Save Our Pensions: What Working People Are Doing This Week
Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week.
A. Philip Randolph Institute:
New Report Names Nearly 4,000 Companies Profiting Off of Private Prison Industry https://t.co/dbtJPY3lA6
— APRI National (DC) (@APRI_National) May 6, 2019Actors' Equity:
Tony award nominee @LilliCooper shares how she relates to the sacrifice that comes with being a performer. #TuesdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/zEgRZACOyT
— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) May 7, 2019AFGE:
The @DeptVetAffairs proposals are geared toward changing VA employees from “civil servants” into just plain “servants.” https://t.co/OJNoYyjB0U
— AFGE (@AFGENational) May 2, 2019AFSCME:
A new rule from the Trump administration’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services hurts home care workers & makes it more difficult for these workers, who are overworked in stressful jobs, to join together and speak with a powerful voice. https://t.co/6GblsuhNuf
— AFSCME (@AFSCME) May 6, 2019AFT:
“We want every public school to be a place that parents want to send their kids, where teachers want to work, and where students are engaged.” @rweingarten notes a paradigm shift towards neighborhood schools from WV to CA. #EWA19 pic.twitter.com/waYJthGPfR
— AFT (@AFTunion) May 7, 2019Air Line Pilots Association:
A Pilot’s View: Celebrate #NationalPhotographyMonth with These Can’t-Miss Photos from the Cockpit: https://t.co/OWFZJl70HP pic.twitter.com/39bHey0tI9
— ALPA (@WeAreALPA) May 2, 2019Alliance for Retired Americans:
Enough blaming hard working people. They can't save what they don't earn. We need to #SavePensions and #ExpandSocialSecurity https://t.co/PqyAZiXMkb pic.twitter.com/e180MwHZU7
— Alliance Retirees (@ActiveRetirees) May 6, 2019Amalgamated Transit Union:
Bus Drivers Reveal 'Wild' Side of Public Transit in CT https://t.co/JuyLnKS3if #safebus #publictransit #transit #1u
— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) May 2, 2019American Federation of Musicians:
Congratulations to all the nominees—and to the #UnionMusicians who perform 8x a week every week! ?????? #TonyAwards #TonyNominations #1u
https://t.co/SgG8AvBWa6
American Postal Workers Union:
.@RepKatieHill cuts past the BS and gets to the point.
These privatization proposals mean cutting jobs, cutting wages and cutting service.
?No ?No ?No#USMailNotForSale https://t.co/G9t88jadJu
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance:
A1. Our favorite part of APAHM is uplifting the fact that Asian American is a political term used to build power in our communities and was created to combat U.S. militarism in SE Asia. Every year we strive to continue this legacy!https://t.co/i9C1EcNRkb#MillennialMon #AAPI2020 pic.twitter.com/HvAuJwl9NT
— APALA (@APALAnational) May 6, 2019Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
.@afa_cwa members & aviation’s first responders safely evacuated the Miami Air International plane last night. We commend their actions.
AFA EAP & Safety are providing support to the crew. More: https://t.co/0g47bNl6Ad
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers:
Local 6 members at the Lehigh Valley, Pa. Bimbo Bakeries USA plant took time out of their breaks to send emails to their U.S. Representatives to urge support for the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act (H.R. 397).
Help #SaveOurPension here: https://t.co/LMCjZjyla1 pic.twitter.com/D3sKehZflt
Boilermakers:
Way to represent #Boilermakers and an important issue, @martywill76! https://t.co/YX9z8i1tBj
— Boilermakers Union (@boilermakernews) May 7, 2019Bricklayers:
Learn more about #SkilledTrades and how our training programs can help you: https://t.co/Jrhkxk1Cfy #construction #apprenticeships #1u https://t.co/Zfp7jxZkq0
— Bricklayers Union (@IUBAC) May 7, 2019Coalition of Black Trade Unionists:
Like the vicious white backlash that followed Reconstruction, the angry prowl of white supremacy after the Obama presidency is stalking black voters openly, with the blessing of the criminal white nationalist in the White House. Be ready. https://t.co/V2ULwPFUkm
— CBTU (@CBTU72) May 4, 2019Coalition of Labor Union Women:
CLUW Takes On Capitol Hill - April 10, 2019 https://t.co/98hZChSmOA #CLUWSNAP pic.twitter.com/jPaKkeduLA
— CLUW National (@CLUWNational) April 27, 2019Communications Workers of America:
If you use Uber or Lyft on Wed, May 8 you're crossing a picket a line. Don't. #1u https://t.co/iG890jVr8y
— CWA (@CWAUnion) May 7, 2019Department for Professional Employees:
“We all came here with prior experience. The job requires a college degree and people have student debt. Yet it feels like they’re treating us like interns.” #1u https://t.co/SC74p2ZVzk
— Department for Professional Employees (@DPEaflcio) May 7, 2019Electrical Workers:
Stay safe with National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down week https://t.co/Z7jYAJ4aHp
— IBEW (@IBEW) May 7, 2019Farm Labor Organizing Committee:
We hope to change this. Our members do trust us because we are on the ground with them and we have a constitutional convention every four years for them to tell us what they want us to focus on. https://t.co/qxywa4lmaW
— Farm Labor Organizing Committee (@SupportFLOC) May 7, 2019Fire Fighters:
#Firefighters rescue residents trapped due to flooding in Dearborn Heights https://t.co/DO2hrdBh00
— IAFF (@IAFFNewsDesk) May 7, 2019Heat and Frost Insulators:
Welcome to our newest Brothers and Sisters at Local 34 in Minnesota!
?: Local 34 President George Kisel swearing in 16 new apprentices. pic.twitter.com/tXPBlgLIdR
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers:
#RiotWalkout is an example of workplace democracy in action!! All the nerds at @IFPTE stand firmly with these workers excersizing their rights!!
— IFPTE (@IFPTE) May 6, 2019International Labor Communications Association:
#WednesdayWisdom = this enlightenment. See more tagged #MayDay #MayDay2019 #InternationalWorkersDay #IWD2019 #1u https://t.co/OXa7u3IBoQ
— Labor Communications (@ILCAonline) May 1, 2019Ironworkers:
Iron Workers Local 118 Retiree’s Club formed a committee to create a mural in the hall depicting the past, present and future of Local 118. The 6-month long project was celebrated on Aril 13, 2018 with a ceremony that drew ironworkers and their families. pic.twitter.com/0Wy2vSL69u
— Ironworkers. (@TheIronworkers) May 2, 2019IUE-CWA:
In 1935 on this day the Works Projects Administration (WPA) was established providing work opportunities for millions during the Great Depression pic.twitter.com/1hT8OBtb4P
— IUE-CWA (@IUE_CWAUnion) May 6, 2019Jobs With Justice:
Another black eye for Boeing, as fired employees accuse the aviation giant of unionbusting. #1u https://t.co/bcgkRRPFgY
— Jobs With Justice (@jwjnational) May 7, 2019Labor Council for Latin American Advancement:
LCLAA stands in support of Uber and Lyft drivers who have announced a 24-hour strike as they demand fair wages! https://t.co/PRrNpERU1O
— LCLAA (@LCLAA) May 6, 2019Laborers:
Today, working men and women around the globe will commemorate the strife, struggle and sacrifice of workers who came before us and find inspiration to carry on the battle for social and economic justice #MayDay #labormovement #1u pic.twitter.com/7jiD6sjuic
— LIUNA (@LIUNA) May 1, 2019Machinists:
What’s up, DC?!
This week is the 2019 IAM Legislative Conference. Follow along with #IAMLegConf19 as we hear from allies on Capitol Hill and go out in force to lobby on issues that matter to working families. pic.twitter.com/RZkrWpW1Ih
Metal Trades Department:
Union-made Cutco Knives. Need a gift idea for Mom, Mother's Day is Sunday. Or maybe Dad for Father's Day next month. https://t.co/m0iaThyimn
— Metal Trades Dept. (@metaltradesafl) May 6, 2019Mine Workers:
There is no more time to wait. Congress must do the right thing and live up to America’s promise to its retired coal miners, now! Call them NOW! 202-224-3121. #TheyEarnedIt pic.twitter.com/bsWREvk2x4
— United Mine Workers (@MineWorkers) May 7, 2019National Air Traffic Controllers Association:
On April 9, NATCA UAS National Rep Steve Weidner spoke on a panel at the @AvWeekEvents #urbanairmobility Conference & discussed adding thousands of new users into what is currently the safest, most efficient & most complex airspace in the world. https://t.co/k0CESCJcat pic.twitter.com/97iPZQLbPG
— NATCA (@NATCA) May 7, 2019National Association of Letter Carriers:
Listen up ?! Listen to Letter Carrier Jeff Kranz talk about the upcoming #StampOutHunger Food Drive on @WKXA 100.5 this morning. Jeff gives a few exciting food drive tips. Thanks for the show, @BigDaveInTheAM! https://t.co/61ZKhEM82b #FoodDrive #zerohunger pic.twitter.com/BM7LQnFcsP
— Letter Carriers (@NALC_National) May 7, 2019National Day Laborer Organizing Network:
Beautiful day for a massive #MayDay march with Los Jornaleros del Norte! #ndlon #daylaborers #endwagetheft pic.twitter.com/DJXdgEyvKu
— NDLON (@NDLON) May 2, 2019National Domestic Workers Alliance:
.@FGossGraves of @NWLC breaks down why the #BeHEARD act is such a crucial piece of legislation for making *everyone* feel safe in the workplace. https://t.co/oyLQTHGAn9
— Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) May 7, 2019National Nurses United:
The best way for lawmakers to honor #NursesWeek is by working to pass bills which improve patient safety protections.⁰
Last week, union nurses brought this message to legislators in Washington, D.C. and this week, nurses are taking the California Capitol! https://t.co/Pjx9YBojQ6
National Taxi Workers Alliance:
STRIKE STRIKE STRIKE! We are calling on all people of good conscience in NYC to log off of the apps in 7 AM to 9 AM Wednesday, May 8th to support our strike. Don't use Uber, don't use Lyft. Log off of all the apps! Support app drivers demanding job security and livable incomes!
— NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) May 3, 2019The NewsGuild-CWA:
“Don’t give up on us,” says Todd Cooper, head of the Omaha World-Herald’s @news_guild.
If local reporters don’t cover the local courts, and City Hall, and zoning board meetings, and the goings-on of the local chamber of commerce, who will? https://t.co/dp5mKlkl8h
NFL Players Association:
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. Keep the conversation going. #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth https://t.co/yrbQlqBfLN
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) May 6, 2019North America's Building Trades Unions:
There’s no better time to get started in unionized construction! Read up on some of the great benefits NABTU apprenticeships provide ?
