Steelworker Wins Election to Local Maine School Board
United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9 member Kathy Wilder won a write-in election for school board in Maine School Administrative District (MSAD) 54 on March 4. Wilder, who works as a chemical prep operator at Sappi Fine Paper in Skowhegan, says that her priorities will be student achievement, fiscal responsibility, clear communications and social justice.
"Being elected to the school board is really exciting for me because I grew up in Norridgewock and attended K-12 in MSAD 54," said Wilder after finishing a night shift at the mill. "Now I have to give back to the community by working to make the future a brighter and stronger place for today’s youth."
Wilder worked with the Maine AFL-CIO in 2018 as part of our labor candidates training program to elect more union members and working class people to elected office at all levels. She previously ran for the Maine State Legislature in 2018.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 03/12/2019 - 12:42Paving the Way: 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:
Strong Unions Mean Strong African-American Communities https://t.co/teHSH89X2k
— APRI National (DC) (@APRI_National) March 4, 2019Actors' Equity:
Looking forward to working with @TheUmbrellaArts for their upcoming season, expanding their ability to work with more actors in Boston! #EquityWorkshttps://t.co/IQgbOGa3ET pic.twitter.com/3s1RFpILPF
— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) March 7, 2019AFGE:
This #WomensHistoryMonth, we're celebrating labor and civil rights leaders who have paved the way for generations to come. #AFGEWomen #1uwomen #1u pic.twitter.com/PF93ESFjz4
— AFGE (@AFGENational) March 7, 2019AFSCME:
San Mateo County human services workers are on strike, demanding greater recognition for the critical role they play in their community. Some 600 members of Local 829 are asking for a fair contract to address caseloads, staffing, retention and more. https://t.co/TuDkKoHQJn
— AFSCME (@AFSCME) March 6, 2019AFT:
After a decade of neglect, AFT members across the country are standing up. They are taking to the streets to demand the teaching and learning conditions they and their students deserve. #FundOurFuture https://t.co/VbXBpaPHxk pic.twitter.com/a2KiuzKJQP
— AFT (@AFTunion) March 7, 2019Air Line Pilots Association:
Get to know your Canadian @WeAreALPA pilot groups. First up, Air Georgian: https://t.co/BAMInPB3a9 pic.twitter.com/vuQDnbYO97
— ALPA Canada (@ALPACanada) March 7, 2019Alliance for Retired Americans:
Lawmakers are trying to curb sepsis infections and get better care for patients with a new bill that would boost punishment for understaffed nursing homes: https://t.co/GHeHNL0KyE pic.twitter.com/EKJr4eAWhq
— Alliance Retirees (@ActiveRetirees) March 7, 2019Amalgamated Transit Union:
Milwaukee bus drivers stage protest over proposed health care cuts https://t.co/ZrSARrRKXw #MCTS #transit #publictransit #1u
— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) March 7, 2019American Federation of Musicians:
“As Music Director and a musician of this orchestra, I am with the Musicians," said Ricardo Muti in a letter delivered to Chicago Symphony management. BRAVO! ?????https://t.co/HxF9qRfMXX via @crainschicago
— Amer. Fed. Musicians (@The_AFM) March 7, 2019American Postal Workers Union:
For too long Wall Street robber barons have gambled with our economy while not even paying their fair share in taxes. Enough is enough! #WallStreetTax #TaxTheRich pic.twitter.com/ZB32SZ3eH7
— APWU National (@APWUnational) March 6, 2019Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance:
"Cindy Domingo epitomizes public service with her tireless dedication and long string of accomplishments in repping communities so often left from the table.” Shout out to our APALA Seattle member for receiving the MLK Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service! https://t.co/QeOdJInkem pic.twitter.com/AR0sVqccbt
— APALA (@APALAnational) March 7, 2019Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
Over 70 years of experience and heart in aviation, the members of the Association of Flight Attendants know the realities of the aircraft cabin better than anyone. We don't just serve drinks. We save lives. pic.twitter.com/yzqoYXUecS
— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) March 7, 2019Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers:
Educators, parents, students and their communities are standing up with a clear message: that we’re not going to accept underfunding and scarcity. It's time to #FundOurFuture! Share this video from @AFTunion: https://t.co/GYf20DOjvz
— BCTGM International (@BCTGM) March 4, 2019Boilermakers:
Incredible @ChadlHymas at #Boilermakers CSO Conference: "People who refuse to change the way they’ve done things in the past never solve problems. They find themselves paralyzed by their own patterns...they find themselves trapped in the patterns they’ve created for themselves." pic.twitter.com/Rrs4rxxuHD
— Boilermakers Union (@boilermakernews) March 5, 2019Bricklayers:
Making a successful transition from the #military into the civilian workforce can be difficult, but with the help from @H2Hjobfairs, you can build a lifelong career in the trowel trades. Check it out: https://t.co/fs0PPoDhe3#ApprenticeshipWorks #skilledtrades #1u #construction
— Bricklayers Union (@IUBAC) March 6, 2019California School Employees Association:
Great keynote speech by State Superintendent @TonyThurmond to a crowd of more than 1,200 @CSEA_Now members attending the 22nd Annual Paraeducator Conference in Sacramento today. “Classified employees are the backbone of our schools!”
— CSEA (@CSEA_Now) March 6, 2019Coalition of Black Trade Unionists:
Another great piece by Bill. https://t.co/rD9f8eJrg3
— CBTU (@CBTU72) March 7, 2019Coalition of Labor Union Women:
The #UnionDifference is clear: women in unions earn $231 more a week than non-union counterparts. #AAPIEqualPay pic.twitter.com/S31pKt2uKV
— CLUW National (@CLUWNational) March 5, 2019Communications Workers of America:
It's Throwback Thursday! CWA Local 7800 members & family picket outside the US West Headquarters in Seattle, on Aug. 16, 1998. Members were striking against mandatory overtime & reduction of wages & benefits. 34,000 union workers in 13 states participated. #tbt #ThursdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/Av2JveDhvu
— CWA (@CWAUnion) March 7, 2019Department for Professional Employees:
“Strategic investment in our arts and cultural organizations is not an extra, it’s a path to prosperity.” #artsadvocacy #UnitedForTheArts https://t.co/QHWsl0oO3r
— Department for Professional Employees (@DPEaflcio) March 7, 2019Electrical Workers:
‘Times Are Changing:’ More women breaking into construction industry https://t.co/q8LgtVLTii
— IBEW (@IBEW) March 4, 2019Farm Labor Organizing Committee:
Hooray! https://t.co/jBOxJ9n7Su
— Farm Labor Organizing Committee (@SupportFLOC) March 7, 2019Fire Fighters:
The #IAFF is urging Congress to support federal #firefighters need for fair and equitable compensation and retirement benefits #FirefightersforFairness pic.twitter.com/shgDXYfuGw
— IAFF (@IAFFNewsDesk) March 7, 2019Heat and Frost Insulators:
Unlike typical post-high school education, a registered apprenticeship won’t leave you in debt, but rather help you build a stable, middle class life. Does this appeal to you? Learn more about joining the Insulators Union here: https://t.co/3Odj5kfMCh
— Insulators Union (@InsulatorsUnion) March 7, 2019International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers:
Great article! The struggles facing #GameWorkers have been faced by many different industries in the past. The answer is to take your voice back, and form a #union! https://t.co/qDOcuW24d5
— IFPTE (@IFPTE) March 5, 2019International Labor Communications Association:
If March roars in like a ?, we’re editing the thought to say the first two months of 2019 were roaring, if partially hibernating. Let's catch up and plant the seeds for a fruitful year. https://t.co/3XUC6y6UmA
— Labor Communications (@ILCAonline) March 1, 2019Ironworkers:
Iron Workers General Organizer Vicki O'Leary addressed the North American Iron Workers/IMPACT Conference general session about how workplace harassment threatens job site safety. https://t.co/RthABSKNoX #NWIC #InterntionalWomensDay #BeThatOneGuy #ImpactOfChange
— Ironworkers. (@TheIronworkers) March 7, 2019Jobs With Justice:
This is more like it: working people > subsidies for the biggest and wealthiest companies in the world. https://t.co/5CtPm7cXf2
— Jobs With Justice (@jwjnational) March 7, 2019Labor Council for Latin American Advancement:
LCLAA is proud to have played a role in this amazing outcome aimed at protecting equal pay!https://t.co/7MEupRn1BL
— LCLAA (@LCLAA) March 7, 2019Laborers:
ICYMI - Another win for workers in West Virginia, Kanawha County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer Bailey has tossed out #RighttoWork” law – AGAIN! #RightToWorkIsWrong #RTW https://t.co/Ful35s8kGF
— LIUNA (@LIUNA) March 7, 2019Machinists:
After decades of anti-worker rulings, unions are now challenging Taft-Hartley on free speech and other constitutional grounds. Via @theprospect: https://t.co/ecrXj0rhee
— Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) March 6, 2019Maritime Trades Department:
UMWA’s Allen Updates Board on Pension Crisis | Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO https://t.co/4yozRPzRCQ
— MaritimeTrades (@Maritime_Trades) February 28, 2019Metal Trades Department:
“The AFL-CIO and our affiliates have long supported a substantial, long-term infrastructure investment plan — one that lifts up working people, grows the economy, creates ‘high... https://t.co/tLYq9iqx2R
— Metal Trades Dept. (@metaltradesafl) March 7, 2019Mine Workers:
UMWA members attend the Congressional hearing on “The Cost of Inaction: Why Congress Must Address the Multiemployer Pension Crisis.” Retirees and employers will speak about their concern that some of the nation’s largest multiemployer pension plans soon becoming insolvent. pic.twitter.com/Am1atiqdKy
— United Mine Workers (@MineWorkers) March 7, 2019Musical Artists:
Today, the American Guild of Musical Artists announced the installation of John Coleman as President of the Union, following the resignation of James Odom.
