'They come for one of us, they come for all of us'

Sometimes it may seem like organized labor is getting backed into a corner by an unholy alliance of anti-union Right-wingers and billionaires, but unions aren’t yet on the ropes, much less out for the count.

In fact, in communities from coast to coast, mobilization is alive, and at workplaces internal organizing is increasing. All that promises to build momentum to fight harder for survival in general, and in particular to prepare for negotiations this year.

This month, some big contracts start to expire, and bargaining and possibly striking present themselves.

Expiring this month is UFCW Local 700’s contract for 3,800 Kroger workers in Indianapolis, as well as the Allied Grocery agreement in the Pacific Northwest, covering 30,000 members of UFCW Local 3000 and Teamsters Local 38 across several supermarket chains.

IBEW Locals 191 (Everett, Wash.) and 520 (Austin, Texas) both have May 31 expirations, covering 2,000 and 1,900 workers, respectively. Local 191 is active in Boeing plants and 520 in Samsung and SpaceX factories, and membership is growing in both locals.

Contracts expire May 31 and June 30 for more than 6,000 Catholic Health and Kaleida Health workers in two Communications Workers (CWA) locals in Buffalo, N.Y.

California K-12 teachers in school districts covering more than 50,000 educators in Los Angeles (35,000), Oakland (3,000), San Diego (7,000), and San Francisco (6,500) timed their contract expirations to all end next month.

Some 3,000 IUE-CWA members at GE aerospace and generator manufacturing facilities have contracts expiring June 22.

Almost 30,000 faculty members, coaches, counselors, librarians, and other higher-ed workers in the California State University system have a contract that expires June 30.

The Operating Engineers’ master contract for 10,000 workers who run heavy equipment for a Southern California contractors’ association expires June 30.

Also expiring June 30 are contracts at 15 nonprofit legal agencies serving low-income clients in New York City, where workers’ unions lined up their contracts to expire the same day. The pacts cover 2,500 workers in an SEIU local and two United Auto Workers locals.

The Machinists have another Boeing agreement expiring July 27 affecting 2,500 members of IAM District 837 in St. Louis, where they build fighter jets.

This fall, contracts expire for almost 60,000 workers at health-care giant Kaiser Permanente on September 30.

In addition, ongoing disputes, tensions and talks remain with U.S. Postal Service unions; in transportation, with railroad and airline unions; in retail and restaurants, with Teamsters stepping up to deal with Amazon and SEIU continuing to support Starbucks workers; in the public sector from state, county and municipal employees to federal workers; in media, struggling against government threats and ownership greed; and more.

The “wild card” in this bout isn’t Donald Trump – though his administration is a huge opponent. It’s the positive that labor’s 71% approval rating among Americans is growing with younger workers – 91% of workers younger than 30 supports unions.

“This is a generational turning point,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, one of action and solidarity.

“Solidarity is not a word on a sign,” she said. “When I talk to steelworkers, nurses, bus drivers and hotel workers, I hear the opposite of division. Nobody’s asking for more tax breaks for Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos at the expense of Medicare or Social Security.

“Solidarity is lived out every single day,” she added. “When they come for one of us, they come for all of us.”