'Transparent' Musicians Call for Equal Treatment and a Voice on the Job
Working people in Los Angeles are calling for Picrow, the production company behind the Amazon show "Transparent," to treat musicians fairly. Members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 47 leafleted outside the show's Pearblossom, California, desert location shoot, asking, "Where's the pride for musicians." The musicians want Picrow to treat them the same as it treats the other working people on the show. The actors, writers, directors and crew receive union wages, benefits and protections, but musicians are not covered by a labor contract.
Let's Get Serious About Mass Incarceration
Mass incarceration is an important issue for working people. These policies have devastated communities of color, weakened our movement, and made the job of law enforcement and corrections officers more dangerous. It's time that we have a deeper conversation about mass incarceration and pursue policy changes that will improve the lives of those who are presently or formerly incarcerated, their families, and our brothers and sisters who work in prisons. Mass incarceration has become a big business whose product is low wages and blighted lives, and the time has come for us to do something about it.
President Cruz Would Silence Working People: Winners and Losers of the Week
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.
The Working People Weekly List
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.
Liz Shuler Talks About the 2016 Election and Workers' Rights
In an interview with Machinists' (IAM's) Dierdre Kaniewski, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler talks to the ViewPoint host about the 2016 election, workers' rights and everything else that is at stake for the labor movement.
The Economy Adds 215,000 Jobs in March, and Unemployment Is Essentially Unchanged at 5.0%
The U.S. economy added 215,000 jobs in March and unemployment was 5.0%, essentially unchanged from February, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This continues the record string of months with job growth.
There’s a Pretty Clear Solution to This Problem for Low-Wage Workers
A new analysis from The Pew Charitable Trusts shows that low-income Americans are experiencing a massive increase in housing costs that makes it impossible for some to afford basic needs. The study found that low-income Americans spent a median of $6,897 on housing in 2013, and that number rose to $9,178 in 2014. This was the biggest jump in the nearly 20 years of data that Pew studied. Other necessities, such as transportation and food, also have risen, but not as drastically.
California Leaders Announce Historic Deal to Raise Minimum Wage to $15
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.
Supreme Court Rejects Anti-Worker Attack in Friedrichs Ruling
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.
California's on the Rise: Winners and Losers of the Week
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.
The Working People Weekly List
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.
Over 100 Years Ago, 123 Young Women Working in a Factory Never Came Home. It Changed Our Country
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.
Who Benefits from Private Courts in the TPP? We’ll Give You One Guess
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.
105 Years Later, We Remember the Triangle Fire and Its Role in the Fight for Worker Safety
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 Applauds New Lifesaving Silica Dust Rules
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued the following statement in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issuing new workplace silica standards.
Remembering the Impact of SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard
SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard passed away this week at the age of 71. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued the following statement.
Unions Push Right to Work off the Table in Kentucky
Think voting really doesn’t matter? Talk to a pair of Kentucky labor leaders, and they'll tell you otherwise.
Union Plus Offers Assistance for Program Participants Impacted by Louisiana Storms and Flooding
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.
Made in America: Union-Made Easter
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).
The Makers of Those Cheesy Anti-Union Movies Will Soon Be More Transparent, Thanks to a New Labor Department Rule
You've probably watched one before.
An anti-union video so painfully corny, you probably had to turn it off after a few seconds.