Make It a Union-Made Fourth of July Anthony Quintano

The Fourth of July is here, and it’s time to celebrate America’s birthday. Our flag has been waving high since 1776, but do you know what the colors mean? The red represents the blood shed by those who fought for our nation’s independence. The white represents purity and innocence, and the blue symbolizes the bravery of those who stared danger in the face to fight for freedom. As you enjoy the holiday with family and friends, Labor 411 has all the holiday food and drink favorites made by companies that treat their workers with dignity and respect. Let’s all celebrate good jobs that help strengthen the middle class as we party our way to a stronger America!

Drinks

• Budweiser
• Cherry Coke
• Icehouse beer
• Minute Maid fruit punch
• Minute Maid lemonade

Hot Dogs

• Ball Park
• Farmer John
• Oscar Mayer

Snacks

• Lay’s potato chips
• Potato salad from Albertsons, Costco or Vons

Desserts

• Betty Crocker cake mix
• Breyers ice cream
• Rice Krispies Treats
• Tastykake cherry pie
• Tillamook ice cream

And hundreds more. Check out our listings at www.labor411.org.

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 07/02/2018 - 10:29

Pride Month Profiles: Josette Jaramillo Colorado AFL-CIO

Throughout Pride Month, the AFL-CIO will be taking a look at some of the pioneers whose work sits at the intersection of the labor movement and the movement for LGBTQ equality. Our next profile is Josette Jaramillo.

Josette Jaramillo grew up in Pueblo, Colorado, the granddaughter of Henry Jaramillo, a longtime member of United Steelworkers Local 2102. When she began working in the Pueblo County Department of Social Services in 2005, she became a member of AFSCME Local 1335. Before long, she was working on the elections committee and became an executive board member and then president of the local, where she has served since.

Jaramillo was elected vice president of AFSCME Council 76, Colorado, in 2011, before being elected president in 2015 and again in 2017. She was elected executive vice president of the Colorado AFL-CIO in 2013 and later elected president, where she still serves. She also serves as recording secretary for the Southern Colorado Labor Council and political chair for the lower 16 counties of the state.

Using vacation time to participate in union activities, Jaramillo maintains her full work schedule as a senior caseworker in social services and child protection. She also runs a group home for boys. As a caseworker, Jaramillo, along with co-worker Lori Rafferty (another member of AFSCME Local 76), showed the type of dedication to community that improved the life of one young child immensely.

The tireless work and innovative research that Jaramillo and Rafferty pursued in the case of a 9-year-old girl helped find a safe home for the child and connect her with family. After discovering that her biological parents had a history of neglect and abuse, Jaramillo and Rafferty not only worked with the Department of Human Services to terminate the abusers’ parental rights, they helped track down five siblings whom the child had never been told about. The adoptive parents of two of those siblings expressed a desire to adopt the 9-year-old as well. 

The state recognized Jaramillo and Rafferty with Excellence in Practice awards for their efforts. But there was a bigger reward for Jaramillo: “We were able to establish a sibling relationship with a child who didn’t think she had siblings. I felt awesome. I drove her down to Lubbock, Texas, so she could meet them. She now realizes she’s not alone in the world.”

Jaramillo is a certified trainer in several subject areas, including Common Sense Economics (AFL-CIO), Stewards in Action (AFSCME) and From Playground to Prom (Colorado Youth Matter). She also volunteers for various organizations, including Southern Colorado Equality Alliance, Pueblo Latino Chamber of Commerce, Steel City Supporters and various other nonprofits in Pueblo.

On the power of collective action, Jaramillo said:

Years ago, I worked with a fellow organizer (now elected to the Colorado State Legislature), Daneya Esgar, to work towards winning same-sex/domestic partner benefits through the City of Pueblo. We went to the City Council, and they tabled the issue “indefinitely.”

We organized our members and people in the community to demand that City Council take action, and together, we won. It was a pretty big deal at the time, well before civil unions or legalized gay marriage.

On the power of unions, she said:

Belonging to a union has given me a sense of community. It has made me feel part of something that’s difficult to put into words. I belong somewhere, and I know that the hurdles and success stories in my life are shared collectively. I also get to take on issues and fight for things that matter. I get to fight the fights that are not my own. A few years back, state legislation was passed for women who breastfeed. I got to be an integral part of my workplace implementation to help secure a safe and sanitary place for my co-workers who were new moms to pump in private, in a non-bathroom setting. That legislation mattered to those women in my workplace. Being part of a union allowed those women to have an advocate for them.

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/29/2018 - 16:34

Tags: Pride at Work

Pride Month Profiles: Marsha P. Johnson AFL-CIO

Throughout Pride Month, the AFL-CIO will be taking a look at some of the pioneers whose work sits at the intersection of the labor movement and the movement for LGBTQ equality. Our next profile is Marsha P. Johnson.

Marsha P. Johnson was an LGBTQ activist who became well known in New York City by being herself and fearing no judgment on her comfort as a black trans woman. She lived in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, a socially liberal area where most LGBTQ people felt acceptance and salvation.

In 1968, a riot broke out at the Stonewall Inn, a popular LGBTQ bar, when police officers raided the building. This became known as one of the most important events that sparked the LGBTQ rights movement, commonly referred to as the Stonewall Riots or, more accurately, the Stonewall Uprising. 

Author David Carter wrote that Johnson was one of three key figures leading the resistance, but Johnson modestly downplayed her role, saying, “I was uptown, and I didn’t get downtown until about two o’clock. When I got downtown, the place was already on fire, and there was a raid already. The riots had already started.”

Either way, she joined in and played a pivotal role not only in the uprising, but in the founding of the Gay Liberation Front, an organization founded in the aftermath of Stonewall that advocated for the sexual liberation of all people.

Fighting back against discrimination toward transgender people, Johnson, along with Sylvia Rivera, founded STAR—Street Transgender Action Revolutionaries—a trans rights group that organized shelters for homeless transgender teens and drag queens. Johnson also helped found STAR House, which provided shelter to homeless queer youth.

Johnson’s life wasn’t all battles, however; she was a social butterfly who spent time with the likes of Andy Warhol. She also toured America and Europe as part of Hot Peaches, an avant-drag performance troupe.

Johnson died in 1992 at the age of 46, and the circumstances surrounding her death remain a mystery today. A recent Netflix documentary, “The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson,” examined her amazing life and tragic death. 

Johnson’s life speaks to the fluidity of gender and a person’s right to self-identify without judgment, and she helped pave the way for increased awareness of the challenges faced by the LGBTQ community in the U.S., in the workplace and in the larger culture.

 

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/29/2018 - 13:02

Tags: Pride at Work

Sticking with the Union: 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 this week’s Working People Weekly List.

Working People Across the Country Reject Janus Ruling, Say We're 'Sticking with the Union': "After a narrow majority ruled against working people in the Janus v. AFSCME case, we have come together to reject attacks on our rights by corporate interests and their allies in government. All working people deserve a chance to prosper on the job and beyond. Unions are the answer. Learn more at FreedomToJoin.org."

Stand Up for All Workers' Rights: "Hardworking immigrant women and men were detained last week while simply trying to do their jobs at Fresh Mark meat processing plants in Ohio."

Baseball Food That’s Always a Hit: "A ball game just isn’t a ball game without the hot dogs, the salty snacks, the sodas and the beer. To best enjoy these goodies, we recommend ethical brands made by companies that treat their employees fairly. If you’re headed to the stadium, you can bring your own snacks (but don’t try this with the beer)! If you’re watching at home, consult the list of products below and make it an ethical baseball feast. Let’s all support good middle-class jobs as we slug, throw and pitch our way to a stronger America."

Congress and the President Need to Listen to Workers on Trade: "If you read this blog regularly, you already know that the United States has a ginormous, humongous trade deficit with China. The goods trade deficit with China reached $375 billion in 2017. This deficit has cost 3.4 million U.S. jobs between 2001 and 2015. About 2.6 million of those lost jobs were in manufacturing, including more than 1.2 million in computer and electronic manufacturing. You probably also know that the loss of all these jobs pulls down wages, and that bad trade policies lower an average U.S. worker’s pay by $2,000 every year."

Working People Stand Resolute in the Face of Janus Ruling: "While a narrow and ideologically driven majority on the Supreme Court ruled against working people in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, working people will not allow this attack to silence our collective voices. We will continue to organize and bring our collective voices together in opposition to the ongoing assault on our rights."

Intertwined: The Labor Movement and LGBT Rights: "Through all the celebration of LGBTQ Pride this month, there’s been a valuable opportunity to reflect on the hard-fought victories, brutal setbacks, and tenacious struggles that have ultimately delivered so much for so many. And just as importantly, there has been time to think about what lies ahead in that fight for justice."

World Cup 2026 Offers FIFA an Opportunity to Live Up to Its Human Rights Commitment: "Last week, the international governing body for football, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), awarded the 2026 World Cup to a joint bid from Canada, Mexico and the United States. The planning and execution of one of the world's top sporting events will provide a test to the human rights commitment of FIFA."

Working People Say Neither the U.S. nor Canada Gets Trade Policy Right: "Working people can’t afford any more trade policies written by and for corporations. But neither should we be pawns in a misguided power struggle that antagonizes allies or empowers corporations but fails to fix our economy."

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/29/2018 - 11:11

Stand Up for All Workers' Rights

Hardworking immigrant women and men were detained last week while simply trying to do their jobs at Fresh Mark meat processing plants in Ohio.

Working people who do these incredibly difficult jobs should be treated with dignity, respect and fairness, no matter where they were born. This Saturday, June 30, working people will rally all over the country to address the broken policies that have led to the systemic violation of working families’ rights.

Click here to let us know that you’d like to RSVP for this Saturday's rally at Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.

These raids destroy communities. No matter what side of the political aisle you fall on, this is wrong. Seeking a better life for yourself and your family is not a crime. We cannot allow a climate of fear that leaves workers too afraid to stand up for their rights on the job and in their communities to continue. The attacks on these workers call to question the freedom of all working people.

Any system that would allow immigrant families to be torn apart at our borders while politicians back the devastation of working families must be broken. It’s up to working people to band together and hold our leaders accountable if we are ever going to even the economic playing field for all workers.

Join an event this Saturday, as we remind our leaders that they should be doing all they can to strengthen the rights and security of working families instead of viciously attacking, brutalizing and traumatizing them.

RSVP for the rally in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, June 30.

