Working Families Need Your Help: In the States Roundup
It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states. Click on any of the links to follow the state federations on Twitter.
Alaska AFL-CIO:
Oh, you haven't signed our petition to #PassThePROAct yet? NOW is a wonderful time to correct that unfortunate predicament! #UnionStrong #1u https://t.co/AyqQhWSEAb
— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) June 9, 2021California Labor Federation:
.@UFWupdates Twitter is pure ? ?? https://t.co/JEpUeKavHw
— California Labor Federation (@CaliforniaLabor) June 9, 2021Colorado AFL-CIO:
Thank you @JessieDanielson @domoreno @YadiraCaraveo @McCormickForCO for sponsoring and shepherding this important bill. Thank you everyone who helped! #coleg #copolitics #agworkersrights #1u pic.twitter.com/1nlaAWt06m
— Colorado AFL-CIO (@AFLCIOCO) June 8, 2021Connecticut AFL-CIO:
TAKE ACTION: Tell @GovNedLamont & legislative leaders to respect frontline heroes' sacrifice during #COVID19 pandemic & support hazard pay for essential workers https://t.co/4ZSjvoetws
— Connecticut AFL-CIO (@ConnAFLCIO) June 1, 2021Florida AFL-CIO:
Ending federal unemployment benefits is an insult to thousands of already struggling Floridians and will needlessly damage our local economies.
Tell Governor DeSantis not to end federal unemployment benefits. Sign the petition today!https://t.co/qq9tBdZmYy pic.twitter.com/PipBJgSgM0
Georgia AFL-CIO:
In states like Georgia with no state-level civil rights legislation + “at-will” employment laws, queer workers face unchecked discrimination at unacceptable levels. #Pride has always been a movement for power - our leaders need to pass the #PROAct + the #EqualityAct, NOW. #1u
— Georgia AFL-CIO // Pass The #ProAct (@AFLCIOGeorgia) June 3, 2021Indiana State AFL-CIO:
Union busting is disgusting https://t.co/Uw9I38eiSS
— Indiana AFL-CIO (@INAFLCIO) June 8, 2021Iowa Federation of Labor:
Media Awards https://t.co/53dppkiJaN #iaff
— Iowa AFL-CIO (@IowaAFLCIO) June 8, 2021Maine AFL-CIO:
The wave of union organizing in Maine continues!
Congratulations to the Biddeford Saco Old Orchard Beach Transit workers on forming a union! Welcome to the labor movement brothers and sisters! #mepolitics #UnionStrong @ATUComm pic.twitter.com/6XU9voJu17
Massachusetts AFL-CIO:
Steve Joyce of the @NASRCC_UBC: “We want employers to employ workers and pay them for the work that they do.” #mapoli #stopMAwagetheft pic.twitter.com/EDvOaHNkcr
— Massachusetts AFL-CIO // Pass the #PROAct (@massaflcio) June 8, 2021Michigan AFL-CIO:
Republicans are running a coordinated national campaign to suppress our votes. Stand up for our right to vote - send the GOP a message they can't ignore, that our voices won't be suppressed! https://t.co/0YODCdJgv4 pic.twitter.com/0Uq3EqN9qf
— Michigan AFL-CIO ? (@MIAFLCIO) June 2, 2021Minnesota AFL-CIO:
Jeff Bezos Is Going to Space for Fun and To Distract From the Real Problems at Amazon https://t.co/ZrbLPWPY7Y #1u
— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) June 8, 2021Missouri AFL-CIO:
? Senator Blunt: 314-725-4484
? Senator Hawley: 573-554-1919
The #PROAct will empower workers to exercise our freedom to organize and negotiate for better wages and working conditions. pic.twitter.com/YrsN6bBqy9
Montana AFL-CIO:
Congratulations to the workers of New Hampshire! #1u #UnionStrong https://t.co/Eq228Nj5I9
— Montana AFL-CIO (@MTaflcio) June 3, 2021Nevada State AFL-CIO:
"Over the last year, many of our nation’s home care workers have served on the front lines of the pandemic, with little to no benefits and low wages."#HomeCareIsEssential
From @RepHorsford:https://t.co/xE0sqEjXXY
New Hampshire AFL-CIO:
Congratulations to labor activist and newly-elected state rep Muriel Hall! In a district where registered Republicans significantly out-number Democrats, Sister Hall won with by a massive 16%, with labor support- including ours. Kudos also to Dem. Ldr. Renny Cushing for the win. pic.twitter.com/ASbxvUhJ61
— NewHampshire AFL-CIO (@NHAFLCIO) June 9, 2021New Mexico Federation of Labor:
Thanks to the bold leadership of President @rweingarten and the @AFTunion, working families feel safe and secure as students and educators make a safe return to in person learning. #1u #AFTall https://t.co/CPTsexeREi
— NMFL \\ Pass the PROAct // (@NMFLaflcio) June 8, 2021New York State AFL-CIO:
After more than a year of COVID-19, Stories of Hope might be exactly what we need.
