NEWS ROUNDUP
Brother Abrego | Collective bargaining rights | May Day
Friday, May 2, 2025
LOCAL
► From the Seattle Times — More than 1,000 gather to mark May Day 2025 in Seattle — The SEIU union hoisted a 20-foot puppet of a girl named Luz — or “Light” in Spanish — who represents the plight of the immigrant worker, said union member Dorcas Berry. The union was there to “talk about low wages and also to support that we don’t want the immigrants taken away,” Berry said. “We all love America. We don’t want it to be taken cheap.”
► From the Tri-City Herald — Why hundreds of demonstrators lined Gway to greet Richland commuters –More than 400 protesters lined George Washington Way between Knight Street and Swift Boulevard on Thursday evening for a May Day demonstration. [An attendee] mentioned the recent ICE arrest of Sergio Cerdio Gomez, a 42-year-old Pasco man, at a routine immigration hearing. He’d been working to obtain a green card or citizenship. Gomez and his wife, Gabrielle “Gabby” Cerdio, own the Hibachi Explosion food truck on Clearwater Avenue.
► From the Spokesman Review — Spokane May Day march draws hundreds downtown; immigration key marching point — Activists around the country and globe turned out for May Day marches, like the one in Spokane organized by Latinos en Spokane. Ingrid Rivera’s sign said, “KEEP FAMILIES TOGETHER.” Rivera marched with her friends Thursday. “I am the daughter of immigrants, and this definitely hits home,” she said. “My parents were after the American Dream, and now it feels like we don’t belong here, so it was really important for me to be here.” Rivera said the last few months have been filled with turmoil and fear.
► From the Olympian — Olympia set to have another big protest on May 3. What to know — On Saturday, May 3, the [Thurston-Lewis-Mason] labor council will host an “All Labor March” in Olympia from noon to 2 p.m. The main rally point will be Tivoli Fountain at 103 Capitol Way S. The council notes in their announcement that the event will be focused on protesting for “single-payer healthcare, immigrant rights, and our essential public services.”
► From the union-busting Columbian — ‘We are still fighting’: May Day protest draws crowds to downtown Vancouver — Multiple speakers denounced Trump-era policies and executive orders that led to detainments, deportations and family separations. In the Trump administration’s first 100 days, efforts to overhaul immigration and border enforcement included mass deportations and proposals to end birthright citizenship. The deportations included three children ages 2, 4 and 7 who are U.S. citizens, along with their Honduran born mothers, as well as a Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador. Perez reminded those at the rally that resisting hate takes more than hope; it takes strategy. And that work, others said, must continue well beyond this single rally.
► From the Bellingham Herald — Ceremony honors those killed on the job in Whatcom County and across state — April 28 marks the date that the Occupational Safety and Health Act became law in 1971 after decades of effort, said Tony Melillo, president of the Northwest Washington Central Labor Council. “Remember the dead. (And) fight for the living. We recommit ourselves to the hard daily work of making every job a safe job,” Melillo said, paraphrasing 19th century labor activist Mary Harris “Mother” Jones.
CONTRACT FIGHTS
► From Trains.com — Machinists approve national rail contract — The ratification announced today (May 1, 2025) makes the IAM the ninth union to finalize a contract during the current round of bargaining and means almost half of union employees at participating railroads have either a ratified or tentative agreement. The agreements include wage increases of 18.8% (compouned) over five years, improvements to health and welfare benefits, and access to more paid vacation earlier in an employee’s career.
ORGANIZING
► From the Wrap — Writers Guild Voluntarily Recognizes Staff Union — “We have an agreement on our first demand, and we’re excited to take this important step towards having a voice in improving our workplace and organizing without fear of retaliation,” WGAW Operations Coordinator II and Writers Guild Staff Union leader Doug MacIsaac said. “We’re happy to be able to advocate for ourselves and look forward to negotiating our first collective bargaining agreement.”
► From msn.com — Whole Foods Union Victory Upheld by US Labor Board Official — Whole Foods Market’s effort to overturn a unionization vote at a Philadelphia store was rejected by a US labor board official, a step towards requiring Amazon.com Inc.’s grocery chain to collectively bargain with US employees for the first time. In a Thursday filing, a National Labor Relations Board hearing officer concluded Whole Foods’ claims of election misconduct at the Philadelphia store should be overruled and the union should be formally certified.
NATIONAL
► From the Huffington Post — Unions Demand ‘Brother’ Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s Return From El Salvador — In a joint letter to the Salvadoran embassy Thursday, labor leaders urged the government to return Abrego Garcia to his family and ensure justice for “all other workers who have been detained or deported without appropriate legal procedures. As a labor movement, we categorically reject the vicious attacks on immigrant workers like Kilmar Abrego Garcia being carried out by the Trump administration,” they wrote. “These dangerous anti-worker, anti-union tactics have been weaponized as a tool to sow fear and division and to distract from the corporate takeover of our democratic and economic systems.”
► From the Washington Post — Immigrants rally to show their worth during annual May Day celebration — “May Day is our day,” Jaime Contreras, executive vice president of the union 32BJ SEIU, said while standing in front of the banner. “This day was born out of blood, sweat, tears and sacrifice, where workers refuse to be treated like machines.” That connection between immigrants and labor unions was highlighted again and again by a mix of labor leaders and left-leaning Democrats in Congress at the rally.