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/29/2018 - 10:11

Working People Across the Country Reject Janus Ruling, Say We're 'Sticking with the Union' AFL-CIO

After a narrow majority ruled against working people in the Janus v. AFSCME case, we have come together to reject attacks on our rights by corporate interests and their allies in government. All working people deserve a chance to prosper on the job and beyond. Unions are the answer. Learn more at FreedomToJoin.org.

Here's what working people advocates from around the country are saying about Janus and the next steps we must take as working people.

Alaska AFL-CIO President Vince Beltrami: 

Today, we commit to not only sustaining the labor movement, but building and strengthening it so more working people can negotiate a fair deal in return for their hard work. Despite this decision, Alaska’s unions will continue to lead the fight for a balanced economy that gives everyone a fair shot.

Allegheny–Fayette  Central Labor Council President Darrin Kelly:

Today’s ruling by the US Supreme Court went against 40 years of legal precedent and obliterated current laws in nearly half the states in the nation. It is nothing more than a full-frontal assault on working families and the American middle class. For 150 years, wealthy special interest groups have been funding efforts like this with one objective in mind: disempower the American worker and keep wages low so the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the economic ladder of opportunity that built this nation, gets burnt to the ground. The unity of America’s working families has outlived these attacks for more than a century because our strength lies, not in our pocket books, but in our continuing belief in the promise of the American dream.

Corporate financed efforts to rig the system against working people simply remind us how important collective bargaining is. This decision only emboldens our commitment to our members, our message and America’s middle class. No Court case will ever destroy our movement.

California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski: 

Never in its history has the court issued a ruling so clearly motivated by politics and outright disdainful of the constitutional tenets it has vowed to vigorously defend. Working families should never trust this court again....

No one court decision can stamp out decades of progress made by unions and our members. In the face of today’s decision, California’s unions are redoubling our efforts to remain a beacon of hope for a country sliding into plutocracy. We won’t settle for surviving this decision. We’ll continue to build strength to give all working people a fair shot at pursuing the American Dream.

Connecticut AFL-CIO President Lori Pelletier:

From brave first responders to dedicated public school teachers to life-saving nurses, our community is strong because of those who answer the call to public service. These public service workers are able to serve their communities better because they are union workers, and together as a union, they have the freedom to speak up together to help make our communities strong and safe.

The billionaires and corporate CEOs who supported the Janus case are attempting to divide working people and limit our power in numbers. They know that unions give workers a powerful voice in speaking up for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Florida AFL-CIO President Mike Williams:

Florida workers already understand the disastrous implications of the Supreme Court’s Janus v. AFSCME decision. In right-to-work states like Florida, workers live this decision everyday through a system that not only undermines their freedom to have a voice on the job, but ensures that our state’s workers continue to be paid less, have less access to healthcare, and less opportunities to retire with dignity.

With this decision, SCOTUS has checked off another box on the wealthy special interest wish list. This ruling will continue our nation’s decades long race to the bottom for workers' rights, increase economic inequality, and make it even more difficult for America’s workers to make ends meet.

The Florida AFL-CIO with it’s over 1 million union members, retirees, and their families, will continue to stand together with Florida’s working people who, even when the decks are stacked against them, will continue to join together in unions and fight for a stronger, fairer America.”

Los Angeles County Federation of Labor President Rusty Hicks:

Today, Trump’s Supreme Court made a decision big employers hope will weaken our unions. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor has news for them. When workers can choose—without fear or threat—to either stay in their union or leave it, they will choose to earn higher wages, protect their benefits and keep their workplaces safer. Those realities will overpower those who believe working people are worth less.

To our adversaries we say be careful what you ask for—when we fight, we win.

Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney:

Every day, right here in Maine, workers continue to stand together in their unions to demand fairness and fight for a better future for our families. Millions of other workers around the country aspire to improve their wages and working conditions and to have a voice on the job....

We have never depended on any politician or judge to decide our fate and we aren’t about to start now.  We will continue to fight for the rights of all working people to have the freedom to join a union and bargain for a better life. We will continue to stick together in our unions and as the labor movement to build a better future for our communities, our country and all working people.

Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber:

As billionaires and corporate special interests seek to further rig our economy against working people across the country, this is the latest attempt to take away our rights to join together in unions.  It is a shame that these special interests have manipulated the Supreme Court to further their harmful agenda.

This decision comes at a point in time when thousands of Michigan workers are recommitting to join unions and are launching new organizing drives, and as support for labor unions has risen to its highest level in years. Indeed, Michigan added 52,000 new union members in 2017—the biggest annual jump in union membership in Michigan in over a decade. Even more importantly, it means there are now more union members in Michigan than there were in 2012—the year Gov. Rick Snyder signed right-to-work legislation into law.

So we have faced these attacks before and we have weathered the storm well. The labor movement remains a strong and vibrant force for working people and will continue fighting to sustain our families, improve our workplaces and make our communities stronger regardless of the court’s ruling.

Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bill McCarthy:

No court decision will ever stop working people from joining together in union to negotiate a fair return on their work. No matter how many roadblocks corporate special interests put in our path, our state’s labor movement will continue to fight for working Minnesotans’ freedom to prosper.

Nevada State AFL-CIO Executive Secretary-Treasurer Rusty McAllister:

The Supreme Court’s ruling this morning is an assault on the working people of America by corporate interests who fear their collective power. The Nevada State AFL-CIO and our local union leaders will continue to fight for, serve and protect our 150,000 members against any force that seeks to undermine or work against them.

New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento:

Improving the lives of all working men and women is what defines us, not one court case.

The Janus v. AFSCME case has always been a thinly veiled attack on the rights of all working people to join together and speak with one voice.

New York’s labor movement, with 2.5 million members, will remain strong. In fact, today’s decision will only make us stronger and more determined to fight for better wages, benefits and conditions of employment, as well as for a brighter future for all workers and their families.

Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga:

This decision comes just as millions of workers across the country are recommitting to unions with new organizing drives and growing ranks in important sectors of our economy right here in Ohio. Public support for labor unions has risen to its highest level in years. 

The billionaires and corporate special interests that have manipulated our system of justice have succeeded in getting the highest court in the land to do their bidding. The labor movement, however, remains undeterred. 

We have faced similar attacks in Ohio and ultimately prevailed. Powered by our membership and carried by the expressed support of a vast majority of Ohioans, labor unions will continue to fight to sustain our families, improve our workplaces and make our communities stronger regardless of the court’s ruling.

Orange County Labor Federation:

The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision furthers this administration’s agenda of putting corporate interest over working families. This case is a multi-million dollar effort to rig the economy benefiting a select few.

While this decision negatively impacts working families, the OCLF will continue to be a strong force in Orange County, standing up to those in power who have rigged the economy against working people. When unions are strong, Orange County is strong. We won’t allow a court decision to stand in the way of our fight for good jobs, fair pay and dignity at work.

Oregon AFL-CIO President Tom Chamberlain:

While the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a long-expected decision in the Janus case that was backed by anti-worker forces, Oregon union members remain dedicated to sticking together, uniting more working people in unions and working with our state’s political leaders to create more good, union jobs.

Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale:

Businesses are not mandated to give away goods and services free of charge to whomever walks through their door. But labor unions are legally required to represent every working person in a workplace, regardless of their membership-status. Every worker benefits from the terms of the union contract, and fair share fees cover the cost of that representation and negotiation. We know that union contracts lift up wages and improve conditions for all workers. The dark money that has bankrolled this case and subsequent decision, will not sway us from fighting for economic dignity and the rights working people deserve.

Philadelphia Council AFL-CIO President Pat Eiding:

The labor movement stretches back centuries in this country and stretches out beyond the borders of our nation as well. Working women and men in past generations faced the greatest imaginable challenges when they stood together for their interests: armed company goons, sometimes working with the support of state or local governments; courts that refused to recognize the legitimacy of labor unions; an unsympathetic media. Nevertheless, working people persisted. We stood together against every challenge and built vibrant, diverse, democratic labor unions, and those unions in turn lifted tens of millions of American workers out of poverty and into dignity. We are the engine of the most productive economy in the world. We built this country’s middle class.

So, while I am gravely disappointed in the 5-4 decision in the Janus case, I am not worried about our labor movement. Working people will continue to stand together, to organize democratically, and to stand up to massive corporations and to the privileged and powerful. History is on our side. And despite the opinion of 5 justices in Washington, our solidarity remains unbroken.

Sacramento Central Labor Council Executive Director Fabrizio Sasso:

While there is no doubt that this decision will make it more difficult for working people to exercise our freedom to join together, we will not allow it to stand in our way as we continue our fight for good jobs, safe workplaces, equal pay for women, fair treatment of immigrants and dignity at work for everyone. Nor will it stamp out the decades of progress made by hard working Americans who fought for the freedoms we still enjoy. 

The labor movement marches forward with the same commitment and a renewed vigor to stand together for all working people. Despite the deep pockets of wealthy corporations, billionaires and wealthy elites’ ability to influence the Supreme Court’s decision, Sacramento’s unions will continue to lead the fight for a balanced economy that gives everyone a fair shot at the American Dream.

Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy and Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Montserrat Garibay:

In Texas, we battle to raise wages, enact paid sick leave and other benefits, make jobs safer, ensure civil rights, and expand opportunity for all working families. We fight immigrant-bashing, voter suppression, moves to privatize our neighborhood schools, and assaults on the freedom of working people to speak up to improve their lives.

Organizing is on the rise, in Texas and in the nation. Public approval of unions is up. A growing percentage of young working people, women and people of color see unions as a ticket to the middle class. Teachers are striking to do right by their students.

Reject the dark web of corporate interests that produced Janus and join us in the fight. Texas unions stand for the antidote to the status quo: a fair shot for all working families.

Utah AFL-CIO President Jeff Worthington:

Those that funded the Janus case are hailing the SCOTUS decision as a great victory and end of unions. They will be disappointed. Unions are alive and well in Utah and across the nation. We will continue to thrive and prosper. Utah unions from the public sector and trades along with the Utah AFL-CIO have united together in solidarity to protect employee rights, safeguard working families, and push back against attacks from those that would demonize the good that unions do in our communities.

We've been here for over a hundred years; we look forward to being even stronger for another century.

Washington State Labor Council President Jeff Johnson and Washington State Labor Council Secretary Treasurer Lynne Dodson:

Now more than ever, working people understand that they need unions and strength in numbers to fight for a balanced economy. This is particularly true for our proud public employees. These are our family members, friends and neighbors. They teach our children, care for the sick and elderly, keep our communities safe, maintain our roads, and provide many other essential public services. They know they need strong unions, not just because it makes life better for themselves and their families, but also so they can advocate for their students, their patients, and the public they serve....