On the latest #UnionStrong podcast, we learn about the @DonateLifeNYS program and bring you moving stories of a @IBEW donor and @OwensCorning GMP 77 recipient. https://t.co/7I99uaJMS3
North Carolina State AFL-CIO:
The NC House voted to cut nearly 300,000 jobless NCians from wage replacement while they look for work, but it's not too late to take action! Contact your NC Senator and @NC_Governor to make it clear they must stand with working people: https://t.co/1eG1EPTeQW #1u #ncga
— NC State AFL-CIO // Pass the #PROAct! (@NCStateAFLCIO) June 4, 2021Ohio AFL-CIO:
Amen, Rev. Hughes. Those babies do matter and we will continue our fight for a just, fair and constitutional school funding program that doesn't rig our education system against kids based on the zip code they happen to live. https://t.co/QjRp663fmO
— Ohio AFL-CIO (@ohioaflcio) June 9, 2021Oregon AFL-CIO:
BREAKING:
SB 483 has PASSSED and is headed to @OregonGovBrown's desk. Thank you to @Kathleen4Oregon, @RepBSW, @AndreaRSalinas for your leadership in helping protect OR workers from retaliton for health & safety complaints. #orleg #ORpol #1u pic.twitter.com/1RxA4e6FSD
Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:
We stand with healthcare workers! ✊ https://t.co/96W38GfX4n
— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) June 8, 2021Rhode Island AFL-CIO:
RICOSH Worksite Solutions
BEAT THE HEAT:
ELEMENTS OF A HEAT-HEALTHY PROGRAM pic.twitter.com/FwfyL2iRxB
Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council:
We are proud to be one of the 300+ co-signers of this letter and thank the other labor and affiliated community groups throughout the state who also added their names! #1u https://t.co/QH3i8Y3jgI
— Tennessee AFL-CIO (@tnaflcio) June 9, 2021Texas AFL-CIO:
States canceling extra unemployment benefits will cost local economies $12.3 billion https://t.co/CtbL2SsE0G via @Yahoo
— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) June 3, 2021West Virginia AFL-CIO:
UMWA representative Chad Francis told the PSC Wednesday it’s time to “pump the brakes on these premature power plant closures.” https://t.co/2dzADSaMCf
— West Virginia AFLCIO (@WestVirginiaAFL) June 3, 2021Wisconsin State AFL-CIO:
Unions, workforce development groups point way to recovery following pandemic https://t.co/5p1a4jCoRR @wrtpbigstep
— WI AFL-CIO (@wisaflcio) June 8, 2021 Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/09/2021 - 13:33Pride Month Profiles: Michael Golojuch Jr.
For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Michael Golojuch Jr.
