At Least 15 U.S. Workplaces Record Union Wins in Late June–Early July

The AFL-CIO on Thursday published a roundup titled “Worker Wins: Building A Stronger Future Together,” but the bigger story is the breadth behind it: In late June and early July, workers and unions across at least 15 workplaces and sectors recorded verified gains, from first contracts and new union elections to contract ratifications, voluntary recognition and a strike-ending tentative agreement.

Those developments were separate events, not one coordinated campaign. Taken together, they spanned federal science, health care, manufacturing, hospitality, media, entertainment, gaming and local journalism, underscoring that recent labor activity has not been confined to any one industry.

Among the largest actions was at HCA HealthONE Swedish in Englewood, Colorado, where about 800 registered nurses voted July 1 and 2 to join National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United. The election came after the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that enforces private-sector labor law, found HCA had illegally interfered with a previous 2024 vote. Nurses said they want a contract that addresses turnover and workplace protections. “This is a huge victory for the nurses at our hospital and across the HCA system nationwide,” said Christina Michas, a registered nurse at Swedish.

In Hawaii, more than 200 employees at NOAA Fisheries’ Pacific Islands Regional Office voted to join IFPTE Local 8A. That result stood out because it involved federal workers, whose union framework differs from the private-sector NLRB election system.

In manufacturing, about 1,000 UAW Local 400 members at Bridgewater Interiors in Warren, Michigan, ratified a new agreement in a vote the union said passed with 80% support. The contract includes top pay of $35 an hour by the end of the deal, capped increases to health care costs, more time off and a $2,000 ratification bonus.

At the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown, members of UNITE HERE Local 274 ended a nine-day strike after reaching a tentative agreement. The settlement included a path to $30 an hour for non-tipped workers by January 2028, a reduction in room-attendant quotas, an 18% banquet gratuity and pension improvements.

Other gains in the period included a first contract at the Federation of American Scientists, where about 25 IAM District 4 members ratified a two-year agreement. The deal established a formal grievance procedure, a Labor-Management Committee, expanded bereavement leave and salary-band increases. “FAS employees made history when they formed their union, and now they have built on that victory by securing a strong first contract,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan.

A notable thread running through several of the media, entertainment and tech developments was artificial intelligence.

Workers covered by the ABC-TV and NABET-CWA master agreement in New York, Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco ratified a new deal that the union said includes the largest four-year wage increases in more than 30 years, along with guardrails around generative AI.

At WLRN, the South Florida public radio station, SAG-AFTRA members unanimously approved a first contract with South Florida Public Media Group. The four-year agreement, effective July 1, includes raises, promotion standards, doubled parental leave, AI protections and severance protections.

At Wizards of the Coast, developers working on “Magic: The Gathering Arena” voted to join the Communications Workers of America. Industry outlets reported a 79-16 tally, with 100 of 102 eligible workers casting ballots. Workers organizing there cited layoff protections, remote work, heavy workloads and generative AI among their concerns.

In television production, production assistants on three Warner Bros. Television shows — “Abbott Elementary,” “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage” and “All American” — ratified first union contracts. The agreements include a $20-an-hour minimum wage for new hires, double pay for holidays and a career-advancement subcommittee.

And in local news, newsroom employees at the San Francisco Public Press won voluntary recognition from management as members of the Pacific Media Workers Guild, part of NewsGuild-CWA Local 39521, after a supermajority signed union cards.

A few other verified examples from the same period added to the cross-industry picture: 90 Albertsons workers at two New Mexico stores voted to join UFCW Local 1564; about 140 sawmill workers at Big River Forest Products in Gloster, Mississippi, voted to join the United Steelworkers; and the Pharmacy and Pharmacists Workers Union, representing about 16,000 workers, voted to affiliate with the IAM. Together, the recent activity shows organizing and bargaining gains spread across workplaces and issue areas, with AI protections emerging as one recurring concern rather than the defining feature of a single sector.