No court decision will stop us from fighting for good jobs, safe workplaces, affordable health care, and dignity at work for everyone. Today, we recommit not only to sustaining Washington's labor movement, but to building a stronger one. In this economy, working people must stick together in strong unions to demand better wages and benefits. The unions of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO will redouble efforts to guarantee the freedom to join, stand and negotiate together.

Wisconsin State AFL-CIO President Phil Neuenfeldt:

While billionaires and the corporate interests behind the Janus case use their power and wealth to continue to rig our economy against working people, workers are busy building a movement to rewrite the rules of our economy to create broadly shared prosperity. Workers are on the rise and the Supreme Court can’t stop us. At a time when our democracy and economy are rigged to overwhelmingly favor the wealthy, America needs unions now more than ever so our middle class can thrive.

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 06/28/2018 - 14:03

Tags: Janus

Baseball Food That’s Always a Hit Labor 411

A ball game just isn’t a ball game without the hot dogs, the salty snacks, the sodas and the beer. To best enjoy these goodies, we recommend ethical brands made by companies that treat their employees fairly. If you’re headed to the stadium, you can bring your own snacks (but don’t try this with the beer)! If you’re watching at home, consult the list of products below and make it an ethical baseball feast. Let’s all support good middle-class jobs as we slug, throw and pitch our way to a stronger America.

Hot Dogs and Franks

• Ball Park 
• Butterball
• Farmland
• Farmer John
• Hebrew National
• Oscar Mayer

Beer

• Budweiser
• Coors
• Miller
• Pabst
• Samuel Adams

Peanuts

• Frito-Lay Salted In-Shell Peanuts

Popcorn

• Act II
• Orville Redenbacher

Soft Drinks

• Barq’s Root Beer 
• Coca-Cola
• Dr. Pepper
• Mountain Dew
• Pepsi

And hundreds more. Check out our listings at Labor411.org.

This post originally appeared at Labor 411.

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 06/28/2018 - 08:30

Tags: Union Made

Congress and the President Need to Listen to Workers on Trade AFL-CIO

If you read this blog regularly, you already know that the United States has a ginormous, humongous trade deficit with China. The goods trade deficit with China reached $375 billion in 2017. This deficit has cost 3.4 million U.S. jobs between 2001 and 2015.  About 2.6 million of those lost jobs were in manufacturing, including more than 1.2 million in computer and electronic manufacturing. You probably also know that the loss of all these jobs pulls down wages, and that bad trade policies lower an average U.S. worker’s pay by $2,000 every year.

The labor movement has been working to fix U.S. trade policy for more than 20 years. After years of having our trade recommendations ignored by both Democratic and Republican presidents and Congresses, President Donald Trump has started to take some of our advice. He announced tariffs on China to deter it from stealing patents and copyrights and pressuring companies to transfer technology and jobs from the United States (many companies are ready to outsource anyway—working people don’t need extra threats from China!). The real test will come in what happens in negotiations with China and with Canada and Mexico over the North American Free Trade Agreement.

We have to hold both Trump and members of Congress in both parties accountable and make sure they actually make real change in the trade rules that will help working people.

Labor has been fighting for stronger trade enforcement for years. So we think these tariffs are a good start, if used strategically. But alone, they aren’t enough to reform and undo decades of bad trade rules. The president can’t fix the trade deficit, create jobs and raise wages if he ignores the rest of our advice.

As AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has explained: 

In isolation, this enforcement effort won’t be enough to fulfill the president’s promise to boost manufacturing, stop outsourcing or raise wages. These actions must be combined with policies that protect workers’ rights and our safety on the job, investments in our communities and working people, smart rules to prevent big banks from crashing our economy again, and renegotiated trade deals—starting with NAFTA—that end special privileges for global companies, protect worker freedoms, and promote a fair and sustainable economy for all of us.

In addition, countries need to work together to rewrite trade rules. But Trump’s trade policies are so far a solo effort. His unilateral approach has led to backlash instead of cooperation from U.S. allies.

We’ve got more advice on how to make trade work. We’ve put forth 17 key recommendations for a better NAFTA and suggested eight ways to make trade enforcement more effective. We’ve supported bills that would better protect our national security from predatory foreign investors and recommended that Congress oppose dumb ideas like making it harder for a president to enforce trade laws.

The AFL-CIO has a positive vision of international trade rules that lift up hardworking families here and across borders. When the United States and neighboring economies grow together, we create more exports and jobs. On the other hand, ignoring the violence, poverty and labor rights abuses in neighbors like Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras is a recipe for more inequality and less union power both there and here.

It all boils down to this: Trade policy is not a question of "free trade" versus "protectionism." Instead, trade rules must promote good family-wage jobs, sustainable growth, vibrant economies, smart natural resource conservation and human rights and dignity globally. We believe these principles will lead to better trade rules that support more jobs and higher wages. Now we just have to convince our elected representatives to take more of our advice.

To help us, text TRADE to 235246.

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/27/2018 - 12:53

Working People Stand Resolute in the Face of Janus Ruling AFL-CIO

While a narrow and ideologically driven majority on the Supreme Court ruled against working people in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, working people will not allow this attack to silence our collective voices. We will continue to organize and bring our collective voices together in opposition to the ongoing assault on our rights.

Advocates for working people soundly rejected the ruling in Janus. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka:

The Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision in Janus v. AFSCME, Council 31, abandons decades of commonsense precedent. In this case, a bare majority of the court, over the vigorous dissent of four justices, has conceded to the dark web of corporations and wealthy donors who wish to take away the freedoms of working people. Until it is overturned, this decision will be a political stain on what is intended to be the most honorable, independent body in the world. But more importantly, it will further empower the corporate elites in their efforts to thwart the aspirations of millions of working people standing together for a better life.

But here’s the thing: America is heading in a different direction. All over the country, workers are organizing and taking collective action as we haven’t seen in years. More than 14,000 workers recently formed or joined unions in just a single week. This followed a year where 262,000 workers organized and the approval rating of unions reached a nearly 14-year high. Working families know the best way to get a raise, better benefits and a voice on the job is through a union contract. The corporate narrative of the labor movement’s downfall is being dismantled by working people every single day.

We have never depended on any politician or judge to decide our fate and we aren’t about to start now.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders:

Unions will always be the most effective force and vehicle to propel working people into the middle class. Despite this unprecedented and nefarious political attack—designed to further rig the rules against working people—nothing changes the fact that America needs unions now more than ever. We are more resolved than ever to fight like hell to win for our members and the communities they care so much about. AFSCME members don’t do this work to get rich. They do it because it’s a calling—and for that service, they deserve respect. They deserve the same freedoms as the CEOs and billionaires who continue to rig the rules against everyone else. The American labor movement lives on, and we’re going to be there every day, fighting hard for all working people, our freedoms and for our country.

AFT President Randi Weingarten:

Forty years ago, the court recognized that collective bargaining for teachers and other public sector workers benefits those workers, their employers and their communities. Union representation, if chosen by a majority, is the glue that holds us together. That wisdom has now been abandoned by the slimmest majority. The dissenting justices saw this case for what it really was—a warping and weaponizing of the First Amendment, absent any evidence or reason, to hurt working people. Not only was Abood well within the mainstream of First Amendment law, it has been affirmed six times and applied to other cases upholding bar fees for lawyers and student activity fees at public colleges.

Actors' Equity Executive Director Mary McColl:

Today, the Supreme Court issued a decision that is a blatant attempt to take away the freedom of working people to join together in union. Equity stands with our brothers and sisters across the country who are fighting against a system that is rigged in favor of special interests and big corporations. We will organize. We will hold our elected officials accountable. And we will fight back against efforts to divide us. Every working American has had their lives made better by labor unions. We will not rest while the American worker is being attacked.

AFGE National President J. David Cox Sr.:

On behalf of the wealthiest one percent and special interest groups, the Supreme Court has attempted to strike the death knell for public-sector unions, but the workers themselves will ultimately decide their own fate. Workers know the importance of unions in the workplace and they will survive. We need to come together as workers and use this as our moment to stand up, join the union, and organize like never before. Every worker can use their voice to fight for better working conditions and fair representation by joining the union.

When union members pay to negotiate a contract for their workplace, everyone who’s covered by that contract takes home higher pay and benefits, has greater job security, enjoys improved health and safety standards, and gets help in settling workplace disputes.

If you’re covered by the union contract but you don’t belong to the union, it’s time to join your union and pay for the benefits you receive—because those benefits could vanish tomorrow unless workers take a stand and fight for their rights at the worksite.

Air Line Pilots Association President Capt. Tim Canoll:

Throughout the years, one fact remains true for North American workers—the unshakable power of unionism. Unity lies behind our every accomplishment. And together, we’ve accomplished a lot. The unified labor movement built the middle class, and unity remains the key to its survival. Unity also holds the key to prevailing over future challenges—and we will not break.

ALPA stands alongside our brothers and sisters in the public-sector union movement most directly affected by today’s ruling, because we know that this assault against unions will continue across all sectors, including our own. Their fight is our fight, and it is a fight we must and will win. We will continue to work with elected officials to protect workers’ rights and ensure that the value of unions is never forgotten. Unions remind us that the economy exists for people, not the other way around, and remain the link between free markets and democratic rights.

Amalgamated Transit Union International President Larry Hanley:

While this decision is both unjust and, frankly, unfair and stupid, it’s happening at a time workers, especially in right-to-work states—are more conscious than ever of the need to unite and fight back. Recent successful teachers’ strikes in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Oklahoma have shown what happens when workers’ backs are pushed against the wall....

Their power play has awoken a sleeping giant—organized labor. The labor movement has historically been at its strongest when under attack, and this is the greatest assault in a generation. Workers—whether in a union or soon to be—are more motivated than ever to reclaim what’s been taken from them.

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson:

Today's majority Court ruling is a calling to we the people to fight together for the freedom promised by our forefathers, rightfully claimed by our mothers, sisters and brothers of color, and protected with incredible sacrifice by our fallen soldiers, veterans and active service men and women.

We the people will rise up just like the teachers are doing all over our country, in opposition to the attempt to silence our individual voices by attacking our freedom to join together. We will stand together for our freedoms, our right to a safe workplace with decent pay, and respect for our hard work that contributes to our economy. We will vote, sign our union cards, and encourage flight attendants to talk with their family, friends, and neighbors about the importance of joining together in unions. We the people will form our ‘more perfect union.’

