Latest news with #TransportWorkersUnion
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Qantas pilots to take strike action after 'lowball' pay offer despite recording mega profits
Parcel deliveries won't be impacted when Qantas pilots responsible for transporting mail take industrial action over a wage offer they say will leave them at the bottom of the industry. More than 100 Express Freighters pilots will be eligible to begin low-level action from Friday after over 90 per cent voted in favour of protected action over the company's 'lowball' pay offer. After six months of protracted negotiations, unions said the company has refused to improve the offer, which in some cases, would see pilots' remuneration hovering around the bare legal minimum and would entrench poor work-life balance. The pilots fly a significant amount of Australia Post's parcel freight overnight on 'back of the clock' flights and spend up to 260 hours away from home each month. Three unions, the Transport Workers Union (TWU), Australian Federation of Air Pilots (AFAP) and Australian and International Pilots Association, have filed protected action ballots for the first time. Pilots undertaking the low-level action will stop work on days off and not complete work before a scheduled shift, as the unions set the runway for escalating action if Qantas doesn't come back with a better offer. The TWU and AFAP are calling for a pay increase to match industry standards, as well as improvements to roster protections and additional days off to improve work-life balance. Qantas have put contingency plans in place, with the majority of freight moved in the belly of its passenger planes not affected by this action, and they don't expect any impact on operations. 'We're bargaining in good faith for a new agreement and have put forward a proposal that includes significant pay increases and lifestyle improvements for our freighter pilots,' a spokeswoman said. 'It's disappointing that the unions have taken this step instead of continuing discussions.' Workers are struggling with poor rostering, declining conditions, and contracts going to the cheapest bidder across the Qantas supply chain, TWU National Secretary Michael Kaine said. 'Industrial action is always a last resort, but once again we've seen Qantas come to the bargaining table seeking to lowball its workers instead of give them a fair offer,' he said. 'We need to stop seeing workers treated as a cost to be lowered rather than an investment.' AFAP's executive director Simon Lutton said the pilots had no other choice than to take action. 'When compared to equivalent pilots, the offer made by Qantas to its Express Freighters pilots represents the lowest terms and conditions on virtually every metric,' Mr Lutton said. In February, Qantas posted $1.39 billion in profits before tax in its half-yearly results.
Politico
2 days ago
- Business
- Politico
Unions see template for Dems in Mamdani's economic message
QUICK FIX PROOF OF CONCEPT: Unions see a path forward for Democrats to tap back into working-class voters in Zohran Mamdani's economic messaging that helped catapult him to the Democratic mayoral nomination in New York City. They see his disciplined drumbeat on issues like housing affordability, cost of everyday goods and speaking in a way that is easily relatable as the type of package that can be replicated — particularly as an alternative to the version of economic populism represented by President Donald Trump. 'Affordability is everything,' said Transport Workers Union leader John Samuelsen, who has praised Mamdani's transit plans. 'If the establishment Democrats embraced economic security like Zohran did, they wouldn't be seeing the losses they have.' Labor leaders have long called on the Democratic Party to do more to speak to voters' economic precarity in a way that resonates with people who feel cast aside by the political system. 'There are a lot of working-class voters who could tip one way or the other,' said Steve Rosenthal, a longtime labor strategist and former political director at the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest union federation. 'They understand the deck is stacked against them, and they can buy into the Trump arguments — but Democratic candidates can also tap into that.' Since the election, unions have been trying to find their footing after four years of unabashed support from the Biden administration and public approval rating not seen in decades that nevertheless failed to reverse the long-standing decline in union membership rates. 'He is advocating for many of the same things we do — the rights of working people be respected,' said Stuart Appelbaum, the head of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, of Mamdani. Ironically, Mamdani succeeded largely without support from the city's most politically influential labor unions, though that began to change in the days after primary night. Many opted to endorse former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, while others decided to stay out of the race rather than risk angering constituencies within their divided memberships or backing the wrong horse in a crowded field. 'A lot of folks in the labor movement were puzzled that we would put our support behind a candidate who they thought had no chance of winning,' said United Auto Workers Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla in an interview. The union was one of the few to get behind Mamdani early and became one of his leading backers. Mancilla said the primary results should prompt some introspection from both Democratic Party and risk-averse union officials. 