News Roundup: ICYMI edition

Monday, August 17, 2026
Top stories you may have missed while The STAND was on hiatus

STRIKES

► From UNITE HERE Local 8:

What’s it like to stay at a hotel where workers have been on strike for 50 days?

Embassy Suites management apologized to guests for “disruptions & temporary service charges.”

Don’t check in, CHECK OUT. We’re calling for a boycott of this hotel until workers win a fair contract. pic.twitter.com/LD63PyK6dy

— UNITE HERE! Local 8 (@UniteHereLocal8) August 7, 2026

► From Counter Punch — Class War in Sugartown — “ILWU Local 6 represents approximately 100 warehouse workers at C&H in Crockett, California, who have been on strike since June 15, 2026. The parties have been far apart on a number of issues. The parties met with a federal mediator several times in July but were unable to reach an agreement. ILWU Local 6 and C&H have agreed to a sixty-day period through September 30, 2026, during which executives from C&H and the ILWU’s International Officers will participate in negotiations in an effort to reach an agreement that is good for the workers, the company, and the community. In a showing of good faith, ILWU Local 6 has agreed to return to work during this period.”

TODAY’S MUST-READS

► From the New York Times — U.S. Investigated Left-Leaning Groups During Minnesota Immigration Crackdown — As part of their inquiry, the documents show, homeland security officials used an array of invasive tactics during the first half of this year to gather information on many groups and individuals who were never accused of crimes, crossing the line that has traditionally stood between investigating criminal activity and political dissent. In one instance, officials used administrative subpoenas to obtain more than three years of financial records from the Sunrise Movement, an environmental action group, and a labor union, the Communications Workers of America…In another, investigators scrutinized three years’ worth of wire transfers made by the nation’s biggest health care workers union, the Service Employees International Union, in what they referred to as an inquiry into “domestic terrorist financing.”

► From the Minnesota Reformer — Documents show how feds spied on protesters, left-wing organizations and unions during Metro Surge — Agents collected the license plate numbers of attendees during a meeting of anti-ICE protesters at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Roseville to obtain the names of the attendees. The agents then compiled a dossier including attendees’ names, photos, addresses, vehicle registrations, family and employment information. The feds also used Clearview AI, a facial recognition software, to compile photo dossiers of activists and protesters, including many who were not charged…“The Minnesota AFL-CIO and several of our affiliated unions are being targeted simply because our state’s Labor Movement stood in solidarity with our immigrant union members and neighbors when our state was under siege this past winter,” Minnesota AFL-CIO president Bernie Burnham said in a statement.

► From the Guardian — US conducted ‘mass spying campaign’ against leftwing groups and anti-ICE protesters, records reveal — The records also provided detailed documentation of spying operations conducted by undercover agents who posed as activists and surveilled community activities…The undercover agent actively engaged participants, according to the report. At one point, the agent told someone in attendance that he “works in construction and could build items that might assist other groups with more ‘direct-action’ protests”. That agent told the individual that “going to jail did not bother him” and gave out his phone number. The records documented the operations of another undercover agent who joined Signal groups of activists involved in protests.

► From Labor Notes — Federal Spies Hunt Minnesota Unions in Search of Conspiracy, But Find Solidarity — “The most notable revelation to me was their infiltration of the February 15th Workers Assembly to Defeat ICE, a great event that brought over 300 unionists and community members together to democratically debate on next steps for the movement,” said UFCW Local 663 executive board member Paul Kirk-Davidoff, a meat cutter at Cub Foods supermarket. “I helped put this together, and multiple unions sponsored the event. Four undercovers attended, and made sure to take detailed notes of all the speakers and political positions. This, along with the surveillance of unions, leads me to believe that the feds were frightened by the January 23rd mass strike and the possibility of more labor action.”

LOCAL

► From the Spokesman Review — The aftermath of a firestorm firefighters, elected leaders and wildfire experts struggled to comprehend — Firefighters from across the region made stands few and far between, within pockets of houses, as high winds and dry conditions fueled the staggering damage. Seasoned first responders faced the blazes, and many fought hours on end despite having little protective equipment, resources and sleep. In total, 833 structures were lost or damaged in what’s now referred to as the Spokane Complex fires. Of those, 615 were from the Old Trails fire, 160 from the Autumn Lane fire and 58 from the Fairview fire.

► From the Spokane Regional Labor Council:

► From the Seattle Times — WA resident Lewelyn Dixon, held by ICE for 3 months, now U.S. citizen — Dixon, known to friends and family as Auntie Lynn, had been a green-card holder for decades, having immigrated to the U.S. over fifty years ago…She spent about three months in ICE detention last year before she was released, when Judge Tammy Fitting ruled in May 2025 that Dixon should not be deported. Fitting granted a form of relief available to people who have been lawful permanent residents for at least five years and haven’t committed certain serious crimes…She carries with her reminders of her time inside the detention center and tales of ingenuity and survival displayed by other detained women. Dixon no longer has an appetite for ramen, frequently purchased at the commissary because of foul meals at the facility.