“It’s an incredible program and when people hear about it, their jaws generally drop.” @necanet @IBEW
https://t.co/2lvTh3QcDb
Office and Professional Employees:
Local 459 RNs Liz Gray, Malinda Green & Julie Fuller are longtime union supporters because they know the solidarity that comes with a member-led union gives them the power to negotiate the safe staffing ratios that allow RNs to provide patients the best possible quality of care. pic.twitter.com/mWDGtIUJgH
— OPEIU (@opeiu) May 7, 2019Painters and Allied Trades:
As the weather gets warmer, we recognize all the workers who trudged through the snow, the cold and the rain to continue to build up our cities and communities. We thank you for all that you do! #StrongerTogether #WeAreUnion
— GoIUPAT✊? (@GoIUPAT) May 7, 2019Plasterers and Cement Masons:
“To attract replacements who grew up playing Call of Duty, some construction companies, unions and schools have turned to simulators that replicate jobs done by heavy equipment.”https://t.co/9XHI3mEWWt
— OPCMIA International (@opcmiaintl) May 6, 2019Pride At Work:
"Queer children face challenges regardless of their race, but the intersection of Blackness and queerness in one of an especially layered oppression. And it’s important to remember how this reality creates unique risks factors for non-white LGBTQ people."https://t.co/BQTT0hYtdd
— Pride at Work (@PrideatWork) April 29, 2019Professional Aviation Safety Specialists:
Thank you @SenatorLankford for your support of #federalemployees and the workers PASS represents at the Federal Aviation Administration. We appreciate your support during our fight to defeat air traffic control privatization last year! #PSRW #DontPrivatizeOurSkies #publicservice https://t.co/xqdSzEIDuT
— PASS (@PASSNational) May 7, 2019Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union:
RWDSU Prez @sappelbaum: "Forcing customers to use only credit or debit is a discriminatory business model that disadvantages low-income people, people of color, and seniors.”
We need to push back on the growing trend of cashless stores. #1u https://t.co/LSx8Nt2htK
SAG-AFTRA:
We fondly remember the life & career of founding member Barbara Perry, who died Sunday at 97. Her performing career is one of the longest in history, spanning 90 years of dance, theater, film and TV & she received the SAG-AFTRA Founders Awards last Oct. #sagaftramember since 1934 pic.twitter.com/qEUkTFhAn6
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) May 7, 2019School Administrators:
Union actors are fighting for a fair wage and health care. It's time we join together and stand our ground. AFSA stands with our sisters and brothers at @SAG/AFTRA. #StrikeBBH pic.twitter.com/CZV8Fg5MrT
— AFSA Leadership (@AFSAUnion) March 22, 2019Seafarers:
Mr. President: America needs the Jones Act https://t.co/D4GfqYBtXI
— Seafarers Union (@SeafarersUnion) April 30, 2019Solidarity Center:
Migrant #domestic workers in #Lebanon rallied to demand the scrapping of a sponsorship syst that enables employer abuse. The 250,000+ registered domestic workers, mostly women, are excluded from labor law & are tied to employers who sponsor them.https://t.co/UuoCcuO8Ob
— Solidarity Center (@SolidarityCntr) May 7, 2019TCU/IAM:
THANK YOU to @RepLipinski, @RepChuyGarcia & @RepSchakowsky for standing with and supporting members of the @AmtrakCouncil in their fight to be treated with respect. Outsourcing = Union-busting.
Read more here: https://t.co/0dQ9PnN8wx pic.twitter.com/Na2ASqE9WU
Theatrical Stage Employees:
With so many moving pieces in a theatrical environment, there are situations that can elevate safety risk. But, these risks can be mitigated with vigilance on behalf of both employers and employees. #SafetyAndHealthWeek #StandDown4Safety @TheatreAlberta https://t.co/oqgmWfM9SY pic.twitter.com/kxRXlNjYl3
— IATSE (@IATSE) May 7, 2019Transport Workers:
The threat is real! #PeopleBeforeRobotshttps://t.co/eqOCyn05oq
— TWU (@transportworker) May 6, 2019Transportation Trades Department:
It’s easy to say Gateway is a New York or New Jersey problem, but that just isn’t true. What happens or doesn’t happen here will impact the entire country & the economy. We need to fund the Gateway project now. https://t.co/EVYKIu5whm
— Transp. Trades Dept. (@TTDAFLCIO) May 7, 2019UAW:
Last year, GM's CEO made $21.87 million. That's 281 times the salary of the company's median employee. https://t.co/eNKEypydsP
— UAW (@UAW) May 7, 2019United Food and Commercial Workers:
Historic victory by 31,000 #StopAndShopWorkers is a wake-up call for corporations. American workers are standing up to protect good jobs and put people first. Must-read from UFCW President @Marc_Perrone in @ProJo: https://t.co/vuO4dQlXUw pic.twitter.com/3Pq5aN9VBC
— UFCW (@UFCW) May 6, 2019Union Label and Service Trades Department:
The Stop & Shop Strike Is Showing There’s Still Power in a Union https://t.co/slSfzq6c6G
— Union Label Dept. (@ULSTD_AFLCIO) April 25, 2019Union Veterans Council:
Trump's tax cut was a disaster for some Gold Star families, but it's a symptom of a larger problem https://t.co/ixd0X6qd83
— Union Veterans Council (@unionveterans) April 23, 2019UNITE HERE:
"We recognize how #Dreamers & #TPS holders have enriched & strengthened our cities, states, schools, businesses, congregations & families."#DreamAndPromiseNow #1uhttps://t.co/L6RJzpXLMI
— UNITE HERE (@unitehere) May 6, 2019United Steelworkers:
. @RealDonaldTrump Labor Board Postpones VW Vote while Company Manufactures Climate of Fear https://t.co/W69e9aTgmY #1u
— United Steelworkers (@steelworkers) May 7, 2019United Union of Roofers and Waterproofers:
Let's hear it for the newest #apprenticeship grads out of Roofers Local 42 Cincinnati. On their way to a great #roofing #career! pic.twitter.com/sZ6qqeOcuV
— Roofers Union (@roofersunion) May 2, 2019Utility Workers:
The #USEITAct would boost development and deployment of #carboncapture. Tell Congress to pass this important bill. Find out why it’s important below. #CCSTechFactshttps://t.co/alKwyTvDXC
— UWUA National (@The_UWUA) May 7, 2019Working America:
Happy #NationalTeacherDay! #ThankATeacher #1u pic.twitter.com/Ka8v5nU3TL
— Working America (@WorkingAmerica) May 7, 2019Writers Guild of America, East:
Welcome #VoxEntertainment to the union family! https://t.co/iKNIVT2ZvD
— Writers Guild of America, East (@WGAEast) May 7, 2019 Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 05/10/2019 - 08:47Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Profiles: Chinese Railroad Laborers
For Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Our first profile this month features the Chinese laborers who helped build the first transcontinental railroad in North America.
May 10 marks the 150th anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. As the Civil War ended, Congress passed legislation granting land and funding for the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad companies to begin construction on the western portion, which would connect with existing rail lines in the east. Central Pacific began building eastward from Sacramento, California, while Union Pacific worked westward from Council Bluffs, Iowa.
As the project ramped up, Central Pacific put out an ad to hire 5,000 workers, but only got hundreds of responses from white laborers. Those they did hire quickly tired of the low pay and hard work, and Leland Stanford and the leaders of Central Pacific began experimenting with Chinese laborers on the railway, despite Stanford and others believing that Chinese workers were inferior. Chinese laborers had come to California in significant numbers to work in mines. Some had also worked on rail projects in the state, and Central Pacific began hiring these workers in small groups of 50.
Before long, Central Pacific learned that the Chinese workers not only could do the work, they were willing to endure worse conditions for longer hours than white workers would. Soon, the company had hired almost all of the available Chinese laborers and started paying to import more workers directly from China. By 1867, more than 90% of Central Pacific's crew working on the transcontinental railroad were Chinese, with anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 workers at any given time. Union Pacific, on the other end of the railroad, hired no Chinese workers, and most of their laborers were Civil War veterans and Irish immigrants.
While the Union Pacific workers did much of their job on flat plains, the Central Pacific laborers not only worked in mountainous and other dangerous terrain, they were paid significantly less than the Irish workers. The conditions were harsh:
Often toiling in extreme weather, they cleared obstructions, moved earth, bored tunnels and built retaining walls—work done virtually all by hand. They became experts in drayage, masonry, carpentry and track laying. Sometimes they were lowered off cliffs to plant explosive charges when blasting was necessary, knowing that once the fuse was lit the difference between life and death hinged on how fast they were brought back up.
They worked during two of the harshest winters on record to that point. Snow and avalanches were constant fears in the winter months. Few records were kept about the Chinese workers, particularly about deaths on the job, but estimates suggest that more than 1,000 Chinese laborers died during the construction of the transcontinental railroad. Letters home, diaries and other documents are believed to have been destroyed or otherwise lost to time. Few, if any, of the laborers who helped build the railroad have been memorialized, and it took 100 years to get even a statue to honor the sacrifice these workers made to build the United States.
The disparate pay and working conditions led the Chinese workers to engage in what was then the biggest strike in U.S. history. In 1867, thousands of Chinese workers in the Sierra Nevada walked off the job and returned to their camps. The strike lasted eight days before Central Pacific cut off food and supplies. The workers went back on the job and over time, reports say that conditions improved, even if the strike wasn't a total success.
After the completion of the railroad, the Chinese workers dispersed to many other projects across the country. They helped on more than 70 other railroad projects and helped build roads and contribute other work that would launch Yellowstone Park and other national treasures.
White Americans didn't take kindly to the competition for jobs and rising anti-Chinese sentiment was powerful in the next decade, leading to the Chinese Exclusion Act being passed in 1882. The act was accompanied by anti-Chinese violence. In California alone, there were more than 200 round-ups of rural Chinese who were killed, lynched or forced to leave town. Forced migrations, such as that in Tacoma, Washington, were common.
For a long time after, the contributions of Chinese laborers, the creation of the transcontinental railroad and the economic boon it helped usher in were ignored. Later, American history textbooks began to include a paragraph or short section on the contributions of the Chinese, but too little has been done to recognize the harsh working conditions and the terrible treatment Chinese laborers faced while helping build the foundation for America's future. Efforts are underway to record and save as much of this chapter in America’s history as possible.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/09/2019 - 13:54Colorado Legislature Votes to Protect Local Minimum Wage Laws
Last week, the Colorado Legislature passed a bill to repeal the state's 1999 law that prohibits local governments from setting a minimum wage higher than the state level. The Colorado law was part of a wave of measures nationwide pushed by corporate interests trying to keep wages low by preempting democracy. Since then, working people in Colorado have been working to overturn the limitations placed on the minimum wage and will finally do so when Gov. Jared Polis signs the bill, which he is expected to do in the coming days.