'The lesson from Donald Trump's second win was that Democrats need to focus on bread-and-butter issues, rebrand as economic populists and embrace a new generation of leadership,' he said. 'Zohran represented exactly that. You can't call for that, and then just want Chuck Schumer in a 30-year-old's package.' GOOD MORNING. It's Monday, June 30. Welcome back to Morning Shift, your go-to tipsheet on labor and employment-related immigration. Send feedback, tips and exclusives to nniedzwiadek@ lukenye@ rdugyala@ and gmott@ Follow us on X at @NickNiedz and @Lawrence_Ukenye. And Signal @nickniedz.94. Want to receive this newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to POLITICO Pro. You'll also receive daily policy news and other intelligence you need to act on the day's biggest stories. On the Hill RECONCILIATION REVS UP: Republican's multi-trillion legislative package is reaching escape velocity in the Senate after a crucial weekend of events, our Jordain Carney and Benjamin Guggenheim report. Democrats chewed up the better part of 16 hours after requesting a full reading of the latest legislative text, which clocked in at 940 pages, but appear to have failed to convince enough GOP senators to put the bill in jeopardy — barring any late dramatics. Among the late changes: The Senate dropped changes that would have changed pension benefit rules for federal employees and placed new burdens on public-sector unions after the parliamentarian ruled they violated the so-called Byrd rule, our Lawrence Ukenye reports for Pro subscribers. The Senate will begin its vote-a-rama at 9 a.m. today, and the House could vote as soon as Wednesday morning, as Nicholas Wu reports. Trump has said he wants to be able to sign the legislation into law by July 4. Related: 'Senate parliamentarian deals a blow to GOP's proposed $1,000 fee for asylum-seekers,' from our Hailey Fuchs. Unions AN 'ABUNDANCE' OF ISSUES: Labor unions in California are mounting a counter campaign to the 'abundance' agenda put forward in a bestselling new book that has gained popularity among Democrats like Gov. Gavin Newsom, our Jeremy B. White reports. Organized labor is wary that rules that ensure union labor is used on government-funded projects could be cast aside in the name of expediency, and that they could be scapegoated as a reason that certain things are too costly to build or operate. 'I've been around long enough to know that some of this latest trendy stuff is bullshit,' said state Sen. Dave Cortese, a San Jose Democrat and a staunch labor ally. The outcome of the messy internecine fight in California could soon play out in New York and elsewhere where Democrats have long been in control. In the Workplace DROPPING THE WEAPON: DOL's Wage and Hour Division said it will no longer seek 'liquidated damages' as part of administrative settlement investigations over violations of federal pay law. The move, announced in a filed assistance bulletin Friday, effectively wipes away a policy put in place under the Obama and Biden administration — and goes beyond the rollback initiated in the first Trump administration. The penalties are typically equal to the amount of money that was wrongly withheld from workers, effectively doubling the cost to employers for not following the law. The memo asserts that DOL had been exceeding its authority in seeking liquidated damages outside of formal litigation brought by either the agency or an unpaid worker. In 2020, Trump's DOL said it would not seek those penalties as its 'default policy,' though it left open the option to do so. At the time, it said the policy was an effort to assist employers reeling from the effects of the pandemic. — Meanwhile, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs called on employers Friday to 'volunteer information in narrative form' about what they have done to unwind diversity policies targeted by the Trump administration. However, DOL has been unilaterally disarming OFCCP's staff and enforcement authority, and the message from Director Catherine Eschbach is silent on what — if anything — would happen request isn't fulfilled. More workplace news: 'Call Center Workers Are Tired of Being Mistaken for AI,' from Bloomberg. Even more: 'Gen Z, It Turns Out, Is Great at Saving for Retirement,' from The New York Times. AROUND THE AGENCIES SUMMER DAZE: Temperatures at DOL headquarters last week reached 80 degrees Fahrenheit in some areas as the air conditioning system buckled amid D.C.'s heat wave, NBC4 Washington reports. The Frances Perkins Building was not the only aging government building having difficulties. An EPA building had its AC shut off for several hours last week, our colleagues at Morning Energy reported. And at least some staffers at the Department of Agriculture's headquarters were told to work from home on Friday due to a power issue, according to an email obtained by our Marcia Brown. Once upon a time Washington was actually at the vanguard of AC technology, an advancement that changed how both D.C. politics and the federal government operated in dramatic fashion, as your host reported in 2023 for POLITICO Magazine. WHAT WE'RE READING — 'The World Economy Is on the Brink of Epochal Change,' from The Atlantic. — 'They're in the Top 10% of Earners. They Still Don't Feel Rich,' from The Wall Street Journal. — 'DOGE loses control over government grants website, freeing up billions,' from The Washington Post. THAT'S YOUR SHIFT!
