#labor disputes and negotiations

[theusarticles]

Britain is being hit by a wave of strikes. Why have things got so bad? | CNN

Britain is being hit by a wave of strikes. Why have things got so bad? | CNN

London CNN  —  Another day, another round of strikes in Britain. As the Christmas holidays approach, railway workers have brought the transport network to a standstill. Border Force staff are preparing to walk out. Postal workers, bus drivers and civil servants are either in the middle of strike action or threatening to strike. This week, nurses staged their biggest walkout in decades. And on…

[tmarshconnors]

The Pointlessness of the SAG Strike 2023

In recent weeks, the entertainment industry has been rocked by news of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) strike in 2023. While the actors involved in the strike have their reasons and concerns, it's essential to critically examine whether this strike is truly necessary or if it might be, in fact, quite pointless.

Economic Impact: One of the most immediate consequences of the SAG strike is the significant economic impact it has on the industry. Thousands of jobs, from actors to crew members, are being affected. Production companies are losing millions of dollars every day the strike continues. Given the economic hardships that many people have faced in recent times, including the COVID-19 pandemic, one must question the wisdom of causing further financial strain on the industry and its workers.

Demands and Priorities: The demands put forth by the striking actors are not unreasonable. However, one could argue that these demands might not be the top priority in a world grappling with more pressing issues. With global crises like climate change, social justice, and healthcare disparities, is a higher salary for already well-paid actors truly the most critical concern? Many people struggle to make ends meet, and it's hard to sympathize fully with actors making exorbitant salaries, especially when so many others are struggling.

Timing: The timing of the SAG strike is questionable, at best. It's happening in an era when the industry is still recovering from the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people in the entertainment business are just getting back on their feet after months of uncertainty and unemployment. Striking now seems insensitive to the plight of others in the industry.

Alternative Solutions: Are strikes the only way to resolve disputes and negotiate better terms? In an industry that thrives on creativity and innovation, one would hope for more imaginative and collaborative solutions. Negotiation and dialogue could lead to more mutually beneficial outcomes without causing widespread disruption and financial loss.

Public Perception: Lastly, it's worth considering the public perception of the strike. In an age where people are increasingly disillusioned with celebrities and their lavish lifestyles, a strike like this may only further alienate the audience. The entertainment industry depends on the support and admiration of the public, and a strike that seems self-serving could harm its reputation.

In conclusion, while the actors participating in the SAG strike 2023 may have legitimate concerns, it's crucial to weigh the impact of their actions on the broader industry and society as a whole. In a world facing numerous pressing issues, this strike may indeed appear pointless to many, given its economic consequences and the perceived priorities of those involved. Perhaps there are more constructive ways to address the concerns of actors and create a fairer and more equitable entertainment industry.

[trendynewsnow]

Union Protests Escalate at Audi Brussels Amid Negotiation Tensions

Disruption at Audi Brussels: Union Protests Escalate Negotiations between union representatives and Audi Brussels management took a dramatic turn on Wednesday when police intervention was requested after workers staged a protest inside the meeting room. The employees, frustrated by the management’s rejection of their counter-proposal for a social plan, decided to voice their concerns by entering…

[aanews69]

Wij leveren verhalen. We geven je ook handleidingen, tips en trucs over hoe je je eigen kunt maken.Dit kanaal is gewijd aan willekeurige dingen die op onze b...

[just2bruce]

Labor disruption coming for supply chains

Now is the time for labor unions to press ports and railways for new benefits for workers. There is a perfect storm of labor stoppages about to take place. Thursday (that’s two days from this writing) the Teamsters Canada union (TCRC) expects to strike the CPKC railroad, one of the two largest in Canada. CPKC is also a large US and Mexico railway, and we’ve yet to see if US unions will honor a…

[townpostin]

Madhu Koda Leads Protest Against Outsider Hiring at Gua SAIL

Joint Unions Demand Cancellation of 18 Non-Local Appointments Former CM warns of economic blockade if July 3 meeting fails to reach consensus. GUA – Former Chief Minister Madhu Koda led a protest at the Chief General Manager’s office at Gua SAIL, demanding the cancellation of 18 non-local hires and addressing worker grievances. "We’ve been protesting since December when these outsiders from…

[fawziamlaw]

The UAE is a great place to work! Labor disputes are rare, and when they do arise, they are resolved quickly and effectively. Some of the common issues arise from contract termination, wage non-payment, working conditions, and end-of-service benefits are all issues that can be resolved through negotiation, mediation, labor committees, and arbitration.

