Tiered wage systems create separate pay and benefit tracks depending on when an employee is hired. It’s used almost exclusively in union workplaces, and pits workers against each other.
By Ian Kullgren, Bloomberg Law
Thousands of John Deere workers have been on strike for more than a month. Nearly 1,500 Kellogg’s workers likely will celebrate Thanksgiving on the picket line. More than 30,000 Kaiser Permanente workers narrowly avoided a strike this week through an 11th-hour deal with management.
The common thread? Tiered wage proposals that help companies cut costs but that unions say cheat new workers out of pay and retirement benefits.
At John Deere and Kaiser, organized labor prevailed in stripping tiered wage systems from the proposals during collective bargaining sessions—a big victory, but one that required each union to flex the nuclear threat of a strike.
Recent Posts
To Resist Trump, The Left Must Change, A Zero Hour Conversation With Norman Solomon
May 9, 2025
Take Action Now Norman Solomon and RJ Eskow discuss the challenges facing the Democratic Party and the need for a united front against the Trump…
An AI Dragnet Is Sweeping Up Immigrants
May 9, 2025
Take Action Now The U.S. government is activating a suite of algorithmic surveillance tools, developed in concert with major tech companies, to…
The ADL Has Been Going To Bat For Weapons Manufacturers
May 9, 2025
Take Action Now The Anti-Defamation League now says criticizing the use of US weapons is ‘antisemitic’.By Eli Clifton, Responsible…
America First? No, Corporations First.
May 8, 2025
Take Action Now Big corporations donated heavily to Trump’s inaugural fund. Just a few months later, federal cases against them are being dropped.…