The Local: Jan. 23, 2025 news roundup
Welcome back to the first post of the year for The Local, a publication of NYC-DSA Labor Working Group reporting every two weeks. As always, send any tips, corrections, and other feedback to thenyclocal@substack.com. In this issue, workers at the Noguchi Museum join the UAW, a Republican becomes chair of the NLRB, and the SEIU rejoins the AFL-CIO in the final days of the Biden administration.
Photo by Alexandra Chan, 01/16/25 at the Atlantic Theater picket
Organizing (asterisks indicate employer-filed petitions for union election)
Nonfiction production workers at Lucky 8 TV are organizing with WGA East and demanding voluntary recognition.
Technicians at Porsche Brooklyn voted 5-1 to join United Service Workers Union, Local 355 (IUJAT).
A residual unit of per diem nurse educators at Richmond University Medical Center voted 7-0 to join NYSNA.
Workers at the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum have voted 39-0 to join UAW Local 2110.
Security officers at International Proactive Security in Jamaica have voted 4-0 to join the United Federation LEOS-PBA.
Funeral directors at New York Funeral Chapels LLC voted 10-10 on a decertification petition for Teamsters Local 813; because the union did not retain majority support, we expect this vote (if the tally stands) to result in decertification, but any knowledgeable readers can correct us!
Building service workers at Progressive Maintenance LLC and Progressive Management of NY V are organizing with Local 2, Building Service Employee and Factory Workers (USWU) (IUJAT).
Bargaining & Action
01/08: Laborers Local 79 set up a row of Scabbies in protest of Empire State Realty Trust of the Empire State Building for a pattern of hiring non union contractors. [The Chief Leader]
01/12: IATSE went on strike against The Atlantic Theater Company over a precedent-setting negotiation for off-Broadway production workers. Sign up for picket shifts here.
1/13: Doctors Council SEIU reached a tentative agreement with NYC Health+Hospitals. There are several pieces published about discontent with the agreement reached by mediation.
1/17: Starbucks Workers United held a sip-in at a Park Slope location after Starbucks announced store closures and refused to grant workers jobs at other locations.
1/19: Costco Teamsters representing 18,000 workers voted by 85% to authorize a nationwide strike. [ABC News]
1/25: Delta Airlines workers are tabling at JFK and LaGuardia as 18,000 ramp workers nationwide are organizing to join IAM. Sign up for shifts this Saturday with NYC-DSA here.
2/2: The Association of Legal Aid Attorneys UAW 2325 will host a sectoral bargaining kick-off rally at Foley Square.
Photo by Greg Gabrellas, 01/17/25 at the Atlantic Theater picket
Albany
Lawmakers in Albany led by Sen. Jessica Ramos and AM Jo Anne Simon are pushing for legislation to improve student loan forgiveness for public interest lawyers in New York, including legal aid attorneys and public defenders. [City and State]
Miscellaneous
This spring SEIU 1199 will be seeing its first contest leadership race in decades. The Members First Unity Slate are looking to upset current president, George Gresham, citing the lack of union democracy, even for those in high ranking positions and the new Trump administration as reasons for pushing for this internal change. This emergent group already has a full slate to run, while current president Gresham appears like he needs to cobble one together. [Politico]
The United Federation of Teachers is also looking like it’ll host a competitive internal election. The newly announced ARISE slate, composed of the MORE Caucus, New Action, and retirees are looking to topple the Unity Caucus and its president Michael Mulgrew. [Politico]
Despite constant fear mongering about the collapse of Manhattan’s office real estate market post-pandemic, the commercial value of buildings increased, affirming a solid tax base for the city. [The City]
MTA workers speak out about increasing violence on the subways. [The Chief Leader]
We are now in the second Trump presidency. Trump has appointed Republican Marvin Kaplan as the new chair of the NLRB. A couple weeks ago, Rep. Ro Khanna accused Senate Democrats of botching the reappointment vote for former chair Lauren McFerran, which would have secured a Democratic majority on the Board until 2026 (the Board is currently 2-1 Democrat, with two spots for Trump to fill with Senate confirmation). As of Jan. 22, 2025, General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo has not yet been fired. Matt Bruenig will track Trump’s actions at the NLRB here. [NLRB Edge]
Pres. Trump also issues executive orders eliminating DEI programs throughout the federal government.
Another order (known as Schedule F) making it easier for the president to fire civil service workers is immediately challenged in court by the National Treasury Employees’ Union (NTEU). Trump passed a similar order in 2020, which was rescinded by Biden. [The New York Times]
Saint Francis College in Brooklyn lays off 17 workers as the school struggles with declining undergraduate enrollment and, according to the faculty, financial mismanagement. [The City]
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) rejoins the AFL-CIO after leaving in 2005 to form Change to Win, another federation. With 2 million members, SEIU will become the biggest union in the AFL-CIO.
Job Listings
Administrative Assistant - Professional Staff Congress AFT Local 2334 (Salary: $65,000 - $73,000)
Organizer - New York State Nurses Association (Salary: $89,000 - $101,000)
Lead Organizer - Teamsters (Salary: $85,000)
A complete list of local union jobs can be found at unionjobs.com, alongside here is the complete list of New York City’s civil service exams. Additionally if you’re interested in taking a job in a strategic industry and want to be connected through the Labor Working Group, check out this form here.