► From the NW Labor Press — Washington labor backs construction jobs, farmworker rights, and a public sector right to strike — WSLC conventions are also a chance to honor individuals and groups for their service to working people. This year’s honorees were: Association of Western Pulp and Paper Workers for its work supporting members in the aftermath of  Longview’s May 26 Nippon Dynawave chemical disaster, which killed 11 workers and injured seven others…Casa Latina for its work passing the Domestic Worker Bill of Rights (HB 2355) a 2026 law that extends labor protections to workers in private homes who have been excluded from the protections of the National Labor Relations Act and other labor laws.

AEROSPACE

► From the Hill — Air traffic controllers union head says hiring gamers will help — Nick Daniels, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, commended the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday for its recent hiring surge targeting video game players. Daniels told NewsNation, The Hill’s sister company, that gaming skills “absolutely” translate to working as an air traffic controller and called the FAA’s move an “innovative approach to capture the attention of the American youth.”

CONTRACT FIGHTS

► From OPB — Bargaining stalls over wages between classified staff workers and Oregon’s public universities  — SEIU declared an impasse in negotiations on Aug. 7, after nearly seven months of bargaining. The union represents about 4,400 classified staff — ranging from academic support and dining hall workers to janitors and public safety officers — at all of Oregon’s seven public universities. SEIU is seeking to shield its members from rising housing, food, transportation and health costs. The union’s most recent proposal includes a two-year contract with wage increases tied to inflation, at least 3% for the first and second year of the contract.

► From ESPN — MLB labor battle: Latest updates, full coverage on CBA, salary cap, more — Is a salary cap coming to Major League Baseball? Will there even be an MLB season in 2027? As the owners and players negotiate on a new collective bargaining agreement, there are a lot of questions to answer. Here is what you need to know as we look ahead to Dec. 1 — when the current CBA expires — and beyond.

► From KTOO — Contract negotiations between University of Alaska and its staff union begins — CAUSE-UAW officially became a union in April and represents more than 2,000 permanent staff at the University of Alaska. The university presented its initial proposed contract to the staff union late last month…The union also filed an unfair labor practice in June alleging the university interfered with bargaining rights and retaliated against members.

ORGANIZING

► From Becker’s Hospital Review — Providence pharmacists in Everett vote to unionize — The bargaining unit includes more than 70 inpatient, ambulatory care and retail pharmacists, according to the release. Pharmacists cited safe staffing levels, corporate accountability and patient care protections as reasons for organizing. “Every day, pharmacists advocate for our patients,” said Matt Chen, a senior clinical pharmacist in the inpatient department, in the release. “In voting for The Pharmacy Guild/IAM, pharmacists chose to advocate for our profession, so we can continue delivering the safe, high-quality care our community deserves.”

► From Variety — ABC News Digital Workers Unionize With WGA East in Unanimous Vote — WGA East — which has repped unionized employees in ABC News’ TV operations for decades — said it reached an agreement with ABC regarding the union representation process for employees of ABCNews.com and ABC News’ social media platforms. The union said ABC and WGAE “have engaged in productive and constructive discussions, reflecting a shared commitment to maintaining a collaborative and supportive workplace.”

NATIONAL

► From the New York Times — Heat Kills Hundreds of Workers Each Year. A Postal Carrier Was One. — More than 550 workers die annually from heat exposure nationwide, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has estimated. Over the years, deaths have included a 23-year-old construction worker who became unresponsive on a job site in Arizona, a 35-year-old farmworker in Florida who became disoriented while harvesting strawberries and 66-year-old Eugene Gates Jr., the letter carrier who collapsed on a front lawn along the route that Mr. Rodriguez now walks. A study by researchers at George Washington University and Harvard calculated that there are 28,000 heat-related work injuries every year.

► From Deadline — DGA & IATSE Urge Fast Track On Paramount-WBD Merger Standoff For Fears That Prolonged Court Battle Will Hurt Jobs — At the very least, the unions — which jointly represent nearly 200,000 film and television workers across the U.S. and Canada — want the antitrust case sorted out in court sooner than the current March 2027 trial date…“While we have been consistent in our view that mergers, such as this one, historically offer few benefits to workers, we are also particularly concerned about the negative impact a delay in the decision regarding the proposed merger will have on our members and the industry at large,” the letter reads.

► From the Guardian — Airline workers reportedly decline to help US agents as Trump migrant crackdown accelerates — At one point, in Dallas, a federal agent went so far as to try to board a plane in search of a target. But the Southwest Airlines gate agent reportedly refused to allow the officer to do so without a warrant signed by a judge, and airline employees blocked ICE from seeing a computer screen while passengers were boarding…“The actions that federal enforcement authorities have taken in our workplaces have raised glaring workplace, safety and legal concerns for flight attendants,” Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, wrote in a letter to carriers in March.

