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Local and National Union News
DC Teamsters, labor coalition demand DC Council reject anti-worker WAYMO
July 17, 2026 | […] “We’re calling on the city council to reject B26-0684 because the so-called ‘guardrails’ in this bill fail to protect workers, and this legislation doesn’t benefit anyone outside of Silicon Valley billionaires,” said Bill Davis, President of Teamsters Local 639. “It is yet another example of Big Tech companies trying to steamroll cities into changing laws to accommodate them, and it comes at the expense of middle-class professional drivers and anyone else who wants safer streets in our city.” Teamster press release here.Teamsters document the disaster of deregulation
July 8, 2026 | Deregulation of the trucking industry almost 50 years ago produced a Wild West of fly-by-night operators, declining wages, and abominable working conditions—such as workers driving too many hours on too little sleep—and scattershot service to shippers, the Teamsters say in a long analysis of the history of the industry. It’s printed in the latest issue of the union’s magazine. And the deregulatory saga is relevant today, and not just in trucking, though the union doesn’t say so. Read more here.Older posts can be found at 355 News
Elsewhere in the News
The Case for Tripling Union Membership
July 17, 2026 | ECONOMY | Imagine union membership tripling in the United States. It may sound radical—if you’ve forgotten history. In fact, more than 1 in 3 private-sector workers belonged to a union in the 1950s. The results? Wages grew in tandem with the economy. The middle class thrived. Black-white wage gaps shrank. Broadly shared economic growth was a reality, not an aspiration. That’s because when workers have bargaining power, they win better wages, benefits, and working conditions. This report shines a light on what we stand to win if we rebuild union power. …we have much to gain from stronger unions. An organized and empowered workforce has powerful and far-reaching economic benefits. Learn more at the Economic Policy Institute
Unions Eschew Picket Lines as Lull in Work Stoppages Continues
July 16, 2026 | UNION POWER | Recent labor data show that strikes and other major work stoppages have declined after several years of heightened labor activism across the United States. Rather than relying on lengthy picket lines, many unions have focused on negotiating contracts, organizing new members, and using the threat of a strike to gain leverage at the bargaining table. Labor experts note that this shift allows unions to secure workplace improvements while reducing the financial costs that prolonged strikes can impose on both workers and employers. The trend suggests that collective bargaining strategies continue to evolve even as union activity remains strong. Continued at Bloomberg Law
How Unions Pave the Way to the American Dream
July 14, 2026 | JUSTICE | Marcelo Assis recalled how his family arrived in the United States about 35 years ago, “poor as hell”—yet certain that America offered the path forward that they’d never find in their native Brazil or anywhere else. The following years brought ups and downs, with Marcelo serving as a combat medic in the Army and then falling disillusioned with low-paying nonunion work that held him back instead of helping him move ahead. …Marcelo vividly remembers the moment years later when he looked around his newly purchased home, thought about the good life he provided to his family, and realized for the first time that he’d made it. The American dream endures. We just have to stand together to claim it. Full story at Nation of Change
Three Gallons of Water. Ten Hours of Heat. Zero Relief from UPS.
July 13, 2026 | HEALTH & SAFETY | I drink three gallons of water a day, never drink soda or alcohol, and I’ve never lit a cigarette. I meal prep on Sundays, wake up at 5 a.m. sharp, and go to the gym five times a week to keep my body functioning like a well-oiled machine. I stretch and prioritize sleep like it’s part of my job, because in many ways, it is. But I’m not an athlete. I deliver packages. The average American household receives approximately 167 packages per year, which translates to about three packages a week. The total number of packages shipped daily across the United States is 61.3 million. Twenty-one percent of the total package volume in the U.S. is delivered by UPS — and that’s where I come in. Continued at Just Cause Teamsters
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