After the passage of the 1999 law, the state legislature kept Colorado's minimum wage at the federal level. In 2006, though, voters approved Initiative 42, which increased the state's minimum wage and required adjustments based on inflation. But by 2016, the state's minimum wage had only risen to $8.31 per hour, an amount that made it nearly impossible for working families to afford basic needs. In 2016, voters proposed and passed Amendment 70, which will raise the state minimum wage to $12 an hour.
But in certain parts of Colorado, even $12 an hour isn't enough. A recent study showed that a single full-time worker with no children needs $21.88 to make ends meet in the Boulder area and $19.81 in the Denver metro region. With one child, the cost of living rises to $35 an hour in Boulder and $34 an hour in Denver. Clearly, local governments need the freedom to address the needs of their residents.
Working people across the country support local minimum wage ordinances. A recent survey from the National Employment Law Project (NELP) found that nearly 60% of voters believe that legislatures threaten democracy and silence the voices of the people when they pass such preemption laws.
And the evidence shows that local minimum wage laws are not only popular—more than 40 cities or counties have passed such measures—they also work. When local governments can raise the minimum wage above state minimums, local leaders are able to overcome gridlock at the state or national level to take action that appropriately helps their communities. The most recent study of local minimum wage increases shows that a 10% bump in the minimum wage increases the earnings of food service workers between 1.3% and 2.5% without any discernible decline in employment.
The new legislation gives local governments the authority to adopt minimum wage laws above the state and national minimums so they can address local costs of living and worker needs. Colorado is the first state to repeal a local minimum wage preemption law through their legislature. Arizona voters repealed a preemption law via ballot initiative in 2006. Legislation to repeal similar laws has been introduced in Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/09/2019 - 10:07Tags: Minimum Wage
No Place for Violence: The Working People Weekly List
Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s the latest edition of the Working People Weekly List.
Violence Has No Place in the Workplace: "Violence should never be part of the job. But the reality is violence is now the third-leading cause of workplace deaths, resulting in nearly 29,000 serious injuries every year. Nurses, medical assistants, emergency responders and social workers face some of the greatest threats, suffering more than 70 percent of all workplace assaults. Women workers are also at particular risk, suffering two out of every three serious workplace violence injuries. The Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Services Workers Act (H.R. 1309, S. 851), introduced by Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), would help protect these workers."
Paducah Unions Observe Workers Memorial Day by Helping Feed the Hungry: "Union families gather on Workers Memorial Day to remember men and women who lost their lives on the job the previous year. 'This year, we wanted to do something different,' said Kyle Henderson, president of the Paducah-based Western Kentucky AFL-CIO Area Council.'"
Economy Gains 263,000 Jobs in April; Unemployment Declines to 3.6%: "The U.S. economy gained 263,000 jobs in April, and the unemployment rate declined slightly to 3.6%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Continued lower levels of job growth provide good reason for the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee to express caution in considering any interest rate hikes."
What (Guest-Worker) Women Want: "We’re farm workers, crab pickers and cruise ship workers. We’re chocolate packers, engineers, veterinarians, nurses and teachers from all around the world. We are united by our motivation, yearn for knowledge and commitment to creating change in our communities. We stand with guest-worker women from around the world to ensure that the policies that affect us reflect our experiences."
Profiling Labor Leaders and Activists for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month: "For Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian and Pacific Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. First, let's take a look back at Asian and Pacific Americans we've profiled in the past."
‘State of the Unions’ Podcast: Not Good Enough: "In the latest episode of 'State of the Unions,' podcast co-hosts Julie and Tim talk to Celeste Drake, the AFL-CIO's recently departed trade policy specialist, about flaws in the proposed new NAFTA and outline the labor movement's high standards for current and future trade agreements."
Labor's Resurgence: In the States Roundup: "It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states."
Marriott Should Tell the Truth About Sexual Harassment: "Marriott International, the biggest hotel chain in the world, is hiding the truth about the dangers its workers face. UNITE HERE members are demanding that the company comes clean."
12 Things You Need to Know About Death on the Job: "The AFL-CIO today released its 28th annual Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect report. Each April, we examine the state of worker safety in America. This year's report shows that 5,147 working people were killed on the job in 2017. Additionally, an estimated 95,000 died from occupational diseases."
What Happens When Call Center Jobs Are Shipped Abroad and Workers Try to Organize?: "One of the world's largest 'contact center' companies, U.S.-based giant Alorica, has been expanding in the Philippines, where more than 1.3 million women and men work in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. These workers and their allies came together through BIEN, the BPO Industry Employees Network, to defend workers' interests in this booming sector. Alorica, a global player in this industry, offers 'customer experience' services to the U.S. market for clients like Comcast, AT&T, Citibank, Barclays and Caesars."
USITC Report Backs Up the Need to Fix New NAFTA to Add Real Enforcement: "On April 18, the United States International Trade Commission released its analysis of the likely economic impacts of the new NAFTA (also known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA). The report supports the AFL-CIO’s position on the new NAFTA: Congress should not vote on it until it is fixed."
The U.S. Postal Service is Owned by the People—Let's Keep it That Way: "As the tax deadline looms and millions scurry to get their forms sent on time, Tax Day is a good time to dispel the myth that the U.S. Postal Service is funded by tax dollars."
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: Railroad Signalmen: "Next up in our series that takes a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the Railroad Signalmen (BRS)."
Powerful Victory: "A tentative agreement between the 31,000 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in New England and management at Stop & Shop supermarkets has been reached, effectively ending the historic strike that captured the country’s attention."
No Enforcement, No Treaty: What Working People Are Doing This Week: "Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week."
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/09/2019 - 09:40North Woods North Star
After years of dealing with an intransigent governor, the Maine AFL-CIO is advancing a pro-labor agenda in the state after victories at the ballot box last year. With their endorsed candidate for governor elected to the Maine House with strong union support, the door is now open for opportunities to pass meaningful legislation for the working people of Maine.
Meanwhile in the legislature, Senate President Troy Jackson, a member of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), has been a strong advocate for a number of pro-worker policies. Along with a number of other union members elected to state office through the Maine AFL-CIO union candidates program, working people in Maine have a reason to believe that real change is achievable, and the Maine AFL-CIO is leading the way.
Working together with Machinists (IAM) District 4, the Maine AFL-CIO is supporting an effort by a group of North Woods loggers and wood haulers to urge lawmakers in Augusta to support a bill that would grant them the right to organize. The woods workers, who recently formed the New England Loggers Cooperative/IAM, are advocating for legislation that would allow loggers and wood haulers to form cooperatives and demand better wages and working conditions, in brave defiance of the large timber companies who threaten to blacklist workers for standing up for their rights.
On another front, the Maine Legislature approved a bill that will ensure employees are given proper notice when a large employer closes, down-sizes or relocates a facility. The bill will extend the state Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act to require Maine employers with more than 100 employees to provide workers and communities with 90 days advance notice prior to closures, relocations or mass layoffs. Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1400 members worked with the Maine AFL-CIO to organize the advocacy effort in favor of the bill, which now heads to Gov. Janet Mills’ desk for her signature.
The Maine AFL-CIO is providing support and assistance on a number of other legislative initiatives, including a responsible contracting bill that is a priority bill for state building trades unions (North America's Building Trades Unions [NABTU]); a 911 dispatcher bill that will provide fair retirement benefits for these public employees (Fire Fighters [IAFF]); an effort to improve the timeliness and safety of public bus service (Amalgamated Transit Union [ATU]); a bill establishing wage and employment parity for social workers with the Maine State Employees Association (MSEA); and a number of other collective bargaining and job creating initiatives that working people across Maine have been waiting for.
Emblazoned on the Maine state flag is the term Dirigo, which is Latin for “I direct,” referring to the North Star that also adorns the state banner. In that same spirit, the work that our brothers and sisters in Maine are accomplishing is a guide for how working people can right the ship of state—by organizing to achieve electoral success and doing the hard work to translate those wins into meaningful change. Dirigo, indeed.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 05/08/2019 - 10:39Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: California School Employees Association
Next up in our series that takes a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the California School Employees Association (CSEA).
Name of Union: California School Employees Association
Mission: CSEA represents classified school employees across California in collective bargaining efforts while working to further the professional and legislative goals of its members, students and communities.
Current Leadership of Union: Ben Valdepeña is the 45th president of CSEA. He has worked as a custodian with the Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District since 1983. He has held a variety of elected and appointed leadership positions locally and with CSEA. He also serves as an executive vice president of the California Labor Federation.
Keith Pace serves as executive director, Rob Feckner is vice president of the CalPERS Board of Administration, and Clyde Rivers represents CSEA on the AFL-CIO Executive Council and California Labor Federation Executive Board. The CSEA board of directors is made up of five officers and 10 area directors, all of whom work as volunteers.
Current Number of Members: 240,000.
Members Work As: A wide range of essential work, including security, food services, office and clerical, school maintenance and operations, transportation, academic assistance and paraeducator services, library and media assistance, and more.
Industries Represented: Public schools and community colleges in California.
History: In 1927, a group of custodians in Oakland came together to support another custodian who couldn't afford to retire because California's public schools offered no pension plan. The group formed CSEA to bargain for rights for themselves and other school employees.
In the years after World War II, CSEA's membership grew from 1,400 members to nearly 10,000. In the 1950s, they helped establish the "Classified Bill of Rights," which helped increase benefits and legal protections for classified employees.
After Prop. 13 passed in 1978, CSEA fought budget and program cuts that targeted music, art, athletics and school transportation. In 1988, they helped pass Prop. 98, which established a minimum level of state funding for public schools.
In the ensuing years, CSEA would grow to nearly 800 local chapters. In 2001, it became an independently chartered member union of the AFL-CIO. CSEA fought back against pension raids and voucher campaigns, and worked to maintain and improve school funding to protect crucial services for California students.
Current Campaigns: CSEA has a variety of campaigns to fight outsourcing, promote school safety, protect school funding, and defend against staff layoffs and pension cuts.
Community Efforts: CSEA honors and awards members for their efforts in the community, provides them a variety of benefits and publishes a series of periodicals to keep them informed.
Learn More: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/06/2019 - 11:51Paducah Unions Observe Workers Memorial Day by Helping Feed the Hungry
Union families gather on Workers Memorial Day to remember men and women who lost their lives on the job the previous year.
“This year, we wanted to do something different,” said Kyle Henderson, president of the Paducah-based Western Kentucky AFL-CIO Area Council.
So on Saturday, about 30 members of council-affiliated unions grabbed shovels and helped start a living memorial to deceased workers. They planted about 40 dwarf apple trees whose fresh fruit will help feed the hungry.