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Victorian commuters to be hit by another bus strike as the Transport Workers Union continues their industrial action
Massive strike action will shut bus routes across Victoria on Tuesday, with negotiations between union representatives and a bus operator at a standstill. The strike will impact routes serviced by bus operator CDC Victoria which includes services in Melbourne, Geelong, Ballarat and Mildura. While some routes will only be hit with less frequent buses, other will run no services at all. CDC bus routes won't run in Wyndham, Werribee, Altona and Geelong, while school buses will run as normal. Buses will run less frequently in Oakleigh, Elsternwick, Brighton, Sydenham, Sunshine, Essendon, Glenroy and Mildura. School buses in those areas will operate as usual. No buses, not even school buses, will run in Ballarat. This will affect students at 48 Ballarat schools. More information on specific routes can be found on the Public Transport Victoria website. Train, tram and bus services in other areas continue to run as normal. This is the third major strike by the Transport Workers Union (TWU) amid negotiations with CDC Victoria. A statement issued by the TWU said that the operator's current deal falls short on the union's core demands, which include drivers' safety, improved working conditions and fair pay. Bus operators CDC Victoria said in a message posted to their website that it sincerely apologises 'for the inconvenience to our passengers and the broader community'. The TWU's delegate from the CDC Tullamarine depot voiced the union's displeasure at the deal currently on the table. 'For the hard work that we do, the current offer is a definite slap in the face,' Holmes said. 'We don't like disrupting our passengers. But unfortunately, we've been pushed to this point to make CDC listen.' The union has urged CDC Victoria to come back to the table and act quickly to stop further disruptions.
New York Post
16-06-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Transit union boss touts Zohran Mamdani's free bus fare plan at campaign rally
The head of the national union representing 41,000 New York transit workers is giving a boost to lefty mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani — by touting the democratic socialist's proposed fare-free bus program. Transport Workers Union president John Samuelsen insisted his surprise presence at a Mamdani rally Saturday night is not an official endorsement of his campaign — just a nod to the Astoria assemblyman's free bus plan. Still, his presence at the campaign event, which also included official Mamdani backers Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and state Sen. John Liu, did not go unnoticed. Advertisement 4 Transport Workers Union president John Samuelsen has backed mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani's plan for free bus fare. REUTERS 4 Mamdani speaking at a Manhattan rally that Samuelsen attended on June 14, 2025. William Miller 'Zohran has collaborated with me on the fare-free bus initiative. He advanced the union's position of fare-free buses,' Samuelsen told The Post, when asked about attending the Mamdani rally. Advertisement 'Fare-free businesses should be the future. It would drive up bus and subway ridership and be an economic engine,' said Samuelsen, who headed TWU Local 100 before becoming the national TWU president. Without the disputes over fare beating, free bus service would dramatically reduce assaults on bus drivers, he added. However, the mayor does not set fare policy. The state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority does, though the mayor appoints some members to the MTA board. 4 The union boss said that Mamdani's plan would 'drive up bus and subway ridership and be an economic engine.' Stephen Yang Advertisement The governor exerts more control over the MTA through more appointments, including the chairman/CEO. Mamdani's campaign said it'd cost at least $630 million a year to replace the fare revenue brought in from the city's bus riders. He claims the city could cover the loss in fare revenue through a 2% tax hike on city residents making $1 million or more a year, which would require approval from the state Legislature in Albany. 4 Samuelsen insisted that his presence at the rally was not an endorsement of Mamdani's campaign. Kyle Stevens/Shutterstock Advertisement The Mamdani campaign estimates the tax package would bring in $10 billion a year. TWU Local 100 has not endorsed in the Democratic primary for mayor. In 2021, the union endorsed Mayor Eric Adams, and Samuelsen noted Adams has supporters within the TWU Local 100. Adams skipped the Democratic primary and is running on an independent ballot line in the general election.
CNN
12-06-2025
- CNN
No injuries after JetBlue plane rolls onto grass at Boston's Logan Airport after landing
A JetBlue flight at Boston Logan International Airport veered onto grass while turning off a runway during landing Thursday. The runway was closed as JetBlue flight 312 was assessed and its passengers were deplaned by stairs and bused into the terminal, airport officials with Massport told CNN. The Airbus A220 was coming from Chicago O'Hare International Airport, and the incident happened around 11:55 a.m. local time. The airplane was new, according to Federal Aviation Administration records, and had been manufactured in 2024. There were no injuries reported, Massport officials said. 'Safety is JetBlue's top priority,' the airline said in a statement. 'We will conduct a full investigation of the incident and will work closely with the relevant authorities to understand the cause.' Tyesha Best, president of Transport Workers Union of America Local 579, said the union is 'aware of the event.' The union represents JetBlue's flight attendants. 'All crew and customers are safe,' Best said in a statement to CNN. 'We remain in contact with the company to provide all needed support for those affected.' The FAA has lifted a ground stop issued earlier Thursday at the airport for an emergency. The Boston airport was under a ground delay Thursday afternoon impacting about 14% of departing flights, according to flight data tracker FlightAware. The FAA is investigating the incident. This story has been updated with additional information.
