Latest news with #laborunrest
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Business
- Washington Post
Boeing defense union goes on strike
Thousands of machinists at Boeing's defense hub in the St. Louis area went on strike at midnight Monday for the first time since the mid-1990s, marking a new spasm of labor unrest for the Seattle-based aerospace giant. About 3,200 machinists in Missouri and Illinois who build fighter jets and munitions voted Sunday to reject the latest contract offer from Boeing.
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing Workers Reject Contract Offer, Strike Looms
Boeing (BA, Financials) is facing labor unrest after members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837 voted against the company's proposed four-year contract. The offer included a 20% wage hike, a $5,000 ratification bonus, and expanded vacation and sick leave. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with BA. The union said the offer "fell short" of worker expectations, despite the proposal being described by Boeing as the "richest" ever made to this unit. The current contract is set to expire Sunday, followed by a mandatory seven-day cooling-off period before a strike can begin. Dan Gillian, vice president and general manager of Boeing's Air Dominance division, said the company is activating its contingency plan and preparing for work stoppages. No further negotiations are scheduled. The dispute comes as Boeing Defense ramps up manufacturing of the F-47 fighter jet under the U.S. Air Force's Next Generation Air Dominance program, a key replacement for the aging F-22 Raptor fleet. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Fox News
14-07-2025
- Business
- Fox News
Ongoing trash strike draws pressure from officials as communities struggle with waste build-up
As the multi-state worker strike approaches the two-week mark, the garbage collection company involved in the unrest is being urged by state leaders across the country to finalize a contract and restore services. Republic Services told Fox News Digital that they are "working to resume regular trash collection as quickly as possible." "A work stoppage does not benefit our employees or the communities we serve. We empathize with customers who have been impacted by the Teamsters' decision to stop work," a spokesperson for the company shared in a statement. The company added that its customers will be notified via text, phone and email with any updates. Despite the involvement of a federal mediator, recent negotiations between Republic Services and Teamsters, the union representing the garbage collectors, have ended without resolution. Last week, Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien escalated tensions by threatening to disrupt waste collection operations across multiple states. The strike has disrupted trash collection in 14 Massachusetts communities served by Republic, primarily along the North Shore. O'Brien declared "war" on Republic Services, warning that the union plans to "flood the streets and shut down garbage collection in state after state." "Republic Services has been threatening a war with American workers for years — and now, they've got one," O'Brien said in a statement. "Republic abuses and underpays workers across the country. They burn massive profits and funnel money to undeserving, corrupt executives." O'Brien said the Teamsters "have had it with Republic." "We will flood the streets and shut down garbage collection in state after state. Workers are uniting nationwide, and we will get the wages and benefits we've earned, come hell or high water." Teamsters claimed that Republic Services had refused to settle fair contracts, despite months of negotiations in cities around the country. "Republic Services doesn't run without its hardworking Teamsters. This strike forced on workers by the multibillion-dollar corporation is resulting in trash pileups and collection disruptions for scores of people across the country," the organization wrote in a post on X. "But Teamsters at Republic will not back down until they've gotten the fair contracts they've rightfully earned." In the meantime, numerous Massachusetts towns and businesses are facing mounting piles of uncollected garbage. Republic claimed the union wasn't negotiating in good faith, while the Teamsters accused the company of abandoning talks and refusing to continue over the weekend. "Unfortunately, the Teamsters did not take the negotiations seriously and refused to make any meaningful progress," the company told Fox News Digital. "Today, we made a formal proposal that included a nearly 16% wage increase immediately and an approximate 43% pay increase over five years for our Greater Boston employees. Contrary to the many falsehoods the Teamsters are spreading, our offer outpaces competitors." Another round of discussions is set for Tuesday as workers are calling for better wages, improved benefits and enhanced job protections. Nationally, over 2,000 Teamsters are either actively striking or observing picket lines. The Republic Services Teamsters began striking on July 3 on the East Coast. The company said it is facing union-related work stoppages at six locations, including two business units in Boston and four additional sites in Cumming, Georgia; Ottawa, Illinois; Manteca, California, and Lacey, Washington. The Teamsters union has also expanded picketing to several other locations, with many employees at those sites honoring the picket lines, the company said. While the company claims that garbage pickup is continuing in all affected areas, many residents and businesses report delays and inconsistent service. Republic's commercial clients, such as restaurants, are also grappling with waste collection issues. Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin sent a formal letter Friday to Republic Services President Jon Vander Ark, criticizing the company for halting active negotiations and imposing hardship on communities. In the letter, obtained by Galvin called for more intense efforts to reach a deal and suggested that the situation might require greater government oversight of the waste management sector. He emphasized that essential public services like trash collection shouldn't hinge on the strategies of a private corporation, and questioned whether oversight of such services should remain in the hands of private firms. Boston City Councilors Erin Murphy, John FitzGerald and Ed Flynn echoed these sentiments in a separate letter to Vander Ark. The trio, who spearheaded a City Council resolution supporting the Teamsters, said the union's demands were fair and accused Republic of failing to meet fundamental labor standards. Republic countered that it had proposed a nearly 16% immediate pay raise and a total increase of around 43% over five years. The company accused the union of spreading misinformation and asserted its wage offers exceed those of competitors. "Don't believe the union's false narrative – 45% of our Greater Boston drivers represented by the Teamsters earned more than $100,000 last year, based on W-2 data," the company said. "If the Teamsters accepted the offer we made today, drivers would make approximately $140,000 per year, by the end of the contract." In addition, the company claimed that they "pay 100% of the health and welfare premiums for our Greater Boston employees" and ensured that they have a comprehensive health and welfare plan. The company said that the mediator requested both sides return to mediation on Tuesday, July 15, and both parties agreed. "We are confident that our most recent proposal meets all of our employees' demands, and we expect the Teamsters to bargain in the best interest of our employees." Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to
New York Times
13-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Hong Kong Group That Lobbied for Chinese Labor Rights Shuts Down
China Labor Bulletin, a Hong Kong-based group that tracked worker unrest in China and was started by a former pro-democracy protest leader, said on Thursday that it was shutting down because of financial difficulties. The group said that because of 'financial difficulties and debt issues,' it could no longer maintain operations and had 'decided to dissolve.' It said that it would stop updating content on its website and social media platforms. China Labor Bulletin, a resource for journalists and academics about worker unrest in China, was founded in 1994 by Han Dongfang, who had been one of the leaders of pro-democracy protests around Tiananmen Square in 1989. Over the years, the organization has closely monitored some of China's biggest labor disputes. It regularly updated a map of labor strikes across the country, and published reports on companies and industries with known labor concerns. But in recent years, as the space for civil society in China narrowed and labor activists were monitored and harassed, Mr. Han directed his employees to focus on cases of labor unrest that involved foreign companies subject to foreign laws. Mr. Han was one of the last remaining labor rights activists not in hiding in Chinese territory. He continued to operate his group from Hong Kong, even as other China-focused civil society groups started closing or leaving from 2020, when Beijing imposed a national security law that has dismantled civil rights protections that gave the city its semiautonomous status. Mr. Han was not available by phone on Friday morning. A guard in the lobby of the building where China Labor Bulletin had its office said the group had moved out a month ago. Outside the doors of its office on the 26th floor, the organization's sign had been taken down. In an interview last year, he told The New York Times that he was certain his offices were being surveilled by China's state security and local national security police. But, he added, 'I prefer to be open rather than to hide.' But academics have warned that China Labor Bulletin, and Mr. Han, could become a target of Beijing's tightening grip on Hong Kong under the guise of national security because it is funded in part by a charity registered in the United States. Hong Kong and Beijing authorities have increasingly leaned on new national security legislation to arrest and charge activists, often citing links to foreign funding and organizations overseas as grounds for the arrests. On Thursday night, Beijing national security authorities operating in Hong Kong raided the homes of six people and the office of an organization that the government said it suspected of committing 'collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security.' The Hong Kong authorities, which participated in the investigation, did not name the individuals or the organization.