(This year, Workers Memorial Day is Sunday. But many unions held observances on Saturday.)
More than 250 men, women and kids pitched in to boost Project Pomona, a city nonprofit started by Bryant Hileman.
He said many times local food pantries are swamped by the need for food. Project Pomona is designed to reduce the number of food insecure households by planting and cultivating orchards and donating the harvest to the food pantries.
Hileman named his nonprofit for the Roman goddess of fruitful abundance.
Project Pomona has raised nearly $20,000 since it began in March, 2018. More information is available from the organization’s Facebook page or from an article posted on Forward Kentucky. Contributions can be made by visiting gofundme.com/project-pomona.
Henderson said Hileman is a strong supporter of area unions, which donated funds to build a greenhouse for the orchard whose trees are expected to bear fruit in three to five years.
"In Memory of All Workers Killed on the Job," says a plaque Hileman put on a post in front of the greenhouse. "May Their Sacrifices For Their Families Not Be In Vain." Also inscribed on the plaque are "Mother" Jones's famous words: "Pray for the dead and fight like hell for the living."
After the little trees were in the ground, Hileman gathered the union members for a group photo by the greenhouse.
"Thank you for coming out," he said. "My father was a working person; I'm a working person; my grandfather was a working person. Working people built this and this is for working people."
"This is a great community event," said Jimmy Evans, business manager of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 816. Bryant does a great job and this is a great way to honor workers who lost their lives."
Jeff Wiggins agreed. "We are observing Workers Memorial Day as part of a great community event," said the secretary-treasurer of the Kentucky State AFL-CIO. "We get two birds with one stone."
Wiggins, who lives in Reidland, a Paducah suburb, preceded Henderson as area council president. "As a labor leader, I'm here to support the community," said council Vice President Howard "Bubba" Dawes who also served under Wiggins.
"This is something that the whole community can come out and see and not for just one day," said Dusty Owens of Local 816.
See photos of the program from Forward Kentucky.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 05/03/2019 - 13:25Economy Gains 263,000 Jobs in April; Unemployment Declines to 3.6%
The U.S. economy gained 263,000 jobs in April, and the unemployment rate declined slightly to 3.6%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Continued lower levels of job growth provide good reason for the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee to express caution in considering any interest rate hikes.
In response to the April job numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs tweeted:
Though the unemployment rate fell to 3.6% the share of Americans holding a job remained steady. Labor force participation fell 0.2%. The number employed fell, pointing to a very mixed picture for workers. #JobsReport @AFLCIO #1u
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019After a rough three months, the Black unemployment rate stabilized at 6.7%, unchanged from March; while the employment to population ratio edged up for men and women @CBTU72 @APRI_National @AFLCIO #1u
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019Unemployment rate for LatinX fell from 4.7 to 4.2% but shows the bigger trend, drop in the number employed, drop in labor force participation, drop in the employment-to-population ratio. #JobsReport @AFLCIO @Marietmora
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019Drop in labor force participation was most noticeable for those workers who have some college or an associate's degree. Says something interesting about weak wage growth in the middle. #JobsReport @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/jktY625FGa
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019Another reason the jobs report may be more mixed for workers than the low unemployment rate shows, the rising share of unemployed workers who are long term unemployed. #JobsReport It stabilizes after rising in February and March, but higher than last April @AFLCIO #1u pic.twitter.com/DKpvCTiXy9
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019More understanding on the drop in labor force participation: women who were unemployed in March were more likely to drop out of the labor force in and give up looking in April than to get employed. #JobsReport @AFLCIO @CLUWNational @IWPResearch pic.twitter.com/qT2OsARViR
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019Why the job numbers are more mixed than the top line drop in unemployment rate suggests: continued weakness in motor vehicle manufacturing, dropping again in April by 1,500 @AFLCIO #JobsReport
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019Employment in food services was up 25,000, so now 12.18 million Americans work in this industry compared to 12.8 million in all of manufacturing. This is why the #RaiseTheWage Act is so important. #JobsReport @AFLCIO
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019In straight numbers, why the @BLS_gov #JobsReport was mixed for workers: The number of workers in the labor force fell 490,000, the number employed fell 103,000 and the share employed in April was flat with the March rate @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/7MWYQZG95O
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019The drop in labor force participation in April and the recent trend in the share of long term unemployment among the unemployed make the @BLS_gov #JobsReport mixed for American workers, the household survey and payroll report diverge @AFLCIO #1u pic.twitter.com/BgjvCSSQNR
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019Retail trade stood out as the big loser in April, losing 12,000 jobs, and remaining below last year's employment. Troubled waters in retail have been highlighted by @EileenAppelbaum pointing to heavy leveraging by private equity firms. @UFCW @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/XoSxHtOHK7
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 3, 2019Last month's biggest job gains were in professional and business services (76,000), construction (33,000), health care (27,000), social assistance (26,000), financial activities (12,000) and manufacturing (4,000). Employment in retail trade (-12,000) declined in April. Employment in other major industries, including mining, wholesale trade, transportation and warehousing, information, leisure and hospitality, and government, showed little change over the month.
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates fell for and Hispanics (4.2%), adult men (3.4%), adult women (3.1%), whites (3.1%) and Asians (2.2%). The jobless rate increased for teenagers (13.0%). The jobless rate for blacks (6.7%) showed little change in April.
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed in April and accounted for 21.1% of the unemployed.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 05/03/2019 - 10:14What (Guest-Worker) Women Want
We’re farm workers, crab pickers and cruise ship workers. We’re chocolate packers, engineers, veterinarians, nurses and teachers from all around the world. We are united by our motivation, yearn for knowledge and commitment to creating change in our communities. We stand with guest-worker women from around the world to ensure that the policies that affect us reflect our experiences.
In several different ways, we have all endured inequity and hardships in our journeys to the United States and in our workplace. Our hopes to provide a better life for our children and families have been met with deceit, discrimination and lack of access to opportunity. Many of us have suffered sexual harassment, one that doesn't let us live or work. Basic medical aid is nonexistent, with something as little as an aspirin being inaccessible to us. At our employment-provided housing, we are provided one bathroom for all and must take cold showers. We live and work in physical and mental isolation. We often don’t speak the language, nor know anyone beyond the employer. Many of our employers take our passports and visas upon arrival. It is difficult to access any justice or remedies.
As guest-worker women, we are together in this movement. We are telling our story because we do not want others to face what we did. It is our responsibility to follow this path, to unite, organize and not let it get lost. We represent our families, our community and future generations. We're women, and there is nothing braver than thinking aloud. We aren’t the “weaker sex.” We are strong and capable. We are courageous and triumphant.
We want equal rights and opportunities, as we have equal responsibilities. We want to speak up and be heard. We want transparency. We seek reforms in law. We want to change conditions. We want our employers and the people and the government of this country to value us.
We envision an alternative future for ourselves and our communities—one where migrant women feel empowered to raise our voices and not stand alone. This future holds concrete policy changes and a shift in the ways companies and employers work. Generations to come have strong protections, are free from abuse and hold employers accountable. Women are not isolated; we have access to resources for our mental and physical health to exercise our rights. In this joint vision, we are as powerful as ever.
This vision requires disassembling guest-worker programs in order to build gender equity in labor migration. Join us—the hundreds of thousands of guest-worker women—in building that future now.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/02/2019 - 12:56Profiling Labor Leaders and Activists for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
For Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian and Pacific Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. First, let's take a look back at Asian and Pacific Americans we've profiled in the past:
- Ai-jen Poo
- Larry Itliong
- Maf Misbah Uddin
- May Chen
- Philip Vera Cruz
- Sue Ko Lee and the Dollar Store Strikers
- Velma Veloria
Check back throughout May as we add more names to this prestigious list.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/02/2019 - 11:48Tags: Labor History
‘State of the Unions’ Podcast: Not Good Enough
In the latest episode of "State of the Unions," podcast co-hosts Julie and Tim talk to Celeste Drake, the AFL-CIO's recently departed trade policy specialist, about flaws in the proposed new NAFTA and outline the labor movement's high standards for current and future trade agreements.
"State of the Unions" is a tool to help us bring you the issues and stories that matter to working people. It captures the stories of workers across the country and is co-hosted by two young and diverse members of the AFL-CIO team: Mobilization Director Julie Greene and Executive Speechwriter Tim Schlittner. A new episode drops every other Wednesday featuring interesting interviews with workers and our allies across the country, as well as compelling insights from the podcast’s hosts.
Listen to our previous episodes:
- A chat with Kristen Johnson, a deli manager and shop steward at the Stop & Shop in Somerville, Massachusetts, about why she went on strike.
- Talking about the #StampOutHunger food drive with Brian Renfroe, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) executive vice president, and Christina Vela Davidson, NALC assistant to the president for community services.
- House Blue Collar Caucus co-chairs Brendan Boyle and Marc Veasey talk about how any plan to rebuild our economy must include working people.
- A conversation with Kim Kelly, a labor columnist for Teen Vogue.
- A special Black History Month discussion with Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) General President Kenneth Rigmaiden.
- Kooper Caraway, the 28-year old president of the Sioux Falls AFL-CIO, on how the labor movement can reach young people.
“State of the Unions” is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and anywhere else you can find podcasts.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 05/01/2019 - 14:54Labor's Resurgence: In the States Roundup
It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states. Click on any of the links to follow the state federations on Twitter.