To view the press release, please visit our website - https://t.co/hAtRl61guI#SolidarityForever #UnionStrong
National Air Traffic Controllers Association:
NATCA members at Atlanta-area facilities safely handled more than 1,500 general aviation flights in the 36 hours surrounding #SuperBowl LIII. Feb. 4 was the busiest day for the Atlanta TRACON in more than a decade, handling more than 4,000 total flights. Well done! pic.twitter.com/6J8b3XR95J
— NATCA (@NATCA) March 7, 2019National Association of Letter Carriers:
Our member Chris Metropulos rescued a woman trapped on the second floor of a burning building. With help from a man, Chris locked elbows w/ the man & convinced the woman to jump to safety. Emergency responders later arrived to battle the fire & treat the woman. #Heroes #Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/V0i7OnOTh4
— Letter Carriers (@NALC_National) March 7, 2019National Day Laborer Organizing Network:
“There is nothing temporary about our families.” - @TPS_Alliance Coordinator Jose Palma#TPSJustice #ResidencyNow pic.twitter.com/aoUmJcUWED
— NDLON (@NDLON) March 6, 2019National Domestic Workers Alliance:
Mechelle Vinson filed a lawsuit against her supervisor for sexual harassment in the office and took her case all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1986, the Court ruled, for the first time, that sexual harassment is discriminatory and illegal. #WHM2019https://t.co/2XXTqoFYFJ
— Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) March 7, 2019National Nurses United:
No one should be left to die simply because they are too poor to afford health care.
Take action- make sure your Congressperson is on the right side of history and supports #MedicareForAll.
Call 202-858-1717 today. #ThursdayThoughts pic.twitter.com/B3YeLoA6qK
National Taxi Workers Alliance:
Good news folks: Uber is now on the hook for unemployment insurance contributions for NY drivers! Uber withdrew its appeal of a ruling that found 3 former NYC Uber drivers and ALL SIMILARLY SITUATED drivers to be employees for the purposes of unemployment benefits!
— NY Taxi Workers (@NYTWA) March 4, 2019The NewsGuild-CWA:
Great showing by our @BostonNewsGuild members in support of a fair contract for their members @BostonGlobe https://t.co/0MWPNSXJHz
— NewsGuild (@news_guild) March 6, 2019NFL Players Association:
ICYMI: Our president dropped some knowledge about the salary cap https://t.co/DHA5WirHDx
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) March 7, 2019North America's Building Trades Unions:
To celebrate National Women in Construction Week, we will share some of the top stories and initiatives highlighting the increased role that WOMEN play in the #BuildingTrades.
Keep up with the thread here ? #WICWeek2019
Office and Professional Employees:
The apparent contempt for working people shown by this administration is appalling. First, nearly 1m federal workers are forced to go w/o pay for 35 days. Now they want to roll back OT protections for millions, again shifting wealth from the many into the hands of the few. #1u https://t.co/CQJNYaiTZ9
— OPEIU (@opeiu) March 1, 2019Plasterers and Cement Masons:
“The building trades have always maintained a healthy supply of job-ready, skilled, safe workers. ... But [we] cannot do it alone. ... [We] need continued support from the Department of Labor and the Trump administration for their apprenticeship programs.” https://t.co/iMvdGAZ0So
— OPCMIA International (@opcmiaintl) February 28, 2019Plumbers and Pipe Fitters:
Today Working Families United, the AFL-CIO, and more than 30 national unions and labor institutions sent a letter to Congress expressing their support for legislation that makes the protections for TPS holders and dreamers permanent. Find letter below. https://t.co/Lnd4chIdVt
— GoIUPAT✊? (@GoIUPAT) March 4, 2019Printing, Publishing and Media Workers-CWA:
Union Printers Home Foundation Now Accepting Applications for Scholarships https://t.co/9NFp5AsjXl
— CWA Printing Sector (@CWAPrintingSect) March 7, 2019Professional Aviation Safety Specialists:
"MLB players love our caps. People who make them for us deserve fair wages" TY @whatwouldDOOdo @Nationals for supporting union members at New Era—losing jobs as work sent overseas. Unions=America=baseball PASS members at FAA get you safely to games. #1u https://t.co/1qKH5DN88B
— PASS (@PASSNational) March 4, 2019Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union:
We need mayoral control of @NYCSchools. RWDSU is proud to stand with our brother and sisters in the labor movement to call on the NYS Legislature to renew mayoral control of the NYC school system without delay. #1u pic.twitter.com/aYsV5uItLE
— RWDSU (@RWDSU) March 7, 2019SAG-AFTRA:
#Chicago Local Volunteer Day at the Greater Chicago Food Depository (@FoodDepository) was a success! Thank you to all of our members and staff volunteers. #sagaftramembers pic.twitter.com/FeNlvOW9aQ
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) March 6, 2019Seafarers:
Climb aboard and sign the petition to support and embrace diversity and not contribute to gender, race, ethnicity, and age stereotypes. https://t.co/rP8gXTLjX9
— Seafarers Union (@SeafarersUnion) March 7, 2019Solidarity Center:
This #IWD2019 Kenya union leader Rose Omamo is championing passage of a proposed @ILO global standard that would address #genderbasedviolence at work. “Our job is to lobby, lobby, lobby and make sure we get support.” @ituc @equaltimes https://t.co/1IvYMPQGQj
— Solidarity Center (@SolidarityCntr) March 7, 2019TCU/IAM:
“He kept the whole train connected in a family kind of way...It rekindled my faith in humans," said passenger Barbara May. So why does @Amtrak want to cut these jobs and service? Stop the #ColdCuts, Mr. Anderson.
CC: @AmtrakCouncil https://t.co/Y61KGnytFC
Theatrical Stage Employees:
This Women's History Month, we're highlighting the stories of IA women who came before and blazed the trail for all of us. Tell us about the groundbreaking women in your local in the replies! #WomensHistoryMonth #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/I0QJkUou4f
— IATSE (@IATSE) March 4, 2019Transport Workers:
UnAmerican continues to undermine the safety of its fleet by penny wise, dollar foolish outsourcing. TWU Jet Mechanics uncovered dangerous conditions which included improper electrical wiring. UnAmerican Air needs to stop putting profits before people. @AmericanAir pic.twitter.com/qWUGZYcAEW
— TWU (@transportworker) March 7, 2019Transportation Trades Department:
Teachers, bus drivers, and school support workers want the best for the kids they serve. That's why they're standing united with @AFTUnion to fight for #FundOurFuture - and we're standing with them. https://t.co/XiGSWptZsQ
— Transp. Trades Dept. (@TTDAFLCIO) March 7, 2019UAW:
This week, GM is idling the GM Lordstown Plant. On Friday, show your solidarity with the affected workers by wearing blue and posting your photo online with the hashtag #GMinvestinUS. pic.twitter.com/rJ6u90pQGN
— UAW (@UAW) March 6, 2019United Food and Commercial Workers:
Citing civil rights, cities are banning cashless retail: Some New Yorkers want to join cities like Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington in banning them, because cashless business discriminates against low-income people. https://t.co/NvU8fI4iQA @RWDSU
— UFCW (@UFCW) March 7, 2019Union Label and Service Trades Department:
"There are many team members working at Whole Foods today whose total compensation is actually less than what it was before the wage increase due to these labor reductions," says Whole Worker, a group organizing for a union at the high-end grocery chain... https://t.co/md7LE1DbJD
— Union Label Dept. (@ULSTD_AFLCIO) March 6, 2019Union Veterans Council:
Fact of the day: Veterans have a 15% union density #1u @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/BntDh5jQoA
— Union Veterans Council (@unionveterans) February 23, 2019UNITE HERE:
"That humble piece of cardboard is a symbol of solidarity—a sign of what labor movements are made of, and a sign of the racial unity they should continue to strive for."#1u #WomensHistoryMonth https://t.co/lYyyicah58
— UNITE HERE (@unitehere) March 7, 2019United Steelworkers:
Yes! We're so happy @PittGrads! Let's do this! More: https://t.co/ADIVJC6Gn1 #1u #UnionYes pic.twitter.com/td5rJIcn3n
— United Steelworkers (@steelworkers) March 7, 2019United Students Against Sweatshops:
Instead of praising @nike for doing the minimum, call on them to rehire hundreds of Indonesian women organizing for higher pay and better working conditions. Sign our petition here: https://t.co/zgjMXgCjpx
— USAS (@USAS) February 27, 2019Utility Workers:
A truly excellent article from @USATODAY on the enormous potential of carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) to address climate change. https://t.co/wiCTxG8IeO pic.twitter.com/lJV9lGODhu
— UWUA National (@The_UWUA) March 5, 2019Working America:
Abandoning white-working class voters to Republican racial messaging is bad politics and bad for the country. In @Newsweek's new cover story, @MattMorrison explains that politicians can address racial and economic justice at the same time https://t.co/wFXSt5CWc2 pic.twitter.com/AJzABtqQZg
— Working America (@WorkingAmerica) March 7, 2019Writers Guild of America, East:
We are thrilled to announce that the 169-member editorial staff at Gizmodo Media Group has unanimously ratified its second collective bargaining agreement with the Writers Guild of America, East! #1u https://t.co/PRHG9f2Oyo
— Writers Guild of America, East (@WGAEast) March 5, 2019 Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 03/12/2019 - 11:48Profiling Women Labor Leaders and Activists: 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.
