Author Archives for Ann Kammerer
Kaiser workers voted 97% YES to ratify a new 4-year contract at the end of March. The new agreement secures workers’ benefits and maintains important protections against subcontracting. It also delivers, for the first time, new longevity steps, a new Kaiser minimum wage, a greater voice when it comes to staffing and new technology, and access to Local 5’s HARIETT training programs.
Local 5 members previously went on a 5-day strike at Kaiser locations across Hawai‘i in October 2025, alongside about 44,000 more Kaiser workers in the Alliance of Healthcare Unions.
Aramark food service workers at Loyola University Chicago ratified a new union contract on April 10, securing major gains for workers on campus. The agreement includes $7 per hour in wage increases over the life of the contract, marking a strong step forward in pay and standards.
On April 16th, UNITE HERE joined a growing coalition of national and community-based organizations in launching Seven Days in June: HEALTH IS PRIMARY, a campaign to focus attention on how $1 trillion in health funding cuts will devastate local communities and economies across the country.
UNITE HERE and other unions and community organizations will hold a weeklong series of actions between June 1st and 7th, 2026, including town halls, panel discussions, forums, demonstrations, marches, rallies, vigils, and more.
“Hospitality workers know that healthcare is a human right. We fight for life-saving medical insurance in every union contract and each organizing drive because all workers and their families deserve a healthcare system that works for them, not one that is being dismantled piece by piece for a budget line,” said Nia Winston, Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE. “Seven Days in June is about making sure every federal, state, and local official knows that we are watching, we are organized, and we will not let them gut the systems our communities depend on to survive.”
Read more about Seven Days in June at www.sevendaysinjune.org.
Members of Local 274 joined union members from across Philadelphia and the Commonwealth to take action at Philadelphia International Airport, calling out the growing presence of ICE in the workplace. Airport workers who keep operations running every day are raising serious concerns about safety and the impact this has on workers and travelers alike.
The action at Terminal C made it clear that ICE does not belong in the airport and that workers are standing together to protect their jobs, their coworkers, and their community.
On March 28, locals across the union joined No Kings rallies in cities nationwide, standing alongside community members and allies in a shared call for democracy, dignity, and respect for working people. No king, no billionaire, and no boss will stand in the way of working-class organization.
We’ve beaten them before and we’ll beat them again. In our workplaces and in the streets, the people united will never be defeated!
The School District of Philadelphia plans to close 18 public schools as part of an effort to solve their $300 million structural deficit. These school closures will disproportionally affect Black and Brown families and workers in poorer neighborhoods. The District also plans to sell these buildings to the city to be turned into housing. For the first time in history, UNITE HERE Local 634 and the four other Unions in the School District are working together to oppose these school closings, including a Local 634 button up campaign.
“Nothing is for the people without the people, and the people are saying no to school closures. Listen to the people and… don’t take the babies neighborhood schools away. We need to invest in the schools that have been neglected for so many years. Let your legacy show that you helped create a school District for all, not a District for the highest bidder.” – Nicole Hunt, President of Local 634.
On March 25, Culinary Union picketed Oak View Group (OVG) at Allegiant Stadium and delivered a petition signed by more than 200 workers demanding the Las Vegas standard. OVG workers at Allegiant Stadium, have been negotiating for a fair contract since summer of 2025. Allegiant Stadium was named the highest-grossing stadium in the United States. The workers who have made this venue successful should not be treated as second-class.
“We are fighting for higher wages. The cost of living, groceries, and rent – everything has gone up. I have a big family, every time that I go shopping for groceries, nothing is cheap anymore. That’s why we need the Las Vegas standard, so our wages can keep up with the costing of living. We are united to win a new 5-year union contract.” – Lidia Murillo, an Oak View Group (OVG) VIP club server at Allegiant Stadium and Culinary Union member.
Food service workers employed by Aramark at Loyola University Chicago have voted to authorize a strike, signaling they are ready to take action at any time. These Local 1 members are pushing for higher wages, a stronger pension, and respect on the job as they continue their fight for a fair contract.
Just weeks after workers voted overwhelmingly to unionize with UNITE HERE Local 26, Seamark restaurant’s owners, Carver Road Hospitality, announced that they would be closing permanently. Now all 56 employees have been laid off, but they are still fighting for justice. Seamark was a subcontracted outlet in Encore Boston Harbor, located in Everett, MA, just outside of Boston.
As the Local 26 Encore workers gear up for a new contract fight, they are pushing for Everett to become a city where working-class residents can afford to raise their families and live where they work. Seamark workers invested in the city by providing their labor and they, too, deserve to be a part of Everett’s future.
Workers at The Duck and The Peach, La Collina, and The Wells continue to hold the picket line while they wait for their union election results to be finalized!
Workers voted for the union 3 weeks ago, with 8 challenged ballots not yet counted.
We stay stronger TOGETHER!
