It was several thousand dollars. After taxes.

That's 💯 the result of tireless work of my union. The administration insisted for years that daily exposure risks and inevitably catching COVID-19 at work (before vaccines or antivirals were available) was not a sufficiently hazardous working condition to warrant invoking the hazardous conditions pay rate stipulated in our contract.

(via AFSCME)

American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

I want to take a moment to explain why I have made the difficult decision to stop paying my union dues.

This is not a statement of union busting. I am, and always have been, a strong believer in unions and the power they hold to protect and uplift workers. My decision comes from my personal experiences and a deep disappointment in the current state of our local leadership.

As a former Executive Board member, Lead Steward, ICC Committee member, and Membership Chair, I have dedicated a significant amount of time and energy to this union. I have seen firsthand both the potential of what we can be—and the reality of what we currently are. Unfortunately, that reality includes broken trust, inconsistency, and a leadership culture that I can no longer support. There are several key experiences that led me to this decision:

First, false statements were made about me by leadership—claims that I accused someone of wrongdoing that I did not make. After filing a complaint, it was determined that this behavior was inappropriate. Despite that finding, the damage to my reputation and trust was already done.

Second, after being told that a position would be held for me during a time when I was navigating that broken trust, I later returned only to be told that someone else was being considered. This was followed by communication that felt manipulative and aimed at controlling the narrative rather than taking accountability.

Third, I have witnessed and experienced concerning behavior within leadership, including intimidation and dismissive treatment of stewards. In one instance, I was asked to communicate on behalf of the Chief Steward, only to later see that behavior doubled down on in a way that included negative remarks about the very members we are supposed to support. I have also filed complaints regarding intimidation by another steward, but based on prior experiences, I have little confidence that these concerns will be addressed in a meaningful or fair way.

Beyond my personal experiences, I have observed broader systemic issues:

A clear double standard in how leadership is allowed to behave versus how members are expected to conduct themselves

Messaging that contradicts itself—encouraging membership engagement while simultaneously dismissing barriers that prevent members from participating

Discussions about limiting meeting access in ways that would exclude a significant number of remote members

Efforts to control information through measures that conflict with the spirit of the member bill of rights

Michael Sainato at The Guardian:

A federal court has granted a temporary injunction blocking the Trump administration’s firings of federal employees during the government shutdown. The ruling by Judge Susan Illston of the US district court’s northern district of California came in response to a lawsuit filed by labor unions representing federal workers. “I am inclined to grant the plaintiff’s motion,” said Illston during a court hearing on the injunction request. “The evidence suggests that the office of management and budget, OMB, and the office of personnel management, OPM, have taken advantage of the lapse in government spending, in government functioning to assume that all bets are off, that the laws don’t apply to them any more, and that they can impose the structures that they like on the government situation that they don’t like, and I find, I believe, that the plaintiffs will demonstrate, ultimately, that what’s being done here is both illegal and is in excess of authority and is arbitrary and capricious.”

Justice department attorney Elizabeth Hedges said she was not prepared to discuss the merits of the case. “As of now, the [temporary restraining order] is in effect,” Illston said. The ruling comes as Russ Vought, the White House OMB director, said on The Charlie Kirk Show that more cuts were coming, claiming the firings could be “north of 10,000” workers. On Friday, the Trump administration announced “reductions in force” across seven federal agencies, with at least 4,100 workers affected, citing the shutdown as justification for the firings.

Unions representing federal employees – the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) – filed a lawsuit on 30 September, before the shutdown, in response to threats from the Trump administration that it would conduct reductions in force. The lawsuit alleges that the OMB, through Vought, violated the law by making firing threats and instructing federal employees to carry out work related to the firings during the shutdown. The unions filed for an injunction to block the firings. No prior government shutdown has resulted in mass layoffs of federal workers before. “In [the] AFGE’s 93 years of existence under several presidential administrations – including during Trump’s first term – no president has ever decided to fire thousands of furloughed workers during a government shutdown,” said Everett Kelley, president of the AFGE, in a statement on the firings.

In AFGE v. OMB, Judge Susan Illston issues a temporary injunction against the unlawful firings by OMB head Russ Vought during the GOP-caused government shutdown.

See Also:

My name is Sierra Sullivan-Paull. I am asking for your vote to be Secretary of our Local 328 because I am committed to strengthening communication and ensuring your voice is heard.

I know that many members have felt silenced and censored, as seen in recent contract negotiations, meetings, and blog posts. I am committed to having the conversations needed to ensure ALL represented members are heard.

I have 12 years of healthcare experience. Ranging from direct support care to administrative work for private practices. I have worked in private, state-funded, and federal-funded institutions. I am a fierce advocate for social justice and democracy for all. I am active in several local grassroots organizations, with the help of AFSCME Council 75 VP, and am forming a progressive caucus. I believe in strengthening our community at OHSU and throughout AFSCME. I understand that if there were ever a time to speak up and be heard about what we, as the very workers who keep the machine running, think, it is now.

Thatʼs why I am running for Secretary, and I proudly endorse Sean Bovett for President and Brianna OʼLoughlin for Treasurer. Elections are open Friday, February 13th @ 8:00 AM - Friday, 2/20/2026 @ 5:00 PM. Thank you.

In Solidarity and with bread and roses, Sierra.

Two years ago, after abuse and harassment from managers came to light and a document outlining pay disparity across departments was shared around, workers at the PMA voted to form the first wall-to-wall union at a museum in the United States. Upper management claims to have been bargaining in good faith, but instead they continuously stall negotiations or simply fail to show up at all. 

Workers at the PMA make far below the national average, with the lowest paid workers only making $15 an hour. Meanwhile the new CEO makes 700k a year and upper management makes well over the national average. The museum hired the same union busting law firm that Amazon and Starbucks uses and recently spent $230 million on renovations to the building. 

But the workers are not just striking for fair wages. They do not have affordable healthcare, to the point many employees are putting off getting medical treatment simply because they can’t afford it. There is no paid parental leave, no real job security, and very few opportunities for upward movement within the museum. Management has offered insultingly small raises (3% with no account for cost of living and inflation) after years of staff getting no raises at all. 

Today, October 7th 2022, was the 12th day of their strike. A new CEO started the first day of the strike and has not made an effort to speak with union reps at all. Today scabs were spotted hanging the upcoming retrospective exhibition of Mattisse’s work as all the art handlers are outside on strike. 

You can help! Share stories and posts on social media (@pmaunion on twitter and instagram) and show your support for the strike. If you are in the Philadelphia area and have some time, go join the picket lines! They are out there every day, rain or shine, and love having people join in. If you are a member of the museum, cancel and/or do not renew your membership and make sure the museum knows why you are doing this. If you have the means to do so, donate to their strike fund (I will add a link in a reblog), any amount helps! Most importantly, DO NOT CROSS THE PICKET LINE. There are so many great museums in Philly you can visit instead, or donate the price of your ticket ($25 for adults, $23 for seniors, and $14 for students) or the cost of your membership to the strike fund.