The Local: June 27, 2024 news roundup
Welcome back to The Local, a publication of NYC-DSA Labor Working Group reporting every two weeks. Send us any tips, corrections, and other feedback to thenyclocal@substack.com. In this issue, UFT retirees kick out their chapter leadership with a reform slate (after which UFT President Michael Mulgrew withdraws his support for the Medicare privatization for city workers), the New York Film Academy joins the UAW, and now former UAW organizer and NYC-DSA member Claire Valdez cruised to victory in her state assembly race.
Also, The Local is happy to announce that a little less than two years after we launched, we have crossed the 1,000 subscriber mark. Thank you to all our readers for your support!
Photo Credit: Alexandra Chan
Organizing
Workers at the Vera Institute of Justice and Harper’s Magazine win voluntary recognition for their respective unions.
Workers at Shun Lee Palace Corp have voted 4-0 to decertify Unite HERE Local 100 as their bargaining unit representative.
Workers at the Winchendon School NYC vote 9-2 to join the UFT.
Workers at Timberlake Studios vote 10-2 to join IATSE Local 764.
Workers at the New York Film Academy vote 149-3 to join the UAW.
Starbucks workers sweep three Manhattan elections at the following locations by voting to join Workers United: 130 Fulton Street (7-1), 444 Broadway (17-1), and 155 Water Street (12-0).
Staff at 1199SEIU voted 121-26 to join Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild (CWA).
Workers at Pani Dolci bakery in South Richmond Hill are organizing with UFCW Local 1500.
A decertification petition has been filed for a unit of workers at the New York Racing Association racetrack in Elmont, currently repped by Teamsters Local 814.
1199SEIU has filed representation petitions at four Optum Medical Care locations in Thornwood, Mount Kisco, Carmel, and Cortlandt Manor.
Personal care aides and home health aides at White Glove Community Care are organizing with 1199SEIU.
Bargaining & Action
06/11: Members of the Financial Times US Guild with NewsGuild-CWA held a 30-minute work stoppage to demand a fair contract.
06/12: Campaign Workers Guild announces a successor contract for The AOC Campaign Staff Union.
06/13: Growing Up Green Charter School Union members with UFT rallied for a fair contract.
06/17: The Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees with NewsGuild-CWA Local 1096 reached a tentative agreement with Dow Jones & Company covering 1,400 workers.
06/17: The Actors’ Equity Association representing 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theater will cease issuing contracts for work on the Development Agreement in response to unacceptable bargaining with The Broadway League.
06/18: OUP USA Guild, unionized New York staff of Oxford University Press represented by NewsGuild-CWA went on an unfair labor practice strike and picketed outside the New York office.
06/18: The two FDNY EMS unions met with the city’s labor negotiators for a first bargaining session on a new contract, and the unions are ready to demand pay parity with firefighters and police. [The Chief Leader]
06/20: Fullerton Auto workers with UAW Local 259 voted 46-1 authorizing a strike.
06/21: 32BJ SEIU cleaning workers ratified a new contract with New York City School Support Services, which contracts with the city public school system. [The Chief Leader]
06/21: Legal Aid Society support staff with 1199 SEIU picketed after two years working without a contract. [The Chief Leader]
06/23: 8,000 utility workers with UWUA Local 1-2 reached a tentative agreement with Con Edison the same night their prior contract expired. [ABC 7 NY]
06/24: Tabletop Workers United called on community members to pack the Hex & Co. store in support of the workers bargaining for a fair contract, and launched a boycott pledge if the need arises.
06/24: The iHeart Podcast Union with WGA East ratified a first contract.
06/25: The Bronx Defenders Union with UAW Local 2325 is holding a strike authorization vote as their contract is set to expire June 30th.
06/26: 32BJ SEIU rallied against building owners Fifth City Realty LLC who cut wages and benefits for cleaners and fired union security officers.
Photo Credit: Alexandra Chan
Albany
DSA-backed UAW organizer Claire Valdez wins the primary for the NY state assembly seat in District 37 by a margin of 27 points, increasing the number of state socialists in office to nine. NYS Senator Kristen Gonzalez and Assembly Members Emily Gallagher and Sarahana Shrestha also handily won their contested primary elections. Jamaal Bowman lost his congressional primary to George Latimer following a round of redistricting that shifted NY-16 deeper into the suburbs and away from the Bronx. Solidarity to all of DSA’s slate this election season, and onward. [QNS.com; The New York Times]
City Hall
Two major developments in the Adams administration’s ongoing fight to privatize Medicare for city retirees. First, an insurgent slate has won a landslide victory in the election to lead the retiree chapter of the UFT. The slate, known as Retiree Advocate (RA), beat the incumbent Unity Slate with 63% of the retirees’ vote (Unity had won 70% of the vote in the prior chapter election in 2021). RA ran on a platform of increased internal union democracy and opposition to Medicare privatization, which had been supported by UFT’s Unity-dominated leadership. [The Chief Leader]
Second, less than a week after the election results, UFT president Michael Mulgrew announced that the union is withdrawing its support for Medicare privatization. Mulgrew – who is also an executive vice chair of the Municipal Labor Committee – was instrumental in getting the Adams administration the necessary political support to proceed with privatization. [The Chief Leader]
Additionally, all eight members of the insurgent Fix Para Pay slate won their elections to leadership of the paraprofessional chapter of the UFT. [Ed Notes Online]
The Association of Legislative Employees (the union of city council staffers) adopts resolutions calling on the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS) to divest from Israel, joining rank-and-file efforts in DC37 and the UFT. [The Chief Leader]
Miscellaneous
TWU Local 106 amends its constitution to prohibit union leaders from bargaining away retirees’ traditional Medicare coverage, absent approval from the members. [The Chief Leader]
The US Supreme Court sides with Starbucks in a dispute over which legal test to apply when the NLRB seeks a court order against an abusive employer. [Scotusblog]
The NLRB also issues its first bargaining order under its landmark Cemex decision, under which an employer that chooses to go to a union election rather than voluntarily recognizing a union may then be forced to recognize and bargain with that union if it commits unfair labor practices in the leadup to the election – regardless of the election outcome. The employer here is a group of casinos in Las Vegas. [Jacobin]
Recent local jobs numbers show a decline in 31,000 entertainment/media jobs since the fall of 2022, as those industries continue to struggle post-SAG-AFTRA/WGA strike and continued capital disinvestment. There also continues to see stagnation in higher paid information sector jobs, while accelerating growth in home healthcare aid work that pays on average $31,000 a year. [The City]
NewsGuild NY members vote 1,229-599 to approve a permanent dues rate of 1.75%.
Job Listings
Organizer - ACT-UAW Local 7902 (Salary - $74,199.84)
Research Director - Carpenter Contractor Alliance Of Metropolitan New York (Salary - $130,000 - $150,000)
Membership Data Systems Coordinator - Professional Staff Congress AFT Local 2334 (Salary - $75,000 - $95,000)
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.