AFL-CIO Is Profiling Labor Leaders and Activists for Women's History Month: "For Women's History Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various women who were leaders and activists working at the intersection of civil and labor rights. First, let's take a look back at women we've profiled in the past."
New Proposal Would Keep Millions of Working People from Getting Overtime: "The Donald Trump administration is proposing a new overtime regulation that would protect at least 2.8 million fewer workers than the overtime regulation proposed by the Barack Obama administration in 2016."
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: School Administrators: "Next up in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the School Administrators (AFSA). The series will run weekly until we've covered all 55 of our affiliates."
Black History Month Labor Profiles: William Burrus: "For Black History Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various African American leaders and activists who have worked at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Our next profile is William Burrus."
AFSCME Member Elected to Connecticut State Legislature: "Anthony Nolan, a New London, Connecticut, city councilman and member of AFSCME Local 724, won his race yesterday in a special election to fill an open seat in the state legislature."
Caring for Our Caregivers: Workplace Violence Hearing Highlights Job-Related Assaults for Health Care and Social Service Workers: "Workplace violence is a serious and growing problem for working people in the United States: It causes more than 450 homicides and 28,000 serious injuries each year. Workplace homicide now is responsible for more workplace deaths than equipment, fires and explosions. Two of every three workplace violence injuries are suffered by women."
The Key to Genuine Equality? A Union Card: "Whenever I face adversity—when my faith is shaken or my confidence falters—I turn to a woman I carry in my heart every day. Too often forgotten in Dr. King’s shadow, Coretta Scott King embodied everything at the core of an intersectional fight for justice. Above all, she recognized that the movement for civil rights could not stop at the voting booth. It had to be a fight for dignity in every facet of our lives—the right to stand tall at work and to live with security at home."
Union Politicians Helped Achieve Labor’s Progressive New Jersey Policy Goals: "Today’s progressive, pro-worker victories in the halls of Trenton were born more than 20 years ago at the New Jersey State AFL-CIO headquarters on State Street, only a couple hundred or so yards from the capitol building. The passage of a $15 minimum wage, a landmark paid family leave program and other legislation to lift up New Jersey’s working families are the culmination of an idea we had in 1997. Tired of politicians who took our money and turned their backs, we asked this simple question: Instead of hoping for our leaders to do right by union members, what if we elected union members themselves?"
Support Public Education: 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."
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: American Federation of Musicians: "Next up in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). The series will run weekly until we've covered all 55 of our affiliates."
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 03/11/2019 - 12:41Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: AFSCME
Next up in our series taking a deeper look at each of our affiliates is AFSCME. The series will run weekly until we've covered all 55 of our affiliates.
Name of Union: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
Mission: AFSCME members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations, AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and the freedom and opportunity for all working families.
Current Leadership of Union: Lee Saunders was elected AFSCME president in 2012, the first African American to hold that position, after previously serving as secretary-treasurer and in many other roles with AFSCME since 1978. He comes from a union family, raised in Cleveland as the son of a city bus driver and a community organizer. Elissa McBride serves as secretary-treasurer, and AFSCME has 35 international vice presidents serving different regions
Members Work As: Nurses, corrections officers, child care providers, EMTs, sanitation workers, early childhood educators, home care workers, police officers, library workers, probation and parole officers, parks and recreation workers, biologists, environmental planners, watershed rangers, vehicle emissions testers, groundskeepers, food service employees, administrators, support services, information technology, waste disposal, bridge inspectors, parking attendants and many others.
Industries Represented: States, cities, counties and other local governments, as well as the federal government and private employers performing public services.
History: During the depths of the Great Depression, a group of state employees in Madison, Wisconsin, formed what would later become the Wisconsin State Employees Union/Council 24 in an effort to successfully defend the state's civil service system and stand up to political cronyism. Four years later, in 1936, the American Federation of Labor granted a charter for AFSCME, which united the Wisconsin group with numerous others that had formed across the country after the success in Madison.
At the end of 1936, the union had 10,000 members. Growth was difficult at first, but by 1946, the union had grown to 73,000 members. The AFL-CIO merger brought AFSCME another 40,000 members.
In the 1960s, during the presidency of Jerry Wurf, AFSCME was active in the struggle for racial justice. The 1968 strike of AFSCME sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, was a signature moment in civil rights and labor rights history. It was in Memphis, in support of the sanitation workers’ struggle, that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
AFSCME continued to grow during the 1970s and 1980s, with a focus on bringing together independent associations of public employees in an effort to harness the collective power of so many voices. Almost 60 associations, representing 450,000 people, joined AFSCME by affiliation or merger, pushing total membership past the 1 million mark.
AFSCME’s growth across the country gave the union a more powerful voice when it came to fighting injustice. In September 1981, AFSCME’s 60,000-member delegation, the largest from any single union, led the march at the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Day, a massive demonstration in Washington, D.C., demanding fair treatment for workers. That same year in San Jose, California, AFSCME Local 101 staged the first strike in the nation’s history over the issue of pay equity for women. The action attracted national media attention and helped spark the pay equity movement.
For decades, corporations, billionaires and their allies have engaged in a coordinated and well-financed effort to weaken the power of public-sector unions like AFSCME. Last year, in a case called Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, the most business-friendly Supreme Court in history ruled in favor of anti-worker forces, overturning decades of precedent to make the entire public sector so-called right to work. Many pundits predicted this would be a death blow. But because of the work put in by AFSCME, together with other public-sector unions and the AFL-CIO, AFSCME has emerged in the strongest possible position. No politician or judicial decision can contain the collective power of working people. More than 300,000 fee payers converted to AFSCME members since early 2014; and since the Janus ruling, seven times more people have joined AFSCME than have chosen to drop.
Current Campaigns: AFSCME People works to elect politicians who promote policies that support working people. AFSCME Strong is building a culture of activism—in particular through member-to-member engagement and one-on-one conversations—that blunts the impact of attacks like the Janus case. I AM 2018, a 50th anniversary commemoration of the Memphis sanitation strike, is a call to action to continue the work of Dr. King and the sanitation workers of 1968.
Community Efforts: The AFSCME Free College program pays for higher education for members and their families. AFSCME Advantage offers discounts and benefits to members. The Never Quit Awards spotlight members who go above and beyond in performing their jobs. Next Wave seeks to empower and unite young AFSCME members. AFSCME Now serves as a daily digest of news and information about AFSCME members and the labor movement.
Learn More: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 03/11/2019 - 08:25Our Time Is Now: Leading with Passion, Purpose and Power
More than 300 union sisters from all sectors of organized labor gathered at the Hilton East Brunswick Hotel on March 1 for the 16th annual Women in Leadership Development (WILD) Conference. This two-day conference featured several distinguished speakers, including Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler (IBEW) and Alice Paul Institute Executive Director Lucienne Beard.
"WILD brings a multifaceted approach to leadership development through interactive education, mentorship and enduring networks of solidarity, and every year we are proud to add new layers to this foundation that reflect our changing culture and political environment," said New Jersey State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Laurel Brennan. "This year, the atmosphere of unity and sisterhood was remarkable as both first-time and longtime WILD sisters joined together to listen, learn and lead in the fight to strengthen our labor movement and nation."
On Saturday, the second day of the conference, attendees participated in two workshop discussions—Lobbying/Advocacy and Making a Difference: A Guide to Forming Women’s Committees—which provided the latest insights into building leadership skills and how to apply those strategies and tools to strengthen the collective voice of organized labor.
