More than 800 Erie educators walk out over gun violence – Seattle movie theater workers strike and unionize on the east coast

People,

Greetings from the Burgh, where after a series of medical visits I am beginning to have more hope of developing a plan to recover from Long Covid.

Thanks again to everyone who donated to my long running COVID recovery fund. I work half time and the support is invaluable.

Erie educators walkout on gun violence

Earlier this month, following a shooting at Erie High School, 860 educators came out to demand that the union implement a complex list of gun violence prevention measures. For more than two weeks, Erie teachers have been teaching online while pushing for gun control measures.

Erie Education Association Vice President Matt Beiter told the Erie Times-News why it was important for the union to take a stand:

With the lights off, we sat in the back of my classroom lit by the lights from our phones as we tried to figure out what was going on. Once we found out that it wasn’t a drill, that there had really been gunshots, I was shocked at how unsurprised my students were. I even had a conversation with one of them who said to me: “You know, this is not the first time this week that students have brought weapons to school”. I asked the student, “Why don’t you let me know?” He said “he has to live in this neighborhood”, which I understand.

But it really hit me. As teachers, we all learn Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. In clean, comfortable rooms, we draw pyramids and hear psychology teachers talk about how “kids can’t think about higher-level things like math and grammar if their basic needs aren’t met.” . The very bottom of this pyramid is safety and security. When we have students still wearing masks from a pandemic, all locked in a room, waiting for a shooting at a school, our children don’t feel safe or secure.

One of the questions I was asked immediately after the shooting was who do I blame. I think it’s one of the easiest. I feel guilty. I have been teaching at this school for over 20 years. I am a union representative who has been on the safety committee for over a year. It was my job to keep our students and staff safe, and I failed.

For more, see the Erie Times-News

Movie theater workers strike in Washington, unionize in Massachusetts

During the pandemic, cinemas have been hit hard, as many major studios have moved to early access online releases. With fewer people going to the movies, theater workers could be the organization’s next frontier

In February, workers at the flagship Alamo Drafthouse Cinema site in Austin decided to unionize with the IWW.

Today the workers of the New York Film Forum announced that they were unionized. Last week, Amherst Cinema workers decided to organize as an independent union under the name Amherst Cinema Workers United with the help of the Pioneer Valley Worker Center.

“The unique flexibility of the independent union structure means we are really able to build something to suit our specific circumstances,” Kiah Raymond told the Daily Hampshire Gazette. “I hope this victory inspires other small workplaces in the valley to start their own independent unions as well.”

At the Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF), workers walked out after management announced they would temporarily close the theater for 3 weeks as business plummeted.

“We were hired as part-time, year-round workers, not on-call event staff, and we deserve transparency regarding SIFF’s intention to honor this agreement,” the leaders said. workers in leaflets obtained from abroad.

Donate to help us cover the organizing efforts of movie theater workers

As an Emmy-nominated filmmaker, I know how much our work depends on the people who work in theaters to create an atmosphere of magic for moviegoers.

Make a donation to help us cover the organizing efforts of cinema workers. And please consider signing up as one of our 687 recurring donors today.

After 11 months of strike, St. Vincent’s Hospital breaks agreement

Last year, more than 700 nurses went on strike at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Worcester, Massachusetts, for more than 11 months. After the strike ended, the nurses remained hopeful that their long struggle would yield gains.

However, this week, St. Vincent’s announced it would move nurses from 8-hour shifts to 12-hour shifts without consulting the union.

“At most any other hospital represented by the deputy [Massachusetts Nurses Association], such a change would occur over an extended period of time, through a process of good faith negotiation with the union to ensure a smooth transition, meet the needs of affected nurses, while ensuring the safe delivery of care to patients. That has not been the case here in St. Vincent,” union executive director Julie Pinkham said in a news release Tuesday.

For more information, see Patch

39,000 Colorado County employees wouldn’t have the right to strike

Under a new bill introduced by Democrats in the Colorado state legislature, more than 39,000 county employees would gain the right to unionize. However, these workers would not have the right to strike. Additionally, workers at public schools, the University of Colorado, its health care system, and the Denver Public Library would not be able to unionize.

“At this point, the bill has been watered down not just for who is in it, but also for the terms of the bill — to the point where our members disagreed with the terms,” said Alex Wolf. -Root, CWA Local 7799, at Colorado Public Radio. “If you have nothing with binding arbitration and make it illegal for workers to exercise their power (through strikes), you take all the leverage they have to make management and bosses accept all of this. ”

For more, check out Colorado Public Radio

News and strikes happening elsewhere

Alright guys, that’s all for today. Donate to help us cover the exciting movement of workers organizing across the country.

We are only 13 recurring donors short of 700 donors, so please sign up today if you can.

Finally, send tips, story ideas, links and complaints to [email protected]

Love & Solidarity,

Melk