Naniโs Kitchen workers unionized with the blessing of their boss. Why arenโt more restaurants union shops? Itโs complicated.
Unions
County still at odds with its largest union
Negotiators for Monroe County and for its largest union are headed back to the table for more contract talks. County and CSEA Unit 7400 officials agreed on a contract proposal in September, but the union’s members recently rejected the deal by a 463 to 377 vote. The union has 1,700 members working in every area […]
Fight over schools project highlights divide
Questions over who got work on a hugely expensive project to overhaul Rochester’s aging school buildings have culminated in a lawsuit that some say threatens the whole deal. Politics, longstanding grudges, and racial tensions add fuel to the fire. The first phase of the $1.3 billion project surpassed hiring goals for women and people of […]
Project looks at perils of low-wage work
Work affects people’s health in many ways. Consider, for example, the increasingly clear connection between sedentary jobs and obesity, or the benefits people get from forming bonds with their coworkers. But the impacts can vary from job to job; a CEO works in a much different environment, with different hazards and stresses, than a factory […]
Why winning the Fight for $15 is essential
The argument that a substantial increase in the minimum wage is a โjob killerโ has no basis in fact.
A new rebellion
It’s a bit odd that in America’s thoroughly corporatized culture we have no national day of honor for the Captains of Industry, and yet we do have one for working stiffs: Labor Day. Where did it come from? Who gave this day off to laboring people? History books that bother mentioning Labor Day at all […]
No AFL-CIO endorsement for Cuomo
Governor Andrew Cuomo got a bit of bad news out of yesterday’s AFL-CIO COPE convention: the union umbrella group’s political action committee didn’t give the sitting governor its endorsement. (The list of the endorsements it did make is available here.) But the AFL-CIO didn’t endorse any of Cuomo’s challengers, either. While it’s unlikely that the […]
A novel approach to unionizing
An interesting experiment in unionizing is happening in Chattanooga, Tennessee. According to the Washington Post’s Wonkblog, this week 1,570 workers at a Volkswagen plant in the city will vote this week whether to join the United Auto Workers union. And UAW and Volkswagen both want them to vote yes. That the union and the automaker […]
Wegmans’ contract conflict
Wegmans and local Teamsters officials will resume contract negotiations on Friday, and retirement benefits will be at the center of those talks. Last week, members of Teamsters Local 118, which represents approximately 900 Wegmans truck drivers and warehouse employees, rejected Wegmans’ final contract offer. Union leaders blasted the company’s proposal to move the union workers […]
Week Ahead: Wegmans, Teamsters back in talks
Wegmans and representatives of Teamsters Local 118 are set to resume contract negotiations on Friday. Approximately 900 Wegmans truck drivers and warehouse employees are represented by the Teamsters. Last week, those employees rejected what Wegmans officials called the companyโs final and best offer. At the center of the issue is a plan to change employeesโ […]
Union, disabilities rights advocates at odds over developmental center closing
This afternoon, Public Employees Federation representatives will lead a press conference to push back against what union officials say is the rapid closure by the state of some psychiatric centers, juvenile justice facilities, and residential centers for people with developmental disabilities. The local union represents doctors, nurses, therapists, psychologists, and social workers at the facilities, […]
Brooks’ busy week
Maggie Brooks was in the news a lot last week. On the county executive front, her administration reached a tentative agreement with negotiators from a CSEA unit. The terms will be kept under wraps until union members have reviewed the agreement. Members must also ratify it before it goes into effect. The unit represents approximately […]






