Factbox: From Detroit Three automakers to healthcare, US labor unions flex muscle

Green Thumb Industries

04/10/2023 15:48

(Updates with details on Kaiser Permanente strike)
    By Mrinalika Roy
       Oct 4 (Reuters) - A tight U.S. labor market, the expiry
of union contracts and high living costs have led to tough
negotiations for pay hikes and benefits from workers and
triggered strikes and protests across industries.
    Nearly 309,700 workers have been involved in work stoppages
and strikes through August this year, according to preliminary
data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, putting 2023 on
track to becoming the busiest year for strikes since 2019.    
    
    Here are some sectors and companies that faced tough
negotiations in 2023:
    
    MEDIA
    Hollywood's writers union struck a tentative deal with the
Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers in late
September after five months of failed negotiations. Film and
television writers had walked off the job in May over
compensation, staffing and residual payments, among other
issues.
    The striking writers were later joined by the SAG-AFTRA
actors union, which remains on strike. Negotiators for striking
Hollywood actors resumed contract talks on Monday with
representatives of major studios, television networks and
streaming services

    
    AUTOMOTIVE
    The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has expanded its ongoing
strike against the Detroit Three automakers - General Motors
 GM.N , Ford Motor  F.N  and Chrysler parent Stellantis
 STLAM.MI . The coordinated strike, which began after the
earlier contracts expired on Sept. 15, initially targeted three
assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri. 
    About 4,000 workers represented by UAW reached an agreement
with Volvo Group-owned Mack Trucks late on Sunday to avoid a
strike. About 98% of the truck company's workers had authorized
a strike last month.
        
    PARCEL DELIVERY
    Teamsters union workers at United Parcel Service  UPS.N  
ratified a new five-year contract in August, a deal that raises
pay, eliminates a two-tier wage system for drivers, provides
another paid holiday and ends forced overtime.
    FedEx  FDX.N  pilots have been involved in a standoff with
the parcel delivery firm over wages and legacy pensions. Pilots
rejected a tentative deal in July and negotiations are expected
to restart.
    
    AIRLINES & AEROSPACE FIRMS
    Pilots at several airlines including American Airlines
 AAL.O , Delta Airlines  DAL.N , United Airlines Holdings
 UAL.O , Spirit Airlines  SAVE.N  and Jetblue Airways  JBLU.O 
negotiated new job contracts this year.
    Members of some unions like the Southwest Airlines Pilots
Association have voted to authorize a strike if a new contract
is not reached.
    Spirit AeroSystems  SPR.N  negotiated a new contract to end
a strike that led to a week-long work stoppage at its plant in
Wichita, Kansas.
    
    MANUFACTURING
    U.S. steel producer Cleveland-Cliffs  CLF.N  has reached a
tentative agreement with the United Steelworkers union on a new
three-year labor agreement for its Northshore mining operations.
    U.S. Steel  X.N , which is reviewing multiple proposals
ranging from partial acquisition to an entire buyout, is
embroiled in a tussle with the United Steelworkers union. The
company's unionized workers say they essentially have the power
to veto any transaction they do not approve of.
    
    CONSUMER & RETAIL
    Unions representing roughly 53,000 Las Vegas workers on
Tuesday kicked off negotiations with hotel and casino operators
over a new five-year contract. Members of the union had in
September voted to authorize a city-wide strike. 
        
  
    Last week, workers at three Detroit casinos - MGM Grand
Detroit, Hollywood at Greektown and MotorCity - voted in favor
of authorizing a strike at all three locations if a new contract
agreement isn't reached. The Detroit Casino Council (DCC), which
represents the workers, could call for strikes as soon as
mid-October, when contracts expire.
    
    More than 3,000 workers at more than 150 Starbucks  SBUX.O 
stores in the U.S. held strikes in June, following claims the
company had banned Pride Month decorations at some of its cafes.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL4N38F1SO  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N38F2Z6
    
    Thousands of Los Angeles-area hotel staffers went on a
three-day strike in July over improved wages, benefits and
working conditions. Union leaders representing the workers have 
threatened further walkouts.
    
    HEALTHCARE
    Tens of thousands of nurses and other healthcare workers at
Kaiser Permanente launched a planned three-day strike on
Wednesday, after negotiations failed to meet the union deadline
for reaching a settlement regarding a new contract covering
nurses, medical technicians and support staff.
    The work stoppage marks the largest strike ever in the U.S.
medical industry.
        
  
    More than 7,000 nurses went on a three-day strike in New
York City over staffing levels and pay hikes in January.
    
    CANNABIS
    Unions representing cannabis workers have also increased
pressure on companies in the sector this year. 
    Workers at Green Thumb Industries'  GTII.CD  Chicago-area
RISE dispensaries went on a 13-day unfair labor practices (ULP)
strike in April, which was the longest ULP strike at a cannabis
retailer in U.S. history.
    Labor unions secured new contract agreements at multistate
operator-owned cannabis dispensaries in Illinois and in New
Jersey in July.
    
    ENERGY
    Unionized workers at Phillips 66's  PSX.N  refinery in
Roxana, Illinois, ratified a contract with the refiner in
late-stage negotiations, averting a potential strike.
    The union had been in talks with the refiner since summer,
when it rejected a company proposal and sought additional
benefits for holiday and vacation hours and pay, among other
improvements.

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Work Stoppages in U.S.    https://tmsnrt.rs/48n57So
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 (Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj
Kalluvila)
 ((mrinalika.roy@thomsonreuters.com))