• 2 workers at consolidated Nuclear Security in Amarillo, TX filed a petition to hold a union election with the Metal Trades Council of Amarillo, Local 306 (affiliated with OPEIU and IAM)

• Workers likely pushed by their employer filed a petition to decertify the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) as the union representing 6 workers at everOn, a security company, in Knoxville, TN

• 52 workers at SP Plus Corporation in St Rose, LA filed a petition to hold a union election with the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1535

• 24 workers, all the international representative, at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in Washington DC filed a petition to hold a union election with the Washington Baltimore Newsguild 

• The employer filed a petition to hold a union election after a majority of the 16 workers at Starbucks in Miami, FL demonstrated support for unionization with Starbucks Workers United

• 130 workers at Transdev Services in Arlington, VA filed a petition to hold a union election with ATU Local 689

• 3 workers at Valero Refining Company in Memphis, TN filed a petition to hold a union election with the United Steel Workers (USW)

• 80 workers at Cargill in Reserve, LA filed a petition to hold a union election with the Teamsters Local 270

• 95 workers at TENSAR Corporation, an infrastructure company, in Morrow, GA filed a petition to hold a union election with the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU)

• 3 petitions were withdrawn last week:

  • A raid on the National Association of Special Police and Security Officers bargaining unit at Allied Security in Washington DC by the Protective Service Officers United

  • A petition to hold a union election with IBEW Local 2 among the 9 workers at Co-Mo Electric Cooperative in Tipton, MO

  • A petition to hold a union election with the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE) among the 12 workers at Hairspray on Tour in Ft Myers, FL

• In a pretty quick turnaround, 7 workers at Wells Fargo in Virginia Beach, VA who filed a petition to hold a union election on January 16th voted on February 8th unanimously in favor of unionization with Wells Fargo Workers United, a CWA affiliate, with the results being certified on February 16th. That’s a timeline you didn’t used to see, but is the result of General Counsel Abruzzo’s changes to board policy with respect to elections

• 16 workers at Starbucks in New Orleans, LA voted 12 to 4 in favor of unionization with Starbucks Workers United

• 17 workers at HCI Integrated Solutions in Ft Bliss, TX voted 14 to 3 in fvaor of unionization with the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 351

• News Guild: "The Texas Tribune Guild formally recognized as a union"

• 420 members of Teamsters Local 997 began a strike at Molson Coors on Saturday, citing the company’s refusal to present a fair offer, so far only making an offer of less than a $1/hr raise.

• Negotiations opened between the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and Altice USA, Inc., a telecommunications provider, on a new contract. The current four-year contract, covering workers from Beckley to Logan, is set to expire on April 25.

• Alaska Air flight attendants voted to authorize a strike in absolutely wild numbers - about 94% participated in the vote with 99.48% voting in favor

• After unionizing with UFCW Local 400, farmers market workers in DC, Virginia, and Maryland who work for FRESHFARM have a contract that includes a $20/hr minimum wage, a premium for speaking a second language, and vacation time for seasonal employees for the first time ever

• US Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville derided the idea of college football unionization, saying college sports is “about learning experiences, not about making money.” Meanwhile, after accepting $5M in public money from Alabama to quit his former job as Auburn’s head coach, he still collects a pension from Auburn that is higher than the median salary in the state of Alabama

• Ford CEO, vampire, lizard person, etc., Jim Farley said hinted at the threat of outsourcing work after the UAW strike, making it all the more important that the UAW won the right to strike over investment decisions and plant closures

• Speaking of strikes, UAW Local 862 representing 9,000 workers at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant have issued a strike notice over failure to come to an agreement on the local contract’s health and safety provisions

POLICY, POLITICS, AND LEGISLATION

• AFL-CIO President Shuler and AFGE President Kelley are both attacking the proposed “Fiscal Commission” on Social Security for what it is - a scam meant to cut benefits for working people. 

• A coalition of 7 labor unions representing 9 million workers - UAW, SEIU, AFA-CWA, UE, IUPAT, APWU, NEA, and NNU - formed the National Labor Network for Ceasefire to put action towards working people’s demands for justice in Palestine

• A coalition of unions and community groups in Durham - UE Local 150, Duke Grad Union, USSW, and more - are holding a forum and discussion on Palestine and what it has to do with our day to day fights on the job 

• An Alabama State Senate committee approved a bill to remove the requirement for schools to sign off on 14 and 15 year olds having a job, it moves to the full Senate now

• The Alabama Supreme Court made a decision on Friday determining that embryos at IVF clinics are “persons” under Alabama’s Wrongful Death Act

• A Florida Senate committee unanimously passed a bill that would allow 16 and 17 year olds on construction sites they had previously been barred from for safety concerns - yes, including 2 Democrats. The bill now goes to the full Senate

• Georgia’s State Senate voted in favor of a bill that would bar companies that accept state incentives from voluntarily recognizing their workers’ union, CWA members protested the proposed legislation

• Amazon is now following the lead of SpaceX and Trader Joe’s in attempting to get the National Labor Relations Board declared unconstitutional

INTERNAL UNION AFFAIRS

• Bad news keeps coming from the Teamsters, with the latest being that Brian Kelly, a lawyer at a high priced law firm that engages in union busting for companies and who is currently representing Donald Trump in a case to keep Trump off the ballot in MA, has reportedly been working for Sean O Brien in some capacity for over a year now.

Did we miss something? Send us your union updates: www.tvlr.fm/contact

Did you receive this from a friend? Click here to subscribe so you don't miss out!