Customers want instant gratification. Workers say it’s pushing them to brink.
Drastic changes in consumer demands are driving labor unrest in diverse industries upended by technology, from actors and writers to UPS delivery drivers.
Unions
Articles
As UPS deadline nears, strike appears more likely with no deal in place
Some 340,000 UPS employees are inching toward a strike, threatening the largest work stoppage in over half a century, that could upend a part of the broader package delivery system that Americans have come to depend on.
Teamsters chief says he asked White House not to intervene if UPS workers strike
Negotiations between the delivery company and the union representing 340,000 of its workers have been at a standstill for more than a week with a July 31 deadline for a new contract approaching fast.
Threats of strike heating up even before UAW begins negotiations with automakers
As the industry undergoes a historic transition from internal combustion engines to EVs, the UAW sees this year’s contract as an opportunity to ensure representation in the industry’s jobs of the future.
Stalemate: UPS, Teamsters contract talks break down, with each side blaming the other
The Teamsters represent more than half of the company’s workforce in the largest private-sector contract in North America. If a strike occurs, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers crippled the company a quarter-century ago.
Saying strike is ‘imminent,’ UPS gets Friday deadline from union for new contract
The Teamsters represent more than half of the company’s workforce in the largest private-sector contract in North America. If a strike occurs, it would be the first since a 15-day walkout by 185,000 workers crippled the company a quarter-century ago.
Teamsters expected to authorize a nationwide UPS strike for later this summer
Thousands of Teamster UPS drivers across the United States are expected to authorize a strike Friday, bringing the country a step closer to what would be among the largest work stoppages in decades.
Gig workers could find it easier to unionize under new ruling
Tuesday’s National Labor Relations Board ruling broadens the factors considered in the federal government’s test for determining a worker’s status as an independent contractor or an employee.
Hollywood writers, slamming ‘gig economy,’ to go on strike
Streaming has exploded the number of series and films that are annually made, meaning more jobs for writers. But WGA members say they’re making much less money and working under more strained conditions.
New UAW leader already has issues with Detroit automakers
Indiana native Shawn Fain, who took office in March after workers voted to sweep out most of the union’s old leadership, listed grievances with Stellantis, General Motors and Ford in a wide-ranging talk Friday.
Michigan set to repeal right-to-work law in major victory for organized labor
The Michigan Senate has approved a bill to repeal the state’s right-to-work law, setting the state up to become one of the first to overturn such laws, which allow workers to opt out of union membership and dues payments.
Biden taps Julie Su to lead Labor Department
Su quickly emerged as a clear favorite of organized labor and the Democratic Party establishment in recent weeks after Marty Walsh announced his resignation from the post.
Two rivals from factory floors facing off in race to lead UAW
In the first-ever direct election of a UAW president in the union’s 88-year history, Ray Curry, who started on the assembly line at a truck plant in North Carolina, faces Shawn Fain, 54, who began as an electrician at a Chrysler metal casting plant in Kokomo, Indiana.
U.S. union membership rate hits all-time low despite campaigns
Automation, outsourcing and lower unionization rates in traditional union strongholds, like auto manufacturing, are among the reasons for the steady decline.
New penalties for companies that illegally fire workers who unionize
In a big win for labor unions, the National Labor Relations Board ruled on Tuesday to expand the fees and penalties the agency can collect from employers that illegally terminate workers for labor activism.
Reformers take 6 of 14 UAW board seats, could win majority
The reform candidates campaigned on taking a more confrontational stance in bargaining with Detroit’s three automakers. The adversarial stance is likely to raise costs for General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, which almost certainly would be passed on to consumers.
Congress votes to avert rail strike amid dire warnings
Legislation to avert what could have been an economically ruinous freight rail strike won final approval in Congress on Thursday as lawmakers responded quickly to President Joe Biden’s call for federal intervention in a long-running labor dispute.
Biden calls on Congress to head off potential rail strike
A coalition of more than 400 business groups sent a letter to congressional leaders Monday urging them to step into the stalled talks because of fears about the devastating potential impact of a strike.
Indiana lawmakers, teacher unions outline education priorities for General Assembly
Indiana’s top Republican lawmakers said they plan to prioritize school choice and enact a plan to “reinvent” high school education during the next legislative session. Teacher unions have other priorities.
Rail union rejects contract as strike threatens U.S. economy before holidays
A national rail strike, which could happen as early as Dec. 5, would threaten the nation’s coal shipments and its supply of drinking water.