union news stories on Newser

Wisconsin Teachers Quit in Droves After Union Loss

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 15:13:50 CDT

In the wake of Wisconsin's political dust-up over collective bargaining this year, more teachers than ever there are calling it quits. Teachers are retiring at about double the usual rate rather than face battered morale, bigger classes, trimmed pay, greater health care costs, and more pay funneled into retirement funds,...

Despite Money Woes, UC Gives $140M in Raises

Kevin Spak — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:51:46 CDT

The University of California is in the midst of what’s advertised as its worst fiscal crisis ever, with lost state funds leading to tuition hikes and layoffs—but that’s not stopping it from handing out $140 million worth of merit-based raises, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The raises will go...

Hyatt Turns Heat Lamps on Above Picketers

Tim Karan — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:31:22 CDT

Things got extra heated during an employee strike outside a Hyatt hotel in Chicago yesterday, when a manager turned on 10 heat lamps that were hanging above picketers—and left them on for nearly an hour, reports the Chicago Tribune . "This is one of the hottest days of the summer,...

Starring in Target's Anti-Union Training Film: Union Actors

Evann Gastaldo — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:38:30 CDT

Oh, Target: Perhaps it wasn't such a good idea to hire union actors for your anti-union employee training video. The video, which Gawker dubs “propaganda,” was created in 2003 but made headlines this week when that site made it publicly viewable for the first time. Now Salon reports that the...

Feds to Maine Gov: Rehang Mural or Repay Our Money

Kevin Spak — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:40:06 CDT

When Maine Gov. Paul LePage decided to remove a 36-foot mural depicting the state's labor history from the state's Labor Department building, he didn't just tick off union leaders—he ticked off the federal government. The US Labor Department is demanding LePage put the mural back up, or else give...

Alaska GOP Lawmaker Introduces Anti-Union Bill

Kevin Spak — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 10:46:29 CDT

A Republican state representative in Alaska has introduced a bill that would strip many public employees of their right to collectively bargain for changes to their hours, benefits, or working conditions. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the bill is consciously designed to mimic the controversial one passed recently in...

Fake 'Koch Brother' Dupes Scott Walker

Kevin Spak — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:02:32 CST

Scott Walker won’t take a call from the Democratic minority leader, but he’ll gladly make time for uber-fundraiser David Koch—or at least, someone he thinks is David Koch. Ian Murphy, editor of the Buffalo's Beast website, managed to get the Wisconsin governor on the phone in just a few...

Wisconsin Cops Look for Lawmakers Boycotting Vote

Kevin Spak — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 13:45:18 CST

Police have been dispatched to track down 14 Wisconsin state senators who are boycotting a vote to strip government workers of their collective bargaining rights. Republicans have a 19-14 majority in the chamber, but can’t pass the controversial bill without at least one Democrat present, and all of them were...

Unions to Pilots: Skip the Scan

Kevin Spak — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 14:20:56 CST

Two of America’s biggest pilot unions are urging their members to refuse to submit to full-body scans when they go to work. They complain the machines are "intrusive" and could expose pilots to risky amounts of radiation over time. Those who refuse are subjected to pat-downs that were made more...