union workers

Spain's Social Security has officially confirmed that a new formula for calculating retirement pensions will take effect in 2027. Under the change, pensions will be computed using 304 months of contribution bases instead of the current system, which uses a shorter reference period. The measure, part of Spain's broader pension reform, is drawing attention as workers assess how it may affect their future retirement benefits.

A union representing Montana state employees and the governor's office have reached an agreement over state employee healthcare costs, according to Montana Free Press. The deal is expected to settle disputes over how much workers contribute to their health coverage. Details of the terms, and reactions from union members and lawmakers, are not yet fully known.

Unionized workers at Duquesne Light, the electricity provider serving the Pittsburgh area, could walk off the job at midnight Wednesday if no agreement is reached with the utility. The potential strike raises concerns about power service reliability for customers across southwestern Pennsylvania. Labor negotiations between the union and the company remain the focus as the deadline approaches.

Teachers, healthcare workers, firefighters and other public sector unions across France are planning hundreds of strikes, with tens of thousands of demonstrators expected in Paris. Unions including the CGT and FO are behind the mobilisation, which is set for September 29. The action targets pay and working conditions in public services, and organisers are encouraging broad participation across sectors.

A new book examines the 1934 Minneapolis truckers' strike, a violent labor conflict that helped establish the city's middle class. The strike, marked by deadly clashes between workers and police, became a turning point for union rights in the United States and secured better wages and working conditions that shaped Minneapolis' economy for decades.

Hundreds of thousands of people marched across France on 29 September in a day of strike action demanding more resources for the public sector, with unions reporting more than 200,000 demonstrators nationwide. Rouen, in Normandy, was among the cities seeing mobilisations, with local rallies drawing public sector workers and supporters. The action targeted government funding for hospitals, schools and other public services.

Warehouse workers at Amazon's SWF1 facility have gone on strike over what their union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, describes as unfair labor practices. The walkout adds to ongoing tensions between Amazon and organized labor, with the Teamsters publicizing the action to draw support and pressure the company over working conditions and bargaining conduct.

Unions at Antofagasta's Centinela copper mine in Chile are preparing for a possible strike, according to a Reuters report. The mine is a major copper producer, and industrial action there could affect global supply at a time of high demand. Negotiations between the company and workers over a new labor contract appear to have reached a critical point.

Students are protesting and public sector workers are on strike across France ahead of the government's budget announcement. The stoppages and demonstrations reflect growing opposition to expected austerity measures, with unions and students mobilising to pressure the government before the budget plans are unveiled.

A union representing US Environmental Protection Agency employees has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeking to restore a collective bargaining contract. The suit challenges the administration's move to strip away negotiated workplace protections at the agency. The case adds to a string of legal battles over federal labor rights under the current administration, with unions arguing the contract rescission violates workers' legal rights to organize.

The University of Pennsylvania's graduate worker union has assembled a political committee, according to The Daily Pennsylvanian. The move signals the union's intent to engage directly in electoral politics, giving it a formal vehicle to endorse candidates and mobilize its members around labor-friendly campaigns.

Barclays has scaled back its return-to-office requirements for UK staff after criticism from employees and trade unions, including Unite. The bank had faced pushback over plans to force more workers back to its offices, part of a wider debate in British banking over flexible and hybrid working arrangements.