NEWS ROUNDUP

Flood response | Health care | AI & Medicare

Monday, December 15, 2025

 

STRIKES

► From Starbucks Workers United:

 

LOCAL

► From the Seattle Times — Language barrier, fear of targeting complicate immigrant flood response — Some Skagit County farmworkers were still harvesting crops Wednesday in an area at risk for flooding, said Edgar Franks, political director for Familias Unidas por la Justicia, an independent labor union. That alarmed advocates such as Franks, whose union has told farmworkers they can legally deny work to protect their own well-being, he said. When floodwaters are coming, growers may want their crops harvested quickly and workers may need the money, “So everybody is put in this difficult position,” Franks said. “But we’re looking at the safety of the workers.” Meanwhile, there could be confusion as National Guard members contribute to flooding relief efforts, he said. Some people no longer view the National Guard as friendly, Franks said, after deployments this year in cities like Los Angeles, where immigration enforcement raids sparked protests.

► From KUOW — Live updates: More rain and flooding expected in Western Washington as week begins –Western Washington is once again bracing for heavy rain and gusting winds through Wednesday, as more atmospheric rivers arrive. More flooding is also expected as more rain pelts the region and mountain dams release water to free up reservoir space. It’s once again all eyes on the Skagit River. Forecasters predict it’ll crest above major flood stage in Concrete early Tuesday morning, then hit downstream in Mount Vernon that evening. The Trump administration on Friday approved Washington state’s appeal for federal disaster assistance, quelling some anxiety over whether the state would receive federal assistance.

► From KUOW — Western Washington flood resources: Where to find shelter and supplies — This is a developing list of available flood resources as historic flooding continues to impact Western Washington. Last Updated: December 12, 5:00 p.m.

► From the Tri-City Herald — Transit employees protest ‘toxic’ and ‘chaotic’ workplace under Tri-Cities CEO — Teamsters Union 839 Steward Chase Keeney questioned why the agency was cutting the number of drivers when it had the money to buy $60,000 on luxury golf carts, allegedly paying Drozt’s friends for consulting services and his attempting to move millions to an unapproved grant fund…Solomon Torelli, a fixed-route bus driver and union steward, said the investigation is a reflection on the board itself. He believes that over the past few years it has become clear the board isn’t interested in building a better transit system.

► From KING 5 — Eastern Washington could see disproportionate burden from the expiration of ACA tax credits — State officials say Washingtonians would lose a combined $285 million in savings if the credits end.  Statistics from Washington’s Health Benefit Exchange show eastern counties like Adams, Pend Oreille and Spokane could see anywhere from 80 to almost 120% premium increases. For a family of three in King County that makes about $52,000 a year, premiums will go from $490 to $2880 a year. The premium for a senior citizen in a more rural area like Yakima County who brings in about $41,000 a year will go from $70 to $2,000.

 

CONTRACT FIGHTS

► From the Wenatchee World — Wenatchee City Council roundup: Swearing in council members, collective bargaining and contracts — The city council unanimously approved several collective bargaining agreements including with the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Local 846 union for a contract over the next three year-period starting Jan. 1, 2026 through Dec. 31, 2028. The agreement adds $113,000 to the city’s general fund with increases each following year through 2028 based on the agreed-upon increases to previous agreements. This union represents city employees across multiple departments like community development, park, public works and more.

► From the AP — Caitlin Clark says CBA negotiations are the ‘biggest moment in the history of the WNBA’ — Players and owners are currently in negotiations and meeting regularly. They extended a Nov. 30 deadline until Jan. 9 a few weeks ago. Increased salaries and revenue sharing are two big areas that the sides aren’t close on…USA teammate Angel Reese, who has also helped bring more attention to the league since she was a rookie in 2024, appreciates what the union negotiators are doing. “The vets have done a great job speaking up for us. Nneka (Ogwumike), Satou (Sabally), (Napheesa Collier), all of them have done a great job,” Reese said. “They are doing it for our generation and the next to come. It’s going back and forth, but it’s really important for us to continue to be involved, collectively coming together and being one and not stopping until we get everything we want.”

► From the New York Times’ Athletic — WNBA players’ proposal more than double revenue share proposed by league: Sources — The Women’s National Basketball Players Association recently proposed that players receive roughly 30 percent of total league and team revenue, sources with knowledge of the discussions told The Athletic. Under the WNBA’s latest salary system proposal, players would receive less than 15 percent of total league and team revenue, with that percentage decreasing over the life of the CBA, based on the league’s revenue projections.

 

ORGANIZING

► From MMORPG.com — Doom Studio id Software Announces ‘Wall-to-Wall’ Union Formed Under Microsoft — Id Software, the classic Microsoft-owned studio behind the Doom franchise, has announced it’s passed full-studio unionization in conjunction with the Communications Workers of America. According to a press release from CWA, the vote was a “strong majority,” and Microsoft has already recognized the union. This vote means id Software now has “wall-to-wall” representation for every worker, as opposed to a singular sect of workers.

 

NATIONAL

► From Jacobin — Labor Isn’t a Special Interest. It Promotes the Common Good. — The seventy-three-year-old retired government worker has been a force of nature during the strike by Starbucks Workers United (SBWU) at stores across Chicago. His heartfelt pleas (and occasional reprimands) have convinced countless would-be Starbucks customers to take their business elsewhere, and he has educated many a Teamster about their contractual right and working-class duty to refuse to deliver milk and supplies to Starbucks stores. Lenny might seem like an exception…But our results suggest there are probably more Lennys than you might have thought — or at least more would-be Lennys or Lenny-lites — waiting in the wings for inspiration, recruitment, and mobilization by the labor movement.

