All posts tagged: Labor

SAG-AFTRA and Studios Reach Tentative Contract Deal

SAG-AFTRA and Studios Reach Tentative Contract Deal

Published by Daniella Wilson

Hollywood can breathe a sigh of relief, as another one of its major labor unions has agreed to a new contract deal without even so much as a hint of another strike. Performers’ union SAG-AFTRA and the bargaining representative for studios and streamers, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, announced that they had struck a tentative agreement on a new deal on Saturday. The parties did not go into detail on the terms of the agreement but said they would divulge more information at a later date. “SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement on terms for a successor contract to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Contracts covering motion pictures, scripted primetime dramatic television, streaming content and new media,” the union said in a statement. The tentative agreement is now subject to approval by the SAG-AFTRA National Board, which will meet in the coming days. While SAG-AFTRA had a laundry list of priorities at the bargaining table this year, a pressing issue was generative AI. The union established standards for AI-related consent …

Child Advocate Letter Points to DCF Failings as Connecticut House Approves New Oversight

Child Advocate Letter Points to DCF Failings as Connecticut House Approves New Oversight

Published by Sam Flores

Just as Connecticut lawmakers prepared to discuss a bill Thursday that would create new oversight for the state Department of Children and Families, the watchdog Office of the Child Advocate released a public letter condemning the quality of casework at the child welfare agency. The letter, which included detailed findings and research, described the apparent suicide last week of a child who died within an hour of asking to be moved into foster care. In that case, according to the letter, “DCF made a decision to leave the child with the parent, indicating that coming into care was not an option.” The Child Advocate called the incident alarming. “In fact, OCA has grown increasingly alarmed at the quality of case practice observed through our reviews of critical incidents and child fatalities, some of which have garnered significant public attention and some of which have not.” The letter said that such decisions are part of a pattern of declining quality of “the most meaningful” elements of casework, with social workers consistently diverging from policy and facing …

Former Olympic hammer thrower emerges as Italian left’s anti-Meloni – POLITICO

Former Olympic hammer thrower emerges as Italian left’s anti-Meloni – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Salis’ most prominent initiatives as mayor have been progressive. Her first act was to register the births of 11 children born to lesbian couples abroad, blocked by her right-wing predecessor. She has opened a municipal office for LGBTQ+ rights and introduced a minimum wage for city contracts. She also backed pro-Palestinian causes. Winning the center But amid talk of a national role, she has increasingly shifted her politics toward the center, with a focus on mainstream issues surrounding health, labor, security and migration. The left, she argued, must focus on “pragmatic, concrete” issues. In a competitive contest on the left, Salis’ limited political experience could count against her, but she argued that she was adaptable. After all, she has taken control of one of Italy’s most important cities “by assembling a competent team and learning day by day, like anyone in a new job.” Experience, she argued, came in different forms. She pointed to the discipline of elite sport and her work within Italy’s Olympic system, where she dealt with ministries, international partners and major …

Directors Guild Renews Russell Hollander’s Contract Through 2029

Directors Guild Renews Russell Hollander’s Contract Through 2029

Published by Daniella Wilson

The Directors Guild of America has issued a vote of confidence in chief negotiator Russell Hollander ahead of the union’s upcoming negotiations with studios and streamers. Union president Christopher Nolan announced on Monday that the DGA had renewed its national executive director and chief negotiator’s contract through 2029. If the union agrees to a typical three-year labor deal with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers this year, the renewed contract ensures that Hollander will be at the helm of the more than 19,500-member organization for the entirety of the deal’s term. “For nearly a decade as our National Executive Director, Russ has been a steward for the Guild and its members, seeing us through a period of tremendous upheaval in our industry,” Nolan said in a statement. “From the pandemic to the strikes and the global contraction in production, Russ has always prioritized and protected the interests of our members, working closely with me, past guild presidents, and our national board. We are grateful for his continued service to our community.”  Hollander has …

Trump’s Iran showdown is becoming Europe’s political nightmare – POLITICO

Trump’s Iran showdown is becoming Europe’s political nightmare – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“Energy costs are cascading into food, transport and housing, hitting lower- and middle-income households hardest,” Seamus Boland, president of the European Economic and Social Committee, which brings together trade unions from across Europe and advises the European Commission on economic and labor policy, told POLITICO. “Politically, that creates space for distrust — not just of national governments, but of European institutions’ ability to shield citizens from external shocks. It risks accelerating support for more protectionist or inward-looking approaches.” France is the biggest prize. But it is not the signal in Europe that the center is crumbling. In Bulgaria, the April 20 victory of Kremlin-friendly ex-president Rumen Radev has set incumbents around Europe on edge. In Romania, a coalition crisis could soon sweep pro-EU Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan from power. In Germany, the far-right Alternative for Germany is eyeing gains in September’s Saxony-Anhalt state election, having already broken into parts of western Germany far from its traditional eastern power base. The Iran war will be in focus on Monday as deputy finance ministers from the EU’s …