[the-final-sif]

Hi! Do you know if there is any reason why the union wouldn't contact Quackity/Quackity Studios directly?

Yes! I believe actually have a decent sense of this! Now, I'll be up front that I am not French, nor am I well versed in french labor unions, but I do think after some research I understand the confusion.

The short answer is because they don't want Quackity to contact the union directly. They want Quackity/the management to talk to the workers involved in the dispute.

The union is willing to be a go-between if need be, but what they actually want is negotiations between QSMP & the actual workers, and more particularly for workers to not be completely ignored for 3 weeks and then fired (what happened to Pomme's admin).

The workers in question have been messaging their management/contacts at qsmp and trying to get any kind of answer to no avail, and what the Solidaires union is doing is placing public pressure onto Quackity/QSMP to actually answer these workers and come to the table with them.

If you actually read the statements put out by the union, this is pretty clear,

(march 13th statement)

To avoid it, we invite Quackity to be proactive by opening a social dialogue with all their workers. A negotiated outcome remains possible: it will need to address monetary demands concerning work already performed and that to come, as well as claims to improve working conditions.

(march 20th)

Last week, we invited Quackity and other Quackity Studios executives to engage in negotiations with their workers. As far as we know, no contact has been attempted, either directly or via us. In fact, most of them saw all their communication media cut off without prior notice nor any further explanation.

If you actually read the call to action, the union is not asking to be contacted directly, although they are willing to refer. They're literally saying "fucking text your workers back and don't leave them on read for 3 weeks". That's what they wanted QSMP to do.

The actual role of the union in situations like this isn't to be directly negotiating contracts but rather offering legal counsel to workers and helping sue for unfair dismissal (something that this union has done to other game dev studios in the past including Ubisoft). They're tackling the unfair working conditions, and part of that is placing public pressure for Quackity to actually respond to the workers. It's up to him to actually reply to workers and make things right, and if he fails to do that, well he gets to get dragged in front of french court to justify his choices.

[felassan]

Article: 'All unionized Dragon Age: Dreadwolf QA workers have been laid off'

The Keywords Studios workers were laid off in late September

Text:

"All of Keywords Studios’ unionized QA workers were laid off from the studio in late September after Dragon Age: Dreadwolf developer BioWare declined to continue its contract in August. The QA workers, who were contracted to assist with playtesting and quality assurance at BioWare Edmonton, won their union vote in June 2022. All 16 eligible voters said “yes” to joining United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Union, Local No. 401. It was a historic vote, making the group the first games industry union in Canada. Keywords Studios workers were in bargaining with the company when they were laid off following the news of 50 job cuts at BioWare itself. A UFCW representative told Polygon that 13 people were laid off — everyone supporting BioWare. Liz Corless, Keywords Studios’ global head of marketing, confirmed that 13 Edmonton-based QA workers were laid off. “We can confirm that regrettably the 13 Edmonton-based staff have now left the business following the end of a fixed term client contract,” Corless wrote in an email. The group of workers were laid off on Sept. 27. Russwurm added that Keywords Studios has “taken the position there is no more work available.” (Keywords Studios has several QA job postings listed on its website, in Canada and across the world. Many, but not all of these listings, are related to language localization and require specialties that the laid-off workers may not have.) Russwurm said the union filed an employment standards complaint against Keywords Studios this week. He added that Keywords Studios offered “minimal severance,” which the union is disputing. Severance has not yet been paid out, he said. (Several BioWare employees laid off at that time are currently suing the company for “adequate severance.” These are two separate issues with two separate companies, however, despite being linked to Dragon Age: Dreadwolf.) Though the unionized QA workers did not yet have a contract with Keywords Studios, they can attempt to negotiate better severance pay. Keywords Studios is headquartered in Ireland but has more than 20 worldwide offices. The studio was founded in 1998, and does not publish or develop its own games — instead, it provides art, QA, audio, and other development support for other studios, like BioWare."

