Workplace Issues Today
Daily News for Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Selected by the Catherwood Library Reference Staff each Monday through Friday, excluding University holidays, WIT is a free alert service, providing abstracts and links to workplace-related news stories covered in the major media. Subscribe to WIT »
Established in 1999, this service also includes a searchable archive.
University of California hospital workers strike
Patient care workers at five University of California medical centers are going on strike for two-days. The workers, who include nursing aides, surgical technicians and respiratory therapists, are striking over pay, pension changes and staffing. About 12,000 workers are expected to participate in the walkout. The medical centers say that they have plans to handle patients during the walkout, and a judge ruled that minimum staffing had to be kept in some units, including neonatal and intensive care. The two sides have been negotiating for almost a year over a new contract.
See “Patient care workers set to start walkout at five UC hospitals,” by Anna Gorman, Los Angeles Times, May 21 2013 (SD)
Federal contractors strike
Hundreds of federal contractors went on strike on Tuesday, calling on President Obama to make provisions that would require federal contractors to pay higher wages. A new report found that federal contracts are responsible for about 500,000 jobs where workers make less than $12 an hour. Workers say that their salaries are not enough to get by, and that they need to have better wages.
See “Hundreds of low-wage workers go on strike in D.C.,” by Ned Resnikoff, msnbc.com, May 21 2013 (SD)
South African mining negotiations begin
The South African National Union of Mineworkers' has asked for pay raises of up to 60%. Tensions in the mining industry last year led to dozens of deaths and lost profits for the companies. NUM faces a challenge from another mining union, which has organized tens of thousands of their members in platinum mines in recent months. The union has asked for high salary increases for entry-level workers, and lower increases for experienced and skilled workers.
See “South African wage demands send rand to four year low,” by Ed Stoddard, Reuters, May 21 2013 (SD)