History was made this week. California Gov. Jerry Brown joined legislative leaders, workers and unions to announce a deal on legislation to make California the first state in America to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour. This day was a long time in the making. Worker-led movements like Fight for 15, labor unions and community groups have been gathering momentum for several years on this issue.

The Supreme Court today rejected an attempt by wealthy special interests to restrict the voices of America’s teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses and others who provide vital services for our communities. The court issued a 4-4 decision in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, upholding a lower court ruling in favor of working people and their right to join together to build a better future for their families.

Each week, we take a look at the biggest friends and foes of labor. We celebrate the workers winning big and small battles, and we shame the companies or people trying to deny working people their rights.

Every week, we'll be bringing you a roundup of the important news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here's this week's Working People Weekly List.

I have a hard time watching this and not getting terribly angry. Those 123 young women and 23 men who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on March 25, 1911, deserve to be remembered. But we're watching it happen all over again in developing countries that supply Walmart, Gap, and other marketing and retail giants. Sorry/not sorry, I'm mad as hell, and I wish we could live in a world where we didn't have to take this anymore. Warning: some violent images.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership sets up private “corporate courts,” with few rules, that are only open for multinational companies to sue countries. Nearly all the winnings in these "corporate courts" go to the world’s biggest corporations and richest people—and most of the rest goes to the lawyers who work in these tribunals, according to a new study.

It’s March and, though the old adage is that the month comes in like a lion and goes out as a lamb, for women, this is also a month to celebrate our strength and to remember our sisters who helped pave the way for us.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued the following statement in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issuing new workplace silica standards.

SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard passed away this week at the age of 71. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued the following statement.

Think voting really doesn’t matter? Talk to a pair of Kentucky labor leaders, and they'll tell you otherwise.

Union members living in areas impacted by severe storms and widespread flooding in Louisiana (click here for a list of designated areas) and who have had a Union Plus Credit Card, mortgage or qualifying insurance policy for at least a year may be eligible for $500 Disaster Relief Grants.

Easter is this Sunday, so here is a list of union-made in America treats to fill an Easter basket and other holiday accoutrements brought to you by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor's resource site, Labor 411. These Easter shopping list ideas are brought to you by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM), the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the Machinists (IAM), United Farm Workers (UFW) and the Teamsters (IBT).  

You've probably watched one before. 

An anti-union video so painfully corny, you probably had to turn it off after a few seconds. 

Ever wonder how the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal would affect you or the people you love?

Zahara Heckscher explains how TPP will make it harder for cancer patients to afford life-saving treatment. 

Each week, we take a look at the biggest friends and foes of labor. We celebrate the workers winning big and small battles, and we shame the companies or people trying to deny working people their rights.

Every week, we'll be bringing you a roundup of the important news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here's this week's Working People Weekly List.

This weekend, many will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day by going green and grabbing a frosty brew, and Labor 411 has more than a few great options. Our beer list has topped 250 choices and if you’re putting a meal together, we’ve got some delicious savory accompaniments. Add a little green food coloring to your pint and you’re good to go. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

This week, workers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, gained new protections for making sure they are paid fairly and on time. On March 14, city manager Richard Rossi signed an executive order establishing certification requirements for vendors bidding on city contracts. The measure seeks to prevent wage theft, which is the improper withholding of payment from employees and the failure to pay employees according to required schedules. Wage theft most often involves employers paying less than the minimum, contracted or prevailing wage, not paying for all hours worked, or not paying overtime for hours exceeding 40 per week. But wage theft can take many forms—employers may never send the final paycheck or may misclassify workers as independent contractors.

Following the U.S. Department of Labor sending the much-needed overtime rule to the Office of Management and Budget, the AFL-CIO renewed its call for final action on these worker protections to improve the lives of working people across the country. These regulations include rules on fiduciary responsibility, silica and the persuader rule.

"How do you expect anyone to pay for their own poison?"

That's the question Flint, Michigan, resident Keri Webber is asking while in Washington, D.C. Webber and other families affected by the Flint water crisis are at the nation's Capitol to demand answers and solutions from Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R), who is in town to testify before Congress on the crisis.