December 2023 2023: A YEAR OF CHALLENGE AND PROGRESS FOR WORKING PEOPLE After a tough few years, Michigan’s working families had some reason to be optimistic in 2023. Unemployment is at a record low (just 3.9%), and many Michiganders are paying less for health care and prescription drugs thanks to President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). And with wages beginning to increase and inflation continuing to decline, workers are seeing their paychecks go further. But too many working families are still struggling to get by. Even as corporations rake in record profits and CEOs make millions by prioritizing shareholders, working people are standing up and fighting back. The major victories achieved by unionized workers this year to win better pay, fairer benefits, and safety and security on the job will have ripple effects across the economy. In this issue of In Union, we’re looking back at some of the most important events of the past year and the progress workers are making in the fight for a level playing field.
President Biden is delivering on his promise to be the most pro-worker, pro-union president in history. In his first three years, he has: Proposed new rules that will provide millions of workers with overtime protections Raised the prevailing wage for construction workers on federally-funded projects Expanded access to child care and longterm care Established a pro-worker majority on the National Labor Relations Board Signed an executive order enabling federal workers to collectively bargain Sources: Reuters, 8/25/2023; Federal Times, 1/22/2021; PBS NewsHour, 8/30/2023; Spectrum News, 8/8/2023; CNN, 4/18/2023
KEY MILESTONES IN A YEAR OF P This has been a year of working people fighting back—and winning. The power of this moment is impossible to ignore, with hundreds of thousands of workers raising their voices and delivering real progress. With strong support from President Biden and some leaders in Congress, the table is set for more pro-worker policies that create jobs, raise wages, and improve benefits.
The International Brotherhood of Teamste a landmark deal with UPS, securing a new fi contract that protects and rewards more t Teamsters nationwide. The new contract ra full- and part-time workers (keeping UPS Te highest-paid delivery drivers in the nation), full-time jobs, and secures important work like air conditioning in delivery vehicles and Sources: AP News, 8/22/2023; IBT Press Release, 8/22/2023
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
The rebuilding of Michigan’s Soo Locks entered Phase 2 this year, with the Biden Administration investing more than $650 million to improve the safety and efficiency of this critical shipping connection. The project, which is creating good-paying jobs for skilled union construction workers, will strengthen and expand commercial shipping capabilities. Sources: Center for American Progress, 6/27/2023; upmichiganworks.org, accessed 11/2/2023
Our members are in high demand these days, thanks to the infrastructure investments we’re seeing from the Biden Administration. It’s great to see important projects like Soo Locks providing so many opportunities for operators across the state.” Source: CAP Action
—Dan, Operating Engineers Local 324
As part of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, Kalamazoo is receiving $12.3 million in funding from the Biden Administration for its cornerstone project to revitalize the downtown and rebuild roads to their original two-way configurations, removing the high-speed, high-volume, one-way traffic corridors. Source: Center for American Progress, 6/15/2023
AUGUST
Our members just ratified the m lucrative agreement the Teams ever negotiated at UPS. This con improve the lives of hundreds o workers. Teamsters have set a and raised the bar for pay, ben working conditions in the pack industry. This is the template f workers should be paid and pr nationwide, and nonunion com Amazon better pay attention.” HISTORIC UNION VICTORY
—Sean M. O’Brien, Teamste Source: IBT Press Release, 8/22/2023
PROGRESS FOR WORKING PEOPLE
ers negotiated five-year than 340,000 UPS aises wages for Teamsters as the , creates more kplace protections d cargo ventilation.
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HISTORIC UNION VICTORY
Medicare beneficiaries are paying less for Part B medications, a priority for President Biden included in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Under the IRA, drug companies pay rebates if their price increases exceed the rate of inflation, and there are currently 34 prescription drugs eligible for a rebate of up to $618 per average dose.
HISTORIC UNION VICTORY
Sources: kiplinger.com, 9/18/2023; The Gander, 8/29/2023
SEPTEMBER The Writers Guild of America and its members stood strong during a 148-day strike, eventually reaching a new three-year agreement with movie and TV studios. The new contract provides significant improvements, including higher minimum compensation, a framework for the use of artificial intelligence, and increased residual payments.
OCTOBER At the time of publication, the United Auto Workers have reached tentative—and truly historic—agreements with the Big Three automakers after six weeks of coordinated strikes at plants across the country. The new agreements are enormous victories for workers, turning record corporate profits into record pay raises for members across the board. Among the victories were 25% pay increases, contract ratification bonuses, cost of living adjustments, and new payments for retirees. Sources: Reuters, 10/30/2023; UAW Press Release, 10/30/2023
Sources: AP News, 10/9/2023; WGA Press Release, 9/26/2023
President Biden made a historic visit to Michigan in September, standing in solidarity with UAW members on the picket line in Belleville. It was a first for a sitting president, and a clear sign of President Biden's support for unions and working people. Sources: PBS NewsHour, 9/26/2023; The Detroit News, 9/26/2023
These Inflation Reduction Act investments are creating more work that can’t be shipped out of the country, and those careers are providing people with the opportunity to make a livable, middle-class wage for their families.” —Raquell, journeywoman carpenter with Carpenters Local 1004, Lansing Source: CAP Action
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Show Your Solidarity Here are some ways to show support for unions and working people: •
Say yes to products and services made by American union workers. Visit unionlabel.org to find a list of union-made goods and services, as well as anti-union businesses on the boycott list.
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Express your support loudly and proudly. From honking your horn in support of workers on a picket line to signing petitions and posting on social media, public support of unions amplifies our power. And of course, make sure your friends and family know to never cross a picket line.
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Treat workers to some refreshments. Drop off donuts, pizza, coffee, or any other snacks to a picket line or local union office.
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Donate to help striking workers. You can donate your time by volunteering to walk a picket line, give groceries to a food bank supporting striking workers, or contribute cash to strike relief funds.
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