Bricklayers President James Boland:

America needs unions. Our unions represent diverse working people in a variety of sectors, amplify the voices of working people on the job, strengthen democracy, reduce inequality and help middle- and low-wage working people obtain their fair share of our economic growth, reduce wage gaps and increase wages for women and people of color. Because of our unions, our workplaces are safer, and working people's voices are louder.

This decision sends our economy further in the wrong direction, but this alone will not stop our union movement. We are going to keep fighting to organize more working families. We are going to demand elected officials do everything in their power to make it easier for more workers to join unions. We are going to work harder to help more workers join our unions, provide them with good union jobs, and stand up for their rights. Our union movement will only get stronger.

Communications Workers of America President Chris Shelton:

But there’s something happening here in America. We’ve seen it from CWA members as workers at Verizon, AT&T Mobility, Frontier Communications, and Momentive Performance Materials have gone on strike and won gains through strong collective bargaining. Our public worker membership is growing, even in states like Texas that prohibit collective bargaining for public employees. We’ve stood in solidarity with teachers and other public employees in many different states walking out and standing up to special interests–and winning....

Union members will show them that nothing can stand in the way of working people standing together. We call on elected officials at the local, state and national level to stand with working people and make it easier for them to join together in unions.

Electrical Workers International President Lonnie R. Stephenson:

The Supreme Court’s decision in the Janus v. AFSCME case is nothing but an all-out assault on the basic freedom of working people to come together to better their lives and their communities.

This is not just an attack on public-sector workers. It is an attack on every single American who works for a living, and it is only the first step in an effort to repeal every right won by working people in this country.

But while the Supreme Court may attack our rights, it can never stop a movement whose time has come. Across this country, workers are standing up and joining unions in higher numbers than we have seen in many years and the IBEW, along with the entire labor movement, will never stop fighting for the basic dignity and welfare of working America.

Fire Fighters General President Harold Schaitberger:

We represent more than 85% of all professional fire fighters and paramedics in the U.S. because we consistently demonstrate our value, through our strong affiliates, that being union fire fighters provides a significantly better standard of living and safer working environment than those who are not union. We believe that difference will become even more stark, and we are working to represent that small percentage of fire fighters who aren't in our union so that we can raise their standard of living and increase their ability to have a strong voice in public safety.

This case was intended as a political push to eliminate the power of people who work to support their families and the power of their unions. But instead, the Janus case is activating an army of union leaders to better engage their members.

International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Secretary-Treasurer Paul Shearon:

Today’s Supreme Court decision in Janus v. AFSCME was based on a bogus free speech argument. This politically motivated case brought by Mark Janus, paid for by corporate interests, was designed to undercut the bargaining power of those employed in local and state government. This wasn’t about free speech—this was about silencing workers’ voices. The justices who supported this slap in the face to public employees and their families, reversing settled law, telegraphed that they are little better than political hacks.

In the short run, the Janus decision may hurt some unions financially, but in the long run it will serve to make unions and their members more militant and force a stronger culture of internal organizing. The recent statewide teacher strikes demonstrate that when public sector workers face limitations on their bargaining rights they take their case to the streets.

Laborers General President Terry O'Sullivan:

The Janus case represents an all-out attack on public sector unions meant to diminish the bargaining power of millions of public sector workers and divide us in the workplace.

Despite the cynical efforts of the anti-worker groups financing Janus, union membership has always and will always strengthen the middle class and help build our nation’s prosperity.

The strong, proud, and united members of LIUNA will continue to stand together and fight together to protect the wages, benefits, and working conditions that come with a union card.

Machinists International President Robert Martinez Jr.:

The Janus decision is just the latest tactic of corporations and wealthy donors who want to take away our freedom at work. The radical right will never defeat a wave of working people joining together for a better life. Union membership is growing and we will continue to organize, mobilize and defeat those who want to destroy unions and silence workers. This is war and working people are going to fight back.

Mine Workers International President Cecil E. Roberts:

Make no mistake: They view this decision as a big victory in their long-term effort to destroy working families’ power and silence our voices. But I have confidence that in the end, the corporate elitists will fail. American workers understand that their rights are under attack and will respond.

The UMWA proudly represents thousands of public employees—corrections officers; state, county and municipal employees; police officers; deputy sheriffs; and more. Those workers have sought out UMWA representation because they know their jobs and their lives are better when they are in a union. We prove that to them everyday and this decision will not affect our commitment to them in any way.

National Taxi Workers Alliance:

This ruling is unconscionable but may it ring as a wake up call: Collective bargaining gives workers rights to democratic representation and puts legal pressure on the bosses to negotiate fairly. But it's worker organizing that builds unions and our uncompromising militancy that builds power.  

Corporations cheering from the sidelines while the highest court in the land guts unions may have forgotten that our nation's labor laws were created largely to quell worker unrest. If workers cannot turn to the law to protect us, we have no choice but to take to the streets.

Office and Professional Employees President Richard Lanigan:

Despite today’s ruling, working people and their unions won’t be silenced. Instead, as we’ve seen demonstrated throughout the country, working people and their unions are standing together stronger than ever and fighting for their rights to a decent wage, equitable workplace, strong healthcare and a dignified retirement. In states throughout the nation, workers are organizing and taking collective action like we’ve never seen before, and no Supreme Court decision is going to stop that momentum.

Working people and their unions won’t be slowed by this misguided and politically biased ruling. Instead, our fight continues to join together and unite for our freedoms to achieve a fair and equitable workplace and better future for all Americans.

Painters and Allied Trades General President Ken Rigmaiden:

As a trade union, the Painters and Allied Trades, remains vigilant and very aware that the funding behind this case comes from groups like the National Right to Work Foundation and as private sector union share a symbiotic relationship with our public sector counterparts in AFSCME. Therefore, we understand that the same strategy will, ultimately be applied to our members.

We emphasize to all workers that all elections have consequences and anti-union backers and their legislative cheerleaders can hinder the progress that we have made over the past century in one fell swoop.

We will stand shoulder to shoulder with our brothers in sisters in AFSCME, with public sector unions and with all working families across this great country!

National Nurses United:

The Supreme Court decision today to roll back decades of union and worker rights in Janus v. AFSCME poses a significant threat to patient safety as well as worker and community health and economic standards, said National Nurses United, the nation’s largest union and professional association of registered nurses.

Additionally, “we encourage all non-union workers to join strong unions to protect their right to act collectively to advocate for themselves, their co-workers, and the public well being,” said NNU Co-President Deborah Burger, RN....

“But the architects of this decision have a far larger goal than just hamstringing public unions and workers,” said NNU Executive Director Bonnie Castillo, RN....

“Nurses will never be silent in the face of this ruling, or in any other threat to our patients, our members, and our communities,” Castillo said.

 

SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris:

This shameful decision only serves to strengthen our resolve to find ways to protect working families in this country. Now more than ever as professionals, we must come together and renew our commitment to speak as one. To be strong in the face of all attempts to minimize us. We know that fighting for a better life for you and your family is what unions do. It’s time for unions, and the workers who make them vibrant and strong, to show this court and those who would attack and diminish working people that this is unacceptable. When workers come together, workers win, and that did not change today.

School Administrators President Ernest Logan:

The enemies of labor unions think the Janus v. AFSCME case is the beginning of the end of the union movement. They launched this case in a blatant attempt to silence the voices of working people and to limit the freedom that they have.

But their efforts and the Supreme Court's decision today are in vain. No court case will stop hard-working people from organizing and raising their voices. In fact, Janus will be a lightning rod for labor—the powerful corporations and rich billionaires will deeply regret the day they pushed this case forward.

UAW President Gary Jones:

Today’s Supreme Court Janus decision is yet another effort to put obstacles in front of working men and women to join collectively behind the power of a unified voice.

To be clear, labor will survive. But to be equally clear, our elections do matter, as the appointment of conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch by the Republican-led Senate left little doubt about the outcome of this decision. The Janus decision is just another barrier and another attack on working men and women. It cannot, however, take away the powerful voice that UAW members and other unions deliver when they sit across the table and collectively bargain for their families, their safety and their communities.

You cannot silence the voice of so many American families who want a seat at the bargaining table. The UAW and the rest of labor stand together no matter what obstacle.

UNITE HERE International President D. Taylor:

Today, an activist court ruled against the American people and our shared value of freedom and in favor of wealthy corporations. This decision robs power from working families to put it in the hands of corporate elites. Let us allow it to serve as a catalyst to the labor movement for bolder, stronger worker organizing. This ruling is designed to break American workers by putting unfair burdens on us that the corporate elites think we cannot beat—but together we can let it embolden us to organize to greater heights than we have ever before and deliver the tangible victories that transform workers’ lives.

United Steelworkers President Leo W. Gerard:

Make no mistake, this case was an attack on unions, working people and the causes that the labor movement fights for every day. But no court case will stop unions and their supporters from fighting back against efforts to weaken and divide us.

This assault on workers was financed by conservative, right-wing billionaires and the organizations they support, including the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, to undermine the labor movement and the quality family-sustaining jobs that have developed over decades of collective bargaining.

This attack on public sector workers, including teachers and emergency service personnel, must be a wakeup call for all union members and their supporters to stand with our brothers and sisters.

We must organize and demand that our elected leaders and political candidates enact public policies that will make it easier, not harder, for people to join unions.

Alliance for Retired Americans President Robert Roach Jr.:

Despite these attacks, organized labor remains strong. In a recent single week in 2018, over 14,000 workers joined or formed a union. Labor organizations have prepared for these continued union threats by building stronger relationships with members, organizing internally and educating the public about what’s at stake - including better wages and safer working conditions.

We have witnessed historic grassroots labor movements and teacher walkouts all across the nation. No matter who tries to bring us down, the Alliance will stand with labor unions to protect active and retired workers' rights throughout the country.

Department for Professional Employees President Paul E. Almeida:

Despite today’s ruling, DPE is confident that professionals will continue to work together to strengthen their communities and workplaces through collective action. We saw a glimpse of professionals’ potential last year when an additional 90,000 professional employees became union members. DPE member unions continue to demonstrate that professionals want to work collaboratively to improve their workplaces. In just the last six months, digital journalists, charter school teachers, nonprofit employees, animatic editors, symphony musicians, public radio announcers, FAA employees, and many other professionals all across the country have joined together in union. We are confident professional employees will continue to see the value of unions and grow the labor movement into the future.

Jobs With Justice Executive Director Sarita Gupta:

Today’s ruling continues to reaffirm that a handful of greedy CEOs can rig the rules of the economy and our democracy in their favor. Given the extreme concentration of wealth and power in this country, we should be making it easier and not harder for working people to join together to improve their jobs and their livelihoods.