Alabama AFL-CIO:
11th annual "Road Kill BBQ" is getting off to a great start. #1U pic.twitter.com/Cm9BXBUSX0
— Alabama AFL-CIO (@AlabamaAFLCIO) April 3, 2019Alaska AFL-CIO:
Keep our pioneers in Alaska! Time to testify on Alaska Pioneer Homes (HB 96) is NOW (3 pm)! #akleg pic.twitter.com/IkT9Gk4nhd
— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) April 23, 2019Arizona AFL-CIO:
Huge thank you to all our Union Brothers and Sisters and Arizona State Legislators that participated in our 2019 #AZAFLCIO Day of Action at the Capitol today! Remember, the work does not stop here! #WeWorkForUnions @ Arizona State Capitol — at... https://t.co/ONnN7ZRS0K
— Arizona AFL-CIO (@ArizonaAFLCIO) April 17, 2019Arkansas AFL-CIO:
Expensive degree and no guaranteed job: More students are considering options outside of 4-year college https://t.co/RJLkA092B7
— Arkansas AFL-CIO (@ArkansasAFLCIO) April 24, 2019California Labor Federation:
Companies who dodge their obligation of providing basic protections like a minimum wage need to be held accountable. To put an end to cheating workers #CALeg must #DisruptInequality and vote #YesOnAB5. @LorenaAD80 https://t.co/JbOnMC9WlB
— California Labor Federation (@CaliforniaLabor) April 23, 2019Colorado AFL-CIO:
Colorado can do it – reduce carbon emissions, make a difference on climate change and ensure a fair and just transition for displaced fossil fuel dependent workers at the same time. Read the report below!https://t.co/e7x5ozckq5
— Colorado AFL-CIO (@AFLCIOCO) April 16, 2019Connecticut AFL-CIO:
Today we remembered and honored the lives of the 28 workers who were killed in the L'Ambiance Plaza collapse 32 years ago. We must recommit ourselves to fight for good, safe jobs for all working people. @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/jbdkQPGdb6
— Connecticut AFL-CIO (@ConnAFLCIO) April 23, 2019Florida AFL-CIO:
Week 7 was full of political tricks as the attack on Working Families continued. Watch our update videos covering all of the critical issues affecting you and your family during Legislative Session. Sign up for email alerts at https://t.co/tDa78A8Tvyhttps://t.co/i3td0bV3cE
— Florida AFL-CIO (@FLAFLCIO) April 22, 2019Georgia AFL-CIO:
Union workers hit another milestone in building our energy future. This investment in Georgia's energy infrastructure & workers is key for the future of Georgia, its infrastructure & its economy as the state grows. Congratulations and thank you for the work you do every day! #1u pic.twitter.com/1Aa1mNYa04
— AFL-CIO Georgia (@AFLCIOGeorgia) March 26, 2019Idaho AFL-CIO:
#SpringCleaning? Be sure to buy #Union! #Solidarity #UnionYes #UnionProud #1u #MadeInUSA #unionstrong
Check out @Labor411 for a complete list! https://t.co/YH92oU5TtC pic.twitter.com/c7bNKxIrMr
Indiana State AFL-CIO:
The message that #StopAndShopWorkers sent to their company by collectively standing up for themselves, their families, and good jobs has resonated not only with the company, but all of America. Thank you to the hardworking @UFCW members at Stop & Shop for everything you’ve done!
— Indiana AFL-CIO (@INAFLCIO) April 22, 2019Iowa Federation of Labor:
Workers Memorial Day Events Around Iowa https://t.co/kEyH9hGGnL pic.twitter.com/U8yqaGzQFX
— Iowa AFL-CIO (@IowaAFLCIO) April 23, 2019Kansas State AFL-CIO:
Working people everywhere thanks you Governor Kelly for the veto of
SB 22. pic.twitter.com/ZEDqMXlbc6
Kentucky State AFL-CIO:
Thank you to our union brothers and sisters working with Operation Victory to build a home for a Veteran in need.
Greater Louisville Central Labor Council, GLCLC https://t.co/ZfF1HrgtzV
Maine AFL-CIO:
Chris Tucker of LIUNA Local 327 testifying in support of LD 1386 to improve the way prevailing hourly wages & benefits are set on state construction projects #mepolitics pic.twitter.com/GhJry21Hka
— Maine AFL-CIO (@MEAFLCIO) April 24, 2019Massachusetts AFL-CIO:
Statement from President Tolman on the end of the 2019 UFCW Stop & Shop Worker Strike. Click for full statement: https://t.co/ZZ1CMFYjRJ #1u #solidarity #StopAndShopWorkers #Stopandshopstrike @StopDontShop pic.twitter.com/CkZC4OzRN9
— Massachusetts AFLCIO (@massaflcio) April 22, 2019Metro Washington (D.C.) Council AFL-CIO:
Painters lend a hand in the community https://t.co/vdXmSEj8kh
— MetroDCLaborCouncil (@DCLabor) April 24, 2019Michigan AFL-CIO:
America’s largest one-day food drive is Saturday, May 11! Help your letter carriers #StampOutHunger: https://t.co/BP500FrxNF pic.twitter.com/7wntxQKwPk
— Michigan AFL-CIO (@MIAFLCIO) April 22, 2019Minnesota AFL-CIO:
The House is back in session and they’re working on the Jobs bill, which includes paid family & medical leave, cracking down on #WageTheft, and earned sick and safe time. #PaidLeaveMN #mnleg #1u
— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) April 24, 2019Missouri AFL-CIO:
Thanks to Senators Holsman, May, Nasheed, Arthur, Walsh, Rizzo, Sifton, Schupp, Williams, and Curls for standing up for Missouri voters and protecting our constitutional right to have a say in Missouri laws. Join us in thanking them for standing up against SJR1. #moleg pic.twitter.com/aFLe8GilEc
— Missouri AFL-CIO (@MOAFLCIO) April 17, 2019Montana AFL-CIO:
Under flags at half-mast to honor the fallen, Montana protects its future by making presumptive coverage for firefighters law. Thank you to @mcconnell_nate, our men and women in uniform, and everyone else who fought to make this happen! #mtpol #mtleg pic.twitter.com/WvQj8Dn1X5
— Montana AFL-CIO (@MTaflcio) April 18, 2019Nebraska State AFL-CIO:
We oppose any proposal that disproportionately increases taxes on low-income families. LB289 would increase the state sales taxes by 3/4 cent and the effects would fall heaviest on low-income families. Tell your senator to oppose LB289. Find senator here: https://t.co/qxFk3gHDC9
— NE State AFL-CIO (@NEAFLCIO) April 18, 2019Nevada State AFL-CIO:
Nevada’s legislators are learning about how paid apprenticeship programs benefit key communities and our economy at Apprenticeship Day 2019 at the #NVLeg. pic.twitter.com/cHbCgU6mO6
— Nevada State AFL-CIO (@NVAFLCIO) April 23, 2019New Hampshire AFL-CIO:
By acclamation @PresBrackett has been elected to a second term as NH AFL-CIO President! #nhpolitics
— NewHampshire AFL-CIO (@NHAFLCIO) April 13, 2019New Mexico Federation of Labor:
Congratulations Brothers and Sisters https://t.co/dhPjnvPbZ5
— NMFL (@NMFLaflcio) April 18, 2019New York State AFL-CIO:
President Cilento on the picket line with #UnionStrong @UAWRegion9A
CAMBA workers on strike in NYC. pic.twitter.com/TvJDuKqGzu
North Carolina State AFL-CIO:
"The ban on collective bargaining for public employees denies us the information we need to recruit, retain, and ensure the safety and well-being of our employees." @CityofWinston @bessefornc #ncga #ncpol #1u pic.twitter.com/3fmCqnPo9J
— NC State AFL-CIO (@NCStateAFLCIO) April 24, 2019Ohio AFL-CIO:
Union rallies outside GE as contract talks near. We stand united in #Solidarity with our @IUE_CWAUnion members! Across the country workers are finding their strength and power for dignity and respect... and winning! https://t.co/3BCS9OUpan
— Ohio AFL-CIO (@ohioaflcio) April 24, 2019Oklahoma State AFL-CIO:
Thank you to those who keep the work going! pic.twitter.com/Hoq9Oqtwfh
— Oklahoma AFL-CIO (@OK_AFL_CIO) April 24, 2019Oregon AFL-CIO:
— Oregon AFL-CIO (@OregonAFLCIO) April 20, 2019Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:
2019 Hall of Fame Inductees - William Leskosky, (posthumously) AFSCME, Vicki Wyland SEIU, Ed Yankovich, Jr. UMWA. An outstanding annual event hosted by a Central Labor Council with outstanding members! — at DoubleTree Pittsburgh Meadow Lands https://t.co/zQRBC2jY3g
— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) April 20, 2019Rhode Island AFL-CIO:
#HelpASisterOutPeriod The RI Coalition of Labor Union Women, w/ the support of @rifthp, @IBT251, @riaflcio, is launching our #HelpASisterOutPeriod campaign, to raise awareness for women who lack the financial means to purchase menstrual products. https://t.co/cIgjYAAcTb #1U
— Rhode Island AFL-CIO (@riaflcio) April 22, 2019South Carolina AFL-CIO:
Facing Escalating Workplace Violence, Hospital Employees Have Had Enough https://t.co/U84xXMiEHh
— SC AFL-CIO (@SCAFLCIO) April 9, 2019Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council:
ICYMI: Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee pokes a sleeping tiger with his school voucher agenda https://t.co/M5ZewLoPZz
— Tennessee AFL-CIO (@tnaflcio) April 22, 2019Texas AFL-CIO:
Dow locks out more than 200 workers in Deer Park https://t.co/vHUyrO5U8t via @houstonchron
— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) April 23, 2019Virginia AFL-CIO:
"We’re talking to people about labor history and we’re not even walking the walk in this institution." https://t.co/3rZVCX1g4v
— Virginia AFL-CIO (@Virginia_AFLCIO) April 23, 2019Washington State Labor Council:
“Jacquie’s unexpected passing is a major loss for the labor movement in Washington state,” said WSLC President Larry Brown. https://t.co/N7rhBW1kIm
— WA State AFL-CIO (@WAAFLCIO) April 17, 2019West Virginia AFL-CIO:
When underground labor is used, the communities lose millions.... payroll taxes go unpaid, the City of Charleston doesn't get its user fee. The state gets no state income taxes. https://t.co/q1vyqP7Ynp
— West Virginia AFLCIO (@WestVirginiaAFL) April 16, 2019Wisconsin State AFL-CIO:
Wisconsin AFL-CIO Applauds Executive Order to Combat Worker Misclassification and Prevent Payroll Fraud, https://t.co/HeVsiPqY51
— WI AFL-CIO (@wisaflcio) April 18, 2019 Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 05/01/2019 - 10:46Marriott Should Tell the Truth About Sexual Harassment
Marriott International, the biggest hotel chain in the world, is hiding the truth about the dangers its workers face. UNITE HERE members are demanding that the company comes clean.
In 2018, working people at Marriott went on strike and won greater sexual harassment protections. For those protections to fully work, the company has to tell the truth about the pervasiveness of harassment at its hotels. But it refuses to do so.
Marriott was asked to report the total number of incidents of sexual harassment at its hotels to shareholders. Instead, it revealed the number of formal legal complaints that have been filed in the past five years, only 44 worldwide. But according to estimates from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace, between 25% and 85% of women have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace, while only 6%-13% file a formal complaint. By revealing only the number of formal legal complaints, Marriott is likely under-reporting harassment in its hotels and making it harder to prevent future incidents.
Join UNITE HERE in signing the petition demanding that Marriott tell the truth about harassment and assault on its properties and engage in a dialogue with workers to find solutions to this growing problem.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 04/26/2019 - 12:57
12 Things You Need to Know About Death on the Job
The AFL-CIO today released its 28th annual Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect report. Each April, we examine the state of worker safety in America. This year's report shows that 5,147 working people were killed on the job in 2017. Additionally, an estimated 95,000 died from occupational diseases.