► From the Houston Chronicle — Mayor John Whitmire and labor leaders announce 53% raises for Houston airport workers — The raise marks the latest win for organized labor in Houston, coming three months after unionized housekeepers at the George R. Brown Convention Center secured the same $5-an-hour raise, to $20. Both victories are part of a broader, years-long push by Houston unions to lift wages for thousands of service workers at city-owned facilities. Airport workers’ wages will continue incrementally rising over the next two years, reaching $23 on Jan. 1, 2028.

► From Common Dreams — 800+ USA Today Journalists Demand Paper End Deal With Palantir to Collect Reader Data — In a statement released earlier this week, workers represented by The NewsGuild-CWA said they were “shocked” by the company’s decision to partner with the controversial data analytics firm. Thirty-one unions representing employees across USA Today Co. publications have called on management to immediately terminate the agreement. “We have significant ethical issues with Palantir, whose artificial intelligence (AI) software has been used to advance widespread surveillance and power immigration crackdowns,” the union said.

POLITICS & POLICY

► From the New York Times — Federal Job Cuts Are Making Wildfires Harder to Fight — At the start of what is becoming an intense wildfire season this year, federal officials warned of a 15 percent decrease in available “hotshot” teams, the elite squads that fight complex blazes in the most rugged areas. In Washington State, officials had to call in the National Guard and 250 active-duty U.S. Army soldiers to help extinguish embers because they didn’t have enough firefighters…The administration has cut more than than 5,800 jobs from the Forest Service, which manages 193 million acres of public lands, including 154 national forests, and employs thousands of firefighters. Officials didn’t let firefighters opt into voluntary early resignation programs, but they pushed out many of the workers who handle firefighting logistics and coordination.

► From the AP — Trump administration’s latest buyback of offshore wind leases brings total to nearly $4 billion — RWE U.S. Offshore said its leases represented years of planning, investment and partnership with federal agencies, but it determined there was no path forward to permit the projects for the foreseeable future. In exchange for $1.22 billion, RWE is relinquishing the wind power leases that could have provided about seven gigawatts of power, enough for more than 5 million homes…Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said the lease buybacks are effectively bribing companies to step away from clean energy that can displace more expensive fossil fuel plants, which in turn will raise costs for consumers.

► From the Federal News Network — Union sues TSA over privatization plan records — The American Federation of Government Employees is suing the Transportation Security Administration to release records about TSA’s new “Gold+” privatization plan, with AFGE arguing the agency has kept Congress and the public “in the dark” about the program’s development…“These documents will shed light on the agency’s secretive push to expand the privatization of airport security screening functions,” the complaint stats.

► From the New York Times — Trump Signs Executive Orders Targeting Birthright Citizenship and ‘Birth Tourism’ — It was not immediately clear how the twin orders could realistically be enforced. They would restrict those who could qualify for birthright citizenship, to exclude children of staff working for foreign governments but serving in the United States, and the babies of mothers who lie about their intentions for visiting the country while pregnant. There is a third category, for babies born in U.S. territories, but that would first require congressional action.

► From West Virginia Watch — UMWA calls for ‘immediate’ enforcement of silica rule as black lung hits new high in WV, Appalachia — The call from the UMWA comes after new research this month shows that black lung rates have increased to an almost 50-year high after years of decline, with the highest rates of the disease found in miners from central Appalachia. “More needs to be done, and it needs to be done now,” said UMWA International President Brian Sanson in a news release. “Miners are wearing masks, they are following rules, and yet they are still breathing in killer dust. We will not stand by while federal regulations are ignored and sat on while our members and coalfield workers pay for it with their lives.”

► From the AP — Democrats’ 2028 presidential calendar gives Black and Latino voters and union members an early say — The primary lineup pushes Iowa from the traditional top spot and makes South Carolina the leadoff state, voting on Jan. 22, 2028, followed by Nevada on Feb. 1. New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia round out the early states, throughout February, according to the plan endorsed by the Democratic National Committee at its meeting in Texas…Nevada has the service industry unions because of Las Vegas; Michigan has the auto industry and associated manufacturing support industries; Virginia is home to more federal workers than any other state.

► From the Urbanist — Seattle Advances Ban on Surveillance Pricing, Targeting Grocery Giants — The restriction wouldn’t allow personal information to be used to set prices for grocery items, diapers, hygiene products, and over-the-counter medication. The ordinance also contains a ban on using electronic shelf labels to set prices based on personal information…The ordinance’s support of small independent grocers was by design to help them compete in the marketplace. “We’re not trying to get rid of your discounts, your loyalty programs, but also [the ordinance] really is about leveling the playing field for our smaller independent grocers,” Wilson told The Urbanist.

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