Last Week in Labor: March 28 - April 3, 2025
Thousands march in California, unions take the Trump admin to court, and other news you may have missed.
Welcome back to Last Week in Labor, folks.
Thanks for your patience while I traveled to California last week to cover the #WithTheseHands rally and march for immigrant workers in Delano. Two reports emerged out of that, which I'll link below.
Before we get into today's digest, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for reading this site. I am working on expanding the site to include more labor stories, author interviews, and perhaps even podcast episodes that don't have a home elsewhere, and humbly ask for your support as I work on that.
This additional work outside of my 9-5 takes time, energy, and resources, and your financial support would go a long way toward filling that gap. If you're able, please consider subscribing to the site on one of my paid tiers, or send me a donation via Venmo/Paypal/Carrier Pigeon.
Okay, now that that's over, lol, onwards to our digest for this week.
Notable News in Labor
Thousands march in Delano, CA in solidarity with immigrant workers: 2 Reports by me
Video Report, The Real News Network
Something that feels productive, good and true.
As I walked up and down the march route, my feet burning and shoulders aching under the weight of my backpack, I began to feel the familiar mix of emotions that usually bubble up when I’m attending a labor action: joy, contentment and a deep and abiding sense of pride at being a member of this ragtag labor movement. Most importantly I experienced a moment where all my rage, my fear, my righteous fury, before now so nebulous and suffocating, funneled itself into action and crystallized into something that feels productive, good and true.
It’s a special sort of feeling to know and understand the transformative power of solidarity–to stand shoulder to shoulder with working Americans from backgrounds vastly different from your own and face forward together against the villainous class of assholes who spend every waking moment making your life hell; to reach toward one another and say, I’m here with you, you’re here with me. We can make our way through this, together.
Read my essay in Hellworld here.
After 16 months of talks, AFSCME reaches deal for first union contract at New Avenues for Youth
Oregon AFSCME reached tentative agreement on a first contract covering about 110 workers at homeless youth nonprofit New Avenues for Youth, the union announced March 27.
The agreement comes after more than 16 months of bargaining and avoids a one-day unfair labor practice strike that had been set for April 1.
UCSB Workers Join UC-Wide Strike, Citing Unfair Bargaining Practices
Dozens of UC Santa Barbara employees joined the picket lines on April 1 as part of a larger University of California-wide strike, marking the third major labor action in four months. Nearly 60,000 UC workers, including health-care professionals, researchers, and service employees, are protesting alleged unfair bargaining practices by the university system.
The strike is led by UPTE-CWA 9119, a union representing UC Professional and Technical Employees, and is supported by AFSCME Local 3299, the largest UC worker union in what’s being called a “solidarity strike.” (AFSCME stands for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.)
El Paso teachers' unions advocate increased school funding, decry vouchers at Texas legislature
Public school funding, teacher raises and a controversial educational savings account program that would give families up to $11,500 to enroll their child in private school — known as vouchers — have become some of the top education priorities for state lawmakers during the 89th session of the Texas Legislature.
El Paso lawmakers have promised to support increasing the basic allotment for public schools — which has been set at $6,160 per student since 2019 — as well as changing the basis of the school funding formula. They’ve also promised to oppose vouchers.
Video Game Workers Authorize Strike at Microsoft-Owned ZeniMax Media
Hundreds of unionized workers at the Elder Scrolls and Fallout video game firm ZeniMax Media have voted to authorize a strike, marking an escalation in tensions with the company after nearly two years of contract negotiations.
What happens if the USPS does go private? Here's what you need to know
Already in Shasta County, postal union official Adrienne Hulst has told customers about a recent federal decision to cut some post office services in smaller towns.
As of June 1, Hulst said, letters or packages dropped off at rural postal locations during normal operating hours will stay there until the following morning. Right now, she said, items people drop at the post office are sent off to their next destination on the same day. Any delay would mean even longer mail delivery times for rural areas, she said.
Amazon Spent Nearly $13 Million On Anti-Union Consultants Last Year
The online retailer increased its anti-union spending significantly in 2024 as it faced organizing efforts from the Teamsters and other groups.
Read Dave Jamieson's great reporting here.
Citing unanimous support, staff of Los Angeles Public Press form union
[Editor's note: Welcome welcome welcome!!!!!! to the Newsguild!!!!! my siblings!!!!]
Citing unanimous support, the staff of Los Angeles Public Press on Thursday launched a union campaign. Within an hour of the staff’s announcement, newsroom management agreed to voluntarily recognize the union.
The LA Public Press Union, a unit of Media Guild of the West, would represent eight employees. MGW, the Los Angeles-based Local of The NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America, represents hundreds of other journalists at the L.A. Times, the Arizona Republic, the Dallas Morning News and other news outlets in Southern California, Arizona and Texas.