During the Lobbying/Advocacy session, attendees learned essential skills and strategies for making sure key issues are addressed by elected public officials. The panel featured a number of experienced lobbyists, including Kaufman Zita Group Senior Vice President Jeannine Frisby LaRue, CWA Political and Education Director Michele Liebtag and Assemblywoman Carol A. Murphy. New Jersey State AFL-CIO Legislative Director Eric Richard served as moderator.
The next workshop, Making a Difference: A Guide to Forming Women’s Committees, outlined the steps one would need to follow in order to form a women’s committee, get it established and assure support for its goals. The discussion was guided by the vast knowledge and experience of several women union leaders—including Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) Director of Government and Community Maria Foster, United Steelworkers (USW) Women of Steel coordinator Teresa Hartley, Utility Workers (UWUA) National Organizer/Women’s Caucus Chair Valerie King and United Brotherhood of Carpenters Chair of Sisters in the Brotherhood Susan Schultz—while AFT Professional Negotiations coordinator Jennifer S. Higgins acted as moderator.
"We were honored to welcome a distinguished panel of speakers and hundreds of our sisters to our conference this year," said New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech. "This conference builds on WILD’s tradition of empowering ourselves, our unions and our communities. And now, as we move forward, we will make sure that our sisters and brothers continue to lead the way in advancing a justice-driven agenda for all working people."
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO is the only state federation in the nation to host an annual women’s leadership conference. We thank our WILD sisters and sponsors for their many years of support, enabling our state to champion a diverse, strong and durable labor movement.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 03/08/2019 - 13:12Economy Gains 20,000 Jobs in February; Unemployment Down to 3.8%
The U.S. economy gained 20,000 jobs in February, and the unemployment rate fell to 3.8%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a dramatically lower level of job growth than we have seen in recent years and is good reason for the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee to express caution in considering any interest rate hikes.
In response to the February job numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs said:
While wages were up 3.4% over last February, wage increases were not widespread. In leisure and hospitality they were up 4.6%, but in manufacturing they were only up 2.6%. In retail trade they were up 5.0%, but in transportation and warehousing they were only up 2.4%. Retail and leisure and hospitality have large shares of minimum wage workers who got boosts from automatic inflation adjustments because of state laws protecting the real wages of minimum wage workers.
He also tweeted:
#JobsReport in looking over today's @BLS_gov figures it is important to keep in mind three sector where women are disproportionate share of the work force @CLUWNational @HeidiatIWPR @IWPResearch @APRI_National @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/fFL0f8L6zR
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) March 8, 2019Here are the trends for employment in government @CLUWNational @HeidiatIWPR @IWPResearch @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/sGaXQdHqGE
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) March 8, 2019And, this chart overlays education and health services employment with the trend in government employment @CLUWNational @IWPResearch @HeidiatIWPR @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/1FRLNIPeQH
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) March 8, 2019#JobsReport both the "official" widely reported U-3 measure of unemployment and the broadest measure, including part-time workers who want full-time work and the marginally attached workers frustrated by poor search results, declined @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/1415yD9PLz
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) March 8, 2019#JobsReport Ignore the outlier of job growth in services to buildings as a rebound from dropping in January from the government shutdown and bad weather and contract delays caused by the shutdown in construction and this report shows little change for high and low wage industries pic.twitter.com/1HrGEIAFo0
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) March 8, 2019#JobReport Now would be the time for the @federalreserve to worry, three straight months of increases in the Black unemployment rate from three straight increases in unemployed workers. They better listen to @neelkashkari more often. @rolandsmartin @LVBurke @AFLCIO @CBTU72 pic.twitter.com/QHKInrhK1J
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) March 8, 2019#JobsReport since reaching a low of 6.0% in November, the Black unemployment rate has climbed three straight months on a climb in the number of unemployed Black workers. Given the relationship of the Black community to predatory sub-prime auto loans this is not good. @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/wwARya7JYx
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) March 8, 2019Last month's biggest job gains were in professional and business services (42,000), health care (21,000), wholesale trade (11,000) and manufacturing (4,000). Construction employment saw losses in February (-31,000). Employment in other major industries, including leisure and hospitality, mining, retail trade, transportation and warehousing, information, financial activities and government, showed little or no change over the month.
Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates rose for teenagers (13.4%). The jobless rate declined for Hispanics (4.3%). The jobless rate for blacks (7.0%), adult men (3.5%), adult women (3.4%), whites (3.3%) and Asians (3.1%) showed little change in February.
The number of long-term unemployed (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) rose in February and accounted for 20.4% of the unemployed.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 03/08/2019 - 11:58Tags: Jobs Report
New Proposal Would Keep Millions of Working People from Getting Overtime
The Donald Trump administration is proposing a new overtime regulation that would protect at least 2.8 million fewer workers than the overtime regulation proposed by the Barack Obama administration in 2016.
The AFL-CIO and other overtime advocates had urged the Trump administration to implement the Obama administration’s overtime rule and defend it against a court challenge by business trade associations and Republican state governments, but the Trump administration has refused to do so.
The 2016 Obama administration’s proposal would raise the overtime threshold from $23,660 to $47,476. However, because the Obama rule provided for automatic updates of the threshold to keep overtime protections from being eroded by inflation, the threshold under the Obama rule would be $51,064 today and $55,000 in 2022.
By contrast, the Trump administration’s proposal sets the overtime threshold at $35,308 and does not provide for automatic updates. By the administration’s own estimates, 2.8 million fewer workers would be newly eligible for overtime in the first year of the new rule.
The way the overtime regulations work is like this: Salaried workers who make less than the threshold are automatically eligible for overtime protection, whereas salaried workers who make more than the threshold may or may not be eligible for overtime protection, depending on their job duties. The higher the overtime threshold, the more workers are under the threshold, the more workers are automatically protected, and the better it is for workers.
In 2016, it was estimated that the Obama overtime rule would extend overtime eligibility to 4.9 million workers and bring another 7.6 million workers who already are eligible for overtime below the threshold, thus making it harder for employers to deny them overtime protection. According to the Economic Policy Institute, under the Trump administration’s proposal less than half as many workers would be either newly eligible or brought below the threshold.
The Trump administration proposal is especially troubling because the Obama administration’s proposal was not overly generous to workers. Back in 1975, the administration of President Gerald Ford set the overtime salary threshold at more than $55,000 in today’s dollars. The erosion of overtime protections over the past few decades is one of the ways the rules of our economy have been rewritten to favor corporations over working people.
Working people desperately need a pay raise. We need overtime protection to ensure we get paid for all the hours we work and that we can spend more time with our families away from work.
As we have before, the AFL-CIO will again urge the Trump administration to implement the Obama overtime rule and defend it in court. The Labor Department does not need to propose a new overtime rule; it just needs to defend the Obama administration’s 2016 proposal.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 03/08/2019 - 09:52Tags: Overtime
AFL-CIO Is Profiling Labor Leaders and Activists for Women's History Month
For Women's History Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various women who were leaders and activists working at the intersection of civil and labor rights. First, let's take a look back at women we've profiled in the past:
- Arlene Holt Baker
- Ella Josephine Baker
- Rachel Bryan
- Hattie Canty
- Charlene Carruthers
- Dora Cervantes
- Linda Chavez-Thompson
- May Chen
- Septima Poinsette Clark
- Miriam Frank
- Fannie Lou Hamer
- Elle Hearns
- Velma Hopkins
- Josette Jaramillo
- Marsha P. Johnson
- Mara Keisling
- Theresa King
- Sue Ko Lee and the Dollar Store Strikers
- Esther López
- Bree Newsome
- Lucy Gonzales Parsons
- Ai-jen Poo
- Kara Sheehan
- Augusta Thomas
- Rosina Tucker
- Velma Veloria
- Sue Cowan Williams
- Diann Woodard
Check back throughout March as we add even more names to this prestigious list.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 03/07/2019 - 12:37Tags: Labor History
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: School Administrators
Next up in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the School Administrators (AFSA). The series will run weekly until we've covered all 55 of our affiliates.
Name of Union: American Federation of School Administrators
Mission: To promote the professional, occupational and economic interests of its members and fight for the highest quality public school education for all pupils.
Current Leadership of Union: Ernest A. Logan began serving as president in July 2018, succeeding the late Diann Woodard. Leonard Pugliese serves as executive vice president and Lauran Waters-Cherry serves as secretary-treasurer.
Current Number of Members: 20,000
Members Work As: Principals, assistant principals, administrators, supervisors and other school leaders
Industries Represented: Public schools across the United States.
History: The origins of AFSA begin in 1962 when the Council of Supervisory Associations (CSA) was formed in New York city to fight for collective bargaining rights. By 1968, CSA formally became a union and changed its name to the Council of Supervisors and Administrators. In 1971, CSA was granted a charter by the AFL-CIO and CSA became Local 1 of the School Administrators and Supervisors Organizing Committee (SASOC), a national union. SASOC held its first convention in 1976 and changed its name to the American Federation of School Administrators.
