Labor Notes 12-20-23

On Tuesday Dec. 5, the members of SAG-AFTRA ratified the agreement reached with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers by a vote of 78%. The new agreement has over a billion dollars in gains, and was reached after a 118 day strike. The AFM begins negotiations with the same employer in January.

The United Auto Workers, after their huge success with the big three US automakers, have recently announced an organizing push at 12 other big automakers around the world, including Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, Subaru, Mazda, Tesla, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkwagen, Volvo, Rivian, and Lucid. Find out more here.

It was announced last week that Microsoft has reached an agreement with the AFL-CIO to stay neutral in union organizing campaigns, and to involve workers in the discussions about artificial intelligence. Read more here. This is the first time that one of the big tech companies has made a broad commitment to labor rights.

On Monday, President Biden and Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su announced a new federal rule that mandates the use of Project Labor Agreements for federal building contracts worth 35 million or more. It is estimated that this will give around 200,000 workers collectively bargained wages, benefits, and safety packages regardless of union status.

In AFM news, following the contract settlements in the Philadelphia Orchestra, the San Francisco Ballet, and the Boston Ballet, the New York City Ballet Orchestra has won a new three year contract with “healthy raises, and a robust health care alternative,” according to Sara Cutler, President of AFM Local 802, along with several non-economic gains having to do with working conditions.