The Teamsters aren’t on board with the one-day “General Strike” in Minnesota:
As we have previously discussed, the idea of a protracted General Strike is both a grassroots fantasy and a real possibility. The realness comes from UAW President Shawn Fain’s plan to coordinate contract expiration dates for May 1, 2028, so that work stoppages would occur across several industries. Far less likely is the idea of a less structured, grassroots event, where people would walk off their jobs without the NLRA protections associated with striking as a union member.
Yet those who have been watching current events have likely seen word of Jan. 23’s “ICE Out of Minnesota,” which was labeled by independent news outlet Minnesota Reformer as “a general strike.” However, this is more of a one-day economic blackout event where businesses are closing, although some worker call outs should be expected.
Organizers have urged consumers to halt spending, and the Bring Me The News website published a list of hundreds of business locations closing for the day or operating on reduced hours. The “ICE Out” website points toward rallies beginning at 2:00 pm local time while citing Minneapolis resident Renee Good’s killing by ICE agent Jonathan Ross as a key motivation.
Meanwhile, the World Socialist Web Site points out that, unlike several other union locals (SEIU, CWA, IATSE), the Teamsters do not support this event in accordance with the UPS contract’s “no-strike provision” and instructed UPS workers to refrain from walking off the job.
It must be noted, though, that the current Teamsters’ UPS contract expires in June 2028, so it’s possible that they could (late-game) participate with Shawn Fain’s 2028 plans if he does pull off an extended general strike.
Healthcare is in a holding pattern over H-1B visas:
Hospital systems already have enough concerns over staffing ratios and finances, especially after the end of pandemic-era funding. Unions are also waging high-profile strikes, and the list of headaches keep going.
What also isn’t helping matters: A lack of clarity on whether healthcare will be exempt from $100,000 H-1B visa fees. As Becker’s Hospital Review relays from the American Association of Medical Colleges, Trump’s executive order (EO) on the matter has left hospitals wondering if or when they can finish their physician recruitment plans.
If healthcare systems are found to be non-exempt from the EO, these fees would hit rural hospitals hardest, given these communities’ reliance upon international applicants who require H-1B sponsorship to work in the U.S. If no update occurs to the H-1B EO, these hospitals might have to rely on the J-1 visa program, which has its own complications, including how hospitals would train residents before they are required to temporarily return to their home countries for two years.
The healthcare industry does not need these obstacles, so we’ll be watching to see if that H-1B exemption comes through.
Will the Bigfoot Beverages strike finally end after NLRB’s weigh in?
Last September, the Teamsters bizarrely threw a barbecue to mark the one-year anniversary of the Bigfoot Beverages strike. At that point, many union members had already moved onto jobs elsewhere, where they certainly didn’t receive generous 401(k) contributions (9% default with no need for workers to match) like those offered by Bigfoot, and the union had reportedly prevented workers from voting on a final contract offer.
Meanwhile, the Teamsters are still demanding that the company scrap the generous 401(k) offer and keep workers’ pension plans active, although Bigfoot has made it clear that no accrued pension benefits would be lost.
The union’s overreach has already hurt its own members. Now it has cost the Teamsters again, with the NLRB dismissing seven complaints after finding the charges lacked merit. In doing so, the Board found that the company was not bargaining in bad faith and did not illegally threaten workers’ jobs. More charges remain to be considered by the Board, but it’s not looking great for these workers who have been striking with no meaningful results.
Seems like it’s time to finally throw in that towel.
The NLRB General Counsel shuffle and the naming of names:
The NLRB hit the ground running after finally receiving a quorum. They’ve issued dozens of unpublished decisions and a first published decision that details a plan for labor law predictability through regional directors if the Board loses its quorum later this year when David Prouty’s term expires.
Meanwhile, ex-Acting General Counsel William Cowen isn’t going too far. He will now temporarily oversee the NLRB’s 26 regional offices until further notice. New GC Crystal Carey also announced new staffers, including Lynisa B. Michalski as acting deputy general GC and Sylvester Giustino as director of the Office of Congressional and Public Affairs. Additionally, Bloomberg Law reports that the NLRB lost 150+ employees, or 10% of its staff, in 2025 during federal-agency trimming, and this reduction is expected to slow down the Board’s backlog clearing.
IAM is looking for the next generation of union organizers:
We’ve told you before about Big Labor’s efforts to recruit younger workers to pave unions’ coffers for the future. These tactics include a new toolbox of organizing strategies and training programs on how activists can become “salts” in order to infiltrate businesses with the intent of organizing while deceiving coworkers.
Now, the International Association of Machinists is (publicly) getting in on that game. This perhaps should have been expected, given that their Pharmacy Guild affiliate union was launched by four Gen Z founders who leverage their social media followings for publicity.
IAM is now pushing Young Worker Committees, and they are inviting Gen Z members to build committees at their own locals. The union held a training week attended by young workers, who learned about social media strategy as well as “organizing on the issues, common sense economics, human rights, and establishing effective committees.” “Salting” wasn’t outwardly on the agenda, but you can bet it happened on the down low.
The union has also announced a “Young Workers March on Washington,” which is scheduled for Feb. 7, that will focus on economic concerns faced by Gen Z in particular.
Meanwhile, the Start Applying Labor Transparency (SALT) Act awaits action from the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. If the law is enacted, salts would be required to file disclosure forms with the Department of Labor, much like employer consultants must already do. At that point, workers would always be made aware when they’re working alongside somebody who’s receiving a paycheck to persuade them.
