Union

Company may have spent about $200,000 to fight union effort in White Plains, where 11 people can vote to join UAWWorkers at an AutoZone in White Plains, New York, are seeking to become the first store at the US’s largest auto parts retailer to win a union election, set to begin 25 September, despite a heavy-handed union opposition campaign from the company.LaborLab, a non-profit workers’-rights watchdog, estimates AutoZone has spent around $200,000 to oppose the unionization effort at the White Plains store, where 11 workers are eligible to vote to join the United Auto Workers Local 259. The estimate is based on external attorney costs and internal costs of executive salaries based on reports from workers at the store. Continue reading...

• The European Commission plans to propose a ban on social network usage for children under 13 years of age across all European Union member states. • This proposal follows similar restrictive measures already implemented or discussed in countries including Latvia, Britain, Ireland, the USA, and Mexico. • The move aims to restrict digital access for young children to address safety and developmental concerns within the EU market.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her State of the Union speech and introduced several new policy initiatives. • The announced measures include a specific European heatwave plan and the creation of "associate membership" status for Canada. • These initiatives aim to strengthen European climate resilience and expand the European Union's strategic partnerships with non-member nations.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a new security forum for the EU and like-minded leaders during her 2026 State of the Union address. • The forum would include Canada, Ukraine, Norway, and the U.K. to counter escalating Russian hybrid attacks, which are coordinated non-military threats like cyberattacks or disinformation. • This initiative aims to stabilize fraying transatlantic relations and strengthen defense ties between the EU and its key global partners.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her State of the Union speech focusing on migration, climate change, and digital safety. • The address highlighted the threats of hybrid warfare, which involves combining conventional military force with irregular tactics like cyberattacks. • These priorities signal a strategic shift in how the European Union will manage security and environmental policy across its member states.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen outlined a vision for European sovereignty in trade, energy, defense, and technology during her 2026 State of the Union address. • The Commission will identify 100 vulnerable territories and establish a Climate Insurance Alliance to address the fact that only 25% of catastrophe losses are privately insured. • This shift aims to reduce the burden on national governments that currently act as the insurer of last resort for extreme-weather losses.

• European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen invited major AI labs to Brussels to discuss managing the speed of frontier AI development. • The initiative focuses on "pacing the frontier," which refers to controlling the rapid advancement of the most powerful AI models. • This move signals a shift toward more direct collaboration between EU regulators and the private companies building high-end AI systems.

National Education Union welcomes news that schools will not have to partly fund increase from their own budgetsThe UK’s biggest education union is claiming a major victory after the government bowed to pressure and agreed to fully fund a forthcoming pay increase for teachers in England in a sudden U-turn on previous policy.Members of the National Education Union (NEU) were due to vote in a ballot for strike action next month over the government’s recent pay offer which provided for a 3.5% increase from this month, with an additional 3% from next September. Continue reading...

• An international court in The Hague sentenced former Kosovo president Hashim Thaçi to 25 years in prison for war crimes committed during the 1990s conflict with Serbia. • The Trial Panel acquitted Thaçi of crimes against humanity because prosecutors failed to prove a widespread or systematic attack against civilians. • This ruling establishes criminal responsibility for high-level leadership during the violent break from Serbia.

Commission president says EU must ‘urgently reimagine our partnerships’ as she makes unprecedented offerEurope live – latest updatesCanada has been invited to become the first “associate member” of the EU by the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen.In an unprecedented offer, von der Leyen said on Wednesday that the EU and Canada “see the world with the same eyes” through shared democratic values and common approaches to many big issues, from AI to climate breakdown, the Ukraine war and geopolitics. Continue reading...

• Us captured several unaired moments from the 2026 Emmy Awards, including behind-the-scenes interactions and reunions. • The coverage featured a deep conversation between Aaron Rodgers’ former partners, Shailene Woodley and Olivia Munn. • These exclusive clips provide celebrity followers with personal interactions that were omitted from the televised broadcast.

• ECB President Christine Lagarde and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen called for the creation of a European Capital Markets Union during a "Hofburg im Dialog" event in Vienna. • The leaders argued that Europe is lagging behind in artificial intelligence because it lacks the integrated financial infrastructure needed to fund massive tech investments. • A unified capital market would allow European companies to access larger pools of private funding, reducing their reliance on fragmented national markets.

Sources say there are ‘significant differences’ in opinion as debate inflamed by crypto billionaires’ £72m donations to ReformUK politics live – latest updatesBritain’s trade union movement leader Paul Nowak has said the government must act to “stop the super-rich corrupting our politics”, as union leaders met on Monday to discuss possible support for a domestic cap on donations.Union leaders are split on the prospect of limiting domestic donations to political parties, with many including the GMB fearing it would lead a future rightwing government to curb union donations. Continue reading...

Ex-Tory chancellor says economy has ‘fallen off a cliff’ since Brexit but rejoining union could be ‘quite simple’Former chancellor George Osborne said Britain’s economy has “fallen off a cliff” since Brexit and that rejoining the European Union’s customs union would be the fastest route to recovery.Osborne, who resigned as chancellor after being part of David Cameron’s cabinet at the time of the referendum, said it was important to rebuild links with the EU. Continue reading...