Writers Guild Ratifies Four-Year Contract Deal With Studios

Writers Guild Ratifies Four-Year Contract Deal With Studios

Published by Daniella Wilson

Members of the Writers Guild of America gave the green light on Friday to a four-year deal with studios and streamers that will stem the bleeding of the union’s ailing health plan. The atypically long pact, which injects $321 million into the plan, was supported by slightly more than 90 percent of members and rejected by 9.6 percent in a ratification vote. “In the face of industry contraction and runaway healthcare cost inflation, writers were able to secure a contract that returns our Health Fund to a sustainable path and builds on gains from the 2023 strike,” WGA West president Michele Mulroney said in a statement as she thanked everyone involved in the process. The results arrived after union negotiators sought to convince members that trading a shorter deal for the largest-ever boost to annual health funding in the union’s history was a worthy bargain. “Agreeing to a four-year deal this time allowed us to get more and new funding for the health plan than we’ve actually ever gotten before,” the co-chair of the WGA’s …

US to Hold Public Hearings on April 28-29 Related to Probes of Forced Labor

US to Hold Public Hearings on April 28-29 Related to Probes of Forced Labor

Published by Sam Flores

April 24 (Reuters) – The U.S. Trade ⁠Representative’s ⁠office said on Friday ⁠it would hold public hearings next week ​regarding a set of ongoing Section 301 unfair trade ‌practices investigations into dozens ‌of countries suspected of failing to act to ⁠prevent ⁠imports of goods made using forced labor. The hearings will take ​place on April 28-29 at the U.S. International Trade Commission headquarters in Washington, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s office ​said in a statement. The hearings feature 12 panels and roughly ⁠60 ⁠witnesses spanning advocacy groups, ⁠human ​rights groups, U.S. industry groups and representatives of foreign governments, ​according to ⁠the schedule. USTR launched the investigations on March 12 into the economies of 60 countries, saying they failed to ban imports of goods produced with forced labor. The ⁠list includes some major U.S. trade partners and allies such ⁠as Australia, Canada, the European Union, Britain, Israel, India, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. China and Russia are also on the list. President Donald Trump’s administration has sought to rebuild tariff pressure on countries around the world after …

Meta Slashes 8,000 Jobs, or 10% of Its Workforce, as Microsoft Offers Buyouts

Meta Slashes 8,000 Jobs, or 10% of Its Workforce, as Microsoft Offers Buyouts

Published by Sam Flores

Meta is laying off about 8,000 workers, or about 10% of its workforce, the company said Thursday as it continues to ramp up spending on artificial intelligence infrastructure and highly paid AI-expert hires. The company said it was making the cuts for the sake of efficiency and to allow new investments in parts of its business, as first reported by Bloomberg, which also said the company will leave about 6,000 jobs unfilled. Also Thursday, Microsoft said it was offering voluntary buyouts to thousands of its U.S. employees. The software giant plans to make the offers in early May to about 8,750 people, or 7% of its U.S. workforce, according to two people familiar with the plan who were not authorized to speak about it publicly. While an alternative to the sudden layoffs removing tech workers from peers like Meta and Oracle, the savings are likely tied to a similar industry upheaval that is requiring huge spending on the costs of artificial intelligence. Meta has already warned investors that its 2026 expenses will grow significantly — …

German government slashes growth forecast amid Iran war fallout – POLITICO

German government slashes growth forecast amid Iran war fallout – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Inflation to rebound Rising energy prices will likely push inflation back toward 3 percent this year and next, the government said — prompting financial markets to expect two European Central Bank rate hikes this year. ECB officials say they won’t overreact to what may be a short-lived blip, but have warned that they will raise rates if they see any signs of inflation taking root again, only four years after the last such shock. German Economy Minister Katherina Reiche — whose past employment at energy giant E.ON has made her a target for criticism from the left and environmentalists — was quick to blame factors beyond her control for the latest downgrade. “The recovery that we expected this year will once again be derailed by external geopolitical shocks,” Reiche told a press conference. “The war in Iran is driving energy and commodity prices through the roof. That is hurting households and raising costs for the German economy.” However, German business and independent economists have both accused the government of failing to do what is in …