Labor News & Commentary January 8, 2024 President Biden appears to be competing for these key union endorsements

[Omaha Steve]

https://onlabor.org/january-8-2024/

n today’s News and Commentary, EV-startup Lucid is accused of illegally firing two employees because of union support, workers at a Norfolk, VA Costco vote overwhelmingly to unionize, and Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien meets with former President Trump as the union considers its 2024 Presidential endorsement.

In a complaint filed Tuesday, the NLRB accused EV-startup Lucid Group Inc. of violating federal law by threatening, transferring and retaliating against employees. Two employees were fired early last year for supporting a United Auto Workers organizing effort at the company. Off the success of its stand up strike, the UAW announced its plans to organize 13 nonunion automakers, however it is clear that these efforts have been ongoing for some time. Many nonunion automakers recently raised hourly wages at their plants in response to the union’s recent contract wins. The fired Lucid employees may have to wait much longer for remedy – the hearing for their complaint is set for October 9, 2024, over a year and a half after their firings.

Workers at a Norfolk, VA Costco voted 111-92 to unionize with the Teamsters last month. The Teamsters currently represent 18,000 Costco workers nationwide, but have not successfully organized a Costco location in close to two decades. Workers organized around several workplace improvement issues including higher wages, safety, pension contributions and a more flexible attendance policy. In a December 29 memo to Costco employees, the former and incoming CEOs wrote that “the fact that a majority of Norfolk employees felt they wanted or needed a union constitutes a failure on our part.” Costco is widely viewed as worker-friendly and workers’ average pay is double that of Walmart’s, yet workers feel that post-pandemic successes have not translated into higher wages or better conditions.

FULL story at link above.

[The Bopper]

1. IF

Biden has to compete for a Union endorsement with ANY Republican, then that Union is fugged up. Musk just filed to have the NRLB declared unconstitutional and if you think ANY republican will argue against it, you are already in LA LA land.