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) called for action:
This is a national crisis. And it’s well past time that our elected leaders in Washington, D.C., stop playing politics and take action to prevent these tragedies. Instead, the Trump administration is actually gutting the protections we fought so hard to win in the first place. This is unacceptable. It’s shameful. And the labor movement is doing everything in our power to stop it.
Here are 12 key findings from the report:
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Every day, 275 workers die from hazardous working conditions.
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There is only one Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspector for every 79,000 workers.
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Since 1970, there have been 410,000 traumatic worker deaths, but only 99 cases have been criminally prosecuted under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
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The average OSHA penalty for serious worker safety violations is only $3,580. The penalty rises to $7,761, on average, for worker deaths.
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About 8 million public sector workers lack OSHA protection. Their rate of injury and illness is 64% higher than private sector employees.
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Workplace violence is now the third-leading cause of death on the job.
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Women face the brunt of workplace violence, accounting for 2 of every 3 people who are attacked.
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Workplace violence caused 807 deaths in 2017 and nearly 29,000 serious injuries. More than 450 of those deaths were homicides.
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Health care and social assistance workers are four times more likely to suffer a workplace violence injury than those who work in other occupations. The level of serious workplace violence injuries for these workers has risen 69% in the past decade.
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The five most dangerous states to work in are: Alaska, North Dakota, Wyoming, West Virginia and South Dakota.
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The fatality rate for Latino and immigrant workers and workers 65 and older is higher than the national average.
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Workplace violence is preventable. An enforceable OSHA standard would keep workers safe, but in the meantime, Congress should pass the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act.
Read the full report to learn more.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 04/25/2019 - 15:31What Happens When Call Center Jobs Are Shipped Abroad and Workers Try to Organize?
One of the world's largest "contact center" companies, U.S.-based giant Alorica, has been expanding in the Philippines, where more than 1.3 million women and men work in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector. These workers and their allies came together through BIEN, the BPO Industry Employees Network, to defend workers' interests in this booming sector. Alorica, a global player in this industry, offers "customer experience" services to the U.S. market for clients like Comcast, AT&T, Citibank, Barclays and Caesars.
Since 2015, Unified Employees of Alorica (UEA) has been organizing to defend these workers' rights. At every step, Alorica has denied workers their right to form a union, broken laws and refused to recognize the union, retaliating against workers who unionize by firing them.
In September 2018, the union filed a notice of strike and began planning a legally protected strike to protest union-busting by Alorica. The United Employees of Alorica have the following demands:
- Drop the criminal charges filed against the union leaders.
- Reinstate the terminated officers of UEA.
Just this week, Michael Concepcion, a regional organizer for BIEN who has worked directly with the Communications Workers of America (CWA), received a death threat by text message.
This and previous threats show a pattern of harassment, extra-judicial detentions and killings that have affected more and more union activists in the Philippines under the Duterte administration. Large corporations like Alorica and AT&T use this repressive climate to their own benefit.
Starting today, CWA and Filipino activist groups Migrante and Bayan are holding solidarity protests in San Francisco and Los Angeles, along with other local supporters in California.
Support the UEA and allies like BIEN in their efforts to defend workers’ rights in this key industry in an economy globalized according to rules written by corporations and governments desperate to attract investment. Please tweet or post the following to Facebook and other social media:
Respect workers’ rights in the Philippines @OfficialAlorica @ATT Drop charges against UEA union leaders. #HumanRights #AloricaPH
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 04/24/2019 - 10:02USITC Report Backs Up the Need to Fix New NAFTA to Add Real Enforcement
On April 18, the United States International Trade Commission released its analysis of the likely economic impacts of the new NAFTA (also known as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement or USMCA). The report supports the AFL-CIO’s position on the new NAFTA: Congress should not vote on it until it is fixed.
The usual Washington, D.C., pundits will talk a lot about how the report "proves" that the new NAFTA is good for the economy. But they probably won’t talk very much about the most important thing: Does the report provide useful insight on what matters most to workers?
An important caveat: The USITC has a history of wrong predictions. Not just randomly wrong. The USITC has only erred in one direction: to overestimate how great trade deals will be.
For instance, the USITC predicted the original NAFTA would have small positive effects on wages in the United States and Canada and large positive effects on wages in Mexico. Instead, NAFTA suppressed wages in all three countries. Many U.S. union members saw their workplaces transfer production to Mexico, while others were forced to accept concessionary contracts to keep their jobs. In Mexico today, the minimum wage has less purchasing power than before NAFTA and there is a bigger gap between U.S. and Mexican manufacturing wages. This is because the original NAFTA puts the interests of global corporations ahead of the interests of working people.
Importantly, the new USITC report notes: "The agreement, if enforced, would strengthen labor standards and rights." In fact, it predicts that with enforcement, wages for union workers in Mexico would rise by 17.2%. This prediction may be another wild exaggeration (and even if it is not, a 17% raise on $2.00 per hour is still only $2.34 per hour). But it confirms what the AFL-CIO has been saying all along: A new NAFTA is useless to working people without swift and certain labor enforcement.
With or without NAFTA, America’s working families live in a global economy. We are exposed to international competition no matter what. One great way to increase our leverage to negotiate better pay and benefits is to help workers in other countries—including Mexico—raise their wages and benefits, too. The USITC is right that Mexican wages will only rise if Mexico completes its labor law reform process and all three NAFTA parties work hard to monitor and enforce the labor provisions of the deal.
But enforcement can’t happen unless the text is repaired to make sure that one party can’t block enforcement, unless labor loopholes are eliminated, unless new swift and certain monitoring and enforcement tools are added, and unless adequate, long-term resources are devoted to enforcement. And those changes to the deal can’t happen unless Congress tells the administration that it refuses to vote on the new NAFTA until it is fixed.
Please help us get this right. Call Congress today at 855-856-7545 and tell your representative: No vote until NAFTA is fixed!
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 04/24/2019 - 09:50Tags: NAFTA
The U.S. Postal Service is Owned by the People—Let's Keep it That Way
As the tax deadline looms and millions scurry to get their forms sent on time, Tax Day is a good time to dispel the myth that the U.S. Postal Service is funded by tax dollars.
In fact, the Postal Service receives zero tax dollars for its operations. Without taking a dime in taxes, the Postal Service maintains the lowest prices for mail services in the industrialized world and delivers to 159 million addresses, six—and now often seven—days a week—all funded by revenue from the sale of stamps and other postal products.
While private courier companies only deliver where a profit can be made, the public post office provides universal service to everyone, no matter age, wealth, race, who we are or where we live.
It is little wonder that the Postal Service, a public institution enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and the crucial anchor of the growing e-commerce revolution, remains the most trusted federal agency. A recent Pew Research Center survey revealed that 88% of the population has a favorable view of the Postal Service, with the highest favorability ratings coming from young adults. Whether sending or receiving medicine, packages, greeting cards, letters, periodicals, catalogs or ballots, every person, household and business in this country is a postal customer.
Still, that persistent myth—that the Postal Service is a burden to taxpayers—is precisely the false narrative that led Congress to pass the 2006 Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act. That act manufactured a financial crisis by compelling the Postal Service to pre-fund all retiree health care costs, 75 years into the future—for workers not even born yet. This mandate transferred postal revenues to the U.S. Treasury and robbed the Postal Service of $5.6 billion a year over a 10-year period. No other company or agency faces, or could be expected to survive, such an onerous financial burden.
Adding to the absurdity is the fact that, prior to the 2006 law, the Postal Service had been reliably paying its annual retirement health benefit premiums on time.
Fast forward from 2006 to last year. Exactly one year ago, in April 2018—again using the guise of taxpayer protection—President Donald Trump established a postal task force to study Postal Service finances. However, before the task force even published its findings, the White House Office of Management and Budget in a June 2018 report on reforming government laid bare their goal of selling the Postal Service to the highest corporate bidder.
Postal privatization, if allowed to move forward, would surely enrich some Wall Street investors and a few powerful corporations. For the rest of us, it would result in diminished postal services and higher prices. This is exactly what happened when other nations, such as the United Kingdom, went down this path. Evidence of this can be seen in both the OMB report and the task force report that followed in December, which called for higher rates, cuts to service and lower wages and benefits for postal workers, all as a first step toward total privatization.
Other task force “solutions” include eliminating delivery days, slowing service speed, allowing anyone who pays a fee access to your secure and private mailbox, reducing door delivery, undermining the universal service obligation and piecemeal privatization that will all undermine the future of a vibrant public postal service.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Congress should simply fix the pre-funding fiasco they created in 2006. In addition, the Postal Service should provide an array of expanded services such as increased financial services and paycheck cashing, notary and various licensing services, internet access and electric automobile charging stations.
Everyone who sends and receives mail and packages has a stake in making sure that the U.S. Postal Service remains owned by, and in the service of, the people. Ask your member of Congress to co-sponsor House Resolution 33 and Senate Resolution 99. Both resolutions oppose privatizing the Postal Service.
Let’s ensure that the postal eagle, symbolizing its public ownership, is never sacrificed on the altar of private profit and replaced by the vulture of corporate greed. The U.S. Postal Service operates without tax dollars and provides a necessary and popular public service. Keep it—it’s yours.
This post originally appeared at The Cap Times.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 04/23/2019 - 14:40Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: Railroad Signalmen
Next up in our series that takes a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the Railroad Signalmen (BRS).
Name of Union: Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen
Mission: To represent the men and women who maintain railroad signal systems and highway-rail grade crossing warning devices across the nation. In addition, the BRS negotiates contracts and promotes safety in the industry for its members and the traveling public. Local lodges elect delegates to national conventions, which is the organization's supreme authority. Delegates set policy, review the general state of the union, establish collective bargaining goals and elect Grand Lodge officers, who direct the organization between conventions.
Current Leadership of Union: Jerry Boles was elected to serve as president of the BRS in 2019. Mike Baldwin serves as secretary-treasurer. The BRS also has six vice presidents who serve in various capacities: Joe Mattingly (Midwest), Kelly A. Haley (Headquarters), James Finnegan (Commuter/Passenger), Tim Tarrant (East), Cory Claypool (West) and Brandon Elvey (NRAB).
Current Number of Members: 10,000-plus.
Members Work At: various railroad and supplier locations installing, repairing and maintaining railroad signal systems and highway-rail grade crossing warning devices. The signal system is used to direct train movements and the crossing warning devices warn motorists when a train is approaching a crossing. These members have been installing positive train control (PTC) equipment since Congress mandated the railroads install PTC back in 2008. PTC is an advanced train control system designed to automatically stop a train before certain accidents occur. In particular, PTC is designed to prevent train-to-train collisions, over speed derailments, train movements over track switches not properly lined and train movements into roadway worker work zones.
