#labor-unions

#labor-unions

A divided San Mateo County Board of Supervisors yesterday decided yesterday (Oct. 28) that it will appoint a new sheriff instead of holding a special election. Supervisors Noelia Corzo, Lisa Gauthier and Ray Mueller voted to appoint a sheriff for the remainder of former sheriff Christina Corpus' term, while Supervisors David Canepa and Jackie Speier wanted a special election. The decision came after the majority of speakers during public comment asked for an appointment instead of an election.

On October 24, the National Weather Service Employees Organization (NWSEO) and the Patent Office Professional Association (POPA) filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging that Executive Orders Nos. 14,251 and 14,343 unlawfully threaten employees' rights to organize and bargain collectively, not on the basis of "legitimate 'national security' issues," but to retaliate against unions such as NWSEO and POPA for their efforts to represent employees.

It can be as simple as, 'I'm going to sign up to adopt the corner that I live on', whether it's here in San Francisco County or in Alameda County, 'I'm going to take care of my neighbors, I'm going to buy extra groceries, I'm going to buy additional goods from street vendors, buy them out so that they can go home.' They don't have to worry about vending goods where they might have concern that ICE would be coming for them.

This decision cements a worrying trend for employers who try to do the right thing in offering periods of flexibility for staff. It's common for employers to offer work from home arrangements on an interim basis, including on a trial basis or to support staff on parental leave in returning to the office full-time. These interim WFH periods are increasingly becoming a trap for employers.

"We believe if we can get the public behind us, we'll be able to get the legislators to understand what a big change this can bring to Southern Nevada," said Tommy White, business manager-secretary treasurer of Laborers' International Union of North America, Local 872 in Las Vegas. Trade unions formed a political action committee called Nevada Jobs Now, which has raised over $1 million to be used for digital advertisements, mailers and some TV commercials, White said.

Chicago's mayor, Brandon Johnson, told the crowd the Trump administration had "decided that they want a rematch of the civil war", which the white supremacist Confederacy lost to the Union in the 19th century. "We are here to stand firm and stand committed that we will not bend, we will not bow, we will not cower, we will not submit," Johnson said. "We do not want troops in our city."

Never assume that a technology's current limitations are its inherent limitations. Whoopi Goldberg on The View assured viewers this week that AI actors like Tilly are no threat to humans because "you can always tell them from us. We move differently, our faces move differently, our bodies move differently." It's true, that's the best AI can do-today. But Goldberg is making the same error as the highly intelligent computer scientists of decades past who believed computers would never translate languages very well.

In the mid-1970s, New York was broke, crumbling, and on the edge of collapse. Garbage piled up on sidewalks, unions fought bitterly with City Hall, and bankers refused to buy the bonds that kept the city running. The sense of crisis reached its peak when the Daily News captured the mood with one of the most famous headlines in American history: "Ford to City: Drop Dead."

Five months ago, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass revealed in her State of the City address that more than 1,600 city workers might have to be laid off to close a $1-billion budget shortfall. On Tuesday, after months of negotiations, Bass stood at City Hall with union leaders and announced that her administration had averted every layoff. "Some people said it couldn't be done, but I am so glad to stand here today and say that we have proved the naysayers wrong," Bass said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week is pausing all long-term work-from-home accommodations, including for employees with disabilities, according to an internal note reviewed by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The move comes after the CDC's parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, issued an updated policy in mid-August removing telework as a "reasonable accommodation" option for employees. On Tuesday, the CDC posted an official announcement in an internal publication detailing HHS' updated telework policy. The CDC's Office of Human Resources requested clarification regarding the new policy, according to the note.

The State Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents union construction workers, agreed to drop its opposition to Senate Bill 79 in exchange for an amendment that would require some of the projects that make use of the bill to hire union workers. The bill, authored by San Francisco Democratic Sen. Scott Wiener, would be one of the largest state-imposed housing densification efforts in recent memory.

Labor Day, which became a US national holiday in 1894, was once a very big deal. Photos such as this one taken in Buffalo, NY, in 1900 speak to the tens of thousands of workers who would march on Labor Day to be counted and to stand up for their rights.

Nearly 1,000 worker over billionaire protests are being planned in all 50 states starting this weekend as part of a Labor Day week of action organized by labor unions and advocacy groups in opposition to the Trump administration's policies. The actions include marches and rallies in cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles, a Labor Day parade in New York City, rallies in Palmer, Alaska, Freeport, Maine, and a planned protest at the state capitol in Honolulu, Hawaii.

A group of protesters first faced off with federal officers on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025, outside the nearby immigration courthouse at 100 Montgomery St., after an arrest at immigration court before moving to the downtown ICE field office. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)

After an HTC-led rally on 76th Street on Wednesday, a reporter asked Mamdani if he would support casinos opening in New York City. I've been open about my personal skepticism, and yet I also know that this is the law, Mamdani said, referring to the state-led process of awarding three casino licenses to applicants downstate. The siting and the choices of which casinos will open that pertains to the state.

The UK must ramp up the creation of green jobs, as the phase-out of fossil fuels risks losing public support for net zero transition and political backing.

"Let me be clear: I don't care who you are-if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted. No one has the right to assault, obstruct, or interfere with a lawful enforcement action."

Putting all that into consideration, the union leadership feels that it's important to let our members have the ultimate say if they want to take this deal, because it's significantly different.

It's not just me, of course. Other people are exhausted by different things in different ways, and many people are exhausted (or worse) by more material changes in their lives.