor Adams and his administration in anticipation of budget cuts that slash thousands of city jobs. DC 37 was an early Adams supporter in the 2021 mayoral primary.
Miscellaneous
Labor unions including 32BJ SEIU, UAW Region 9A, CWA, RWDSU, and IATSE Local One, have endorsed Tom Suozzi’s bid for NY-03 as the seat opened up following George Santos’ expulsion.