Industries Represented: The railroad industry and suppliers in the United States.
History: At the turn of the century, railroad signaling became an emerging craft as railroads increasingly incorporated new technology. In 1901, the BRS was founded to improve the safety and efficiency of railroad operations, and to represent the men and women who install and maintain signal systems. Over the ensuing decades, the organization grew into a national union consisting of working people across the Unites States.
Community Efforts: The BRS maintains a regular schedule of training for members as well as ongoing membership on various committees including the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee, which assist the Federal Railroad Administration in developing new regulatory standards to promote railroad safety. The BRS is actively engaged in Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit public safety education and awareness organization dedicated to reducing collisions, fatalities and injuries at highway-rail crossings, and trespassing on or near railroad tracks.
Learn More: Website.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 04/22/2019 - 13:51Powerful Victory
A tentative agreement between the 31,000 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in New England and management at Stop & Shop supermarkets has been reached, effectively ending the historic strike that captured the country’s attention.
The proposed deal will preserve health care and retirement benefits, provide wage increases and maintain time-and-a-half pay on Sundays for members of UFCW locals 328, 919, 1459, 1445 and 371.
Workers walked off the job on April 11 after management proposed cuts to their health care benefits and wages, despite the company receiving a $225 million tax break in 2017.
The entire labor movement stood behind the workers, with AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler (IBEW) visiting picket lines last week.
In response to the tentative agreement, UFCW said in a statement:
We are incredibly grateful to our customers and everyone who proudly stood together with us every day for a contract that invests in the communities we serve, and makes Stop & Shop a better place to work and a better place to shop.
Under this proposed contract, our members will be able to focus on continuing to help customers in our communities enjoy the best shopping experience possible and to keep Stop & Shop the number one grocery store in New England. The agreement preserves health care and retirement benefits, provides wage increases, and maintains time-and-a-half pay on Sunday for current members.
Today is a powerful victory for the 31,000 hardworking men and women of Stop & Shop who courageously stood up to fight for what all New Englanders want—good jobs, affordable health care, a better wage, and to be treated right by the company they made a success.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 04/22/2019 - 13:44No Enforcement, No Treaty: What Working People Are Doing This Week
Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week.
A. Philip Randolph Institute:
Attention all brothers and sisters, AND Youth Members! Please find the application for the A. Philip Randolph Institute 2019 NEC here!! If you have any questions, please direct them to Jaida Curtis at jcurtis@apri.org. Looking forward to seeing you all!
— APRI National (DC) (@APRI_National) April 10, 2019Actors' Equity:
Ballots for the upcoming referendum vote will be sent out during the last week of April. Make sure your contact information, including your email and mailing address, is up to date in the Member Portal. https://t.co/KlcvpKvaYM pic.twitter.com/Tr4bTGehY7
— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) April 18, 2019AFGE:
Good luck to @pittgrads who are voting for their union this week. Vote yes and know that the entire labor movement has your back! #1u #GradsTogether pic.twitter.com/2aHSyDEoAv
— AFGE (@AFGENational) April 18, 2019AFSCME:
Trade proposals for #NAFTA 2.0 fail to ensure labor rules will be enforced. Contact your Representative at 855.856.7545 and tell them no vote on #NAFTA 2.0 until its fixed. #NoVoteTillItsFixed pic.twitter.com/YaiRYNcHFj
— AFSCME (@AFSCME) April 17, 2019AFT:
The ideals and ideas I have outlined are not quixotic fantasies. They are pragmatic strategies that create the sustainable teaching and learning culture that enables the freedom to teach. - @rweingarten #FreedomToTeach
— AFT (@AFTunion) April 18, 2019Air Line Pilots Association:
DYK: Our ALPA pilots are busy promoting the #pilot profession to members of the military at today's @Rotary2Airline Convention in Fort Campbell, KY. Thank you to our ALPA pilot volunteers! #aviationcareers pic.twitter.com/f8SQipHewF
— ALPA (@WeAreALPA) April 13, 2019Alliance for Retired Americans:
The #GOPTaxScam did nothing for working Americans. Wealthy corporations didn't even use the millions they made from the tax cuts to raise wages or give out bonuses. https://t.co/ZAzYzyHXnL #Shame #RepealTaxCuts pic.twitter.com/j26tBNjcye
— Alliance Retirees (@ActiveRetirees) April 17, 2019Amalgamated Transit Union:
Public transit: An essential public service not to be privatized! Please share. https://t.co/3L3sjm9V7e #publictransit #transit #1u #UnionStrong
— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) April 17, 2019American Federation of Musicians:
Management did not budge an inch & just restated their “last, best and final” offer AGAIN to @MusiciansChiSym Outrageous & Unacceptable! ???? #1u #UnionMusicianshttps://t.co/VDzIm0xOGR
— AFM (@The_AFM) April 17, 2019American Postal Workers Union:
President Dimondstein writes:
Pres. Dimondstein:
“The U.S. Postal Service operates without tax dollars and provides a necessary and popular public service. Keep it — it’s yours.” #TaxDay #USMailNotForSalehttps://t.co/4UAZSYE02P
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance:
Our TPS, DACA, and DED siblings belong in our communities. Call on Congress to be bold and pass the #DreamAndPromiseNow ! Show your support and sign the petition today: https://t.co/mmwUWsgYvl …#SaveTPS #TPSJUSTICE #DACA pic.twitter.com/KIJ5Voqc9E
— APALA (@APALAnational) April 17, 2019Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
#TBT to last week's Chicago (ORD) demonstration to support AFA Air Wisconsin Flight Attendants! Almost 100 people demonstrated to pressure Air Wisconsin management and United Airlines to negotiate a FAIR contract. #1u #ContractNow pic.twitter.com/m1topQ03wT
— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) April 18, 2019Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers:
BCTGM stands in #solidarity with striking @UFCW members @stopnshop_ne in New England. If you see a picket line - don’t stop & shop there until the strike is over! sign the petition at https://t.co/irbqoqbS9R #1u #jobs #wages #LaborRights pic.twitter.com/Ifp17tXIhj
— BCTGM International (@BCTGM) April 17, 2019Boilermakers:
Back at it today on Capitol Hill with Local 5, Zone 5. #Boilermakers are ready to discuss issues and advocate for working Americans. pic.twitter.com/PDK6hwsHVN
— Boilermakers Union (@boilermakernews) April 16, 2019Bricklayers:
Our #union #apprenticeship allows younger students to make a living much faster, especially when #construction industry needs labor: https://t.co/gV016ilnJb #1u #SkilledTrade #Wisconsin @BuildingWI
— Bricklayers Union (@IUBAC) April 5, 2019Coalition of Black Trade Unionists:
— CBTU (@CBTU72) April 11, 2019Coalition of Labor Union Women:
Did you know your post office receives ZERO tax dollars to deliver mail to every address in our country at consistently low rates? Let’s keep the USPS a public good, not sell it to corporations for private profit. #USMailNotForSale #TaxDay https://t.co/opknPNw9cy
— CLUW National (@CLUWNational) April 15, 2019Communications Workers of America:
Before the #GOPTaxScam passed, massive companies made promises that they'd use their tax breaks to create jobs & raise wages. That's not what happened.
Check out the op-ed by CWA President Shelton. Congress needs to start holding corporations accountable!https://t.co/mhwst57szH
Department for Professional Employees:
According to a report by @EconomicPolicy teachers are paid significantly less than comparable professionals #FreedomToTeach #1u https://t.co/XNbeu75sYC
— Department for Professional Employees (@DPEaflcio) April 18, 2019Electrical Workers:
The fastest growing jobs in nearly a quarter of U.S. states are #IBEW jobs - and they're green jobs too https://t.co/D1JnEwOYOB
— IBEW (@IBEW) April 17, 2019Farm Labor Organizing Committee:
This is a great short on getting underrepresented groups into agricultural degree programs. Shout out to @SankofaFarmsLLC! https://t.co/8fNvCkS4Af
— Farm Labor Organizing Committee (@SupportFLOC) April 16, 2019Fire Fighters:
It's a day of tribute to the Paris #firefighters who saved Notre Dame Cathedral from collapse and rescued its treasures from the flames https://t.co/BRr7UuESci
— IAFF (@IAFFNewsDesk) April 18, 2019Heat and Frost Insulators:
Mechanical Insulation is the one thing that goes into a building and starts paying for itself as soon as the system is activated - immediately saving energy and reducing greenhouse emissions. Learn more here: https://t.co/2daFpcwFV0
— Insulators Union (@InsulatorsUnion) April 17, 2019International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers:
Great article telling us what we already know, #unions are a HUGE benefit for professional workers!! JOIN THE MOVEMENT!! #1u #NerdUnion https://t.co/qRFDooJaxJ
— IFPTE (@IFPTE) April 13, 2019International Labor Communications Association:
Our annual ILCA Labor Media Contest is open. The first and largest competition exclusively for labor journalists, the contest recognizes excellence in labor journalism, photography, film, podcasts, websites, and social media. https://t.co/CIvnK9ZwBD
— Labor Communications (@ILCAonline) April 9, 2019Ironworkers:
Iron Workers from local 433/416 topped out Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on Monday. https://t.co/LdFQUNKGiB
— Ironworkers. (@TheIronworkers) April 17, 2019IUE-CWA:
Workplace violence is the 3rd leading cause of death on the job. One in every 6 workplace deaths are from workplace violence. Help end workplace violence and support HR 1309 Workplace Violence prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act
— IUE-CWA (@IUE_CWAUnion) April 18, 2019Jobs With Justice:
For years, working people have joined together and rallied for higher minimum wages across the country. Not only are we winning that fight, but big opponents are starting to back down. #fightfor15http://bit.ly/2ZeB0c9
— Jobs With Justice (@jwjnational) April 17, 2019Labor Council for Latin American Advancement:
LCLAA proudly supports the work of @AnnaAlvaradoArt who is an artist and youth empowerment advocate from East LA. With her art, she seeks to capture the emotional rawness of the female spirit encouraging Latinas to see perfection in their imperfections. #TrabajadorasTuesday pic.twitter.com/6LoE9WuaWi
— LCLAA (@LCLAA) April 16, 2019Laborers:
Our second session in #PuertoRico was emotional and inspirational. In partnership with @LIUNA @LiUNAEasternReg and @LiunaPR these sisters, brothers and now, new Instructors, are leading the #rebuilding of their Island. Power of #training #education. #feelthepower #trainingliuna pic.twitter.com/wc4vXv6Ofc
— LIUNA!Training (@TrainingLiuna) April 18, 2019Machinists:
Demonstrating solidarity and sending a clear message to @GeneralElectric. https://t.co/vlKc8rawlb
— Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) April 18, 2019Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO:
Trade Unions Pave Pathways to Good Jobs https://t.co/KP5p8mzl4g
— Metal Trades Dept. (@metaltradesafl) April 16, 2019Mine Workers:
In Morgantown, WV today! President Roberts is speaking to District 2 and District 31 members about our pension fight. “We will win, because we will never quit.” -@CecilRoberts pic.twitter.com/rtzFvGyZfs
— United Mine Workers (@MineWorkers) April 4, 2019Musical Artists:
Attention Chicago/Midwest AGMA members - On May 6th, The Actor's Fund (in partnership with SAG-AFTRA) will present a Myers-Briggs Career Development Workshop led by T.A.F. Career Counselor and Myers-Briggs Master Practitioner Maryellen Langhout.
