Years of frustrated bargaining with hedge-fund Alden Global Capital forced Chicago Tribune staffers to strike Feb. 1 — the first time at a Chicago newspaper. The staff unionized with the Chicago News Guild/CWA less than a decade ago, but then faced a new owner, Alden, with a reputation for buying newspapers cheap, selling their real estate, firing staffers, cutting costs, and closing down, keeping management fees and profits.
“Our anger today is about to boil over,” said Tribune investigative reporter Ray Long, a former Peoria Journal Star newsman and Guild negotiator directing his comments to Alden. “If you refuse to bargain in good faith from this day forward, you will see our wrath and you will wish this day had never come.”
Durbin, Duckworth tell Rivian not to block unionization
Illinois’ U.S. Senators have warned Rivian and other nonunion automakers not to interfere with workers unionizing. Democrats Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth and 31 colleagues wrote Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe and 12 other automakers to “strongly urge” the corporations to stay neutral on workers’ organizing and to bargain in good faith if workers vote to unionize.
“A neutrality agreement is the bare minimum standard manufacturers should meet in respecting workers’ rights, especially as companies receive and benefit from federal funds related to the electric vehicle transition,” the senators wrote. “We are concerned by reporting at numerous automakers that management has acted illegally to block unionization efforts,” referring to National Labor Relations Board rulings that Hyundai, Tesla and Volkswagen have broken the law.
“Retaliatory actions are hostile to workers’ rights,” the letter added. “All workers, no matter what states they live in, should have a free and unhindered opportunity to join a union.”
Rivian has more than 3,500 workers at its Bloomington-Normal facility.
Teamsters talks reach critical point with the state, Anheuser-Busch
At press time, the Teamsters has stepped up mobilizing against IDOT after some 4,500 workers there have been working without a contract for seven months, seeking little progress in negotiations, and on Feb. 3 authorized a strike. The union also has another 5,000 members at 12 Anheuser-Busch breweries, and the current agreement was set to expire Feb. 29.
“Without a contract by February 29, there won’t be any beer come March,” the Teamsters posted online.
Illinois could lose 14 groceries in proposed merger. As part of the proposed $24.6 billion merger of the retail chains Kroger and Albertson’s, Kroger has agreed to sell 14 Illinois stores, which could close, but haven’t been identified. They’re some of more than 400 Kroger and Albertson’s locations planned to shut down.
The proposed merger, which would also sell eight distribution centers and create a chain of 4,500 stores — has faced opposition from the United Food & Commercial Workers union, state Attorneys General and federal regulators since 2022.
The companies say they’re in “ongoing dialogue with the Federal Trade Commission and individual state Attorneys General,” and extended the plan to close the deal from early this year to mid-August.
Microsoft agrees to remain neutral in union campaigns
The AFL-CIO and Microsoft have agreed that the tech giant will remain neutral if any of its U.S.-based staff seek unionization. About 100,000 workers are now eligible to unionize.
Environmental groups unionizing, bargaining. Environmental nonprofit workers recently announced an organizing victory at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), according to the Communications Workers of America, a new unit covering more than 350 scientists, attorneys and other staffers. The NRDC agreed to voluntarily recognize their union, represented by Washington-Baltimore News Guild-CWA.
Meanwhile, unionized employees of the National Audubon Society continue to negotiate a first contract with Audubon after 21+ months of bargaining. Represented by the Bird Union-CWA Local 1180, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Audubon had broken labor law by not bargaining in good faith.
Education unions launch ‘fight for freedoms’
The American Federation of Teachers and the National Education Association, plus 1,000 higher-education institutions, have launched a fight for educational freedoms. In a statement, the NEA and the AFT — which together have more than 4 million members — plus the American Association of University Professors, the Network for Public Education, and the American Association of Colleges and Universities blasted attacks on teachers, schools and students.
“Simply put, the assault on public education is an assault on our freedom,” the group said.
— News briefs courtesy of The Labor Paper: “Like” us on Facebook.com/The-Labor-Paper