► From the Guardian — Trump’s attack on federal unions a ‘test case’ for broader assault, warn lawyers — Sanghvi sees the administration’s legal action as part of a broader, authoritarian efforts against labor unions, law firms, universities and other opposition to the Trump administration. Authoritarian governments, historically, have prioritized eliminating labor unions in consolidating power, he said. “The stakes for the labor movement are extremely broad,” said Sanghvi. The administration is attempting to get rid of collective bargaining in the federal sector “for anyone they think will oppose them”, he said.
► From Reuters — Google funding electrician training as AI power crunch intensifies — “This initiative with Google and our partners at NECA and the Electrical Training Alliance will bring more than 100,000 sorely needed electricians into the trade to meet the demands of an AI-driven surge in data centers and power generation,” said Kenneth Cooper, international president of the IBEW labor union.
► From Reuters — These judges ruled against Trump. Then their families came under attack. — Boasberg and McConnell are among at least 11 federal judges whose families have faced threats of violence or harassment after they ruled against the new Trump administration, a Reuters investigation found. The broadsides are part of an intimidation campaign directed at federal judges who have stood in the way of Trump’s moves to dramatically expand presidential authority and slash the federal bureaucracy. As Trump and his allies call for judges to be impeached or attack them as “radical left” political foes, the families of judges are being singled out for harassment.
POLITICS & POLICY
► From Bloomberg Law — Trump Loses Bid to Void Federal Worker Union Deals During Appeal — Judge Paul Friedman of the US District Court for the District of Columbia denied on Thursday the government’s bid to stay his April 25 preliminary injunction, which temporarily barred agencies from stripping employees of their collective bargaining rights. The unions launched a legal counterattack in response. NTEU sued the Trump administration in D.C. court, arguing the order violates federal labor law. AFGE brought a similar lawsuit in the Northern District of California. Friedman’s preliminary injunction order restored labor rights for workers across those more than 40 government offices.
► From CNN — Trump-appointed judge says president’s use of Alien Enemies Act is unlawful in first-of-its-kind ruling — US District Judge Fernando Rodriguez of the Southern District of Texas said Trump had unlawfully invoked the sweeping 18th century wartime authority to speed up some deportations. His decision means Trump cannot rely on the law to detain or deport any alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua within his district. “The President cannot summarily declare that a foreign nation or government has threatened or perpetrated an invasion or predatory incursion of the United States, followed by the identification of the alien enemies subject to detention or removal,” the judge wrote.
► From the Government Executive — Federal employees removed by Trump would have easier pathway back to government service under Democratic bill — The Restoring Employment and Hiring Incentives for Removed Employees (REHIRE) Act would deem any federal employee who was involuntarily removed during the period between Jan. 1, 2025, and Jan. 1, 2027, as preference eligible for competitive service appointments, a special candidate consideration in the federal hiring process normally afforded to veterans or their family members.
► From the Washington Post — Trump executive order seeks to end federal funding for NPR and PBS — The reaction from the broadcasters and the congressionally chartered nonprofit that funds public media was swift and unambiguous: The executive order is illegal, and they plan to fight it.
► From the Washington State Standard — U.S. House GOP advances Trump mass deportations plan with huge funding boosts — “The so-called immigration fees that are in this bill are really fines and nothing but a cruel attempt to make immigrating to this country impossible,” Washington Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal said. Democratic Rep. Chuy Garcia of Illinois, said the bill would not only “gut asylum” but would significantly increase funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention. Funding for ICE detention this fiscal year is roughly $3.4 billion, but the Judiciary bill would sharply increase that to $45 billion. “The larger Republican reconciliation package will add more than $15 trillion in new debt, gives away $7 trillion in deficit-financed tax cuts to the wealthy and slashes access to health care and food assistance for families,” ranking Democrat Rick Larsen of Washington said. “Given that, I think we’re going to have to vote no on the bill before us.”
► From the Bellingham Herald — WA Democrats include ‘devastating’ $8.5M abortion-access cut in final budget — Democrats’ budget slashes $8.5 million from the Abortion Access Project, representing the largest cut to abortion access in state history, according to Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. The organization is blasting lawmakers over the “devastating” 55% cut, arguing that it will jeopardize the safety, health and autonomy of thousands of residents.
► From the Seattle Times — Seattle City Council to consider changing ethics code for votes — The bill, proposed by Councilmember Cathy Moore, would change the current requirement that members recuse themselves from voting on measures in which they may have a financial interest. Instead, members would only be required to disclose the possible conflict…the council could soon take up a bill that would change the city’s landlord-tenant laws, particularly those limiting evictions during the winter and restricting how much screening landlords can do of tenants…Moore is taking the lead on the possible effort…she could be down at least one vote if the ethics laws aren’t changed: Councilmember Maritza Rivera collects a modest rental income from a property near Green Lake, according to her financial disclosure forms, and therefore could be seen to have a conflict.
JOLT OF JOY
Nothing sparks joy quite like a mass mobilization of working people. Add in some sunshine, and it’s serotonin central. Check out a collection of May Day in pictures from The STAND.
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