On the picket line

Ohio public sector strike enters tenth week

Over 100 members of United Auto Workers Local 2192 have been on strike at Lorain County Job and Family Services (JFS) since Feb. 18 in what might be the longest public sector strike in Ohio’s history. The workers are fighting for a better wage package than what the county is offering and are protesting staffing shortages and the rising share of healthcare costs that fall on union members. Their contract with JFS expired last September.

According to Lorain County’s Chronicle-Telegram: “JFS workers manage Medicaid and SNAP benefits, investigate elder abuse, inspect day cares and administer social welfare programs in Lorain County. Many union members have said they qualify for the very programs they administer.” (July 1)

In April, Local 2192 members at Lorain County Children Services ratified a contract with wage increases above what JFS is offering members of the same union. But JFS management won’t budge. 

Lorain County is just west of Cuyahoga County, which includes Cleveland.

New York City Patagonia workers fighting for first contract

On March 21, workers at the SoHo Patagonia store in New York City voted unanimously in favor of the Patagonia Union, affiliated with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). 

The RWDSU stated in a news release: “The victory comes as workers at the store seek to address a growing disconnect between the company’s public values and the daily realities of its retail staff. In their push for a union, workers have cited a desire to regain lost benefits, including the restoration of previous Paid Time Off (PTO) policies and healthcare coverage that had been rolled back. Workers also organized to secure guaranteed professional development opportunities and tuition reimbursement, benefits that were once a staple of the Patagonia experience but have recently been eliminated. In unionizing, workers at Patagonia’s SoHo store are fighting to ensure their jobs are as sustainable and respected as the products they sell.”

The SoHo store is the first unionized Patagonia location in the eastern U.S. The Reno, Nevada, store became the first U.S. union store in 2024. However, the 30 full-time and part-time workers in SoHo are still fighting for a first contract.

Philadelphia utility workers begin first-ever strike

Members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 614 began the first strike against PECO (formerly the Philadelphia Electric Company) in the company’s 145 years of existence on July 4. The union’s contract with PECO expired April 1. The 1,600 striking workers include line workers, gas odor responders, technicians and call center employees. The strike was settled on July 7.

A main issue is wages. PECO workers on average earn about 30% less than utility workers in other parts of Pennsylvania. On top of that, call center workers, who are 98% women, make much less than predominantly male workers in other classifications. Local 614 has pointed out that Calvin Butler, the CEO of PECO’s parent company Exelon, received $15.6 million in compensation in 2025.

“We know the impact that will be felt across Philadelphia and its four counties,” said Local 614 Business Agent Larry Anastasi at a union rally on June 25. The strike occurs during both World Cup games and Fourth of July celebrations going on in Philadelphia.

Three picketers had already been injured by pro-company individuals one day into the strike, according to the union. Negotiations between Local 614 and PECO resumed on July 5.