Thousands of BNSF Railway workers in Galesburg and central Illinois, and throughout the country are fighting the freight carrier’s attempt to implement an attendance policy that would result in many workers receiving less paid time off. Last month, the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART-TD) and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET), part of the Teamsters, called it “the worst and most egregious attendance policy ever adopted by any rail carrier” and said they’d take steps to authorize a strike unless the dispute was resolved.

Then a federal judge in Texas issued a Temporary Restraining Order on any coordinated self-help actions by the unions, including strikes. The unions are in court challenging the order.

Biden concedes Build Back Better blocked; unions seek key provisions. President Joe Biden in late January said in order to get key parts of the popular social package passed, he’ll have to introduce it piecemeal.

“It’s clear to me that we are going to have to probably break it up,” Biden said. “I’m confident we can get pieces, big chunks, of the Build Back Better law signed into law,”

Labor leaders are still pushing for Senate passage of the entire 10-year BBB plan, a $175 billion-per-year strengthening of the nation’s social safety net that ups the commitment to a carbon-neutral economy in the near future, and would enact pro-worker reforms.

“Our sights are set on passing the Build Back Better Act, reforming America’s outdated labor laws, and protecting our basic rights and freedoms,” the AFL-CIO said. “Our job is far from over, and we’re ready to continue making progress for all working people.”

Teamsters’ action looking ahead to UPS bargaining. Nationally, thousands of Teamsters have been protesting UPS’s move to cut wages for part-timers, who make a lot less than regular, full-time UPS employees. The company is ending its “market rate adjustment” that raised wages in order to retain and attract people to the demanding work of package handlers, which means some workers are getting pay cuts. The demonstrations may be a sign of coming negotiations with UPS, as new Teamster leadership takes office this month and may gear up for a strike threat in August 2023.

AFL-CIO arts and entertainment unions have launched a campaign to tell Congress to restore tax fairness for arts workers by supporting the Performing Artist Tax Parity Act (H.R. 4750 and S. 2872). It would restore their ability to deduct business expenses for their work. The joint effort is by the Theatrical Stage Employees, Actors’ Equity Association, the American Federation of Musicians, the American Guild of Musical Artists, SAG-AFTRA, Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and the AFL-CIO.

Union numbers, density down in 2021, wages up. U.S. union membership last year declined by 241,000 nationwide to 14.012 million, compared to 2020, reported the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which also cautioned that the pandemic skewed the statistics.

BLS said the 2021 union membership figures should be properly compared with 2019, the last year before COVID threw millions of people out of work. In 2019, the BLS said, unions had 14.574 million members, and the union density was 10.3%.

Median weekly earnings for all union workers — the point where half the group are above the figure and half below — reached $1,169 last year, up from 2020’s figure, $1,144.

AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said the numbers do not reflect increasing organizing and workers seeking unions last year.

“In 2021, workers forcefully rejected low-wage, thankless jobs after a year of being called essential,” Shuler said. “Across this country, workers are organizing for a voice on the job and millions of Americans are standing in solidarity with union members on strike. If everyone who wanted to join a union was able to do so, membership would skyrocket.”