News and Views
Bloomberg takes a broad look at the state of lawsuits over federal worker unions. The analysis shows the limits of relying on the courts and federal agencies to protect union rights. “Public sector unions and workers’ rights attorneys prepared to oppose Trump’s overhaul of the federal government, but have been overwhelmed by the breadth of his actions…Trump has signed executive orders to ignore collective bargaining rights for over a million workers, fire probationary employees and those in roles devoted to diversity, equity, and inclusion, re-categorize political appointees to give them fewer civil service protections, and effectively shutter entire agencies.”
There’s some tumult in the UAW, with a handful of UAW locals seeking to oust Shawn Fain. Two Michigan locals recently brought “administrative charges” against Fain; they’re joining four other locals that have already brought the charges. “Although a small fraction of the UAW’s more than 600 locals, the groups seeking to oust Fain represent a vocal contingent that have been hurt by layoffs,” Bloomberg reports. The opposition effort seems to be driven by Neil Barofsky, the UAW’s “independent” monitor, who appears to have vocal distaste for the UAW’s progressive positions on the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as Drop Site News reported last year. Barofsky has taken the position of UAW Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock in a series of disputes with Fain over spending—Mock appears to be desperate to avoid further investments in organizing while the UAW continues to lose members in its core sectors due to layoffs. The failure to invest more into organizing under the Biden NLRB was a huge missed opportunity. The UAW has over $1 billion in net assets.
The head of the Long Island Rail Road union is calling for a strike vote as bargaining has stalled.
Today’s Win
Video game workers that organized with CWA have won a strong first contract.