Labor Issues
Kudos to Sandra Leiser, PS 44, the Bronx
Sandra Leiser, the chapter leader at PS 44 in the Bronx, won compensation for her staff after an operational issues dispute with the principal, who arbitrarily shortened the staff lunch period at the start of the school year.
Chicago teachers' broad bargaining rights restored
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation on April 2 restoring the Chicago Teachers Union's ability to bargain with the city on a broader range of issues, including class size, layoffs and the duration of the school year
Amazon union drive fails
Workers at the giant Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, declined to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union in a historic vote.
Hunts Point Market workers win big raise
A weeklong strike at the Hunts Point Produce Market in the Bronx ended on Jan. 23 with workers winning their largest pay raise in decades and more money for health coverage. More than 1,400 workers, who have been working through the pandemic to help supply produce to New York City, has voted to strike.
Amazon workers hold first union vote
Amazon warehouse workers in Alabama began holding the corporation’s first union vote in the United States on Feb. 8. Amazon does not employ any union labor in the country and the approximately 5,800 fulfillment center employees are facing stiff opposition from the tech giant.
Trader Joe’s workers: Company skimping on safety
Study finds that Black, Latino and poor students are hurt the most by COVID-19.