Despite the disappointing ruling, working people in unions are here to stay. Working people in unions will continue advancing progress in their communities, confronting corporate greed, and transforming workplaces.

Maritime Trades Department President Michael Sacco:

We stand with our brothers and sisters directly and indirectly affected by this decision. We will not allow the Court’s action to deter us from fighting for the rights of workers.

 

National Black Worker Center Project:

The 5-4 ruling is detrimental blow in the line-up of America’s longstanding discrimination against black workers and the challenges we face.

To be clear, African Americans have as much at stake in maintaining strong unions as anyone with regards to economic security, affordable healthcare and retirement benefits. But, the union advantage disappears with Supreme Court decision and changes the landscape for the 20% of African Americans who work in public sector jobs.

The implications of the Supreme Court siding with Janus in this case means that workers will face the uncertainty of stagnate or diminished wages, job insecurity and the possibility of retiring into poverty.

Still, the National Black Worker Center Project will continue fighting for the rights of black workers to end the jobs crisis we face. It’s time for us to expose the truth about what it means to be #WorkingWhileBlack and change course.

National Domestic Workers Alliance Executive Director Ai-jen Poo:

This decision is blow to every working person that has ever felt unheard, unseen, or hurt at the hands of unchecked power. By cutting workers’ collective organizing power, especially that of women, we’re increase vulnerability to wage theft, sexual harassment, and discrimination. We should be expanding people’s rights at the workplace, not perpetuating vulnerability.

National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen García:

Today’s radical decision by the Supreme Court is a blatant slap in the face for educators, nurses, firefighters, police officers and all public servants who make our communities strong and safe. We are living in a system that is rigged to benefit special interests and billionaires, all at the expense of working people. Those behind this case know that unions amplify workers’ voices and transform their words into powerful and collective action. Even though the Supreme Court sided with corporate CEOs and billionaires over working Americans, unions will continue to be the best vehicle on the path to the middle class.

National Union of Healthcare Workers President Sal Rosselli:

Today’s ruling is a terrible blow to millions of working families who for generations have put their heart and soul into making their unions engines for prosperity and the growth of the American middle class. Janus and his backers claim this case was about free speech, when it’s really about silencing workers. But this is not a death knell for organized labor. The National Union of Healthcare Workers is expanding into so-called “Right to Work” states such as Nevada because we know that caregivers will support unions that put members in control and give them voice.

 In the aftermath of Janus, it’s time for unions to get back to our roots of empowering workers, and building worker solidarity from the bottom up so that everyone is invested in their union. That has always been the best model and it's now the only way forward.

North America's Building Trades Unions President Sean McGarvey

Today’s Supreme Court ruling in favor of Mark Janus and against the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) attacks the rights and freedoms of American workers and further concentrates corporate power at the expense of working families in this great nation. While political and ideological elites cheer the flow of unchecked corporate money as political speech, this decision seeks to silence the voice of workers who want to collectively improve their working conditions and the economic trajectory of them and their family. All of our brothers and sisters in the labor movement represent the working and middle class of America, and we will not allow this decision to divide us. Despite this setback that seeks to silence workers’ voices and undermine their rights in the workplace, we will continue to organize and increase bargaining power for everyday Americans who have been under relentless assault from well-funded ideologues and indifferent politicians while their wages stagnate and their cost of living continues to rise.

SEIU President Mary Kay Henry:

This decision is yet another example of how billionaires rig the system against working people, but SEIU members won’t let the extremists behind this case divide us. We will stay united, help workers who are fighting to form unions, and call on our elected leaders to do everything in their power to make it easier for working people to join together in unions.

Transportation Trades Department President Larry I. Willis:

As a broad coalition of transportation unions, TTD and our 32 affiliates are committed to ensuring frontline transportation workers—and all working people—have a voice on the job, safety in the workplace, and are paid fairly for the work they do. We stand united with working families across this country who refuse to be divided by today’s ruling, and call on elected leaders to stand up for the rights of working people to form and join unions.

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/27/2018 - 12:40

Tags: Janus

Intertwined: The Labor Movement and LGBT Rights

Through all the celebration of LGBTQ Pride this month, there’s been a valuable opportunity to reflect on the hard-fought victories, brutal setbacks, and tenacious struggles that have ultimately delivered so much for so many. And just as importantly, there has been time to think about what lies ahead in that fight for justice.

By the time I was elected president of the United Mine Workers of America in 1982, the fight for LGBTQ rights was already in full swing. Thirteen years after the Stonewall riots, activists were marching, shouting and organizing for the basic dignities they had been denied for so long. It was a groundbreaking movement for equal treatment in all the fundamental facets of life, from employment and housing to health care and personal safety.

These pioneers knew that change wasn’t simply going to be handed down from the halls of power or granted as an act of corporate benevolence. Change would only come when a diverse and united front stood together to demand it. In the face of unrepentant bigotry and blind loyalty to the status quo, grassroots organizing led the way forward.

It’s a basic principle that has always been at the heart of the labor movement. Progress, steadily gained, is fueled by the power of a mobilized community. Every victory in the fight against oppression has ultimately been achieved by that spirit of solidarity.

That’s certainly been true in the ongoing battle for justice on the job. From my first day in the coal mines of southwestern Pennsylvania, I knew that the only way to secure a brighter future was to lock arms and stand together. And that meant leaving no one behind.

That’s why we at the UMWA were so proud to help secure some of the earliest protections for same-sex couples in our members’ contracts, ensuring that all of our comrades had equal access to key benefits. We couldn’t afford to wait until it was popular.

And so unions offered a new refuge for gay workers. A place where full equality wasn’t just a mission, but an obligation.

Over the succeeding decades, LGBTQ Americans have won a flurry of progress. Public opinion shifted in favor of equality. Prominent figures, from sports to entertainment to politics, came out of the closet. Institutional disdain for the community gave way to unbending advocacy of justice. Trans rights were lifted up, the armed forces’ closet door was knocked down, and the constitutional right to marriage was unequivocally affirmed.

Perhaps no movement for social change has achieved so much so quickly. But even in a sea of rainbow flags—and even with marriage equality secured—there still remains too much of the discrimination endured by early protesters.

Today, you are free to marry who you love. But in most states, you can still be fired because of who you are. Unless, of course, you have the protection of a union contract.

The truth is that many of the fights left to be won are based on economic rights. They’re rooted in workers’ relationships with employers. The labor movement knows a thing or two about that.

The AFL-CIO’s constituency group Pride at Work continues to lead the way in advocating for the dignity of LGBTQ workers. The rights codified in so many union contracts over the years—from couples’ benefits to nondiscrimination to trans health care—have made headway that simply couldn’t have been gained otherwise.

For many LGBTQ Americans, a union card is their only form of employment protection. But more importantly, it signifies membership in a large and growing family ready to fight when it matters most.

That’s what the labor movement is all about. And it’s how the progress of tomorrow will be won.

So, here’s my ask for this Pride Month: Join a union. Check out Pride at Work and tackle the workplace challenges facing LGBTQ Americans the way this movement always has: Organize, organize, organize.

This article originally appeared in The Advocate.

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/26/2018 - 10:36

World Cup 2026 Offers FIFA an Opportunity to Live Up to Its Human Rights Commitment

Last week, the international governing body for football, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), awarded the 2026 World Cup to a joint bid from Canada, Mexico and the United States. The planning and execution of one of the world's top sporting events will provide a test to the human rights commitment of FIFA.

The bidding process for the 2026 World Cup required much stronger commitments to human rights for the hosts and organizations that participate in the planning and execution of the massive event. The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), with consultation from the AFL-CIO and other advocates for working people, pushed FIFA to include strong human rights protections in the process. FIFA's commitment to this and other improvements in the process show some progress, but there is still a long way to go.

ITUC General Secretary Sharan Burrow spoke about the 2026 process:

None of the three host countries has a perfect record on workers’ rights, with Mexico and the USA ranking poorly in the ITUC Index. The ITUC will be working with our Global Unions and NGO partners in the Sport and Rights Alliance (SRA), and through the new independent center for sports and human rights....With the launch of the new independent center, and the inclusion of binding and enforceable labor and other human rights standards in mega sporting events, we now have the way forward to end the exploitation, which has cost so many lives and severely tarnished the sports industry.

The 2018 ITUC Global Rights Index noted that all three 2026 host countries have human rights records that are problematic. The index gave Canada a rating of "2," which signifies repeated violations of rights, the United States a "4," meaning there are systematic rights violations, and Mexico a "5," denoting that there is no guarantee of rights in the country. These ratings raise concerns about how World Cup organizers will address the violations and comply with the bidding standards.

The requirements that FIFA adopted for the 2026 World Cup mean that member associations must provide specific commitments and information, including:

• An explicit public commitment to respect all internationally recognized human rights in line with the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights;
• A proposal for a human rights strategy on how to identify and address the risks of adverse impacts on human rights and labor standards. The strategy must include:
  • A comprehensive report identifying and assessing any risks of adverse impacts on human rights and labor standards that is informed by a study by an independent expert institution assessing the respective country’s human rights context;
  • Mechanisms that will be put in place to address all of the identified human rights risks; and
  • A concept outlining ways in which the member associations will provide for or cooperate in access to remedy in the event that adverse human rights impacts have occurred.
• Guarantees of compliance with international human rights and labor standards from the government and host cities, as well as from the entities responsible for the construction and renovation of stadiums, training sites, hotels and airports.

Not only will working people be watching the 2026 World Cup, we'll be watching the lead-up to that event to make sure that FIFA lives up to its commitments.

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/26/2018 - 08:56

Working People Say Neither the U.S. nor Canada Gets Trade Policy Right FLANKER/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS/PUBLIC DOMAIN

Working people can’t afford any more trade policies written by and for corporations. But neither should we be pawns in a misguided power struggle that antagonizes allies or empowers corporations but fails to fix our economy.

A recent Global News/Ipsos poll revealed that more Americans support Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s actions on trade than President Donald Trump’s. In part, that may be because Trudeau seems more "likable." It may be because Americans have been treated to a steady stream of pundits who—like the global corporations who profit from unfair trade—oppose all forms of trade enforcement and who are purposely trying to make trade enforcement a dirty word. Wall Street has been working overtime to spook us with the specter of a "trade war," and the scare tactics have apparently been working.

The truth is that Trudeau, likable though he may be, is hurting Canadians by advancing the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) trade deals, both of which are rigged to favor corporations over working families. Both deals are mostly about restricting the power of citizens to make decisions about how to run their own countries and rein in outrageous and irresponsible behavior of powerful corporations. The deals are only a little about actual trade.

