Hundreds of teachers in the East Bay area of San Francisco, California went on strike last Thursday after talks collapsed over better pay and benefits.
Thousands of students in the West Contra Costa Unified School District are going to feel the impact as about 1,400 teachers walk off the job.
The teachers picketed outside dozens of schools located in El Cerrito, Hercules, Pinole, Richmond and San Pablo.
The union and school district are at an impasse after 10 months of negotiations for a new contract.
The teachers union authorised the strike last Monday. It seeks a 10 per cent pay rise over the next two years, better health care and smaller class sizes.
The district is offering a 3 per cent rise and minimal increased health benefits.
Union organisers say their low pay makes it difficult to recruit new teachers into their district.
They also claim there’s a lack of special education services and that 71 classrooms across the district started this school year without teachers.
District Superintendent Cheryl Cotton said that the district is facing a deficit that will likely require cuts which would mean instead of smaller class sizes, they will increase in size.
Gabrielle Micheletti, vice president of United Teachers of Richmond stated: ‘This strike is about ensuring that kids get the education that they deserve and get the services they need.
‘And the real harm that’s being done right now is that there are kids who are not having teachers, having the support they need.’
Teamsters Local 856, which represents food service, maintenance and other staff, are to join the picket line after rejecting their contract.
Elsewhere, more than 150 Teamsters at an Actus Nutrition facility and two Foremost Farms plants have overwhelmingly voted to authorise strike action.
The workers, represented by Teamsters Local 120, are employed at three locations critical to dairy production and processing in western Wisconsin.
Actus currently operates a protein facility in Sparta after purchasing it from Foremost Farms, while Foremost continues to run two cheese processing plants in Richland Centre and Lancaster.
Just 30 days before selling the Sparta plant to Actus, Foremost finalised a contract with the Teamsters.
After acquiring the facility, Actus refused to honour key benefits and worker protections in that agreement.
Workers at that site rejected Actus’s ‘last, best, and final offer’ and filed a 10-day strike notice over health care, pensions, picket-line protections, and maintenance-of-standards language.
Tom Erickson, President of Local 120 and Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division said: ‘Our members negotiated in good faith and secured a strong agreement.
‘Then Foremost sold the facility, and Actus tried to gut the strong contract that these workers earned.
‘If these companies think they can shuffle ownership around to strip workers of their rights and protections, they are in for a rude awakening.
‘Our members held up their end of the deal, and they are ready to hit the streets to get what’s rightfully theirs.’
While Actus is moving to slash worker benefits and protections, Foremost Farms is pushing for similar reductions at their Richland Centre and Lancaster plants.
Workers at these locations are concerned Foremost may sell these facilities in the future.
Strike notices at both plants have also been filed.
Cory Holliday, an Actus Nutrition worker and Local 120 member said: ‘Foremost agreed to a fair deal, then sold us off, and now Actus is trying to take back what we’ve earned.
‘These jobs at the Foremost and Actus plants are our livelihoods and the engine of our local economy – we’re not backing down.’
Drivers and warehouse workers at four Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits facilities throughout Texas have overwhelmingly ratified their first collective bargaining agreement.
The 36 workers, represented by Teamsters Locals 745 and 577, work at facilities in El Paso, Longview, Lubbock, and Amarillo.
Jeff Padellaro, Director of the Teamsters Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference said: ‘Teamsters are leading the way when it comes to organising in Texas.
‘Our members have won great agreements with industry-leading benefits. Members of Locals 745 and 577 should be proud of the strong first contract they have secured.’
Highlights of the new contract include higher wages, Teamsters health care and pension, additional paid leave, and strong union protections.
Rod Cuevas, President of Local 745 said: ‘This agreement is reflective of the hard work and solidarity of the members at these four facilities.
‘Our locals worked together to secure a strong agreement that gives these workers more power and the ability to build on future contracts.’
Alfonso C. Brito, President of Local 577 said: ‘When Teamsters work together, they get things done.
‘This was a team effort, and our members should be proud of the contract they’ve won.’
- Starbucks baristas in Des Moines and Iowa City joined a nationwide strike dubbed the ‘Red Cup Rebellion’ for better pay, hours and staffing.
The union, Starbucks Workers United, says over 145 stores are now involved, while Starbucks reports minimal operational disruption from the strikes.
Key points for the union include improved wages, consistent scheduling and a resolution to alleged unfair labour practices by the company.
The union, which says it represents over 11,000 employees at about 550 of the chain’s US locations, has been on strike since 13th November, the company’s traditional Red Cup Day.
Starbucks Workers United said in a statement: baristas are fed up with Starbucks’ union busting and failure to finalise a fair contract, and they’re taking action.
We have won a lot as a union but Starbucks continues to stonewall us during contract negotiations.
‘It’s time to get this done so we can all move forward.’
Asia Williams said: ‘We will be out as long as it takes to get them to the table.’
Union members said they are receiving payments from the union’s strike fund while they are off undertaking the industrial action.
- The Directors Guild of America (DGA), which represents film television and theatre directors, released a statement last Thursday saying that it opposes the sale of Warner Brothers to Netflix for 82 billion dollars.
Neither Netflix or Warner Brothers have said whether they will be making job cuts because of the merger but media analysts have said that it is an outcome which is likely, as they get rid of any duplicated roles.
The DGA said: ‘We believe that a vibrant, competitive industry – one that fosters creativity and encourages genuine competition for talent – is essential to safeguarding the careers and creative rights of directors and their teams.
‘We will be meeting with Netflix to outline our concerns and better understand their vision for the future of the company.
‘While we undertake this due diligence we will not be commenting further.’
The Writers Guild of America East and West previously warned they would oppose any merger that reduces competition, noting that in October a WBD-Paramount deal would have harmed writers and consumers.
So it is highly probable that it will oppose this deal.
Last Thursday, SAG West members held a conference in Los Angeles fighting against cuts to the arts that are being implemented in San Diego.
After the event SAG West released a statement in which it stated: ‘We continue to fight against any funding cuts. Where that be to PBS or in the film industry. We will fight for our members jobs where ever they are threatened.’