Current Campaigns: Build a Coalition helps administrators build community partnerships to help support their schools and students. AFSA's Action Center is the home to resolutions passed by AFSA in support of its mission and provides members and allies opportunities to help out. AFSA is committed to providing support to all of its locals, working to support the organizing efforts of its existing locals and increase efforts to organize unaffiliated school leader associations.
Community Efforts: The School Leadership Forum helps principals and other school leaders by underwriting research, resources and training needed to improve the learning environment in classrooms across the country. The Student Grief Support Resource provides tools to help administrators address grief among students. The School Leadership Forum also supports funding for the Diann Woodard AFSA Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships to children of AFSA members.
Learn More: Website, Facebook, Twitter.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 03/04/2019 - 09:55Black History Month Labor Profiles: William Burrus
For Black History Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various African American leaders and activists who have worked at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Our next profile is William Burrus.
Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, William Burrus attended West Virginia State College after graduating high school with honors. Betwen 1954–1957, he served in the 101st Airborne Division and the 4th Armored Tank Division of the U.S. Army. After his time in the Army ended, he began his employment with the U.S. Postal Service, working as a distribution clerk and maintenance employee in Cleveland.
A participant in the Great Postal Strike of 1970, Burrus was elected president of the Cleveland local of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU). He served in that role until 1980. While president of his local, Burrus became the founder and first president of the APWU National Presidents Conference. He also was a leader in the fight to reject a collective bargaining agreement proposed in 1978 that would've limited cost-of-living increases for postal workers.
In 1980, Burrus began a 21-year run as APWU's executive vice president, working alongside APWU President Moe Biller. During this time, he led the APWU negotiations in securing four collective bargaining agreements with the U.S. Postal Service. He was directly involved with every national negotiation between the APWU and USPS from 1980 to 2006. His leadership helped win substantial gains for members over and over again, including countless arbitration settlements and memorandums of understanding with postal management that greatly enhanced the rights, benefits and safety of postal workers.
His dedication and hard work on behalf of his fellow postal workers led to him being elected national president of APWU in 2001, the first African American of any national union to win the top office by a direct ballot of the membership. During his time as president, he successfully fought back against Bush administration efforts to reverse the gains achieved through the Great Postal Strike of 1970. He also successfully advocated for better working conditions after two postal workers and one customer died in the anthrax attacks in 2001.
In 2010, Burrus retired after 10 years of leadership at APWU. Numerous times during his career of service, Burrus was named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans by Ebony magazine. Upon his passing last year, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) said Burrus was "an unabashed advocate for his fellow postal workers and an unwavering fighter in the struggle for social and economic justice."
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 02/28/2019 - 13:05Tags: Black History Month
AFSCME Member Elected to Connecticut State Legislature
Anthony Nolan, a New London, Connecticut, city councilman and member of AFSCME Local 724, won his race yesterday in a special election to fill an open seat in the state legislature.
Nolan will continue to serve as a New London patrol officer in addition to his new role as state representative.
"The union is a brotherhood and sisterhood that stands up and fights for you," Nolan said of his labor backing in the race. "It means a great deal to have the support of the people who stand with you every day."
The Connecticut AFL-CIO proudly endorsed Nolan. "Because of his experiences, Anthony understands how important it is to be a voice for working families," Connecticut AFL-CIO President Sal Luciano (AFSCME) said. "He pledges to fight for labor’s priorities, including an increase in the minimum wage, paid family and medical leave, a more progressive income tax and limiting the practice of captive audience meetings during organizing drives."
The state federation and affiliates organized labor-to-labor activities for their union brother during the short special election time frame. Nolan joins 19 other union members who serve in the Connecticut state legislature.
Connecticut AFL-CIO Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 02/28/2019 - 09:48Caring for Our Caregivers: Workplace Violence Hearing Highlights Job-Related Assaults for Health Care and Social Service Workers
Workplace violence is a serious and growing problem for working people in the United States: It causes more than 450 homicides and 28,000 serious injuries each year. Workplace homicide now is responsible for more workplace deaths than equipment, fires and explosions. Two of every three workplace violence injuries are suffered by women.
Health care and social service workers are at greatest risk of violence on the job because of their direct contact with patients and clients. They are five times as likely to suffer a workplace violence injury as workers in other occupations.
Violence against health care and social service workers is foreseeable and preventable but the Trump administration has refused to act. That is why Rep. Joe Courtney (Conn.) introduced legislation last week that would require the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a standard to protect these workers. The standard would reduce violence by requiring employers to develop workplace violence prevention programs that identify and control hazards, improve reporting and training, evaluate procedures and strengthen whistlebower protections for those who speak up, which lead to safer staffing levels, improved lighting and better surveillance systems.
Today, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Labor, Subcommittee on Workforce Protections, held a hearing to highlight this severe and growing problem and the need for an OSHA standard to protect working people. Patt, an AFT member from Wisconsin, testified about her traumatic experience of assault as a registered nurse. She and her colleagues had tried to speak to management and press for improvements, but their voices were not heard. Then she was attacked by a teenage patient with a history of aggression at a county mental health facility. He kicked her in the throat, collapsing her trachea, requiring intubation and surgery. She suffers severe post-traumatic stress disorder and can no longer work in her dream job as a nurse. It was not a random event, but a predictable scenario that could have been prevented with a clear plan and better-trained staff.
Here are other union members’ experiences of violence on the job that could have been prevented with an enforceable OSHA standard:
Helene: An AFT member and psychiatric nurse in Connecticut for 16 years in an acute care hospital who attempted to hand a patient his pain medication when he punched her in her jaw, knocking her to the floor and breaking her pelvis. Helene was unable to return to work for six and a half months, had to go through rehabilitation and physical therapy, and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. This patient had a history of violence, including previously attacking a social worker, but there was no system in place to alert her.
Brandy: A National Nurses United (NNU) member and registered nurse in California for 18 years in general pediatrics who was assigned to a 14-year-old patient with a diagnosis of aggressive behavior. When Brandy entered the patient’s room, the patient had his mother pressed against the closet door with his hands around her neck. Brandy called for security and additional staff assistance. They were able to safely remove the patient’s mother, but the patient threw a chair at Brandy, who was trapped between a wall and a bed. Brandy suffers from tendonitis in her right elbow, which makes it difficult to do simple everyday tasks such as opening jars, typing and hanging bags of fluids at work. Appropriate violence-prevention controls include ensuring that large furniture and other items that can be used as weapons are affixed to the floor in rooms with aggressive patients.
Eric: An AFSCME member and security counselor at a Minnesota hospital who has administered treatment to the mentally ill for nearly a decade. Eric was assigned to monitor a highly assaultive patient who continually attacked his fellow patients. The patient then turned his assaultive behavior on Eric and punched him in the right eye, causing him to instantly lose sight in the impacted eye. Eric managed to restrain the patient until his co-workers arrived to assist. Eric was rushed to the emergency room via ambulance where they discovered he had a blow-out fracture of his orbital bone and a popped sinus. He received 17 stitches, and his eye socket has never fully recovered. The hospital did not have a comprehensive workplace violence prevention program that would have prevented this.
John: A United Steelworkers (USW) member and certified nursing assistant in California for 18 years who tried to change a male veteran’s wet bed when the patient became agitated and attacked John, breaking his arm. He was out of work for four weeks. John didn’t know the patient was prone to violence. At his facility, workplace violence comes from patients, visitors and other employees. There is at least one incident every week, ranging from slapping to breaking arms or punching. After John’s incident, the employer began requiring a note on the patients’ charts when they are prone to agitation or violence. Sometime later, the employer also began using red blankets on the beds to denote a combative patient so all employees would know when they interacted with the patient.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 02/27/2019 - 14:00Tags: Workplace Violence
The Key to Genuine Equality? A Union Card
Whenever I face adversity—when my faith is shaken or my confidence falters—I turn to a woman I carry in my heart every day. Too often forgotten in Dr. King’s shadow, Coretta Scott King embodied everything at the core of an intersectional fight for justice. Above all, she recognized that the movement for civil rights could not stop at the voting booth. It had to be a fight for dignity in every facet of our lives—the right to stand tall at work and to live with security at home.
The day before she buried her husband, King had flown to Memphis to lead 50,000 people marching in solidarity with striking sanitation workers, bolstering their fight to win just wages, safety on the job and recognition of their union. It was no accident; recognizing the strike’s significance, Dr. King had spent his final hours in Memphis.
“Now our struggle is for genuine equality, which means economic equality,” he had told the strikers. “For we know, that it isn’t enough to integrate lunch counters. What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn’t have enough money to buy a hamburger?”
Those striking workers’ fight pointed to the broader struggle ahead, one that we are still waging half a century later. Coretta understood that truth, and she spent decades advancing what she called Phase Two—the fight for our right to a good job and economic security.
