After 2,000 graduate workers committed to strike, UE Local 1103 (GSU-UE) won a strong and historic contract with the University of Chicago (UChicago). Membership ratified the contract on March 28, after 10 months of negotiations with UChicago’s administration.
On Monday, March 18, the members of the Durham City Workers Union chapter of UE Local 150 rallied for $25 per hour and fair pay before the city's budget hearing, demanding that the city finally prioritize its lowest paid workers.
On March 19, graduate student research assistants (RAs) at the University of Chicago Law School voted 59–29 to join UE Local 1103-Graduate Students United (GSU). This election victory represents the first expansion of one of the newly-established UE grad locals. The vote was the culmination of a swift and thorough worker-led campaign.
UE rail crew drivers and leaders from California gave testimony at a virtual hearing hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on March 20. They encouraged the federal government to approve a new regulation from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) that will reduce air pollution from train yards.
Last Saturday, UE Eastern Region President George Waksmunski traveled to East Palestine, Ohio to hear from residents affected by the February, 2023 train derailment and toxic chemical spill. They told their stories to a group of about 80 union leaders, environmental activists, and concerned community members, some of whom had come from as far away as Iowa, Texas and California.
“Look at East Palestine and you see the effects of capitalism and greed and profit and devastation in its wake,” Waksmunski said, after hearing the testimony.
More than a dozen members from six UE locals gathered on Friday, March 22 for a subregional education event to exchange ideas and plan for next steps in member mobilization. For most of the participants, many of them newly-elected stewards or local officers, it was their first UE event outside of their own local.
UE Local 667, whose members work at Pittsburgh’s East End Co-op grocery store, ratified a new three-year agreement on March 7.
“We told the employer from day one at the [bargaining] table that our membership demanded a radical change in how our labor was compensated,” said UE Local 667 President Fritz Geist. “The local made it very clear through our actions that we were organized and stood collectively prepared to take all steps necessary to win a great contract.”
Leaders from four Southern California UE locals met for a subregion education event on Friday, February 23. For several members, this was their first time attending a union event outside their own local.
Western Region President Bryan Martindale welcomed the group, and introduced Director of Organization Mark Meinster, who shared greetings on behalf of the national union.
On Saturday, March 2, UE Local 150 joined the Poor People’s March in Raleigh, NC. The march was held to commemorate the 800 people who die each day in America from poverty and low wages.
The new contract between amalgamated UE Local 155 and materials testing machine company Tinius Olsen includes several measures that give workers greater control over their time.
Vacation time was greatly improved by eliminating the old system of attendance incentive days, personal days, and two holidays, and turning them all into vacation days. The union won more vacation flexibility by getting workers the right to use some vacation in one-hour increments, and reduced the notice time workers are required to give for vacation of three days or more. UE members also won greater rights to carry over vacation days, and the company agreed to look into a digital system to allow workers to check their accumulated time.
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.