The members of UE Local 613 — teachers, speech language pathologists, and registered nurses at the Western Pennsylvania School for Blind Children — are educators, so it is fitting that this past spring, they decided the strengthen their local union through an educational series.
On Thursday, May 1, UE locals across the country participated in International Workers’ Day actions to stand up for workers’ rights. Local 667 joined a march in Pittsburgh and Local 1498-GWU held a series of actions throughout their campus in Las Cruces, New Mexico, including a screening of the film UNION, which tells the story of how Amazon workers in Staten Island won their union. Local 896-COGS in Iowa City, Iowa participated in a mass march to stop deportations and to keep families together.
Local 243 ratified a new three-year contract with Sargent Lock on February 24. This is now the fifth contract the local has won that retains their 100-percent company-paid medical plan. The highest priority for the members during bargaining was to win a contract without any increases or raises to their premium and they accomplished it.
On Monday March 31 members of UE Local 1105, the Graduate Labor Union of the University of Minnesota (UMN), gathered at the UMN Twin Cities campus to speak out against the university administration’s inaction in the face of a broad range of threats from the federal government against workers, students, and faculty. The rally was held jointly with AFSCME 3800 and featured speakers from both unions as well as the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, UMN Students for a Democratic Society, and other campus and local organizations.
In the largest council meeting since the Eastern Region was founded in 2006, over 100 delegates, guests and staff from 27 UE locals gathered on April 26 to share experiences, hear from the union’s national officers, and celebrate the union’s growth.
Members of UE Local 1077 have ratified a new contract with rail contractor PTI, which went into effect on April 15. The contract includes immediate wage increases between 2.25 and 4.5 percent for members who have worked at PTI for over six months. The members also won yearly wage increases between two percent and 3.75 percent depending on seniority, and secured strong language ensuring full-time employment.
On March 29–30, delegates from the Western Region met for UE’s Western Regional Council meeting, where members shared hard-fought victories, prepared for upcoming battles, and reinforced their commitment to building a democratic union rooted in militant, rank-and-file struggle.
Local 792 members had a lot of concerns going into negotiations with Quest Food Service Management. The members work for dining services at Wright State University, and have been employed by various food service contractors who have come and gone from Wright State. The latest employer transition was particularly difficult.
Twelve UE locals, representing over 30,000 graduate workers at both private and public universities, have released a statement urging colleges and universities to form a “Mutual Academic Defense Compact” to respond to the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on higher education.
We are happy to announce a new UE publication, Member-Run Unions: A UE Guide to Democratic Practice. This 32-page booklet describes in detail how UE’s philosophy of rank and file control is best implemented in the day-to-day work of our union: bargaining contracts, fighting grievances, and running our local, regional and national union in a democratic fashion. It also includes numerous practical suggestions for how rank-and-file members can plug into the work of running their union.
If you like what you read, please consider subscribing to the UE NEWS — for as little as $5/year you can support great labor journalism and receive the print edition of the UE NEWS four times per year.
You can also sign up to receive monthly UE NEWS Bulletins via email, or follow UE on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.