Likewise, although Trump talks a good game on pro-working family trade policies, things like lumping Canada in with trade cheats like China, anti-worker federal employment policies and distinctly anti-family immigration policies put those words into doubt.

As we have said before, tariffs can be an important step in seeking to address trade cheating as well as trade practices (such as global overproduction of steel and aluminum) that may not violate specific international trade laws but do threaten our national security. That is why we support the Trump administration's announcement of the Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum and Section 301 intellectual property tariffs.

As a result of the 232 tariffs, 3,500 steel and aluminum workers already have been called back to work in Texas, Illinois, Ohio and elsewhere. A new steel mill is being built in Florida.

To be clear, the tariff roll out has been mismanaged. The administration should have worked strategically with allies (such as Canada) instead of alienating them with tariffs that aren’t targeted to solving the problem.

Tariffs are only a tool. By themselves, they will not achieve the comprehensive trade reform working families need. They won’t ensure we have the freedom to join unions and negotiate for better wages. They won’t eliminate private “corporate courts” that give companies another reason to outsource jobs. They won’t reform bad tax laws that also promote outsourcing. And they certainly won’t fund the infrastructure, education and training we need to boost our economy.  

So, next time you think about tariffs, think about how they can protect jobs and curb predatory trade behavior, but also know that alone, tariffs are not enough.  

And the next time you think about politicians, think about how they can better protect working families, no matter what party or country they represent. Rather than feuding, both Trudeau and Trump should improve their trade policies by acting together to comprehensively promote the interests of working families. They should start with the AFL-CIO’s NAFTA recommendations.

Join the fight for better trade. Text TRADE to 235246.

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 06/25/2018 - 10:59

Tags: Canada

Killing Public Transit: 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 this week’s Working People Weekly List.

How the Koch Brothers Are Killing Public Transit Projects Around the Country: "In cities and counties across the country—including Little Rock, Ark.; Phoenix, Ariz.; southeast Michigan; central Utah; and here in Tennessee—the Koch brothers are fueling a fight against public transit, an offshoot of their longstanding national crusade for lower taxes and smaller government."

Trumka Gets World Peace Prize for Labor Leadership: "Richard L. Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, was presented Tuesday with the inaugural 'World Peace Prize for Labor Leadership.' The event took place at the headquarters of the AFL-CIO, in Washington, D.C., in the George Meany Conference Room. The award was presented before a capacity audience by Fr. Sean Mc Manus and Ms. Barbara Flaherty. He is the President of the Washington, D.C.- based Irish National Caucus, and the Chief Judge of the World Peace Prize. Ms. Flaherty is the Executive V.P. of the Irish National Caucus and Corporate Manager of the World Peace Prize."

A Question of Legitimacy Looms for the Supreme Court: "Any day now, perhaps as soon as Thursday, the Supreme Court will issue a decision that more than any other case this term will reveal to us the heart and soul of the Roberts Court at the end of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.’s 14th year."

Judge Orders University of Missouri to Recognize Graduate Student Union: "University of Missouri graduate assistants are employees and their bosses should recognize their right to bargain collectively with administrators, a Boone County judge ruled Thursday. Judge Jeff Harris ruled in favor of the Coalition of Graduate Workers, which had sued the University of Missouri in May 2016 after MU leaders refused to recognize the group as the official bargaining organization representing graduate assistants."

Trumka Predicts Election Wins, Replacing Broken Trump Promises: "Predicting political gains for workers this November, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka told the Auto Workers convention that they’ll lead to subsequent gains for workers—gains that replace broken promises from President Trump. 'Let’s fight for those who fight for us, since the corporate right-wing is going all out for our blood,' Trumka declared."

Pregnancy Discrimination Is Rampant Inside America’s Biggest Companies: "American companies have spent years trying to become more welcoming to women. They have rolled out generous parental leave policies, designed cushy lactation rooms and plowed millions of dollars into programs aimed at retaining mothers. But these advances haven’t changed a simple fact: Whether women work at Walmart or on Wall Street, getting pregnant is often the moment they are knocked off the professional ladder."

Economists Have the Answer to Inequality: Working People Standing Together: "At its core, income inequality is simply about a lack of power among the masses and an abundance of it for a few at the top. Its real-world effects are wage stagnation, less access to health care and secure retirements, and higher poverty. Throughout much of the 20th century, there was a powerful mechanism to keep inequality in check: unions."

Pride Month Profiles: Mara Keisling: "Throughout Pride Month, the AFL-CIO will be taking a look at some of the pioneers whose work sits at the intersection of the labor movement and the movement for LGBTQ equality. Our next profile is Mara Keisling."

What You Need to Know About Washington, D.C.'s Initiative 77 and the Minimum Wage: "On Tuesday, Washington, D.C., voters will have an opportunity to vote on Initiative 77, a ballot measure supported by a wide array of progressive and labor organizations that would eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers and give many working families a much-needed raise."

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/22/2018 - 15:53

Study: Popularity of Joining Unions Surges

After holding steady for decades, the percentage of American workers in all jobs who would say yes to join a union jumped sharply this past year, by 50%, says a new, independent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The evidence is clear: The popularity of the labor movement is surging as more people want to join unions than ever before. Every worker must have the freedom to negotiate in a union over pay, benefits and working conditions.

The national narrative that the economy is doing OK, while working people struggle and billionaires bask in their latest round of massive tax cuts, is all wrong.

The truth is more working people want collective power. From 1977 to 1995, the percentage of all workers who would say yes to a union drive stayed flat, at about 32% of nonunion workers. Today, that number is 48%, a remarkable 50% increase.

This independent study from MIT confirms a broad trend we’ve seen in recent months as teachers have marched and rallied en masse for better school funding and higher pay, as tens of thousands of workers have voted to join unions and as the concept of unionism has spread in countless other ways in America.

The rich and powerful still hold many of the levers of power in America, but working people are claiming our seat at the table. We demand that every worker have the freedom to form or join a union.

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/22/2018 - 13:08

Freedom to Join: What Working People Are Doing This Week AFL-CIO

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.

Actors' Equity:

Did you know that @TheActorsFund provide free and confidential assistance nationally to everyone who works in performing arts and entertainment—including actors, dancers, musicians, stagehands, playwrights and many more? Find out today if you qualify -https://t.co/OuVQjharjo

— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) June 20, 2018

AFGE:

Congratulations John! Thank you for your years of dedicated service to both the EPA and AFGE! https://t.co/N3sI4HgY21

— AFGE (@AFGENational) June 19, 2018

AFSCME:

93% of our members at AFSCME Local 2410 (Finkelstein Memorial Library) voted to ratify our new contract! Congratulations to our outstanding negotiating team for winning a fair contract for our members. #NeverQuit #AFSCMEStrong pic.twitter.com/4YXr4ErAce

— AFSCME Council 66 (@AFSCMECouncil66) June 19, 2018

AFT:

The House #FarmBill means undergraduate and graduate students will continue to struggle with food insecurity and poverty. Current time limit on #SNAP particularly affects graduate employees – the House #FarmBill makes it worse. #HandsOffSNAP pic.twitter.com/9Cd4JsbV2a

— AFT (@AFTunion) June 20, 2018

Air Line Pilots Association:

Witnessing a minor accident before your first flying lesson may not be the best omen. But Dad’s CIRP training through ALPA helped him talk to his son and get him ready for the cockpit. Read the full story, and Happy #FathersDay from ALPA! https://t.co/7gRhUukGnD pic.twitter.com/1FJtdKwXle

— ALPA (@WeAreALPA) June 17, 2018

Alliance for Retired Americans:

More than $8 in $10 in SNAP benefits go to households that include a child, a senior, or person with a disability. Yet these are some of the people hit hardest by the House GOP Farm Bill. #HandsOffSNAP https://t.co/4bbb19MyJ2

— Alliance Retirees (@ActiveRetirees) June 20, 2018

Amalgamated Transit Union:

To Build a Better Bus System, Ask a Driver https://t.co/6jxNHLPf6N #transit #publictransit

— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) June 19, 2018

American Federation of Musicians:

Musicians deserve to be FAIRLY paid for their work—that’s all musicians all the time!. Musicians are still making more from vinyl than from YouTube. And YouTube has 1.3 billion users regularly watching music videos. https://t.co/dNC9I8pbRg

— Amer. Fed. Musicians (@The_AFM) June 21, 2018

American Postal Workers Union:

"The White House proposal on restructuring the federal government... delivered nothing but misinformation & if implemented, would end regular mail & package services at an affordable cost to 157 million addresses every day." #saveourservice #1u #apwunited https://t.co/MsAI7H5z07

— APWU National (@APWUnational) June 22, 2018

Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance:

We. will. not. be. banned.

Join us on decision day when SCOTUS announces its ruling on the Muslim Ban. We need to join together to say #NoMuslimBanEver.

RSVP for alerts at https://t.co/guJFKZmEjE. #WeWillNotBeBanned pic.twitter.com/y3HWmp0FuL

— APALA (@APALAnational) June 15, 2018

Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:

Flight Attendants take pride in the job we do to bring families together. @afa_cwa condemns any action to purposefully separate children from their parents. We applaud the statements made today by @United and @AmericanAir. Read more > https://t.co/qk7jt3VDE1

— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) June 20, 2018

Boilermakers:

Holy Code Training, Batman! Nearly 200 Georgia Boilermakers completed training. Check it out! https://t.co/oD3ZA9Prvs pic.twitter.com/pQ1DaGbUvA

— Boilermaker News (@boilermakernews) June 22, 2018

Bricklayers:

Through the "Investing in Canada" plan, the Government of #Canada will invest more than $180 billion over 12 years in public #infrastructure. #apprenticeships #SkilledTrade #1u #construction https://t.co/aHkYWjIgdG

— Bricklayers Union (@IUBAC) June 22, 2018

Coalition of Black Trade Unionists:

“What the hell do they have to lose?” #Juneteenth pic.twitter.com/frPZUqjIfF

— CBTU (@CBTU72) June 19, 2018

Communications Workers of America:

As Envoy Air agents returned to bargaining, @RepSchakowsky sent a letter w/31 Members of Congress to @AmericanAir CEO Doug Parker calling on the company to pay its employees living wages at subsidiaries Envoy Air & @piedmontair. Thx for your solidarity! https://t.co/0naVsyzQg0

— CWA (@CWAUnion) June 22, 2018

Department for Professional Employees:

In Florida, @Deloitte seeks to hire thousands of H-1B guest workers, who can be paid below market wages. We must reform the H-1B visa program so that it works for U.S. professionals and people working on H-1B visas #1u https://t.co/IuFeE5FitU

— DPE (@DPEaflcio) June 20, 2018

Electrical Workers:

#IBEW electricians help veteran's family fix home destroyed by disgraced contractor https://t.co/yF9V83Uwwn

— IBEW (@IBEW) June 22, 2018

Farm Labor Organizing Committee:

Help us in our fight against Reynolds Tobacco by boycotting their e-cigarette line, VUSE. https://t.co/9zTljHxeNb

— Farm Labor Organizing Committee (@SupportFLOC) June 21, 2018

Fire Fighters:

Pictures of our Boston #IAFFMayorsFireOps is now online! https://t.co/GPiHOraxnK @LOCAL_718

— IAFF (@IAFFNewsDesk) June 22, 2018

Heat and Frost Insulators:

“It’s all on me, what I want to get out of the apprenticeship. It is beneficial and it is going to lead me to where I want to be at in life.” https://t.co/TbB61E9KdM

— Insulators Union (@InsulatorsUnion) June 21, 2018

International Labor Communications Association:

Planning to travel for the 4th of July? Support the @unionplus travel campaign and go on a labor history adventure with your family. Union Tips for U.S. Trips

Economists Have the Answer to Inequality: Working People Standing Together

At its core, income inequality is simply about a lack of power among the masses and an abundance of it for a few at the top. Its real-world effects are wage stagnation, less access to health care and secure retirements, and higher poverty. Throughout much of the 20th century, there was a powerful mechanism to keep inequality in check: unions.