[source]

(emphasis mine as there are two issues with two companies)

[tallerthantale]

Effective Boycotting is a Matter of Leverage

I'm not writing this to be critical of or police anyone's personal position on continuing involvement in Good Omens fandom or whatever their state is with Amazon. Some people may never want to engage in the fandom again, and that's ok. Some people want to keep working on their art, that's ok.

For people who are actively interested in strategizing around their relationship to the fandom and the work, I want to give you my thoughts on how that can be done.

Amazon appears to be considering reducing Neil Gaiman's roles from Season 3. As far as I have seen we don't know what any of the details are that are currently being considered. That means right now is the most impactful moment to consider the role of fandom.

When we look at this strategically, the first step is, what's the objective? For me, the long term goal is to have an incentive structure for Amazon and other such organizations to drop people from projects. I'll explain a bit what I mean by that.

Imagine a labor union that's contracted with a store owned by an evil corporation. It's too much of a monopoly to realistically take down the corporation, a lot of people are stuck buying from the store because they don't have decent transportation.

There is a labor dispute, the evil corporation is doing something extra evil and the union calls for a boycott until they stop. So the people who reasonably can stop shopping at the store honor the boycott, and buy from somewhere else. If it's a well run boycott they also help other people out with rides to shop elsewhere through community organizing.

Eventually the store gives in on the labor dispute and does what the union wants. At that point, the union drops the call for a boycott, as the parties have come to an agreement. The evil corporation is still evil. Here is the really important part: When the union drops the call for a boycott, you go back to shopping at the store. Yes, even if the store is still largely evil.

You do that, because that is what preserves the union's power. If no one who participated in the boycott went back to the store after the agreement, the store learns to not bother to reach agreements with the union to end their calls to boycott. Corporations are not acting off of moral principles, they are acting off of bottom line. If reaching an agreement with the union does not improve their bottom line, why bother to negotiate?

So my point is, for fandom to become a base of organized power that can have and maintain effective boycott leverage, there has to be a thing that we are taking away, and a thing we want Amazon to do, at which point those strategically inclined will put back the thing we took away.

The most obvious option is to go back to supporting the show if Neil Gaiman is removed from it to a reasonable degree. Doing that contributes to an incentive structure for Amazon and other corporations to remove people under similar circumstances in the future.

If Amazon can avoid the financial hit of the protest by giving the protestors what they want, they will do so. That helps break down the cultures of looking the other way in the entertainment industry. If shows that remove people get full on protested even after the person was removed, they have no incentive to remove people because it's all sunk cost.

Given how often shows are cancelled these days, I think it is a stronger message to have a show fire its showrunner and carry on successfully than to have a show nebulously not return. I like that outcome better even if it leaves Gaiman with some residuals, because for me the priority goal is incentivizing platforms to publicly dump people in these situations. Gaiman's bank balance is further down the list.

Other people will have other things they want their end goal to be and that's ok. Just remember you aren't appealing to Amazon's better nature, you are appealing to their spreadsheet. What is their incentive to care what you think?

Plan like you are in a negotiation with Amazon. What do you want them to do? What are you willing to stop doing that you will start doing again if they do what you want? And if you find what your position is on that, tell them. People who can drop prime and then offer to reinstate it probably have the most power, but pausing fan content is a meaningful thing to mention too.

