The union mentions understaffing, faulty equipment, and underwhelming pay increases as inspiration for hundreds of PetSmart associates, groomers, trainers, and more to work to organize their workplaces. Workers at PetSmart in Midland, TX and Fairfield, CA have also filed for a union vote.

According to the PetSmart Union, “Ever since PetSmart was bought out by BC Partners in 2015, we’ve seen how the desire for profit has gotten in the way of our needs and the needs of the pets we care for. With a union, we’ll be able to forge a better PetSmart for workers and pets alike. We won’t let BC Partners’ focus on profits impact our standards and our love for what we do.”

\Image credit: PetSmart Union.

The post Indiana PetSmart Workers Unionize in Historic First first appeared on Labor Today.

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Local 555 represents over 35,000 workers across Oregon, Southwest Washington, and Idaho. About 4,500 of those are Fred Meyer employees. The union workers voted overwhelmingly for a strike sanction on August 13^th.

Before the vote, UFCW President Dan Clay slammed Fred Meyer’s Corporate, claiming that, “Fred Meyer continues to violate the law and their commitments made to Local 555. The most outrageous examples include refusing to provide essential information for current negotiations and refusing to process grievances, despite a longstanding history of doing so over the many decades between Fred Meyer and Local 555.”

The strike comes after UFCW Local 555 revoked their endorsement of a corporate merger between Kroger (Fred Meyer’s parent company) and Albertsons due to the flagrant ULPs. UFCW Local 555 was the only UFCW chapter that supported the merger.

In a statement to KOIN 6 News, UFCW Local 555 Communications Coordinator Miles Eshaia said,

“On August 15, Kroger issued a press release, saying that ‘Fred Meyer Delivers on Their Promise to Accelerate Associate Wages.’ For Fred Meyer to say they have delivered on their promise to accelerate associate wages is misleading at best. They have not agreed to any increases other than those negotiated by UFCW 555 as a result of the 1-day strike in 2021. They have a proven track record of not living up to their obligations and are falling short at the bargaining table. We were forced to file a federal lawsuit asking the courts to force Fred Meyer to live up to their commitments in the current contracts with UFCW 555. As a result, we are no longer in support of the Kroger-Albertsons merger for Oregon, Idaho, and Washington.”

Negotiations between the union and Fred Meyer’s corporation are ongoing.

The post Portland Fred Meyer Workers Strike Amid Unfair Labor Practices first appeared on Labor Today.

Disney Workers Rising, which is a coalition of four unions—The Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 83, SEIU-United Service Workers West, Teamsters Local 495, and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324—along with community members and other unions from around the country, demonstrated vigorously in favor of Disneyland resort workers’ demands. Disney guests and patrons left supportive comments on Disney’s social media accounts, raising awareness of the poor pay and working conditions.

David Hernandez, Shop Steward for Teamsters Local 495 declared:

“We are fed up with being pushed around by Disney and are ready to fight back against its unfair labor practices. Disney believes it can bully us into accepting a subpar contract by violating our rights, but they are wrong. We are united, strong, and prepared to strike to secure the fair contract we deserve.”

Following the rally, a strike authorization vote was held Friday with more than 99% of votes cast to authorize an Unfair Labor Practice strike. The NLRB received over 200 cases against Disney after they ordered hundreds of union members to remove their union buttons, including acts of retaliation against them. Contract negotiations resume July 22^nd and 23^rd. If Disney doesn’t cooperate with the four unions, they can call on nearly 9000 cast members to involve themselves in the ULP strike.

The post After Massive Rally, Disneyland Workers Authorize ULP Strike first appeared on Labor Today.

In the previous round of negotiations this past January, the grocery store workers of Brainerd Lakes rejected management’s offer citing that it did not account for the rise of inflation and that their wages are currently lower than that of their fellow grocery store workers in the major cities across the state of Minnesota. Additionally, the workers are fighting to eliminate the unfair pay scale that exists between members of the custodial team, whose wages are lower than that of their coworkers in other departments within the store.

Over the Christmas holiday, the members of UFCW local 663 in Brainerd Lakes went on strike to make sure their voices would be heard by management. Five grocery stores in the area encompassing 500 workers went on strike for three days, effectively shutting down the stores during the peak holiday season. This was done in response to intimidation tactics put forth by management that were designed to prevent the workers from exercising their rights as Americans. This marked the largest grocery store strike the state of Minnesota had seen in decades.

On Wednesday March 6^th, negotiations between the union and management resumed. Management put forth a three year contract that includes a $1 per hour increase for full-time employees and a $0.75 increase for part-time workers at the stores at the end of the three years. While showing signs of progress, the union negotiating team rejected management’s proposal for being inadequate and still not covering the concerns laid out by the workers.

The progress made in this round of negotiations stemmed from a protest that took place on Tuesday, March 5^th where over a thousand workers took to the steps of the State Capitol building in Saint Paul, Minnesota to demand better wages and benefits for grocery store and service industry workers. The event, which was organized by both the UFCW Local 663 as well as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), overshadowed an important charity event organized by the Minnesota Grocers Association. This overlap between events pressured management to show more flexibility in this round of contract negotiations, however, there was still a long way to go.

Finally, on May 2^nd, 88% of the Brainerd area UFCW Local 663 members voted to approve a tentative contract put forth by management that will remain in effect until 2026. Some of the concessions won by the workers in this new contract are the following: the prohibition of forced transfers of workers to other store locations, increased PTO, pathways for part-time workers to receive health insurance benefits and pensions, as well as moving the cleaning team and courtesy workers who have been in the position for three or more years as of December 2025 onto the higher pay scale for part-time employees. These concessions won by the workers of Brainerd Lakes were due to both their collective bargaining powers and their unwillingness to settle on either of management’s first two inadequate offers. Despite some of the demands they were fighting for not coming to fruition, the months long labor struggle resulted in some real material gains and is an objective step forward. We await to see what the future will bring in the next round of negotiations upon the expiration of their current contract come 2026. Given the experience the workers have gained from this struggle, they are bound to make even more gains in the years to come.

The post Grocery Store Workers in Central Minnesota Fight for a Just Contract first appeared on Labor Today.

Since the McCarthyite period of the 1950’s the AFL-CIO has taken an active role in regime change operations and worked with the US government in disrupting class-oriented labor movements that would prove detrimental to American business interests. From colluding with Pinochet against the Allende government in Chile, to creating the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD) to support the government’s anti-communist policies abroad, to playing an active role in the Maidan coup in Ukraine the organization has taken an active role against progressive labor movements around the globe. Working as an appendage of the ruling class for decades coupled with their role in funneling votes to Democrats to appear “pro-labor” has given the AFL-CIO no option but to tacitly endorse the actions of the Biden administration. Apart from their three-sentence statement published on October 11, 2023, the organization has ignored the burgeoning labor movement behind a call for ceasefire.

This is in stark contrast that most unions calling for a ceasefire are affiliated with the AFL-CIO. UE, SEIU, ALU and others may be in the minority but have taken a vocal stance on the issue with the UE being one of the original sponsors of the petition.

The post The Widening Split in the US Labor Movement and the AFL-CIO’s Increasing Complicity in US Imperialism first appeared on Labor Today.