When a large swath of the workforce had the ability to negotiate with employers over wages, benefits and working conditions, a balance of power existed. By standing together in a union, working people got a fair share of the economic gains they helped create. It extended beyond workplaces that were joined together in union by raising standards across the board, leading to an economic boost for all workers. But as unions declined, worker bargaining power dipped, ushering in the exploding inequality that we’re all feeling in one way or another today.

So, what do we do? A growing number of economists are looking to our past for the answer: strong unions.

Stony Brook University professor Noah Smith in Bloomberg:

Economists are again starting to suspect that unions were a better deal than the textbooks made them out to be. A recent paper by economists Henry Farber, Daniel Herbst, Ilyana Kuziemko and Suresh Naidu concludes that unions were an important force reducing inequality in the U.S.

Since past data tends to be patchy, Farber et al. combine a huge number of different data sources to get a detailed picture of unionization rates going all the way back to 1936, the year after Congress passed a law letting private-sector employees form unions. The authors find that as unionization rises, inequality tends to fall, and vice versa. Nor is this effect driven by greater skills and education on the part of union workers; during the era from 1940 through 1970, when unionization rose and inequality fell, union workers tended to be less educated than others. In other words, unions lifted the workers at the bottom of the distribution. Black workers, and other nonwhite workers, tended to benefit the most from the union boost.

But powerful political winds stand in the way of a union resurgence. Billionaire CEOs and corporate special interests are spending big to stop working people from having the freedom to join unions. "Right to work" laws have proliferated in the past decade. Flawed trade policy shipped what were once good union jobs overseas. Automation and contingent work exacerbate the problem. And now, the conservative justices on the Supreme Court threaten to deal another blow to working people in the Janus v. AFSCME case.

But even as the billionaires push to destroy unions, we’re gaining popularity. Union favorability among the public has spiked, especially among young people. A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals that 68% of 18- to 29-year-olds view unions favorably. Workers are finding new and creative ways to organize, as the recent rash of digital media unionization campaigns shows. Collective action is on the rise, as the successful teachers’ strikes sweeping the country demonstrate.

The bottom line: The only way to rebalance our economy and restore some power to working people is by increasing opportunity for workers to stand together in a union.

As Hamilton Nolan writes in Splinter:

Without a union, the boss and the investors get the extra money that the workers would otherwise get. There is no rational argument against unionizing everybody in sight.

Advice we’d be wise to take.

This post originally appeared at the California Labor Federation.

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/20/2018 - 11:25

Pride Month Profiles: Mara Keisling Wikimedia Commons

Throughout Pride Month, the AFL-CIO will be taking a look at some of the pioneers whose work sits at the intersection of the labor movement and the movement for LGBTQ equality. Our next profile is Mara Keisling.

Mara Keisling is the founder and, since 2003, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, the nation’s leading social justice advocacy organization advocating for transgender people.

Keisling grew up in Harrisburg, Pa., as one of seven siblings whose father was chief of staff to the governor. After studying at Penn State and Harvard, Keisling began a career in social marketing and opinion research. In 1999, Keisling began transitioning from Mark to Mara. Experiencing and witnessing discrimination turned Keisling into an activist, eventually leading to her becoming co-chair of the Pennsylvania Gender Rights Coalition and a steering committee member of the Statewide Pennsylvania Rights Coalition.

Recognizing the need for a more coordinated voice for transgender people in Washington, D.C., Keisling founded the NCTE in 2003 and focused on social justice through advocacy, collaboration and empowerment. Since then, her vision and strategy have led to a series of ground-breaking organizational and coalition victories that have helped move the U.S. closer to transgender equality. 

Under Keisling's leadership, the NCTE has had a long string of successes:

Keisling’s work with the Center has involved several prominent achievements, including the first-ever trans-inclusive federal legislation, modification of State Department rules for changing gender markers on passports and the first congressional hearing on transgender issues. She has also lobbied for a trans-inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, legislation that has languished in Congress for years.

Many other federal and state victories have resulted from the efforts of the NCTE and coalition partners. Most notably was the creation of the National Transgender Discrimination Study, launched in 2009, and the follow-up in 2015 with the U.S. Trans Survey. For the first time, the 2009 study documented the experiences of thousands of transgender Americans in the areas of employment, housing, health care and the criminal justice system.

The original study is a ground-breaking look into the lives and experiences of transgender Americans and the report released in 2011 was cited an estimated 15,000 or more times in the media. The survey was particularly important in providing an accurate portrayal of the rates of trans suicide attempts, homelessness, employment discrimination, health care discrimination and transition surgery experiences.

The 2015 follow up survey was much larger, with more than 27,000 participants, more than four times bigger than the previous study. Improved study methods also improved the quality of the study, which contains expanded insight into trans seniors, people of color, immigrants, sex workers and military service members and veterans, as well as allow for more state-specific analysis. The newer survey also sought to compensate for the exclusion of transgender people in other research. Because of the work of Keisling, the NCTE and the coalition they built, we know more about life as a transgender person and the obstacles they face in the U.S. than ever before.

Keisling is also a founding board member of the Stonewall Democracy Fund, and has served on the board of directors of Common Roads, an LGBTQ youth advocacy group.

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/20/2018 - 08:41

What You Need to Know About Washington, D.C.'s Initiative 77 and the Minimum Wage ROC United

On Tuesday, Washington, D.C., voters will have an opportunity to vote on Initiative 77, a ballot measure supported by a wide array of progressive and labor organizations that would eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers and give many working families a much-needed raise.

Initiative 77 would increase the tipped minimum wage to match the full wage: If it passes, the initiative would phase out the tipped minimum wage, leaving a flat $15 per hour minimum wage for D.C. workers. This would be phased in between now and 2025, giving restaurant and bar owners more than enough time to adjust to the change.

Tipped workers aren't limited to restaurants and bars: Many other workers get tips, too, including manicurists/pedicurists, hairdressers, shampooers, valets, taxi and rideshare drivers, massage therapists, baggage porters and others. Very few of them get anywhere near the 20% standard you see in high-end restaurants and bars.

The current law is changing, but it will still leave tipped workers behind: The current minimum wage in D.C. is $12.50 an hour, with a minimum wage of $3.33 for tipped workers. If tipped workers don't earn enough from tips to get to $12.50, employers are supposed to pay the difference. After existing minimum wage increases are fully implemented, the full minimum wage for D.C. will be $15 an hour, while the tipped minimum will increase to $5. The cost of living in D.C. is higher than every state in the United States except Hawaii.

D.C. has a particular problem with the minimum wage: As one of the places in the United States with the highest costs of living, low-wage workers are hit harder by discriminatory laws. D.C. has the largest gap in the country between its tipped minimum wage and its prevailing minimum wage. Tipped workers in D.C. are twice as likely to live in poverty as the city's overall workforce. Tipped workers in D.C. are forced to use public assistance at a higher rate than the overall population, with 14% using food stamps and 23% using Medicaid.

Wherever tipped wage jobs exist, they are typically low-wage, low-quality jobs: Nationally, the median wage is $16.48 and tipped workers median wage is $10.22. Nationally, 46% of tipped workers receive public assistance, whereas non-tipped workers use public assistance at a rate of 35.5%. Workers at tipped jobs are less likely to have access to paid sick leave, paid holiday leave, paid vacations, health insurance and retirement benefits. Seven of the 10 lowest-paying job categories are in food services, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Tipped workers are more likely to end up in poverty: In states where the tipped minimum wage is at the federal standard of $2.13, the lowest in the country, the poverty rate for all workers is 14.5%, which breaks down to 18% for waitstaff and bartenders and 7% for non-tipped employees. What day of the week it is, bad weather, a sluggish economy, the changing of the seasons and any number of other factors completely outside of a server's control can influence tips and make a night, a week or a season less likely to generate needed income.

The predictions of doom and gloom about raising the minimum wage or the tipped minimum wage never come true: Eight states already have eliminated the tipped wage and the restaurants in those states have higher sales per capita, higher job growth, higher job growth for tipped workers and higher rates of tipping. In fact, states without a lower tipped minimum wage have actually seen sectors where tipping is common grow stronger than in states where there is a subminimum wage. This is consistent with the data from overseas where countries have eliminated tipping and subminimum tipped wages. In states without a subminimum tipped wage, tipped workers, across the board, earn 14% higher. Increased minimum wages lead to employers seeing a reduction in turnover and increases in productivity. And, while there are certainly some exceptions, tippers in states without subminimum wage don't tip less. 

Tipped workers are more likely to be women, making lives worse for them and their families: Of the 4.3 million tipped workers in the United States, 60% of them are waiters and bartenders. Of that 2.5 million, 69% of them are women. Furthermore, 24% are parents, and 16% of them are single mothers. Half of the population of tipped bartenders and waitstaff are members of families that earn less than $40,000. Increasing the tipped minimum wage lets parents work fewer nights and have more time at home with their families. It also helps provide for a more steady, predictable income. Since 66% of tipped workers are women, a lower tipped minimum wage essentially creates legalized gender inequity in the industry. These lowest-paid occupations are majority female. More than one in four female restaurant servers or bartenders in D.C. live in poverty, twice the rate of men in the same jobs.

