Labor
UAW president sets new deadline for automakers, promising additional strikes
Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers union (UAW), on Monday night announced that more locations may be called to join the union’s strike on Friday. The UAW declared a historic strike against all three members of the Big Three automakers at midnight Thursday, after contracts expired with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. “I […]
Sen. John Fetterman to Detroit Three auto execs: How many yachts do you need?
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania, on Saturday joined striking autoworkers outside the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. Fetterman said he drove about five hours from Braddock, Pennsylvania, in his UAW-made Ford Bronco to get to the plant. “I always stand for the union way of life,” Fetterman said. “Whatever the unions say is […]
Consumers face higher car prices, lower inventory with auto workers on strike
Economic experts and researchers say that the auto workers strike could have far-reaching economic consequences for businesses and consumers, depending on its duration. In addition to workers’ job losses, consumers could see higher prices for cars and depleted inventory. The United Auto Workers union, representing about 150,000 auto workers, walked off the job at midnight […]
Kentucky ban on collecting some union dues by payroll deduction struck down
A Kentucky judge has struck down a new state law that prevents some public-sector unions from collecting dues through payroll deductions. Franklin Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate in an order on Aug. 30 stated that Senate Bill 7 creates “favoritism” for some public sector labor unions exempted from the law — specifically unions representing jail and […]
Union leaders hear from young workers organizing in Louisville
LOUISVILLE — It wasn’t until two weeks ago that Troy Plumer joined a union, a local chapter of the United Campus Workers, after working for about a decade as an IT professional at the University of Louisville.? The union, which represents staff and faculty, recently held a rally on campus to protest a new compensation […]
Federal call center workers call attention to workplace inequities during march
Call center workers that help Americans navigate the ACA marketplace and Medicare used this year’s March on Washington to spotlight their demands for more paths to advancement, higher pay, and more breaks between calls. They’re looking to bring government attention to their cause after previous efforts to get the attention of officials with the Department […]
COVID-19 image of nurses as ‘Healthcare Heroes’ both daunting and inspiring to students?
Fewer students were studying to become nurses in Kentucky last year than in 2019, the last pre-pandemic year.? Enrollment in educational programs that lead to a nursing license declined in 2021 and 2022. But a variety of statewide efforts could help push the numbers back up in the coming years. Kentucky needs more nursing students […]
Kentucky hospitals, other businesses receive training grants
Three Kentucky hospitals are among the recipients of $2 million in new statewide workforce training incentives, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Thursday.? Under the Bluegrass State Skills Corporation in the state’s Cabinet for Economic Development, the Grant-in-Aid program gives businesses cash incentives to provide employees with advanced training.? Businesses can also get tax credits through the […]
Teamsters-UPS reach ‘game-changing’ labor deal to avert strike
UPS and its workers, represented by the Teamsters, reached a tentative deal on Tuesday to prevent an Aug. 1 strike of 340,000 union members at the package carrier. A work stoppage could have cost the U.S. economy billions by disrupting supply chains and upending distribution to both large and small businesses, hospitals and homes. Representatives […]
At UPS Worldport, union members rally — and worry — ahead of threatened strike
LOUISVILLE — It’s been more than 25 years since Gilbert Pendleton, 62, was on the picket line with his local Teamsters union in Louisville, a time before online commerce and deliveries had changed the world.? In 1997, when some 185,000 Teamsters went on strike in a fight to make more full-time jobs available and keep […]
Louisville judge blocks state law barring some unions from collecting dues by payroll deduction
A judge has temporarily blocked a new Kentucky law barring some public-sector unions from being able to collect dues through payroll deductions.? Jefferson Circuit Court Judge Brian Edwards issued a temporary injunction July 3 against the implementation of Senate Bill 7 in a lawsuit brought by local unions in Louisville. SB 7, sponsored by Sen. […]
Kentucky judge recuses himself from KEA case after Cameron questioned his impartiality
A Kentucky judge has recused himself from a court case after Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron questioned the judge’s impartiality based on ?political contributions supporting the judge’s recent reelection. Franklin Circuit Court Judge Phillip Shepherd in an order Tuesday directed a lawsuit filed by the Kentucky Education Association be transferred to the other circuit judge […]