► From the Washington Post — VA plans to abruptly eliminate tens of thousands of health care jobs — The cuts come after a massive reorganization effort already resulted in the loss of almost 30,000 employees this year. Agency leaders have instructed managers across the Veterans Health Administration, the agency’s health care arm, to identify thousands of openings that can be canceled. Employees warn that the contraction will add pressure to an already stretched system, contributing to longer wait times for care.

► From Tech Crunch — Tesla starts testing robotaxis in Austin with no safety driver — The removal of the safety monitors will most likely ramp up the scrutiny on Tesla’s ongoing testing in Austin, doubly so when the company starts offering rides in the empty cars. Tesla’s small test fleet has been involved in at least seven crashes since June; few details are known about the accidents since the company aggressively redacts its reports to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

► From AFT:

 

POLITICS & POLICY

► From the New York Times — House G.O.P. Releases Health Plan That Would Allow Subsidies to End — They released the measure late Friday afternoon, just a week before Congress was scheduled to depart for the year and as the party faced mounting political pressure to do something to address the rising premiums expected when the subsidies end. The legislation does nothing to preserve those subsidies, though a leadership aide said that a group of Republican moderates who have been pressing for an extension would get a vote on whether to add that proposal to the bill. But that effort faces long odds in the House, where most Republicans are deeply opposed to bolstering any portion of the Affordable Care Act.

► From the New York Times — For Republicans, Trump’s Hands-Off Approach to Health Care Is a Problem — Mr. Trump’s hands-off approach to health care reform comes as he tries repeatedly to downplay Americans’ concerns about the cost of living. And in the process, he has created a political problem for his own party: If health care costs spike, voters are likely to blame the G.O.P., the party in power, political analysts say…The White House and swing-district Republicans are aware of the political potency of the issue. Democrats rallied around an affordability message during successful elections this year in Virginia and New Jersey. “I have 40,000 people in my district who rely on this health care, and doing nothing to prevent a spike in their premiums is wrong,” Representative Jen Kiggans, a Republican who represents a battleground district in Virginia, said at a recent news conference on Capitol Hill.

► From the Guardian — ‘A very hostile climate for workers’: US labor movement struggles under Trump — “The Trump administration thus far seems to have been treating the agency with this kind of combination of hostility and aggressive neglect,” said Lauren McFerran, who served as chair of the NLRB under Joe Biden. “This is an administration that professes to be very pro-worker in its orientation, but we haven’t had a functional agency to resolve labor disputes and to protect workers rights … in a year.”…Four current rank-and-file workers spoke to the Guardian. Each requested anonymity, fearing retaliation. “The NLRB’s employees just want to do our jobs and be treated with respect,” said one official. “But from day one, this administration has crippled the agency, and treated us as enemies.” Staff can see “firsthand the damage that is being done”, the staffer continued, claiming they and their colleagues had been left “demoralized and disgusted” by Trump’s agenda.

► From the New York Times — Big Businesses Are Cashing In on Trump’s Tax Cuts — In the months since the law’s passage in July, corporations like Walmart, Amazon, Verizon and Eli Lilly have all disclosed in securities filings that the law would reduce their cash tax payments in the near term. AT&T Inc. projected that it would save as much as $2 billion in taxes just this year. Those corporate tax savings have already started to have an effect on the federal budget. Between July and November, the last full month of data, revenue from the corporate income tax has dropped by roughly a third, or $52 billion, compared to the same period the year before, according to Treasury data.

► From Michigan Advance — Home Care Workers Are Losing Minimum Wage Protections — and Fighting Back — In Washington State, home care workers with Service Employees International Union 775 advocated for a successful ballot resolution this election that backers say will increase funding for long-term care and, therefore, job security for care workers. (Disclosure: SEIU is a financial supporter of Capital & Main.) In Illinois, home care workers with SEIU Healthcare Illinois have demanded progressive taxation to fund senior home care threatened by Medicaid cuts in the Republican-backed federal tax law. In Michigan, 32,000 home care workers unionized with SEIU Healthcare Michigan this past October. And in Pennsylvania, home care workers with SEIU helped push the state legislature to pass a 2026 budget in November that includes $21 million to raise wages for care workers hired directly by their clients — the same workers left without protections thanks to the federal loophole.

► From the Seattle Times — Murray pushes to halt federal pilot adding AI to Medicare approvals — U.S. Sen. Patty Murray plans to introduce legislation Monday in an effort to halt a federal pilot program that would add AI reviews to Medicare approvals in some states, including Washington. The bill, co-sponsored by Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, follows companion legislation filed in November by U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, D-Medina, and five other congressional Democrats, who slammed the program for its potential to exacerbate delays in care for some Medicare enrollees. Patient advocacy groups, physicians and hospital leaders have also raised concerns about bringing in artificial intelligence tools to review pending Medicare procedures, particularly because AI companies will have a financial incentive to deny care.

 

INTERNATIONAL

► From the AP — Louvre workers vote to strike in another blow to the Paris museum — The CFDT union said the vote was taken at a meeting of 400 workers on Monday morning and that they decided to strike for the day. Striking workers with flags, banners and placards blocked the museum’s iconic glass pyramid entrance…The strike vote followed talks last week between labor unions and government officials including Culture Minister Rachida Dati. Labor leaders said the talks had not alleviated their concerns about staffing and financing for the museum that welcomes millions of visitors each year.

The Stand posts links to local, national and international labor news every weekday morning. Subscribe to get daily news in your inbox. 

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