[iww-gnv]

NEW YORK, July 10 (Reuters) - Pro-union baristas at Starbucks are taking their campaign on the road on Monday and trying a new tactic along the way: asking the coffee chain's customers to organize pickets at non-unionized U.S. cafes. The Workers United union plans to hand out flyers during a 13-city bus tour to customers with a QR code that takes them to a sign-up sheet to organize their own protests during a "national 'Adopt-a-Store' day of action" on Aug. 7, according to copies of the flyers seen by Reuters. The union is taking a more aggressive tactic of directly targeting customers as contract negotiations drag on. The union and company blame each other for bargaining delays and alleged labor law violations. Starbucks has been accused of more than 570 unfair labor practice charges. On Thursday, the National Labor Relations Board sued Starbucks over its refusal to rehire 33 workers as it shuffled three downtown Seattle stores into its "Heritage District" after one of those cafes unionized. The dispute is threatening Starbucks' reputation as a progressive employer, with some investors pressuring the company to account for its treatment of pro-union employees.

[macmanx]

"Y'all are losing profits, hand over fist. And I know that there are meetings happening in backrooms all over this town," Burton said, adding "greed isn't good for any of us. So let's get real. Let's come back to the table. Let's make a fair and equitable deal and let's get back to work."

Takei said actors are struggling to make a living in the changing entertainment industry. "We're here to ensure that the young actors coming up, building their careers, will have the incentive to keep on keeping on, rather than giving up and opening up a restaurant or something," he said. "We want them to be able to survive on their art of acting. We're here in solidarity to support their careers so that they can enjoy the career that LeVar and I have enjoyed."

Hurd said the fight going on in Hollywood is a microcosm of the labor movements around the world. "We've been ready since July 13th to negotiate. We've asked every week for them to come back to the table," she said. "I have faith and hope that they will come to a respectful contract and then come to the table and bring it to us too, because we are ready to get back to work. Writers and actors are at the table. Where are they?"

[just2bruce]

ILA stops negotiations with USMX

The labor deal between US East and Gulf Coast ports and the International Longshoreman’s Association (ILA) may be unraveling. The current agreement expires at the end of September. It was a six-year deal. The major issue at present is an Auto Gate system Maersk and APM Terminals are using that processes trucks autonomously, with no ILA labor. The union claims this directly contradicts what was…

[covid-safer-hotties]

Alabama still demanding people pay back COVID unemployment: ‘it’s just been horrible’ - Published Aug 13, 2024

For Spencer Johnson, memorizing three Japanese writing systems has been easier than deciphering Alabama’s unemployment system.

“The most confusing thing I have ever done,” he said of trying to negotiate with the Alabama Department Labor, a group whose bungled handling of pandemic benefits will wind up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in October.

Johnson, 30, is studying Japanese at the University of Alabama and has launched a business to help English and Japanese speakers broach the language divide. He plans to finish his degree in Japan. But, like many in Alabama, he’s still trying settle an old unemployment dispute, as the state wants him to give back $4,000.

Many Alabamians who got unemployment benefits during the pandemic, both the state money and the extra $600 from the federal government, have received notices over the last four years that they were overpaid and owe money back, often thousands of dollars, in many cases due to errors in the department’s clunky computer system, small mistakes in their applications or missing information.

Expand article logo Continue reading When COVID hit, Johnson was in his last semester at Coastal Alabama Community College. He got hired to work for the Census for the summer and was going to Tuscaloosa to start UA for the fall of 2020. He started onboarding for the job and was immediately let go because of COVID, so he applied for unemployment. After a few months, when school started, Johnson said, he voluntarily quit getting benefits.

A couple of years later, the department told him he owed all of the money back.

He said he doesn’t have his parents to fall back on and he’s living paycheck to paycheck.

“And then having like, ‘Oh, by the way, you owe $4,000 to the state.’ There were times when I’m just like, ‘What am I going to do? Where is the light at the end of the tunnel?’ Because right now there is nothing.”

The Alabama Department of Labor did not respond to a request for comment. In the past the department has said it cannot comment on ongoing litigation.

