For years we’ve talked about the shortcomings of the North American Free Trade Agreement (we even released this detailed report on its 20th anniversary) and how trade deals created behind closed doors with corporate CEOs harm working people. 

Today we released a blueprint for how to rewrite NAFTA to benefit working families. This past election there was much-needed discussion on the impact of corporate trade deals on our manufacturing sector and on working-class communities. The outline below puts forward real solutions that should garner bipartisan support if lawmakers are truly serious about realigning our trade policies to help workers.

As easy as it is to get caught up in gift giving and capitalism, the holiday season is also a time to look back at the achievements of organized labor in the continuing fight for workers’ rights. In 2016, Philadelphia witnessed massive gains for workers when the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority and the union representing nearly 5,000 workers finalized a new contract providing members wage increases and pension improvements. RNs at four area hospitals voted this year to join the Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals—nurses at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and at Hahnemann University Hospital recently ratified their first union contracts, and RNs at Temple University Hospital ratified a strong new contract as well.

President-elect Donald Trump is famous for firing workers; it's part of his brand. He has taken this to the next level in a pattern of attacking ordinary people for doing their jobs. This behavior runs contrary to his promise to be a president for working people. His rhetoric has inspired real and serious threats and physical attacks from overzealous supporters, but he remains silent or encouraging towards this behavior.

President-elect Donald Trump selected D-List fast food CEO Andy Puzder to head up the Labor Department. AFL-CIO and other working family advocates condemned the appointment of Puzder, who runs Carl's Jr. and Hardee's.

Puzder's nomination shows Trump is backing away from his promise to represent all working people.

On Saturday, Dec. 10, we lost America’s premier labor negotiator, William Julian Usery Jr. He died in Eatonton, Georgia. He was 92.

Usery has forgotten more about collective bargaining than most people will ever know. He understood deep in his veins how essential collective bargaining is to the American economy. He was a good man, and a good and well-respected friend of mine, and a man who taught me immensely about how to unravel tension and bring two warring sides together to reach a workable relationship.

The vast majority of Americans, no matter their candidate of choice, voted to rewrite the economic rules that have for too long left working people weaker and poorer. When it comes to the economic security of our families and communities, one of the most important decisions every incoming president must make is choosing who will serve in his or her Cabinet. These are immensely powerful positions that have a direct say on everything from wages to workplace safety to consumer protection to good schools to health and retirement security.

In a huge victory graduate workers at Columbia gave a booming #gradunionyes. This after the university denied even recognizing their graduate teaching and research assistants as workers. Yes, not only are graduate workers at Columbia workers, but more importantly, now they are organized workers.

It is the FIRST win for a graduate worker union at a private university won through an official NLRB election. Now they stand 3,500 strong.

This is BIG.

Wednesday’s decision by the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates is unwelcome and unnecessary. As admitted in its statement, investment remains soft, growth is only moderate and inflation expectations are little changed. Moreover, the economy confronts financial headwinds from the recent jump in long-term interest rates and an even stronger dollar.

Across the world, young people face tremendous challenges that have left many wondering whether they will be worse off than previous generations. High youth unemployment and underemployment, budget cuts and deteriorating public services, and right-wing parties taking power in many parts of the world make it more critical than ever that young workers build power across borders.

Despite a November election that has left the country bitterly divided, the 2016 holiday season is no occasion for bitterness. As we near the end of another successful year in the ongoing fight for better wages, hours and benefits, our dedicated union members in Los Angeles have reason for celebration. Highlights from 2016 include: More than 50,000 grocery store members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) reached a great new contract with their stores; the creation of the Los Angeles Reentry Workforce Collaborative; the passage of the affordable housing and local jobs ballot measure, Prop. JJJ; and citywide participation in the Day of Disruption, in support of union rights and a higher minimum wage for workers across a spectrum of industries. Whatever the season, we can count on LA’s unions to stay hawkish for positive change throughout the city and nationally.

   
There is nothing quite like the holidays in Southern California. As our notoriously warm weather cools, native Angelenos and visitors alike can look forward to a whole host of seasonal festivities. Whether it’s a visit to the zoo or a night out at the ballet, there’s plenty of ways to get in the holiday spirit this year, all while supporting good local jobs.

After surviving a game-changing national election that will change the landscape of our nation, Washington, D.C., gears up for the final holiday season of the Obama administration. From a union perspective, 2016 has been a year of action and progress. A few of the many highlights include supporting our brother and sister service workers in their continuing fight for a living wage at National and Washington Dulles airports, seeing the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) approve new contracts with Safeway and Giant and our continued participation in the ongoing Fight for 15. We salute the work of all our union brothers and sisters in their fight to build a strong middle class.

   
As anyone who has visited D.C. during the holiday season knows, our nation’s capital represents when it comes to displaying some serious yuletide spirit. When you’re not hunkering down against the cold with family, friends and loved ones, we invite you to take advantage of some of the enchanting holiday offerings. 

Hanukkah begins this year at sundown Dec. 24 and runs through Jan. 1, 2017. Here are some union-made-in-America recipe ingredients and drinks you may want to include in your holiday observances. This information comes from our friends at Labor 411, the union business directory from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. Food and drink include those brought to you by the Machinists (IAM), United Farm Workers (UFW), the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and the Teamsters (IBT).

Memo to the media: Chuck Jones is president of United Steelworkers Local 1999 at the Carrier factory in Indianapolis.

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.

On the occasion of International Human Rights Day—at a time when human, labor and civil rights are under attack in the United States and globally—it is critical that workers are empowered to speak up and act out for justice. Human rights at work only can be defended when the fundamental right to freedom of association is respected and workers can organize for change.
 
That’s why, next week, the AFL-CIO will present the annual 2016 George Meany–Lane Kirkland Human Rights Award to Maina Kiai, the U.N. special rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.

Everyone has value. 

On International Human Rights Day, we reflect on our core values as a movement of working people. As stated in our Constitution Preamble:

We resolve to fulfill the yearning of the human spirit for liberty, justice and community; to advance individual and associational freedom; to vanquish ­oppression, privation and cruelty in all their forms; and to join with all persons, of whatever nationality or faith, who cherish the cause of democracy and the call of solidarity, to grace the planet with these achievements.

Working family advocates have strongly condemned President-elect Donald Trump's selection of Carl's Jr. CEO Andy Puzder as secretary of labor. Here are excerpts from their comments.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued the following statement on the expected nomination of Andy Puzder for the Department of Labor Secretary.

The Executive Council of the 12.5-million-member AFL-CIO has voted overwhelmingly to endorse Rep. Keith Ellison to lead the Democratic National Committee. Over the past few weeks, several candidates have sought the endorsement of the AFL-CIO and met personally with members of the Political Committee, which ultimately recommended the endorsement.

On Twitter Wednesday, President-elect Donald Trump attacked United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1999 President Chuck Jones. Quickly, working families responded by creating the #ImWithChuck hashtag that highlights the role that unions have in fighting on behalf of good jobs. Here are some of the key tweets.