News & Commentary May 15, 2023

[Omaha Steve]

https://onlabor.org/may-15-2023/

By Elyse Weissberger

In today’s News and Commentary, United Airlines pilots protest for higher pay, the Oakland, CA teachers union reached a tentative agreement ending their 7-day strike, Iran arrested eight people accused of leading a workers’ strike at the world’s largest gas reserve, and the Writers Guild of America denies a Broadway request to allow the broadcast of the Tony Awards ceremony to move forward as scheduled.

United Airlines pilots marched on picket lines last Friday calling for salary increases and time-off protections. United pilots could be the third major US airline to authorize a strike, following affirmative votes from American and Southwest Airlines. US law requires that a federal mediator declare further negotiations pointless before airline workers can legally strike or companies can legally lock workers out. The United Airlines pilots have worked without a raise for four years while negotiation a new contract. American, Southwest, and United’s pilot unions have baselined their current negotiations against the Delta Air Lines deal ratified in early March. In addition to higher salaries, the unions are seeking limitations on management’s ability to require pilots to fly on their days off. The industry anticipates record-breaking travel this summer. Busy summer flight schedules, along with a shortage of pilots and these strike authorizations puts the unions in a strong bargaining position.

Oakland Unified School District’s 34,000 students will return to the classroom this Tuesday, after a 7-day educators strike. Early this morning, Oakland Education Association (OEA) announced that they had signed a tentative agreement with the school district. The union’s demands included pay increases and more student support resources. Early negotiations idled due to disagreement over some of the teachers’ common good demands. The tentative contract provides OEA the ability to appoint 8 of a 13-member steering committee managing a $66 million state grant for the creation and bolstering of “community schools.” Community schools provide wraparound services for students and families in addition to fulfilling their education mission. The union also negotiated for more resources to support schools with a 40% or higher black population, free bus passes for all district students, and a new process for carrying out school closures. Schools are open today for a “transition day,” and normal class instruction will resume tomorrow, with nine days left of the school year.

FULL story at link above.