Dow Jones convicted of one count of deterring Selina Cheng from role at Hong Kong Journalist Association but cleared of second chargeA Hong Kong court has convicted the publisher of the Wall Street Journal of deterring a reporter from taking up a trade union role, in a case that raised concerns about press freedom in the city.The newspaper dismissed Selina Cheng just weeks after she was appointed chair of the Hong Kong Journalist Association (HKJA) in 2024. She was told at the time her termination was officially due to restructuring. Continue reading...

Uptick in US union membership coincides with high public approval ratings of unionsAfter years of decline, union membership in the US increased by 411,000 members in 2025, the largest increase since 2008, according to a new report.The report makes clear the impact that “right to work” laws can have on union membership: most gains were concentrated in states that protect collective bargaining. Continue reading...

The new ACTU secretary, Melissa Donnelly, says One Nation ‘says one thing and does another’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.The new secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions, Melissa Donnelly, has said cost of living issues and the rollout of AI in workplaces are two major focuses of her new role. More coming up. Continue reading...

Inquiry come after conservative thinktanks claim unions are using member dues to support Democratic causesHouse Republicans are investigating several US labor unions based on claims from far-right nonprofits alleging union dues are being used for illegal political funding.Republicans on the House’s education and workforce committee opened the investigation this summer after multiple reports from the conservative thinktanks targeted unions and their spending, claiming that unions are using member dues to support Democratic causes. Continue reading...

Cape Town stunt sparks major debate over safety risksAirlink insist flyby conducted according to regulationsA pre-game stunt involving two passenger jets flying dramatically low over a stadium in South Africa drew huge cheers from the estimated crowd of around 56,000 people, but also sparked a major debate over safety risks.The flyby by two Embraer jets, operated by local airline Airlink, happened on Saturday before the second rugby union Test between South Africa and New Zealand in Cape Town. Continue reading...

• Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmerman, chairman of the European Parliament's Security and Defense subcommittee, reports that the EU is politically divided over imposing an entry ban on Russian citizens. • The bloc is split geographically, with Scandinavian and Baltic states pushing for a strict EU-wide solution to restrict entry. • Conversely, major powers including France, Italy, and Spain remain skeptical about implementing stricter entry requirements.

Since Hurricane Sandy in 2012, a growing labor movement has addressed the climate crisis and economic inequalityRyan McElroen had spent years repairing the New York City subway underground when he got the opportunity to work in the middle of the ocean.“I had no views other than the darkness at work,” he said. “Then I went polar opposite.” Continue reading...

Leaders claim scaremongering from business figures may cause key legislation to become ‘meaningless’Trades unions are warning Andy Burnham that Labour’s policy on cutting zero-hours contracts risks failing to live up to the party’s manifesto.Union leaders are seeking reassurances from the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, amid what the TUC has condemned as “scaremongering” from business groups. Continue reading...

Salaries will rise 28.3% to 32.4% over four years, an outcome partly shaped by a rank-and-file rebellion within the Australian Education UnionFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastVictoria’s school teachers are set to become the highest paid in the country, after accepting the state government’s latest pay and conditions offer after a year-long bargaining process.Australian Education Union (AEU) members voted 79% in favour of the offer on Monday, which will deliver total pay rises of between 28.3% and 32.4% over four years, plus a $2,000 bonus at the start of the agreement. The union also confirmed a planned strike will not go ahead on Wednesday. Continue reading...

RCN calls for more air conditioners as Burnham faces pressure to recognise urgency of adaptation to climate crisisNurses are collapsing during shifts amid “inhumane and impossible” conditions caused by extreme heat, their union has warned, as Andy Burnham promised to grapple with “the bigger questions” of climate adaptation.Amid growing pressure from Labour backbenches to fully acknowledge the urgency of adaptation measures as the climate crisis bites, Burnham said he was for now focusing on the immediate crises caused by an ongoing summer of extreme heat. Continue reading...

• On August 8, 1977, the Soviet Union's Salyut 5 space station re-entered and burned up in Earth's atmosphere. • Salyut 5 was a key component of the Almaz program, a highly secretive military initiative focused on space-based reconnaissance. • The station's mission highlighted the Cold War era's strategic competition between the U.S. and USSR to establish military intelligence capabilities in orbit.

Melissa Donnelly, the national secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, will replace the outgoing ACTU headGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastMelissa Donnelly, the national secretary of the Community and Public Sector Union, will take on the role as the next head of the trade movement in Australia, after the resignation of Sally McManus.The Australian Council of Trade Unions’ secretary and its president, Michele O’Neil, revealed last month they would be stepping down after eight years together as the first all-female leadership team in the ACTU’s 99-year history, playing a major role in shaping the Albanese government’s workplace agenda. Continue reading...

TUC will urge John Healey to order ‘root and branch’ assessment of watchdog amid claims its forecasts downplay investment benefitsThe TUC is urging the new chancellor, John Healey, to order a “root and branch” review of the Office for Budget Responsibility, claiming the forecaster’s approach holds back investment.With Andy Burnham promising “good growth in every postcode”, the union umbrella body is calling on Healey to use his first budget on 28 October to re-examine the assessments of the watchdog. Continue reading...

GMB says that as a top-rated ethical company, UK’s largest energy firm should welcome involvement of unionsWorkers are pushing for union recognition at the UK’s largest energy company, Octopus Energy, known as a progressive organisation with a focus on renewable energy.The GMB union is planning to submit a formal proposal for voluntary recognition at the London-based company and says Octopus, as a top rated ethical business, should welcome the involvement of trade unions. Continue reading...