The Service Employees International Union is joining the AFL-CIO, a move both groups said will make it easier for more workers to unionize.
SEIU is the nation's largest union of health care workers, janitors and security officers, among others. Combined with the AFL-CIO, a federation of more than 60 national and international labor unions, the group now has 15 million members.
Alan Dubinsky, communications director for SEIU Local 49, representing Oregon and Southwest Washington, said the two unions have a history of working together and they share many of the same values.
"We want to unite people across class lines no matter where they live, no matter the color of their skin, who they love, so we can stand up to billionaire interest and corporate greed," Dubinsky explained.
Research shows although only one in 10 workers is currently part of a union, more than 60 million people said they would join a union if they could. In a statement, the AFL-CIO said it will fight for new rules to strengthen the rights of workers to organize and collectively bargain.
Recent polls showed unions have near record-high favorability, with 67% of Americans approving of them. Last year had some major wins for labor, including The United Auto Workers, unions representing airline workers, and several Hollywood entertainment unions. Dubinsky noted rights for workers cannot be won alone.
"As working people, we all want the same things," Dubinsky contended. "We want jobs that are going to pay us enough to live. We want accessible, affordable, quality health care for ourselves, for our loved ones. "
When workers organize, research shows wages increase and working conditions improve. In 2024, petitions to form or join a union more than doubled from the previous year.
Disclosure: SEIU Local 49 contributes to our fund for reporting on Livable Wages/Working Families, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
click here.
get more stories like this via email
Connecticut union organizers are working to get pension plans for paraeducators.
In recent years, they have won a flurry of benefits from organizing but getting a pension plan has not been easy, since a General Assembly bill to create one has not made it through the Appropriations Committee in three years.
Michael Barry, campaign coordinator for the Connecticut Coalition for Retirement Security, pointed out most paraeducators have to work second jobs to afford everyday life, so their salaries make it hard to save for retirement.
"You can't put money into a 401(k) when you're barely making ends meet and paying your rent and keeping the car going," Barry emphasized. "Connecticut is like most places in New York, you really need a car. So, that's a whole other expense."
A 2021 Connecticut Paraeducator Advisory Council study found most paraeducators make less than $19 an hour and one in five makes $13 to $16 an hour. The state is already grappling with a shortage of teachers and aides.
A Connecticut Education Association survey last year found 69% of school districts reporting job openings for paraeducators.
Another way to help paraeducators would be to raise the minimum wage, more than it was already increased this year. The latest ALICE update shows the number of "asset-limited, income-constrained, employed" families grew 13% in 2022, the largest jump in a decade.
Barry argued creating a living wage would be beneficial.
"Rents are outrageous now. You know, rent, utilities are bad," Barry outlined. "Eversource keeps raising rates and it's just terrible. You know, just being able to survive, you need to be making a decent amount of money."
Connecticut's minimum wage is a little over $16 an hour, or an annual income of around $34,000. ALICE data found 38% of teachers' aides were living below the ALICE threshold.
Disclosure: The National Public Pension Coalition contributes to our fund for reporting on Budget Policy and Priorities, Livable Wages/Working Families, and Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
click here.
get more stories like this via email
A New York City music school's faculty is back in the classroom after a weeklong strike.
The Manhattan School of Music's Precollege Program faculty walked off the job after lengthy union negotiations broke down. The teachers have been working without a union contract since last August. While the union has made concessions, it said the school has been reluctant to compromise.
Adam Kent, president of the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Faculty Union, said they were forced to strike because the school was not taking the union seriously.
"We gave them over three weeks. We asked them if they wanted to reconsider their last proposal and they spelled it out that, no, they wouldn't be making any new proposals," Kent recounted. "We gave them two days notice when we actually declared the strike, and their first response was to try to line up 'scabs.'"
He noted the union is heading back to the bargaining table with the hope of getting a cost of living increase aligned with other schools, such as the Mannes School of Music and Juilliard. In a statement, the Manhattan School called the union's actions "disruptive to student learning" and argued they have had little or no availability to negotiate. Students, parents and other union members have joined the faculty's picket line.
While this was the first strike, Kent said he cannot say whether it will be the last. He cautioned there could be another, longer strike if the pattern of bargaining continues. He added recent comments from the school's attorney regarding the union's National Labor Relations Board case against the school make him leery about what lies ahead.
"The attorney made a comment to us, 'Good luck with your board,' in the context of the eviscerating of all of these federal agencies under the new administration, and we were really chilled by that," Kent acknowledged. "We really saw it as part of this idea of people claiming impunity and taking advantage of the current political climate."
Throughout negotiations, there have been questions about how much money is available for faculty raises. The school has continuously said there are not enough funds for a pay raise, but tax filing data show the school's president and executives received large pay increases last year. Other data indicate the school's tuition has risen 58% since 2014.
get more stories like this via email
Whether it's pressure from inflation or health-care costs eating away at savings, a reliable "nest egg" is still up in the air for many Americans.
There are calls to bring more certainty and retirement simplicity to the table for workers. Pensions offered to public employees are seen as more stable because they're not shaken by movements in the financial markets.
In recent polling from the National Institute on Retirement Security, 86% of Americans say all workers, including the private sector, should have a retirement plan that is more pension-driven.
Dan Doonan, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security, says retirement coverage is still too spotty for non-wealthy workers, leaving them on their own to put away savings.
"In general, we're just asking way too much of individuals to get all this right. And saving during the middle years of your life to provide income throughout retirement, it really is a challenging endeavor," he explained.
He added the good news is that more states, including Minnesota, are setting up programs that enroll private-sector workers in an IRA-style plan.
The goal is to step in when a company can't or won't offer retirement perks. Experts say they're easy for states to operate and benefit small businesses because they don't have to contribute. But for the workers, the IRAs typically have lower contribution limits, meaning the retirement savings might not stretch as far.
Just like state and local governments, Doonan said a more simplified network of retirement programs around the country can help companies in the private sector avoid staff turnover.
"As they do move in that direction, I think what you'll see is more loyalty in return to the company. So, there are some benefits for private employers, especially employers who value retention," he continued.
Congress has taken its own steps by adopting policies such as the Secure 2.0 Act, which updates federal rules dealing with retirement plans in hopes of boosting access. Doonan said those reforms could steer more people toward savings accounts similar to pensions. But he warns rising health care costs for older populations still could put a damper on things. And partisan divides remain in Congress over the future of Social Security.
get more stories like this via email