During the pandemic, the department of labor had staffing shortages and technological problems that contributed to a significant backlog in processing applications. According to the Century Foundation, delays continue. By 2024 Alabama had the slowest rate of processing appeals of any state at an average of 752 day delay. In contrast, other states are processing appeals within 10 days. In 2024, Alabama has the highest rate of denying unemployment claims of any state. In 2024 Alabama’s denial rate was 377 %, more than three times greater than the second highest state, Nebraska, according to the foundation, which notes that rates can be over 100 percent if decisions are delayed.

In 2022, Governor Kay Ivey called the situation “outrageous.”

Johnson doesn’t know if or when his case will be resolved. He has gone through multiple attempts to appeal. After the first, the department decided in his favor and asked for a repayment of just $700, a smaller amount than he was told he owed initially. But it didn’t seem to matter. In the spring of 2022 he got another overpayment letter, once again saying he owed $4,000.

“I called them and said, ‘Hey, I’ve already had an appeal. They awarded in my favor. Why is it still saying I owe this money?’ The woman looked up my (account), she said, ‘Oh yeah, you’re right. They did award it. This seems to be an error. I’m going to take care of this. You don’t have to worry about it. Have a good day.’ And I’m thinking, ‘Okay, wonderful.’”

But that didn’t work either. A month later he got a notice in the mail telling him he still owed $4,000. What was even more confusing, he said, none of the 60 or 70 pages of communication he had received by that point explained why he owed the money. At that point, he sought out a lawyer. He felt it was a matter of principle that he not pay back the money. He said it often seemed that what he heard from the department staff contradicted what he read on the website.

“It has completely shattered my faith in the Alabama Department of Labor, completely shattered my faith in any sort of government bureaucracy. It makes me not want to buy into a system that I feel like everyone should want to buy into.”

He learned later that he could have asked for the overpayment to be forgiven but because he appealed, he lost the privilege to do that. But he said the website only directed him to appeal.

“So all they tell you is, ‘Oh yeah, you can appeal here.’ So by going with the first thing that they suggest I do, I end up disqualifying myself from just being able to ask, ‘Can you forgive this?’”

Read the rest of the report at either link!

[meandmybigmouth]

Trump's Anti-Worker Record

At every turn Donald Trump has made increasing the power of corporations over working people his top priority. The list of the damage done to working people by the Trump Administration is long. Here are a few examples.

Trump has encouraged freeloaders, made it more difficult to enforce collective bargaining agreements, silenced workers and restricted the freedom to join unions:

During a live conversation on X with Elon Musk on August 12, Donald Trump said striking workers should be fired.1

Trump packed the courts with anti-labor judges who have made the entire public sector “right to work for less” in an attempt to financially weaken unions by increasing the number of freeloaders.2

Trump stacked the National Labor Relations Board with anti-union appointees who side with employers in contract disputes and support companies who delay and stall union elections, misclassify workers to take away their freedom to join a union, and silence workers.3

Trump made it easier for employers to fire or penalize workers who speak up for better pay and working conditions or exercise the right to strike.4

Trump promised to veto the PRO Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, historic legislation that will reverse decades of legislation meant to crush private sector unions and shift power away from CEOs to workers.5

Trump has restricted overtime pay, opposed wage increases, and gutted health and safety protections:

Trump changed the rules about who qualifies for overtime pay, making more than 8 million workers ineligible and costing them over $1 billion per year in lost wages.6

Trump reduced the number of OSHA inspectors so that there are now fewer than at any time in history, and weakened penalties for companies that fail to report violations.7

Trump threatened to veto legislation that would raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour.8

Trump’s Secretary of Labor, Eugene Scalia, is an anti-worker, union-busting corporate lawyer who aggressively defended Cablevision’s decision to fire 22 workers when they tried to win a contract with CWA.9

Trump has helped insurers reduce coverage and made it easier for pharmaceutical companies to inflate drug prices:

Trump supports an ongoing lawsuit that would eliminate protections that ensure that health insurers can't discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions.10

Trump threatened to veto legislation to reduce prescription drug costs, even though last year the prices of over 3,000 drugs increased by an average of 10.5%.11