Whether we’re securing just pay or eliminating discrimination on the job, there’s still one unparalleled vehicle for winning that progress: joining together in a strong labor union.
The movements for civil rights and labor rights have always been powered by the same principle. We draw strength by standing together and fighting alongside each other. And that’s because these two great efforts are integrally tied to one another.
A fight for social justice can’t ignore the economic suffering of the oppressed, and a struggle against economic oppression will fail if it turns a blind eye to bigotry and social inequality.
The Memphis sanitation strike was about more than a demand for higher paychecks. It was about coming together in an age-old struggle to demand the dignity inalienably endowed to us.
Step by step, that struggle has borne fruit. Unionized public-sector jobs continue to offer one of the best paths to prosperity for people of color. Union contracts enforce fair hiring practices. They provide us with just wages today and a secure retirement tomorrow. They ensure that we can walk with our heads held high, knowing that our value is recognized.
And above all, they offer us hope for a better future. “Struggle is a never ending process,” King warned in her memoir. “Freedom is never really won, you earn it and win it in every generation.”
We might not reach the end of the path our ancestors set out on. But joining together in strong unions is the surest way to reach ever closer.
This Black History Month, we should remember the bloody, painstakingly-secured victories our community has won through the labor movement. And even more importantly, we should boldly secure the desperately-needed progress yet to be won by organizing, marching and fighting together.
This post originally appeared at The Root.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 02/26/2019 - 11:00Tags: Black History Month
Union Politicians Helped Achieve Labor’s Progressive New Jersey Policy Goals
Today’s progressive, pro-worker victories in the halls of Trenton were born more than 20 years ago at the New Jersey State AFL-CIO headquarters on State Street, only a couple hundred or so yards from the capitol building. The passage of a $15 minimum wage, a landmark paid family leave program and other legislation to lift up New Jersey’s working families are the culmination of an idea we had in 1997. Tired of politicians who took our money and turned their backs, we asked this simple question: Instead of hoping for our leaders to do right by union members, what if we elected union members themselves?
An idea that began on State Street in Trenton soon grew to every corner of our state. The New Jersey State AFL-CIO Labor Candidates Program—a strategic, long-range campaign to make government more worker-friendly—was founded at the local level. Our inaugural class in 1997 featured 17 labor candidates. In the two decades since, we have helped union members achieve 1,025 election victories. This includes a member of Congress, the state Senate president, the chairs of several legislative committees and representatives on county freeholder boards and city councils from Bergen to Cape May County. New Jersey is one of the most pro-worker states in the entire country.
It wasn’t always this way. In the same year that our program was founded, New Jersey had a governor, legislature and congressional delegation openly hostile to working people. We set out to change that, one precinct at a time. Our affiliated unions and local labor bodies began aggressively recruiting and training rank-and-file union members on the basics of running for elected office. Now, the national AFL-CIO is modeling our program to the other 49 states.
While we increasingly rely on cutting-edge data and analytics, our success is still driven by old-fashioned grassroots organizing. Not a day goes by that we aren’t mobilizing and engaging union members through voter registration, political education or get-out-the-vote drives. As a result, the proportion of the electorate from union households has surged. In 2012, the last year exit polling was available on labor turnout, an incredible 38% of all votes cast in New Jersey came from union households—the highest in the nation. Why the record numbers? Union members were coming out to vote for one of their own.
With pro-labor, progressive-minded policymakers came pro-labor, progressive laws. Two of the most significant examples are the recently enacted $15 minimum wage and New Jersey’s enhanced paid family leave program, the latter of which Gov. Phil Murphy will sign shortly.
The paid leave expansion was originally pushed by Assemblyman Nelson Albano, a union shop steward with United Food and Commercial Workers 152, and state Senate President Stephen Sweeney, a card-carrying member of the Ironworkers. Sweeney also was the prime sponsor of a law this year that significantly reformed and increased the benefit rates for paid leave. He was joined by Assemblywoman Annette Quijano, a longtime labor supporter; Assemblyman Thomas Giblin, business manager of Operating Engineers 68; and Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, a SAG-AFTRA member.
The minimum wage bump started in 2013 with a referendum that increased New Jersey’s rate to $8.25 an hour and included an automatic annual cost-of-living-adjustment. The New Jersey State AFL-CIO and its affiliates went all in to secure passage of the increase, which former Gov. Chris Christie had vetoed. Sweeney was the prime sponsor of the ballot measure and is now the driving force, along with Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, behind the passage of legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 by 2024. Several other sponsors, including Assemblyman Joseph Egan, business manager of Electrical Workers 456, joined them. This time around, Murphy, who strongly advocated for the raise, signed the bill immediately. Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, IBEW 269, Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli, Carpenters 254, and Assemblyman Eric Houghtaling, IBEW 400, also voted in favor of the bill.
We haven’t done this alone. From the beginning, we were made stronger by other community partners that shared our policy goals. Together, we created Working Families United for New Jersey, a progressive powerhouse focused on doing what’s right for working people, regardless of whether or not they have a union card. Experience has shown us that real social and economic progress is possible when union members hold office. And with more labor candidates interested in running than ever before, I am confident the best is yet to come.
This guest post from Charles Wowkanech, president of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO, originally appeared at The Press of Atlantic City.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/25/2019 - 13:04Support Public Education: 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.
Arizona AFL-CIO:
Thank you to @teranforazhouse and those in the Arizona House of Representatives that recognized the Arizona AFL-CIO this afternoon in the House Gallery and for giving attention to our programs and outreach done... https://t.co/AiwCPPVkXr
— Arizona AFL-CIO (@ArizonaAFLCIO) February 18, 2019California Labor Federation:
"This is just another way that companies shift burdens onto workers and taxpayers." - @ssmith_calabor on how the gig economy cheats employees out of wages, tips and benefits. #YesOnAB5 #DisruptInequality https://t.co/siXLGiogYm
— California Labor Federation (@CaliforniaLabor) February 22, 2019Connecticut AFL-CIO:
Our teachers, firefighters, nurses, corrections officers, and other state workers have already made concessions worth tens of billions of dollars, and to continue to go after these public service workers is patently unfair. #CTBudget https://t.co/ixXVPt0rOS
— Connecticut AFL-CIO (@ConnAFLCIO) February 21, 2019Florida AFL-CIO:
“I don’t believe voters in one part of the state should be able to change the basic structure of local government in another part of the state," said @rtemplin with the Florida AFL-CIO. https://t.co/gDJ4pXbU0x
— Florida AFL-CIO (@FLAFLCIO) February 21, 2019Georgia AFL-CIO:
— AFL-CIO Georgia (@AFLCIOGeorgia) February 15, 2019Idaho State AFL-CIO:
House Minority Leader @erpforidaho spoke with BSU Radio & TV about the Wage Claim Bill and protecting working Idahoan's pay. https://t.co/aRiOZMU2A4 #idpol #idleg
— Idaho State AFL-CIO (@IdahoAFLCIO) February 21, 2019Illinois AFL-CIO:
Members of @IATSE_Local_2 brave the cold to inform @jeffreygoldbIum fans at @ParkWestChicago that @JamUSA should bargain with their union! pic.twitter.com/fD64YrskLd
— Illinois AFL-CIO (@ILAFLCIO) February 16, 2019Indiana State AFL-CIO:
Indiana teacher pay raise proposal dies as House GOP budget plan advances #inlegis https://t.co/GoCVTcXZlc
— Indiana AFL-CIO (@INAFLCIO) February 21, 2019Iowa Federation of Labor:
Why courts matter. We need a fair and impartial judicial selection system, like the one we have. Political activism from the bench, from either side is not acceptable. Just ask these workers and retirees. https://t.co/gOi2WaU3tF
— Iowa AFL-CIO (@IowaAFLCIO) February 18, 2019Kansas State AFL-CIO:
Take 2 Min. to see why the Kansas tax bill is a cut that benefits BIG BUSINESS. https://t.co/hGfGUWKbCv
— Kansas AFL-CIO (@KansasAFLCIO) February 19, 2019Kentucky State AFL-CIO:
"GOP Lawmaker, Once Unemployed, Seeks To Reduce Benefits"
Have you called or emailed today? HB 317 is poised to see a full House vote on Monday, so we need your help today!