https://t.co/5ZaAOuTNxZ
National Air Traffic Controllers Association:
After 53 years, retired charter member Joe Bellino – the Union’s first NGL RVP & second EVP – was invited by the National Pathfinder Association (NPA) to become a lifetime Associate Member #3. Less than 1% of military members are Pathfinder qualified. https://t.co/MZVRJIuk9x pic.twitter.com/CGomRsw02j
— NATCA (@NATCA) April 18, 2019National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA:
#NABShow pic.twitter.com/Mo7tZ1l1tH
— NABET-CWA (@NABETCWA) April 10, 2019National Association of Letter Carriers:
Thank you for supporting the #StampOutHunger #FoodDrive, Mayor @billpeduto! NALC Branch President Ted Lee, left, & Retired Letter Carrier Alex Criego (food drive coordinator), right, met w/ City of Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto who committed to assisting in this year's food drive. pic.twitter.com/g8WTXZcp5n
— Letter Carriers (@NALC_National) April 18, 2019National Domestic Workers Alliance:
Teresita also wrote a piece for the @nytimes in 2017 about why she and other caregivers, housecleaners and nannies participated in the #WomensMarch: “to show our collective power as the past, present and future of America.” https://t.co/k7ctPk0uWt
— Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) April 18, 2019National Federation of Federal Employees:
NFFE FSC Vice President (CCC's) Beverly Tobin Ford Speaks at 2019 IAM Women’s Conference https://t.co/mH3ftDh1wq pic.twitter.com/7hVG6QBR8R
— NFFE (@NFFE_Union) April 15, 2019National Nurses United:
.@NNUCorey closes out with a call to action: The way we win is to educate, agitate, and organize. #Veterans, nurses and other VA workers have to join together, take to the streets, and organize town halls to educate the community about what is happening in the VA. ✊ pic.twitter.com/HjRTt8EjL4
— NationalNursesUnited (@NationalNurses) April 18, 2019National Taxi Workers Alliance:
Brothers & sisters, reach out for help if you need it. We are here for each other. Come by the NYTWA office any time you need to talk or be in the company of fellow drivers M-F 12pm-8pm. There are resources available for you. We are in this fight together. https://t.co/Wf1FxvLsuk
— NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) April 13, 2019The NewsGuild-CWA:
Welcome to the @news_guild! https://t.co/Ou1HR9zZ63
— NewsGuild (@news_guild) April 15, 2019NFL Players Association:
.@bcope51 is about that action! #AthleteAnd #sportsbiz https://t.co/0CcCvwELey
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) April 17, 2019North America's Building Trades Unions:
Family-sustaining wages and ZERO college debt. Why NOT join a #BuildingTrades union?
“From day one you’re earning money in an apprenticeship program.”https://t.co/PpTcRHlhXU
Office and Professional Employees:
Working families have suffered as a direct consequence of #NAFTA. We can’t let the renegotiation of the trade deal be dominated by corporations and billionaires. Call your representative NOW at 1-855-856-7545 and tell them to stand up for working families. #1u #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/Vt3aIeY1Up
— OPEIU (@opeiu) April 16, 2019Painters and Allied Trades:
The United States is receiving a D+ on its Infrastructure Report Card. The IUPAT has joined the fight to push Congress to pass an infrastructure bill that will change this ranking significantly. #InfrastructureNow #RebuildUSA pic.twitter.com/VHsnqy0dG0
— GoIUPAT✊? (@GoIUPAT) April 18, 2019Plasterers and Cement Masons:
“Today, the biggest obstacle that stands between us and the places we work, live and play is thousands of miles of crumbling roads, highways and bridges ... Every day we fail to invest, we’re putting more lives at risk.” https://t.co/KXSI1G1cEk
— OPCMIA International (@opcmiaintl) April 15, 2019Pride At Work:
"Anyone who qualifies for service under military standards should be allowed to serve.
This unfair policy treats transgender people different than other service members, which is antithetical to the core values of our military." #TransMilitaryBan pic.twitter.com/4hQOhLjI3g
Professional Aviation Safety Specialists:
PASS is honored to support @FedsHelpingFeds at this year's Public Service Walk & Run April 28, on behalf of our members @FAANews. Join the PASS team here: https://t.co/NPiYWr0PVi All proceeds go to the only charity dedicated to helping federal workers in need. #publicservice
— PASS (@PASSNational) April 12, 2019Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union/UFCW:
ICYMI: 1,800 RWDSU members secured a new union contract in Camilla, GA! #OrganizeTheSouth #1u @AFLCIO @AFLCIOGeorgia @UFCW https://t.co/soF9CmLccg
— RWDSU (@RWDSU) April 18, 2019SAG-AFTRA:
Congrats to #sagaftramember Vickie Thomas on her well-earned induction to the Michigan Journalism Hall of Fame. For more than 25 years she’s kept Detroiters informed and her service as a union steward and mentor to fellow members has been invaluable. https://t.co/dVwa3WWjsr pic.twitter.com/FFSeMUyhsv
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) April 16, 2019Seafarers:
Big win for the U.S. Merchant Marine (and apologies for the double post) https://t.co/1j58Yn5BHP
— Seafarers Union (@SeafarersUnion) April 3, 2019Solidarity Center:
The world creates as much as 50 million tons of e-waste/yr valued at $60 billion+ dollars but only 20% is formally recycled. This “toxic flood of electronic waste” should be converted into source of #decentwork per @ilo@LURNetwork @ClimateReality https://t.co/VpKi5dGU01
— Solidarity Center (@SolidarityCntr) April 18, 2019TCU/IAM:
"Too often, politicians & CEOs forget that behind every train that rolls across the country…Are thousands of dedicated, hardworking union members...And too often CEOs think it’s ok to attack your rights to be part of the labor movement." - @TTDAFLCIO Larry Willis #IAMtranspo19 pic.twitter.com/gCg4fB5xFC
— Transportation Communications Union/IAM (@TCUnionHQ) April 9, 2019Theatrical Stage Employees:
Congratulations to the technicians at @tarragontheatre who yesterday voted unanimously to be represented by @iatse58. Welcome to the @IATSE and @IATSECANADA family! #growthequalsstrength pic.twitter.com/5vOf6Ss3qS
— IATSE Local 58 (@iatse58) April 17, 2019Transport Workers:
The Richmond Board of Education has refused to listen to parents, to drivers, to children and have neglected the system putting Augusta's children in harms way. The TWU is leading the charge to ensure the safety of our children! #ToxicSchoolBus https://t.co/2Xgm3efthh
— TWU (@transportworker) April 18, 2019Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO:
This ? is ? not ? okay. Last year there were more than 100 documented assaults on transit workers & more than 2,300 cases of harassment. Congress must act now by passing the Bus Operator and Pedestrian Protection Act.https://t.co/rfLWUcbWec
— Transp. Trades Dept. (@TTDAFLCIO) April 17, 2019UAW:
Did you pay federal income taxes this year? 60 of America's largest corporations didn't! Get the details: https://t.co/e73Wz58rb6
— UAW (@UAW) April 17, 2019Union Label and Service Trades Department:
Stamp Out Hunger food drive is next month. pic.twitter.com/kofTYqcuoa
— Union Label Dept. (@ULSTD_AFLCIO) April 11, 2019Union Veterans Council:
Congrats to Union Veteran @pamforpa for flipping a red seat blue with the help of the Allegheny/Fayette Union Veterans Council.
This is what happens when me mobilize our veterans to be their own voices of change. @Darrinkellypgh @PaAFL_CIO pic.twitter.com/aF5V7t57Ez
UNITE HERE:
We’re demanding that Marriott disclose the total number of incidents of sexual harassment and assault in their hotels.
The public, survivors, and employees deserve to know the REAL totals, not just the 44 formal legal complaints. #MeTooMarriott #MoreThan44 pic.twitter.com/mqgowYBvFV
United Food and Commercial Workers:
Kristen with @UFCW Local 1445 works at #StopandShop as a deli manager & joins @AFLCIO's State of the Unions podcast to share why she's on the picket line & how its bringing people together to protect good #NewEngland jobs. RT and listen here: https://t.co/JQEFJRRj6e pic.twitter.com/XFnYRO5nZx
— UFCW (@UFCW) April 17, 2019United Steelworkers:
Activists vow to fight back as Tennessee lawmakers attempt to criminalize some voter registration https://t.co/DqenN396Ok via @thinkprogress #USWVotes
— United Steelworkers (@steelworkers) April 17, 2019United Students Against Sweatshops:
USAS students from across the country are sharing the stories of brave Indonesian Nike workers who are ready to fight by spreading their truth. Meet the women behind the Nike swoosh. #nikewalkthetalk #nikewomentruthtour pic.twitter.com/RwDhmdDGxZ
— USAS (@USAS) April 11, 2019United Union of Roofers and Waterproofers:
We need roofers in Nashville! Pref. journey level, but all levels welcome. Great wages + benefits. More info--> https://t.co/4SIbO2r5wo #hiringroofers pic.twitter.com/HWXbEQrvcF
— Roofers Union (@roofersunion) April 17, 2019Utility Workers:
Former Marine & Local 126 member Micah Herndon "is guts personified"! His determination to finish #Boston2019 inspires us all. @washingtonpost @BostonMarathon https://t.co/Ux4EyW3hia
— UWUA National (@The_UWUA) April 17, 2019Working America:
Although the reasons are complex, 2 leading factors of why black women have a higher risk of dying from pregnancy complications are b/c of lack of access & poor quality of care.
We can change that. #BMHW19 #BlackMaternalHealthWeek #MedicaidExpansion https://t.co/eafp8R9niG pic.twitter.com/AMEhPZ29BO
Writers Guild of America, East:
"The Writers Guild of America today filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court seeking to establish that talent agency packaging fees are illegal under both California and federal law." #ClientsOverConflictshttps://t.co/2eygQvFWXN
— Writers Guild of America, East (@WGAEast) April 17, 2019 Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 04/22/2019 - 11:34
