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Local and National Union News
Maryland Teamsters launch strike at Verbal Beginnings
July 20, 2026 | Workers at Verbal Beginnings in Rockville, represented by Teamsters Local 639, have been forced onto the picket line by their employer’s refusal to bargain a fair first collective bargaining agreement. The 33 workers serve as registered behavioral technicians and provide early intervention and other services to children on the autism spectrum. “These workers show up for vulnerable children in one of the country’s most expensive counties, and they deserve a contract that recognizes their dedication, skill, and sacrifice.” Learn moreDC Teamsters, labor coalition demand DC Council reject anti-worker WAYMO
July 17, 2026 | […] “We’re calling on the city council to reject B26-0684 because the so-called ‘guardrails’ in this bill fail to protect workers, and this legislation doesn’t benefit anyone outside of Silicon Valley billionaires,” said Bill Davis, President of Teamsters Local 639. “It is yet another example of Big Tech companies trying to steamroll cities into changing laws to accommodate them, and it comes at the expense of middle-class professional drivers and anyone else who wants safer streets in our city.” Teamster press release here.Teamsters document the disaster of deregulation
July 8, 2026 | Deregulation of the trucking industry almost 50 years ago produced a Wild West of fly-by-night operators, declining wages, and abominable working conditions—such as workers driving too many hours on too little sleep—and scattershot service to shippers, the Teamsters say in a long analysis of the history of the industry. It’s printed in the latest issue of the union’s magazine. And the deregulatory saga is relevant today, and not just in trucking, though the union doesn’t say so. Read moreOlder posts can be found at 355 News
Elsewhere in the News
Dedication Is Not A Discount
July 20, 2026 | ECONOMIC SECURITY | (Click to enlarge image.) Most mornings, Teamster Andy Ferris follows the same routine: he wakes before dawn, brews a cup of coffee, and heads to work. There, he is greeted by Tapeko, a longtime co-worker. ... Andy is an animal care specialist for marine mammals at the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago. He has been with the zoo for 31 years. For the past 27 years, one of the first to greet him each morning has been Tapeko, a 1,000-plus-pound Atlantic bottlenose dolphin and, as Andy affectionately calls her, his “work wife.” ...This past May, Andy and other dedicated Brookfield Zoo professionals were forced to go on strike. Continued at Just Cause Teamsters
Week Ending 07/18/2026
• Unions sue feds over termination of CBAs
• LA workers win right to strike over ICE
• OSHA moves to roll back ladder safety regulation
• Remembering the 1934 San Francisco General Strike
• Union density is the cause of and solution to our problems
• International union leaders show solidarity with the AFT
• UPS, Boeing hit with new lawsuit over 2025 Louisville crash
• Unions, states sue to block Paramount-Warner Bros. merger
• Postal Workers Union launches ‘Protect Our Postal Service’ drive
• Cyclospora (parasite) cases are rising. Here’s what we know.
• Corporate trickery meets union power:
The Case for Tripling Union Membership
July 17, 2026 | ECONOMY | Imagine union membership tripling in the United States. It may sound radical—if you’ve forgotten history. In fact, more than 1 in 3 private-sector workers belonged to a union in the 1950s. The results? Wages grew in tandem with the economy. The middle class thrived. Black-white wage gaps shrank. Broadly shared economic growth was a reality, not an aspiration. That’s because when workers have bargaining power, they win better wages, benefits, and working conditions. This report shines a light on what we stand to win if we rebuild union power. …we have much to gain from stronger unions. An organized and empowered workforce has powerful and far-reaching economic benefits. Learn more at the Economic Policy Institute
Unions Eschew Picket Lines as Lull in Work Stoppages Continues
July 16, 2026 | UNION POWER | Recent labor data show that strikes and other major work stoppages have declined after several years of heightened labor activism across the United States. Rather than relying on lengthy picket lines, many unions have focused on negotiating contracts, organizing new members, and using the threat of a strike to gain leverage at the bargaining table. Labor experts note that this shift allows unions to secure workplace improvements while reducing the financial costs that prolonged strikes can impose on both workers and employers. The trend suggests that collective bargaining strategies continue to evolve even as union activity remains strong. Continued at Bloomberg Law
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