Contact your... https://t.co/J4lfMvxe6b
Maine AFL-CIO:
Members of @CWAUnion Local 1400 came to the State House today to support LD 201 to prevent outsourcing & protect good Maine jobs! #mepolitics pic.twitter.com/T2Yzkmj1t3
— Maine AFL-CIO (@MEAFLCIO) February 20, 2019Massachusetts AFL-CIO:
"The greatest check and balance that we have on corporations is you, is the labor movement." #1u @LoriTrahanMA pic.twitter.com/TG3IxKUKPd
— Massachusetts AFLCIO (@massaflcio) February 21, 2019Metropolitan Washington (D.C.) Council AFL-CIO:
.@NationalNurses DC political dir @kennethzinn explains how Medicare for All would work to provide healthcare for all Americans @busboysandpoets Takoma #dclabor pic.twitter.com/UpIqLVNggY
— MetroDCLaborCouncil (@DCLabor) February 20, 2019Michigan AFL-CIO:
Because of your hard work last November, Michigan voters can now cast an absentee ballot without giving a reason.https://t.co/tNWdDEe8mx
— Michigan AFL-CIO (@MIAFLCIO) February 22, 2019Minnesota AFL-CIO:
Unions and Allies Respond to @GovTimWalz's Budget Proposal https://t.co/l6sGHsn1Mr (via @workdaymn) #1u #mnleg #OneMinnesota pic.twitter.com/XE830dS2Zp
— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) February 20, 2019Missouri AFL-CIO:
This type of solidarity is very much appreciated and we need more people with a large platform to speak out in favor of unions. https://t.co/jgwr4Ne9aM
— Missouri AFL-CIO (@MOAFLCIO) February 22, 2019Nevada State AFL-CIO:
“I’m wearing #RedforEd because I want to be in this fight with you” Thank you @RepSusieLee for supporting public education! pic.twitter.com/yle8H9e1SB
— Nevada State AFL-CIO (@NVAFLCIO) February 18, 2019New Hampshire AFL-CIO:
Thanks to everyone who joined us today in support of SB271. With your continued support, we'll restore prevailing wage protections to NH workers. https://t.co/DvVwkmDV04
— NewHampshire AFL-CIO (@NHAFLCIO) February 13, 2019New Mexico Federation of Labor:
One affiliate president on why we need to be present for our communities.#NMleg #Nmpol pic.twitter.com/wEV6SFSvEB
— NMFL (@NMFLaflcio) February 19, 2019New York State AFL-CIO:
Many warned a Supreme Court ruling would cripple unions. NY's remain #UnionStrong https://t.co/LNBfFJK6WQ via @DandC
— NYSAFLCIO (@NYSAFLCIO) February 22, 2019North Carolina State AFL-CIO:
More U.S. Workers Went on Strike in 2018 Than in Any Year in Three Decades https://t.co/uwvuFH12XK
— NC State AFL-CIO (@NCStateAFLCIO) February 18, 2019North Dakota AFL-CIO:
The ND House passed HB 1193 which bans political subdivisions (cities, counties, ect) from setting living wage standards in their communities. Rep. Karla Rose Hanson voted for keeping local control. Thank you! #ndleg #ndpol #1u pic.twitter.com/rrNnW00coO
— North Dakota AFL-CIO (@NDAFLCIO) February 21, 2019Ohio AFL-CIO:
We are proud of @MLB_PLAYERS @whatwouldDOOdo for standing with his @AFLCIO sisters and brothers! No matter our salaries, working people need to stand in #Solidarity with each other for a stronger #MiddleClass https://t.co/XleVW0UcLb
— Ohio AFL-CIO (@ohioaflcio) February 22, 2019Oklahoma State AFL-CIO:
Sheet Metal Workers reaching apprentices of the futurehttps://t.co/pEG2TBdvqY
— Oklahoma AFL-CIO (@OK_AFL_CIO) February 21, 2019Oregon AFL-CIO:
Educators, students, and parents from across Oregon gathered Monday at the state Capitol to show support for public education.https://t.co/baz559JKi5
— Oregon AFL-CIO (@OregonAFLCIO) February 22, 2019Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:
Rich Stanizzo, Jr. is rightfully honored tonight after spending half a century dedicated to advancing the union movement throughout Western Pennsylvania. 500 of his union Brothers, Sisters, family, elected... https://t.co/bggU4vkeYC
— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) February 22, 2019Rhode Island AFL-CIO:
#HelpASisterOutPeriod https://t.co/o1XBJOd4j2 #1U @cluwri #CLUW
— Rhode Island AFL-CIO (@riaflcio) February 22, 2019South Carolina AFL-CIO:
The IAM Remembers Victims of the Aurora, IL Henry Pratt Shooting - IAMAW https://t.co/d9KeYTbYHJ
— SC AFL-CIO (@SCAFLCIO) February 20, 2019Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council:
Yet another reason (to add to an already lengthy list) of why vouchers do not work. https://t.co/H5zTIM6rsE
— Tennessee AFL-CIO (@tnaflcio) February 20, 2019Texas AFL-CIO:
More than 30 progressive groups today called for Senate to reject David Whitley as TX Secretary of State amid bogus state claims of mass illegal voting. Some had never opposed any nomination before. @RickTxAFLCIO explains @TxAFLCIO opposition. #1u #WorkersDefense pic.twitter.com/0TL9tpdJqY
— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) February 21, 2019Virginia AFL-CIO:
Virginia to essentially get early voting in 2020 | WTOP https://t.co/SkGsHm0ppY
— Virginia AFL-CIO (@Virginia_AFLCIO) February 22, 2019Washington State Labor Council:
When we fight, we win. https://t.co/E3hlzj70M4
— WA State AFL-CIO (@WAAFLCIO) February 22, 2019West Virginia AFL-CIO:
Despite Republican leaders like @WVGovernor and @SenCarmichaelWV “guaranteeing” a pay raise for teachers, school service personnel & state troopers this session, @WVGOP Chair @MelodyWVGOP just spoke against it at a public hearing this morning. #wvpol #wvlegis #shockedandconfused
— West Virginia AFLCIO (@WestVirginiaAFL) February 22, 2019Wisconsin State AFL-CIO:
Evers Sides With Unions In Lame-Duck Lawsuit, https://t.co/5oBJS1R0uH
— WI AFL-CIO (@wisaflcio) February 22, 2019 Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/25/2019 - 12:50Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: American Federation of Musicians
Next up in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). The series will run weekly until we've covered all 55 of our affiliates.
Name of Union: American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada
Mission: Professional musicians uniting so that they can live and work in dignity; with work that is fulfilling and compensated fairly; have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them; have opportunities to develop their talents and skills; use their collective voice and power through a democratic and progressive union; and oppose the forces of exploitation through union solidarity.
Current Leadership of Union: Ray Hair is the 12th international president of AFM. Bruce Fife serves as international vice president while Alan Willaert serves as vice president from Canada. Jay Blumenthal is the secretary-treasurer and the executive officers consist of: John Acosta, Tino Gagliardi, Tina Morrison, Joe Parente and Dave Pomeroy.
Current Number of Members: 80,000.
Members Work As: Musicians in orchestras, backup bands, festivals, clubs, theaters, films, TV, commercials and sound recordings.
Industries Represented: Members work on Broadway, musical tours and as studio musicians for music, movies, television and commercials.
History: AFM formed in 1896 when musicians gathered in Indianapolis to form an organization to represent "any musician who receives pay" for musical services. Soon after, the American Federation of Labor granted a charter to AFM, which by then represented 3,000 members. Organizing efforts were pursued anywhere there were musicians, from theaters and restaurants to symphonies and operas. Within two years of the release of the first film that included sound in 1927, 20,000 musicians lost their jobs playing in the theater pits where the music originated to accompany silent films.
But these and other technological advances wouldn't deter the musicians. In the next few decades, they won minimum wage scales for recording and secured their first contract with the film companies. Technology continued to push organizing among AFM members, including a strike in 1942 that shut down the U.S. recording market for two years. Musicians won that strike and forced the recording industry to pay musicians who performed at live shows when recordings of those shows were sold. Out of that strike came the Music Performance Trust Fund, which continues to sponsor free live performances throughout the United States and Canada today.
Over time, AFM continued adapting to technological advances. Whether it was television, cable, video games or the digital transmission of performances, AFM stood strong in making sure that musicians won contracts that gave them royalties for their performances that were used in these new media. After 120 years, AFM is stronger than ever, and its members continue to play in wide range of venues and platforms. Thanks to all those years of organizing and collective bargaining, they get paid for their work.
Current Campaigns: Respect the Band calls upon the broadcast television networks to pay musicians when clips of live shows appear on YouTube and other revenue-generating platforms. Fair Trade Music is a grassroots effort to raise standards for freelance musicians. Tempo supports candidates who support music and musicians. AFM also offers information and assistance for musicians traveling with Instruments Containing Ivory or Endangered Species.
Community Efforts: AFM offers assistance to members impacted by hurricanes and other emergencies.
Learn More: Website, Facebook, Twitter.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/25/2019 - 11:03What Workers Want to See: 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.
Now that Government Is Funded, Here Is What Workers Want to See: "Last year, in communities all across the country, millions of Americans mobilized and called for an economy that works for all of us. From state houses and governors' mansions to Capitol Hill, we elected advocates who committed themselves to advancing that cause. That election was defined by a movement of hardworking people who stood together to reject the meager crumbs we are being handed and reclaim what is rightfully ours."