NIOSH layoffs to have direct effects on coal miners
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — Following layoffs at Morgantown’s NIOSH location this week, organizations are speaking out to let the public know of the effects it will have in different industries, including coal mining.
NIOSH’s Morgantown location is responsible specifically for the respiratory disease division that monitors coal dust and silica research, manages the lung x-ray program, and oversees the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). With the loss of jobs in this department, coal miners across the state worry about what their futures may look like.
'The strike was our last resort': VTA union has lost its leverage to push for new contract, president says
SAN JOSE — One week after returning to work at the orders of a Santa Clara County judge, the union representing Valley Transportation Authority workers is worried it has lost its leverage as contract negotiations with the agency have remained stalled.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 walked off the job March 10 after negotiations for a new contract fell apart the week before. Their historic strike lasted for two and a half weeks – leaving residents across the county scrambling to find walking, bike and rideshare routes to their destinations – before a county judge ordered them to return to work last week.
Unions Respond to Trump Administration
As Universities Yield to Trump, Higher Ed Unions Are Fighting
From lawsuits to protests, labor organizations representing faculty, grad students and other workers are resisting. Discussions about what to do next continue.
UAW President Urges Harvard Not to 'Cave' to Trump Admin at IOP Forum
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain called on Harvard to stand up against the Trump administration’s attacks on federal funding at an Institute of Politics forum on Monday.
“I sure as hell hope that Harvard doesn’t cave like Columbia did,” Fain said.
AAUP: Don't Give Trump Student, Faculty Names, Nationalities
The American Association of University Professors is warning college and university lawyers not to provide the U.S. Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights the names and nationalities of students or faculty involved in alleged Title VI violations.
Federal Workers Union Sues Trump Over Attack on Collective Bargaining
The National Treasury Employees Union president called the order "an attempt to silence the voices of our nation's public servants" and part of an effort "to deny the American people the vital services" they provide.
NABET-CWA Members Fight to Save Public Media from DOGE Cuts
Last week, NABET-CWA members held rallies in Boston and Washington, D.C., and submitted congressional testimony to deliver a resounding message that funding for local, independent public TV and radio stations is essential to providing trusted, important local news and weather, beloved children’s programming, and much more. The House Oversight Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee held a hearing in support of the Trump administration’s DOGE efforts to cut off federal funding.
Commentary & Analysis
How Workers Everywhere Can Win
Labor studies professor Eric Blanc explains why worker-to-worker organizing is critical to fighting Trumpism and building a more just society in the long term.
Abundance That Works for Workers--And American Democracy
We agree that abundance is a worthy goal for the progressive movement, as is the project of reforming government to ensure it is delivering goods quickly and effectively.
But in order to be effective, abundance policy must benefit and build power for working- and middle-class Americans rather than enriching and empowering concentrated economic interests and generating a populist backlash that undermines democracy.
In particular, as two scholars of labor and American political economy, we seek to highlight the role that unions—workers’ best instrument for building collective economic and political voice—can play in the abundance movement.
Worker-Led Unionism in the 21st Century
Labor scholar Eric Blanc’s new book We Are the Union argues that worker-to-worker organizing can allow unions to scale up and help reverse the labor movement’s long decline.
Class struggle unionism and anti-fascism merge in the World Federation of Trade Unions
The re-election of Donald Trump and the resurgence of fascism internationally have intensified threats to workers’ rights, democratic institutions, and social progress. Fascist movements are exploiting economic insecurity and cultural anxieties, promoting xenophobia, nationalism, racism, and sexism to advance the interests of monopoly capital and their billionaire backers.
In this context, the historic World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) remains a vital force for international working-class solidarity, offering a model for resisting fascism and defending workers’ rights in the 21st century.
Labor By the Numbers
There were 53 filings for representation with the NLRB last week. Some notable filings, if you're interested....
- Half a dozen Starbucks stores across the country filed for representation this last week
- 13 divers at United Parks and Resorts Inc in Palm Beach Gardens, FL filed for representation with the International Union of Operating Engineers, AFLCIO, Local 30
- 27 theater employees at the Denver Center for Performing Arts filed for representation with IATSE Local 7
- 100 employees across numerous departments at the California Academy of Sciences filed for representation with SEIU Local 1021
Looking Ahead...
This weekend, there are numerous demonstrations happening all over the country. Unions and labor federations across the United States are joining with other organizations for the "Hands Off!" protests. Find your local protest here.
Also happening this weekend is a March for Palestine in DC. You can find more information about that demonstration here.
That's all I've got for this week. I hope you have a restful weekend if you can, and if you're feeling like channeling some of that rage, get out to a demonstration or reach out to your local mutual aid group to jump in and redirect some of that energy.
See you back here next week for another digest--
In love and solidarity,
Mel
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