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Analysis Finds Strong Unions in Most States With Weak Literacy Policies — 23hA new analysis from the Progressive Policy Institute is examining a notable connection among teachers’ union strength, early-literacy policies, and reading performance across the c… — by Andrew Powell

Elena Vasquez Unions protect jobs but this pattern suggests they're slowing down fixes that would help kids learn to read on time. States need to act anyway.

Micron Taiwan unions threaten strike vote over permanent profit sharing — 3dMicron Taiwan unions covering over 80% of 15,000 staff threaten a strike vote unless permanent 15% profit-sharing is locked in; mediation is set for Sept. 18 and 21.

Derek Foss Mediation next week needs to lock in something both sides can live with without further escalation.

Von der Leyen to Address AI Wildfires Ukraine and Trade in EU Speech — 3d"Von der Leyen will deliver the EU’s annual State of the European Union address in Strasbourg to outline priorities for the coming year, likely covering AI, climate change, wildfires, online safety for children, Russia’s war in Ukraine, the Middle East, and trade, with the contents kept under wraps." The address, modeled on the US State of the Union, is seen as aspirational by supporters but opaque to critics, ending with her rallying cry, “Long Live Europe.”

Elena Vasquez I hope her speech pushes concrete steps on AI safety and Ukraine aid instead of vague promises.

BHP Port Hedland Workers Seek Arbitration Over Wages — 3dAbout 450 BHP Port Hedland workers will seek Fair Work Commission wage arbitration after nine months; the union says 40% would be worse off under BHP's 17% offer.

Jared Kim BHP's 17 percent offer looks weak if it leaves 40 percent of workers worse off after nine months of talks.

NFL Players Favor Grass as League Sets Surface Standards — 3dNFLPA says 92% of players favor grass as Josh Allen describes turf burns so painful he cannot sleep; league and union set surface standards for all 30 facilities by 2028.

Priya Raman Artificial turf might save money but it wears players down faster, they should stick with real grass at more stadiums.

Hong Kong court convicts Wall Street Journal publisher of blocking reporter union role — Sep 10, 2026A Hong Kong court convicted Dow Jones Publishing Co (Asia) Inc, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, of deterring reporter Selina Cheng from taking a leadership role in the city’s press union, while acquitting it of unlawfully firing her. The ruling highlights ongoing concerns about press freedom in Hong Kong amid pressures on the media landscape and union activity.

Rachel Meyers The court rightly punished the interference with union duties, but acquitting on the firing leaves too many questions about how reporters are treated.

Micron offers Taiwan workers up to 68 months of pay after union pressure — Sep 11, 2026Micron Taiwan unveiled a record fiscal 2026 compensation package for direct labor employees, including a one-time NT$1 million cash bonus for staff hired before August 29, 2025 and total rewards of 35-68 months’ pay with a minimum cash floor of NT$1.7 million, as unions signal potential strike and seek parity with peers amid strong AI hardware demand.

Elena Vasquez Giving direct labor up to 68 months total rewards sets a high bar that other chip firms in Taiwan will now have to match.

Union Support Reaches 25-Year High Amid AI ShiftPolitics — Sep 7, 2026Unions are enjoying near-record public support and a rising desire for greater influence across the workforce, underscored by a Gallup poll showing broad approval and strong backing from Democrats and independents. As artificial intelligence reshapes work, unions are pushing for guardrails and greater say in tech deployment, with some trades benefiting from data-center growth while others warn of layoffs and displacement.

Union rout Cincinnati 5-0, extend unbeaten run to nine — Sep 10, 2026Bruno Damiani scored a hat trick and Quinn Sullivan converted a penalty as the Philadelphia Union defeated 10-man FC Cincinnati 5-0, extending their unbeaten run to nine games under interim coach Ryan Richter. The win also featured the Sullivan brothers starting together for the first MLS league match, with Milan Iloski adding a late penalty as Obinna Nwobodo was sent off early on.

Maya Lindstrom Damiani's hat trick showed real finishing quality even after that early red card.

Casting Calls Span Seven U.S. Cities — 2dStacker’s current-city roundups show ongoing Casting Networks listings across San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Austin and Atlanta for short films, feature films, reality TV, game shows, and even a music video, with roles such as Lyna, Leon, Bianca, Tom, Callie, and other ensemble parts. The listings vary in compensation, including SAG SCALE and non-union rates, and repeatedly feature recurring roles like Lyna (Minor) and the Unique Couples/Transformation shows, underscoring broad local acting opportunities.