An Open Letter to Game Developers from America's Largest Labor Organization: "If an investor was searching for the country’s most explosively successful commodity, they might look to the ground for natural resources or to Wall Street for some new financial instrument. But the most meteoric success story can be found virtually all around us—in the booming video game industry. Growing by double digits, U.S. video game sales reached $43 billion in 2018, some 3.6 times greater than the film industry’s record-breaking box office."
Black History Month Labor Profiles: Isaac Myers: "For Black History Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various African American leaders and activists who have worked at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Our next profile is Isaac Myers."
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: AFGE: "Next up in our new series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the AFGE. The series will run weekly until we've covered all 55 of our affiliates."
AFL-CIO President to Trump: Your Emergency Is Fake News: "AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka took President Donald Trump to task again. This time, it’s over his declaration of a national emergency to secure funding for his border wall. 'The scapegoating and political brinkmanship of the past few months is not the way to govern,' stated Trumka. 'From missed paychecks to economic uncertainty, more than 1 million hardworking federal employees and contractors have carried the burden of politicians’ mess. We may have avoided another shutdown, but political tactics of this administration persist and Congress still must provide back pay to federal contractors.'"
Amid Game Industry Layoffs, AFL-CIO Says It’s Time for Workers to Organize: "On Feb. 15, just days after massive layoffs at Activision Blizzard, the AFL-CIO issued a powerful public statement of support to game developers in the United States. Also known as the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, the AFL-CIO represents more than 12 million workers in 50 different labor unions, including a unit here within Vox Media. Its message, published in an open letter at Kotaku, was both simple and profound. 'This is a moment for change,' wrote AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler. 'It won’t come from CEOs. It won’t come from corporate boards. And, it won’t come from any one person....You have the power,' she continued, 'to demand a stake in your industry and a say in your economic future. What’s more, you have millions of brothers and sisters across the country standing with you.'"
AFL-CIO Opposes Johns Hopkins Bayview Expansion: "The AFL-CIO is opposing an expansion of the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center that would add another building to its campus and renovate existing structures. In a 25-page letter, the union organization called on the Maryland Health Care Commission to reject a certificate of need for the expansion for the project, which is required under state law to move forward. The group cited a number of problems it claims Bayview has, including a failure to comply with charity care requirements for low-income patients, proposed rate hikes to support the project and quality of care issues. The AFL-CIO said Hopkins brought thousands of lawsuits against patients to collect medical debts."
Unions Not Done with the Government Shutdown Just Yet: "Washington is breathing a sigh of relief as it averts a second government shutdown in 2019. But the labor movement isn’t backing off its public awareness and political pressure campaigns just yet. Unions are instead joining forces with contractors to secure the pay they didn’t receive during the 35-day government shutdown that ended last month. 'The fight isn’t over,' AFL-CIO spokesman John Weber said in a statement to Bloomberg Law.
NM Unions Distribute 3,750 Pounds of Groceries to Families Recovering from Government Shutdown: "More than 100 government workers received 3,750 pounds of donated groceries today from a pop-up food bank organized by the New Mexico Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the New Mexico Alliance for Retired Americans and the RoadRunner Food Bank. NMFL President Vince Alvarado said, 'As the shutdown dragged on—and as contractors are still not paid lost wages—working people stepped up to care for each other in a time of forced hardship. By standing together, working people got each other through this shutdown. We mobilized, organized and proved the indispensable value of our labor to those who tried to ignore us. Now we demand a long-term government funding bill and legislation to guarantee that all workers impacted by the shutdown are made whole.'"
A Record Number of U.S. Workers Went on Strike in 2018: "Last year’s labor unrest started with a teachers strike in West Virginia and ended with Marriott workers picketing across four states. A record number of U.S. workers went on strike or stopped working in 2018 because of labor disputes with employers, according to new data released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. A total of 485,000 employees were involved in major work stoppages last year—the highest number since 1986, when flight attendants, garbage collectors, and steelworkers walked off the job. The increasing number of workers involved in labor strikes suggests that average Americans are not experiencing the 'economic miracle' that President Donald Trump has described. They see the economy expanding and profits growing, but this doesn’t extend to their paychecks."
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/25/2019 - 10:58Black History Month Labor Profiles: Diann Woodard
For Black History Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various African American leaders and activists who have worked at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Our next profile is Diann Woodard.
Woodard was born in 1951 and grew up in Michigan, a member of a UAW family. After graduating from Michigan State University, she began a career as a classroom teacher, guidance counselor and assistant principal in Detroit's public school system.
By the late 1990s, Woodard was an active member of the Organization of School Administrators and Supervisors, Local 28 of the School Administrators (AFSA). In 1998, she was appointed vice president of the local to complete the term of a retiring officer. She won election to the position in 1999, and in 2000, she was elected to the first of three consecutive terms as president.
In 2009, after 16 years serving on AFSA's General Executive Board, Woodard was elected national president of AFSA. She served in that role until her passing in 2018. As president of AFSA, she was instrumental in forging an alliance with the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Association of Elementary School Principals that helped secure new funding for the Every Student Succeeds Act in 2015.
Woodard also sat on the AFL-CIO Executive Council, serving as vice chair of the federation's Committee on Women Workers and tirelessly advocating for increasing the roles of women and people of color in the labor movement.
At the time of her passing in 2018, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) said: "America's school administrators have lost a champion. And I've lost a friend. From her days growing up in a UAW household in Detroit to her nearly four decades of public service, Diann Woodard always put workers, students and families first."
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/25/2019 - 08:44Tags: Black History Month
Black History Month Labor Profiles: Kenneth Rigmaiden
For Black History Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various African American leaders and activists who have worked at the intersection of civil and labor rights. On the latest edition of "State of the Unions" podcast, we talk with Kenneth Rigmaiden, the general president of the Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT).
He details his journey from a floor covering installer in San Jose, California, to the highest ranks of the labor movement. He reflects back on his experience with racism and discrimination while also uplifting the many opportunities he's been given. Above all, he stresses his commitment to opening the door for the next generation of union members, activists and leaders.
Listen to the full episode here.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 02/22/2019 - 11:05Tags: Black History Month
Now That Government Is Funded, Here Is What Workers Want to See
Last year, in communities all across the country, millions of Americans mobilized and called for an economy that works for all of us. From state houses and governors mansions to Capitol Hill, we elected advocates who committed themselves to advancing that cause. That election was defined by a movement of hard working people who stood together to reject the meager crumbs we are being handed and reclaim what is rightfully ours.
In electing more than 900 union members to office, we secured a great opportunity to right the structural wrongs of our economy. Our mission was not simply to rack up victories on election night last November. We changed the rulemakers. Now it is time for them to change the rules. As legislators move past the manufactured crisis that defined the first weeks of the 116th Congress, working people are ready to fight for that change.
Above all, that means affirming our ability to have a real voice on the job. A recent study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that half of all nonunion workers, or more than 60 million Americans, would choose to join a union if they were given the chance, yet aspiring union members continue to face countless obstacles. The power of working people must be unleashed. Whether we work for private companies or public employers, in an office or a mine or a factory, all of us have the right to freely negotiate higher wages and better working conditions.
Congress should modernize the badly outdated National Labor Relations Act to truly protect our freedom to organize and mobilize together. Top lawmakers have put forth promising proposals that would ensure workers can organize a union without facing scorched earth tactics and hostile campaigns from corporations. If workers sign up for a union, they deserve to know their decision is protected by law. It is not the job of executives, governors or right wing operatives to make those decisions for them.
However, our fight will not end with one piece of legislation. An agenda for working families means building a fairer economy and a more just society for everyone in our country, whether you are in a union or not. That means achieving full employment where every American is able to access a good job, passing a $15 federal minimum wage, and refusing to approve any trade agreement that lacks enforceable labor protections.
It means providing a secure and prosperous future for all our families by expanding Social Security, strengthening our pensions, and making a serious federal investment in our infrastructure. It means defending the health and lives of working people by shoring up the Affordable Care Act, removing onerous taxes on health insurance plans negotiated by workers, expanding Medicare coverage to more people, and lowering prescription drug costs. It means passing laws that ensure paid sick and family leave.
All of these guarantees are long overdue for working people, but there is arguably no task so vital as defending our right to safety and dignity on the job. Congress should also extend comprehensive federal protections, including the Equality Act, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and Temporary Protected Status, to LGBTQ and immigrant workers, whose livelihoods and families too often rest on the whims of their employers.
As one of a handful of men in my family to survive the scourge of black lung in the coal mines of Pennsylvania, I cannot overstate the dire need for broadly strengthened safety regulations, including the expansion of Occupational Safety and Health Administration coverage to all workers, toughened federal enforcement, and ironclad whistleblower protections.
Corporations and right wing interests continue to try their best to deny working people our fair share of the enormous wealth that we produce every day. In November, we stood up to change that twisted status quo. We made our voices heard at the ballot box, and we intend to hold the people we elected accountable to an economic agenda that will raise wages, move our country forward, and lead to better lives for all of us.
This post originally appeared in The Hill.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 02/21/2019 - 12:57
