Mass. Nurses Approve New Contract—and More Bargaining News
Nurses from the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA/NNU) ratified a new contract with two hospitals and more news from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 1,400 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work
SETTLEMENTS
MNA/NNU, Cape Cod Hospital Group: Members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA/NNU) at Cape Cod and Falmouth Hospitals ratified a new three-year contract, retroactive to Oct. 1, 2010. The contract includes staffing improvements, placing strict limits on the hospitals’ use of mandatory overtime and creating a staffing committee to review staffing levels for patient and nurse safety.
Nurses and Health Professionals /AFT, Milwaukee County: The Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (WFNHP/AFT) won a one-year contract extension for Milwaukee County nurses, just before the state’s new anti-collective bargaining bill takes effect. AFSCME District Council 48, which represents 3,500 county workers, is hoping to similarly reach a new deal before Wednesday, when the state law goes into effect. Read the rest of this entry »
Union Plus Scholarships Help Two Workers Pursue Their Dreams
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Jennifer Wright Dorr at Union Plus sends us this feature about two Union Plus National Labor College scholarship winners.
Linda Murphy and Laura Dely both know the benefit of a higher education degree and through the Union Plus National Labor College scholarship program, they can achieve their goals of becoming college graduates.
They are two of the eligible students who will be awarded a total of $70,000 in Union Plus National Labor College scholarships in 2011. This is the largest financial aid contribution to the National Labor College (NLC).
A $2,000 Union Plus National Labor College Scholarship came just in time for Dely of Arlington, Va., an unemployed investigative reporter/editor. The scholarship will help her finish her Bachelor of Arts degree at the NLC.
Union Plus Can Help with Debt, Credit Problems
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Jennifer Wright Dorr at Union Plus sends us this feature examining Union Plus credit and debt counseling services for union members.
Desperately wishing to be free of debt, America’s workers too often turn to unscrupulous and ineffective debt reduction companies for help. But Patti Schlittenhart, a member of California School Employees Association (CSEA) Local 248, made a better choice. When she realized she needed help with her budget, she turned to the Union Plus Credit Counseling program because she “knew that if the service was backed by the union, it had to be reputable.”
Trust in the program is well placed. For more than a decade, the Union Plus Credit Counseling program has helped union families get out of debt through free counseling and debt management plans (DMP) with low fees.
Schlittenhart, a four-year union member from Downey, Calif., and a senior instructional assistant, says the program “has been a tremendous help.”
The program is working so well for our family. It has relieved a lot of stress and resulted in savings for our family. I think it’s a union benefit that more families should consider. I’m looking forward to becoming debt-free.
Netroots Nation: The Labor Caucus
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The union movement has come a long way online, and at this year’s Netroots Nation conference, online union activists got a chance to check in and talk about where we still need to go. This year’s Labor Caucus was the largest yet since we first got together at what was then the YearlyKos convention in 2006.
About 60 people came out for the caucus, mostly union members and union staffers from across the movement but also bloggers and activists who support workers. Our own Tula Connell and Michael Whitney of SEIU moderated the session.
We kicked off the caucus by noting what we’ve accomplished thus far. The strong union participation in Netroots Nation is a good sign we’re a vibrant, important part of the progressive blogging community now. We’ve made the case that working family issues are progressive issues.
Pilots Soar with New Spirit Air Settlement, and More Bargaining News
Spirit Airlines agreed to stop shortchanging the number of days off pilots receive—and more updates here from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 900 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
NEGOTIATIONS
ALPA, Spirit Airlines: Spirit pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots (ALPA), celebrated a much anticipated System Board of Adjustment decision, which orders Spirit management to cease shortchanging the number of days off that pilots receive after a scheduled sequence of trips. Under the collective bargaining agreement, pilots are entitled to receive up to five days off after the conclusion of a sequence of trips with no intervening days off.
Newspaper Workers Hold the Line on Layoffs, and More Bargaining News
Hold the press—much needed good news at a daily paper, the Long Beach Press-Telegram, and more updates here from the “Bargaining Digest Weekly.” The AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department delivers daily, bargaining-related news and research resources to more than 900 subscribers. Union leaders can register for this service through our website, Bargaining@Work.
SETTLEMENTS
TNG-CWA, Long Beach Press-Telegram: In California, newsroom and circulation workers at the Long Beach Press-Telegram, represented by The Newspaper Guild (TNG-CWA) Local 9400, reached a pact on a 30-month contract that offers layoff protection for a year and boosts pay by 2 percent after two years of bargaining.