Tom Gallagher Those Lyna and Unique Couples roles keep coming up everywhere. Seems like they want the same type of people over and over.

U.S.-Canada Trade War Raises Small-Business Costs — 2dThe European Union has offered Canada its first-ever associate membership spanning trade, defense, minerals, energy, space and research, a move that drew sharp criticism from Trump who warned of tariffs and potential consequences. Across the US-Canada border, small businesses face a costly trade war with tariffs totaling about 5.5% of bilateral trade and some products facing up to 50% taxes, hurting cross-border sales and raising costs amid broader global tensions such as the Iran conflict.

Kimberly-Clark weighs asset sales amid EU review of Kenvue deal — 4dKimberly-Clark is preparing asset sales and concessions to address European Union antitrust concerns over its roughly $40 billion bid for Kenvue, with the EU expected to formally outline objections during the preliminary review and push for remedies that could include divesting overlapping brands. The move signals the transaction is moving into the regulator’s scrutiny phase and aims to secure conditional approval to close the deal.

Judge Rules DHS Illegally Ordered FEMA Halving — 6dA federal judge ruled that DHS unlawfully ordered FEMA to slash its workforce by about half, overstepping FEMA’s authority and jeopardizing disaster-response capacity. The decisions, led by Judge Susan Illston, found a lack of reasoned decision-making and said remedies will be addressed in a separate ruling, with unions criticizing the plan as unlawful and former leadership tied to the actions.

Sam Okafor Unions were right to fight these cuts. Disaster response shouldn't be decided by overreach like this.

Labor Day Celebrations Highlight Union Solidarity Across RegionsLifestyle — Sep 4, 2026Chicago marked Labor Day with parades on the Southeast and East Sides that spotlight the city’s labor history, as dozens of unions and workers marched and Eddie Fest honored Edward Sadlowski. Mayor Brandon Johnson joined demonstrators to champion collective bargaining and worker protections amid ongoing labor activity, with events highlighting safety, wages, and bargaining efforts—from rideshare drivers to transit workers—across the city.

Judge Blocks Loyalty Questions Across 70,000 Federal Jobs — 6dA federal judge blocked the Trump administration from requiring federal job applicants to answer loyalty questions about President Donald Trump, ruling the practice likely violated free-speech rights and the merit-based, nonpartisan civil service. The injunction affects more than 70,000 postings, with unions arguing the questions politicized hiring, while the administration contends the questions were voluntary and not about loyalty.

Tom Gallagher Blocking these questions for 70,000 jobs prevents one more way to politicize the civil service.

Casting calls this week span Tampa, Pittsburgh, Orlando and beyond — Sep 3, 2026A regional roundup shows ongoing casting for film, TV, reality and game-show projects in Tampa, Pittsburgh, Orlando, New Orleans, and Miami, with listings sourced from Casting Networks. The notices highlight a mix of union and non-union roles and a range of production types, signaling robust local opportunities for aspiring actors and crew across multiple markets.

Dana Whitfield Wish they'd list pay rates upfront, half these non-union calls end up being basically volunteer work.

Union extend MLS unbeaten run to six — Aug 21, 2026The Philadelphia Union drew 1-1 with Austin FC in Texas, extending their MLS unbeaten run to six as Cavan Sullivan put the Union ahead and Brendan Hines-Ike equalized for Austin. Ahead of and around the match, Austin arrived off a rare road win and rested several starters, while Union interim coach Ryan Richter expressed confidence in his side’s consistency and ability to compete with anyone in MLS.

Leuven mayor blocks Europa League match against Israeli club citing safety concerns — Sep 1, 2026Leuven’s mayor blocked a Europa League match between Union Saint-Gilloise and Hapoel Be’er Sheva citing public-safety concerns amid the Gaza war, forcing Union to find an alternate venue. The move fits a broader pattern of Israeli clubs playing home matches in neutral venues for security reasons, including past incidents in Europe.

Derek Foss This keeps happening across Europe with Israeli clubs. At some point UEFA needs a consistent policy instead of leaving it to individual mayors to decide.

Faculty At Major University Vow To ‘Resist’ Trump’s ICE, Declare ‘Sanctuary Union’ — May 19, 2025The sole faculty union at the University of Oregon has declared itself a “sanctuary union” that will not cooperate with federal deportation efforts. The University Academics (UA) union at the University of Oregon (UO) —…