Trump’s made protecting the profits of pharmaceutical companies a priority in NAFTA renegotiations.12

Trump's proposed FY2021 budget would cut funding for Medicare.13

Trump has encouraged outsourcing and offshoring:

Instead of supporting CWA’s bipartisan legislation to help save call center jobs, Trump pushed for a corporate tax cut bill that gives companies a 50% tax break on their foreign profits - making it financially rewarding for them to move our jobs overseas.14

On two separate occasions, a group of Senators wrote Trump asking him to issue an executive order preventing federal contracts from going to companies that send call center jobs overseas, and CWA President Chris Shelton even asked him to do so during an in person during a meeting in the Oval Office. He never responded.15

Trump has broken his campaign promise to take on companies that move good jobs overseas—instead, he's given over $115 billion in federal contracts to companies that are offshoring jobs.16

Trump failed to prepare the nation for the COVID-19 pandemic, opposes hazard pay for essential workers, and has given employers a free pass to lower safety standards:

Trump failed to secure enough Personal Protective Equipment for essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis and has weakened protections for workers who are concerned about working in unsafe environments.17

Trump refused to use the Defense Production Act to get our IUE-CWA manufacturing members back to work producing ventilators or PPE and instead used it to force meatpacking plants to open despite thousands of workers getting infected on the job in unsafe working conditions.18

Trump promised to veto the Heroes Act, which would give essential workers premium “hazard” pay and expand paid leave and unemployment insurance for those impacted by the Coronavirus.19

Trump opposed providing aid to help state and local governments continue providing services and keep workers on payroll—he suggested instead that it might make sense to allow states to declare bankruptcy.20

Trump’s OSHA has lowered standards meant to protect workers from getting sick at work and given employers a free pass if they fail to follow even those minimal requirements.21

[sgiandubh]

Wrap-up?

Dare we hope for a reasonable wrap-up of the SAG-AFTRA saga soon?

I predicted 'one week tops' and I am already at day+10, which was to be expected, in a way. But the first signs of a potential détente were there at day +7 already, and that made me grin.

Current state of play seems to be a common push to finally be over with that strike, with a strong preoccupation of SAG-AFTRA to land a fair deal, in the process. No efforts are spared as we have recently seen with long week-end separate working sessions. And a constant go-between with AMPTP, who finally started to show some will to compromise on the most thorny parts of the problem: AI, minimum rates and streaming residuals. There also seems to be some renewed flexibility on the union's side, with regard to the studios' 'last, best and final offer' of last Friday, as we are informed by a very well-written article in Variety (https://variety.com/2023/biz/news/sagaftra-strike-ai-amptp-contract-1235783065/):

As far as streaming residuals go, there seems to be a catch with regard to the studios' last offer. The 100% increase is - very probably - not calculated on a net worth basis and it stands only if the show is among the platform's best viewed (so long for the hopes & dreams of many C and D listers):

Several items on the negotiation list are still open. For some reason, I found this particular one very interesting:

What is new-ish, compared to last week's state of play is the added pressure of the quarterly earnings calls on the studios' shoulders (https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/warner-bros-discovery-david-zaslav-sag-aftra-strike-ends-soon-1235784065/). In this case, Warner Bros Discovery:

Did you get what that man wanted to say with that last, painfully torturous phrase? Mmhm. Thought so: me neither. And FWIW, I just happen to know that a mouthful of clichés aligned like that at the end of a speech usually mean nothing else but this possible translation I am offering here:

'We know we've severely screwed up on that one and we're currently on damage control mode. However, we're not ready to acknowledge that we've been almost completely disconnected from the general audience's expectations since at least the COVID-19 pandemic, an unpredictable act of God situation to which our response was very poorly calibrated. We are still not willing to adjust our existing business model and strategy, and sincerely hope to be done as soon as possible with this protracted labor dispute, in order to avoid further critical losses.'

This tells me we might see an end rather sooner than later. I think it's a matter of days, by now and I will also follow ***'s own quarter call, tomorrow.