RWDSU Local 60 members in Manchester, New Hampshire, have ratified a new agreement with their employer, NYCOA. Under the agreement, there will be no change in the medical and dental premiums.

“All benefits in the contract, including health care, were protected,” said Local 60 member John Savory. “This was our top concern going into negotiations.”
The contract also contains wage improvements.

According to a report released on Friday by the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. unemployment rate rose to its highest level in nearly five years in August as the economy shed jobs for the eighth consecutive month, led by huge losses in the manufacturing, service and retail sectors, the Labor Department said today.
The jobless rate increased by half a point to 6.1 percent. This marks the highest unemployment rate since September, 2003.

The RWDSU Northern Joint Council has 65 new members, employees at Price Chopper supermarket in North Bay, Ontario. The store was certified union on August 25 after workers there voted to join.

The following story appeared today in Crain's Insider at Crain's New York Business

Labor's Big Role in Denver

Labor believes that its voters will decide the fall elections, and unions are building on that expectation at the convention-in particular with the New York delegation.

(l to r) RWDSU Pres. Stuart Appelbaum, NY Gov. David Paterson, and NY State Minority Leader Malcolm Smith

RWDSU members are serving as delegates, alternates and as committee members at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, this week, as well as helping to staff the convention. At the convention, the Democratic Party will officially nominate Senator Barack Obama as its presidential candidate, and Senator Joe Biden as its vice presidential candidate.

RWDSU delegates participated throughout the UFCW Convention 

RWDSU Delegates were on hand today in Montreal, Quebec, for the 5th and final day of the UFCW Convention. At today's session, the convention considered and adopted the final batch of resolutions, including Resolution 19 - Merger Agreements.

UFCW Collective Bargaining Director and Executive Vice President Bill McDonough was a guest speaker this morning at the daily RWDSU caucus. McDonough discussed the ways that the changing economic landscape has affected organizing and the collective bargaining process, and the lessons the UFCW has learned when it comes to negotiating with huge multi-national companies.

Phillip Jennings