Good afternoon everyone, 

Welcome to another edition of the Keystone Labor Report. 

Red October is my favorite time of the year, especially when the Philadelphia Phillies are getting ready to make another post-season run. 

Today we’re going to look at some recent polling numbers showing US Sen. John Fetterman’s (D-Pa.) plummeting approval numbers among Democrats and how one minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers is benefitting from President Donald Trump’s bailout of Argentina. 

But first, I’m sure that everyone is aware of the news that the federal government shut down on Wednesday. Here is a quick recap of how the shutdown is affecting Pennsylvanians.

👉 Historic sites such as Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia will remain closed for the duration of the government shutdown, but other places such as Independence Visitors Center and Carpenters Hall will remain open, according to Billy Penn. 

👉 The Gettysburg National Military Park Museum and Visitors Center will remain open, even though services provided National Park Service (NPS) are paused, according to WGAL.

👉 Raystown Lake and its campgrounds will remain open through the end of the camping season, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.

(Photo: Sean Kitchen)

Sen. John Fetterman’s fall from grace with Pennsylvania Democrats continues, according to a new Quinnipiac Poll. 

Democrats disapprove of Fetterman’s job performance by a 54% to 33% margin, while Republicans support him by a 62% to 21% margin. We’ll see if Republicans continue to back Fetterman once the 2028 election comes around—and if any Democratic candidates decide to primary him. 

One notable element of Fetterman’s decline is that it’s being driven in part by young voters, who  helped propel Fetterman to victory over Dr. Mehmet Oz in 2022, but are now some of his largest detractors that are driving down his support. 

Fetterman’s loss of support from his base could also owe in part to his frequent siding with President Trump and his increasingly checkered relationship with labor. 

Home care workers and others across the state aren’t happy with Fetterman’s recent decision to vote alongside Republicans to keep the government operating while not extending Affordable Care Act  tax credits that make insurance affordable for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians. 

(Photo: Sean Kitchen)

Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) faculty overwhelmingly voted in favor of authorizing a strike last week after 91% of faculty members rejected a contract offer. 

HACC faculty members voted to form their union more than three years ago, and haven’t received a pay raise since. The union proposed a 9% raise for full-time faculty members in the first year of their proposed contract, but the administration turned that down. 

“A strike is nothing that we, as faculty, take lightly. We did everything possible to avoid this strike authorization vote, as is evident by how long faculty have been without a contract,” Amy Withrow, the chief negotiator for HACC Education Association, said in a statement.

She added: “Faculty, staff, and administrators all share the goal of providing excellent education and service to our communities. A strong contract is not about one group ‘winning.’ Rather, a strong contract ensures that the people who teach and support students every day have a fair voice in the conditions that make learning possible.”

An overwhelming majority of the nearly 500,000 Pennsylvanians who purchase their health care through Pennie, the commonwealth’s ACA marketplace, are going to see skyrocketing monthly premiums if Republicans don’t extend the Enhanced Premium Tax Credits that expire at the end of the year.

These tax credits are at the center of the ongoing government shutdown debate, and experts estimate that as many as 270,000 Pennie customers could lose their coverage if the credits are not extended. 

Are you or a loved one going to be impacted if these tax credits expire and Pennie premiums skyrocket next year? 

I’d love to hear how you and you can drop me a line at seankitchen@couriernewsroom.com. 

(Photo: Photo by Jared Siskin/PMC)

The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for being one of the most progressive organizations in the National Football League, but one story recently has sparked my attention. 

Steelers minority owner and hedge fund manager Rob Citrone is the beneficiary of President Donald Trump’s right-wing bailout of Argentina. Citrone invested heavily in the country after Javier Milei, a right-wing authoritarian and self-described anarcho-capitalist, took power in 2023. Citrone profited off of Milei’s deregulation of major industries and major cuts to government programs in order to balance the budget. 

You can read the full story here and it is something we’ll continue to cover as it unfolds.  

As always, feel free to email me at seankitchen@couriernewsroom.com if you have any tips or events that you may have interest in covering.