November 16, 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. In this issue, Workers United wins multiple cafe units, many researchers make good trouble in higher academia, and taxi workers tally wins in the city and the state.
Photo Credit: Alexandra Chan
Organizing
4,500 NYU researchers are looking to unionize with the UAW — this is the largest unit filing of New York in 2023. NYU also attempted to identify a significantly smaller 150 researcher unit for union representation.
Cornell Graduate students won their union election with the United Electrical Workers 1873 to 80.
The Atlantic Theater Company filed a union petition for 50 theater workers with IATSE.
47 janitorial workers at Collins Building Services are looking to organize with Consolidated Commercial Workers of America, Local 528. (Filings 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
28 workers at two Parts Authority locations are looking to join IBEW Local 1430.
26 workers at Plattduetsche Home Society, a Long Island-based senior community center, were petitioned to form a union with UFCW 2013.
21 workers at the Queens Botanical Garden Society filed a petition to join Local 374 of DC37.
18 staff members at Death & Co, a East Village-based cocktail bar are organizing with Workers United.
17 workers at Mercy Medical Center Outpatient Behavioral Health Services in Long Island are organizing with 1199 SEIU.
10 workers at The Uncommons, a Manhattan-based board game cafe are looking to join Workers United.
7 workers at Brookdale Hospital Medical Center are organizing with 1199 SEIU.
7 audio-visual technicians at the Museum of the City of New York are looking to join IATSE Local 306.
The international staffers at OPEIU won their union election with UAW Region 9A.
Workers at Hex & Co. successfully voted to form an union with Workers United.
Weill Cornell Medicine postdocs won their election with UAW 328 to 4, 98.8% voting yes.
Bargaining & Action
The union at the Children’s Law Center of NY reached a tentative agreement in the early hours of the strike deadline.
Workers at the Union Square and Park Slope Barnes & Noble stores marched on the boss to demand one bargaining table for NYC unionized workers.
The staff of ABC Cocina, Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant, walked out of peak Friday dinner rush in protest of poor management. [The Chief Leader]
Brooklyn Museum Union-UAW 2110 reached a tentative agreement after bargaining since January 2022, and ratified a first contract on the day before their strike deadline.
The Conde Nast Union delivered a petition with more than 350 signatures to the administrative offices demanding corporate transparency after the company proposed laying off up to 25% of the union. The union has been bargaining for a first contract since Sept. 2022.
The iHeart Podcast Union representing 11,000 employees is asking for letters of support, calling on executives to do better.
The Sinai Postdoctoral Organizing Committee-UAW set a ULP strike deadline for December 6th after more than a year of bargaining.
Starbucks Workers United will take action for Red Cup Day on Thursday Nov. 16. Stores across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island will walk out and host actions throughout the day.
WGA East members at MSNBC mark two years of negotiating their first contract as they still have not reached an agreement.
NYSNA members at Montefiore Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and Nyack hospitals rallied on Tuesday in anticipation of their contracts expiring Dec. 31.
All eight unionized REI stores filed nationwide unfair labor practice charges over the company’s bad faith bargaining practices.
PSC-CUNY rallied at the Graduate Center on Wednesday demanding fair pay and treatment.
Photo Credit: Alexandra Chan
Albany
New York Attorney General Leticia James settled a $328 million lawsuit against Lyft and Uber on behalf of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance for accusations of wage theft.
The Communications Workers of America are circulating a petition to make sure the union’s voice is heard in plans for the federal government to invest a billion dollars into broadband expansion.
Kathy Hochul is being pressured by Business Council of New York State and Partnership for New York City, on behalf of major banks, tv broadcasters, and cable companies to not sign a bill that would ban non-compete clauses.
City Hall
The Construction Justice Act, sponsored by Councilmember Carmen De La Rosa, would mandate developers that receive city funding pay construction workers a $40 wage and benefit package at minimum. [The Chief Leader]
NYTWA won a temporary restraining order at the Manhattan Supreme Court to stop Mayor Adams and NYC Taxi and Limousine Commission from adding unlimited EV for-hire vehicles to the city.
Miscellaneous
Multiple union locals, regions, coalitions publish statements calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, including UAW Region 9A, SEIU 509, American Postal Workers Union, and more.