Harassment and objectification are encouraged by the tipped system: The stories about harassment in the restaurant industry are legion. Servers are forced to tolerate inappropriate behavior from customers in order to not see an instant decrease in income. This forces them to subject themselves to objectification and harassment. Workers in states with a subminimum tipped wage are twice as likely to experience sexual harassment in the workplace. In D.C., more than  90% of restaurant workers report some form of sexual harassment on the job. Women's tips increase if they have blond hair, a larger breast size and a smaller body size, leading to discrimination against women that don't have those qualities. Nearly 37% of sexual harassment charges filed by women to the EEOC come from the restaurant industry. This rate is five times higher than the overall female workforce. LGBTQ servers also face a higher rate of harassment in order to obtain tips. Sexual harassment of transgender employees and men is also high in tipped environments. Some 60% of transgender workers reported scary or unwanted sexual behavior. More than 45% of male workers reported that sexual harassment was part of their work life, as well. 

The subminimum tipped wage harms people of color: Research shows that tipping has racist impacts, too. Nonwhite restaurant workers take home 56% less than their white colleagues. Research shows that if the minimum wage had held the value it had in 1968, poverty rates for black and Hispanic Americans would be 20% lower. While many restaurants and bars claim to be race-neutral in hiring, the evidence shows that race often has an impact on who gets hired for jobs that directly interact with customers. And fine-dining environments, the ones where servers and bartenders make the most in tips, are much more likely to hire white servers and bartenders, particularly white males. Also, customers, generally speaking, tip black servers less than white servers. For instance, black servers get 15-25% smaller tips, on average in D.C.

The people behind the opposition to 77 are not worker- or democracy-friendly: Public disclosures show that the Save Our Tips campaign that opposes Initiative 77 is heavily funded by the National Restaurant Assocation. This particular NRA represents the interests of, and is funded by, big corporations, such as McDonald's, Yum! (which owns Taco Bell, Pizza Hut & KFC), Burger King, Darden Restaurants (which owns Olive Garden, Red Lobster and others) and more. The group spends as much as $98 million to oppose minimum wage increases, safety and labor requirements and benefit increases and requirements. Meanwhile, the CEO of the NRA, Dawn Sweeney, took home $3.8 million in total compensation.

The Save Our Tips campaign is managed in part by Lincoln Strategy Group. In 2016, the group did $600,000 worth of work for the Donald Trump presidential campaign. Lincoln Strategy is managed by Nathan Sproul, a Republican consultant and former executive director of the Arizona Christian Coalition. Sproul has a history of being accused of fraudulent election-related activities, including destroying Democratic voter registration forms and creating a fake grassroots effort to undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Another corporate-sponsored group, the Employment Policy Institute, has come out strongly against the initiative and created a website to attack it and ROC. The Institute is the creation of Rick Berman, a wealthy corporate lobbyist who runs campaigns against public interest groups like the Humane Society and labor unions.

Up until 1996, the tipped subminimum wage had been tied into being 50% of the prevailing minimum wage. That year, legislation decoupled the two and the subminimum wage for tipped jobs has stayed at $2.13 nationally, while some states have raised it. The NRA, headed up then by former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain, who would go on to run for president, led the charge to separate the two minimum wages.

The separate tipped minimum wage is a burden on employers and invites misuse: The system of tracking tips and wages so that employers can make up the difference is a complex one that is burdensome for employers. The system requires extensive tracking and accounting of tip flows. Not only this, employers are allowed to average tips over the course of a workweek and only have to pay the difference if the average is less than the minimum wage. Tips can also be pooled among various types of restaurant employees. Tip stealing and wage theft are hard to prove and workers are often reluctant to report them out of fear that they will be given fewer shifts or fired.

Employers frequently fail to pay the balance to their employees: While the law requires to make up the balance when tipped wages don't reach the full minimum wage, employers often fail to do so. The Department of Labor investigated more than 9,000 restaurants and found that 84% had violated this law and had to pay out nearly $5.5 million in back pay because of tipping violations. How many didn't get caught?

Restaurants are using union-avoidance tactics to sway employees against the initiative: Numerous reports from workers at D.C. restaurants have made it clear that not only are employers singing on to public letters and posting signs against Initiative 77, they are trying to sway their employees, too. Tactics that have been reported are straight from the union-advoidance industry. Many employers are forcing employees to listen to their opinion on the measure. Others have instructed them to evangelize to customers. Some are sending instructions to their employees on how to volunteer at the polls against the Initiative. Others have shared explicitly political videos with employees. Some managers have gone as far as to speak negatively about community organizations advocating for Initiative 77.

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 06/18/2018 - 13:57

Stand with Pride: The Working People Weekly List AFL-CIO

Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s this week’s Working People Weekly List.

Pride Month Profiles: Miriam Frank: "Throughout Pride Month, the AFL-CIO will be taking a look at some of the pioneers whose work sits at the intersection of the labor movement and the movement for LGBTQ equality. Our next profile is Miriam Frank."

Vote to Pay LGBT Servers a Secure, Living Wage: "The Washington, D.C., restaurant scene has reached soaring heights over the past few years. That prosperity—and the dining experiences we’ve grown accustomed to—has been built by working people putting in exhausting hours on the restaurant floor and behind the bar."

Pride Month Profiles: Tom Barbera: "Throughout Pride Month, the AFL-CIO will be taking a look at some of the pioneers whose work sits at the intersection of the labor movement and the movement for LGBTQ equality. Our first profile is Tom Barbera."

Union Veterans and Labor Volunteers Team Up with Community to Restore Interior of American Legion: "Nearly 100 union volunteers spent their Saturday painting the interior of an American Legion post. The effort, led by the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, Union Veterans Committee and the Community Service Liaison, began after legionnaire Jim Heimann noticed his home post of more than two decades was beginning to look a little dingy. Heimann is a Vietnam veteran who describes the Legion as a 'place to be with other veterans who have gone through what you’ve gone through.' Union veterans couldn’t agree more with Heimann: A gathering place for veterans is essential to the men and women who have served our country to maintain camaraderie."

Fun Ethical Essentials for Father’s Day: "There is no instruction manual for actually becoming a parent, but we know a thing or two about the kinds of things that dads are into. With Father’s Day coming up fast, Labor 411 has a few suggestions for your Dad Essentials Kit. These items work equally well for new fathers and for the men who have had years of experience at this 'dad' thing. Best of all, the items below are all made by ethical employers who treat their workers with respect and dignity. As you assemble your ethical Dad Essentials Kit, you’ll be helping to strengthen the middle class."

Worker and Consumer Groups to Santander: You’re on Notice: "The Texas heat would not be enough to deter a powerful and broad coalition of consumer groups, unions and international representatives with the UNI Global Union from delivering a powerful message to Santander Consumer USA at its annual shareholders meeting: Listen to your workers and stop practices that lead to racial discrimination in vehicle lending. According to reports by consumer advocate organizations, dealer interest rate markups on vehicle loans have resulted in racial disparities for African American and Latino borrowers compared with similarly situated white borrowers."

ITUC Report: Democratic Space for Working People Is Shrinking: "A new report from the International Trade Union Confederation concludes that the world is seeing shrinking democratic space for working people and unchecked corporate greed on the rise. The 2018 ITUC Global Rights Index documents violations of internationally recognized collective labor rights by governments and employers."

Grand Theft Paycheck: How Big Corporations Shortchange Their Workers: "A new report, Grand Theft Paycheck: The Large Corporations Shortchanging Their Workers’ Wages, reveals that large corporations have paid out billions to resolve wage theft lawsuits brought by workers. The lawsuits show that corporations frequently force employees to work off the clock, cheat them out of legally required overtime pay and use other methods to steal wages from workers."

The Anniversary of the Equal Pay Act Reminds Us to Keep Working to Close the Gender Pay Gap: "Sunday was the 55th anniversary of the signing of the Equal Pay Act of 1963 into law. The landmark law was the first that required equal pay for equal work for women."

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/15/2018 - 15:00

AFL-CIO and ETUC Support Fair Trade Practices

AFL-CIO and the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) issued a joint statement today on trade and multilateralism:

The working people of the United States and Europe have been harmed by unfair trade practices, including China’s deliberate overproduction of steel and aluminum, intellectual property theft, forced transfer of production, and violation of basic labor rights.

The working people of the United States and Europe have supported the growth of multilateral global governance since the end of the Second World War, and have continued to support that structure even as it has been increasingly captured by the interests of global corporations and the failed ideology of neoliberalism. A global economy requires multilateral institutions; the alternative is a war of all against all. We support the reform of the multilateral system so that it is more democratic, more open and takes into consideration labor-social-environmental rights, but we oppose efforts to destroy it. The refusal of the Trump Administration to engage productively in established multilateral processes at the OECD and the G-7 in recent weeks has been detrimental to the international system and we urge the Trump Administration to change course.

We support trade that is fair and effectively enforced, in particular when it comes to protecting and enhancing key international labor rights such as freedom of association, right to organize and collective bargaining. This is the only way to ensure a level playing field for workers’ rights and avoid a race to the bottom on wages and working conditions. So far, our respective governments and the European Commission have paid too much attention to international trade liberalization, while neglecting the consequences on workers’ rights and their conditions. This neglect now threatens the underlying legitimacy of the international system and must be addressed.

When states or firms break trade rules or exploit loopholes, working people are the first to be harmed, and we expect our elected governments to stand up for us. When unfair trade practices go unaddressed, working people suffer further harm. That is why we have long advocated for swift and concrete global actions to address harmful, state-driven trade-distorting practices. To avoid a spiraling trade crisis, a comprehensive multilateral approach must be developed so no country has to go it alone.

We believe that trade enforcement is most effective when our governments cooperate to achieve shared goals. The priority should be to work together to thoughtfully and effectively address trade practices, including those by China, that for too long have allowed global companies to profit at our expense instead of with us. A rules-based trading system requires that rules be enforced. We are united in support for a concerted approach to China’s trade-distorting practices and in our opposition to a trade war. We believe the failure on the part of multilateral institutions such as the World Trade Organization (WTO) to effectively address China's trade-distorting practices is a threat to the multilateral system itself and must be addressed.         

Global shared prosperity, sustainable development, inclusive growth, and respect for international labor rights require comprehensive trade reform and multilateral action. We urge all of our governments and the European Commission to work together, not at cross-purposes, to achieve these goals.

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/15/2018 - 10:30