Michael Golojuch Jr. is active in Pride At Work Hawaii, the Hawaii State AFL-CIO and the Democratic Party of Hawaii. He has testified before the state legislature in support of bills and resolutions introduced by the state federation and union affiliates. He works as an administrative assistant to the director of the State of Hawaii Employees' Retirement System.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/09/2021 - 09:41Service + Solidarity Spotlight: New Mexico Federation of Labor Elects a Worker Champion to Congressional District 1
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
On Tuesday, June 1, union-endorsed candidate Melanie Stansbury won by a landslide in a special election to represent New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District, a House seat vacated by Deb Haaland, secretary of the Interior Department, with 60.3% to 35.7% of the vote. The New Mexico Federation of Labor kicked off a historic labor program by opening three staging locations to host phone banks and literature drops, at the state federation’s office and the union halls of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 611 and Laborers (LIUNA) Local 16. The state federation also recruited seven release staff from local affiliates, AFSCME District Council 18, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 8029, LIUNA local 16, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) New Mexico and SMART Local 49. Workers knocked on doors and dropped literature at the nearly 13,000 homes of union members and households. With almost 10,000 calls and mail pieces going out to more than 28,000 targeted union members and households in the 1st District, working families made the difference in this election.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/09/2021 - 08:32Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
Mexican Worker Tells Vice President: ‘There Is Still No Justice’
In a meeting today with Vice President Kamala Harris, Imelda Jímenez, a worker from the Teksid Hierro plant in Ciudad Frontera, Mexico, which makes engine cylinder blocks for the North American market, described the workers’ seven-year battle to form an independent union in the factory where the top wage is $2.50 per hour.
“The workers went on strike in 2014 to protest the low wages and the corruption of the CTM union led by Tereso Medina,” Jímenez said. Medina, who heads the Confederation of Mexican Workers (CTM) in Coahuila, controls many labor contracts in the automotive industry, including the General Motors plant where the United States recently filed a complaint under the "rapid response" mechanism of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
After the strike, the workers organized with the independent National Mineworkers’ Union. “It took the government four years to hold an election between our union and the CTM, and we won 238-145,” Jímenez explained. “But the company refused to recognize the election and instead fired 123 union supporters.”
Labor repression affects migration, she continued. “Some workers who were fired had to go to the U.S. because they were blacklisted and could not find employment anywhere.”
In July 2020, a judge ordered the company to rehire Jímenez with back pay, “but they ignored the order,” she said. “And the Federal Labor Court ordered the company to recognize our union in November, but they still refused to negotiate with us,” she said. “After seven years of struggle, there is still no justice for the workers.”
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/08/2021 - 14:38Tags: Mexico
Pride Month Profiles: Juston Larsen
For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Juston Larsen.
Juston Larson is a Starbucks barista at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas and has been a member for six years with the Culinary Workers Union, UNITE HERE Local 226. Larson has severe allergic asthma that requires him to carry medication at all times, even when he worked as a canvasser as his union helped win Nevada for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
"As an LGBTQ+ member, being a union member means unity to me," Larson said. "The union difference means that I am not alone because my union is so diverse. After the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, many workers like myself lost our jobs. For the last year, the Culinary Union is fighting for hospitality workers to have the right to return as the economy recovers. I'm grateful to be a part of my union!"
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/08/2021 - 09:41Service + Solidarity Spotlight: New Hampshire House of Representatives Reject Right to Work
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
On Thursday, June 3, the New Hampshire House voted to indefinitely postpone S.B. 61, a bill that aimed to make the Granite State the first “right to work” state in the Northeast. The final vote was 199–175. All Democrats voted against the bill, and they were joined by 20 members of the Republican majority who did not support the position of their leadership.
For more than six months, labor leaders and union members across the state have been speaking out, rallying and contacting their representatives about the dangers of this bill, which would have deprived workers of our freedom to join together and form strong unions if we choose to.
Dozens of New Hampshire union leaders and members gathered outside of the New Hampshire Sportsplex in Bedford, where the House was hosting its final session, to protest right to work. New Hampshire AFL-CIO President Glenn Brackett (IBEW), New Hampshire AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Dave Pelletier (UA) and New Hampshire Building and Construction Trades Council President Mike Smith (Ironworkers) were all present at the rally.
“The New Hampshire AFL-CIO applauds the New Hampshire House of Representatives for voting to indefinitely postpone S.B. 61, harmful legislation that would have made the Granite State the first ‘right to work’ state in the Northeast,” said President Brackett.
“For more than 40 years, New Hampshire’s labor movement has been sounding the alarm on ‘right to work’ laws. These bills are nothing more than out of state, corporate interests looking to take advantage of our lawmakers, our businesses and our workers. They deprive workers of their freedom to join together and form strong unions if they choose to. And they have no business being a part of how we do things here in New Hampshire.
“Our labor unions have fought for more than a century to ensure that collective bargaining agreements in the Granite State consist of some of the best union wages, benefits and jobsite protections in the country. We are extraordinarily grateful for our lawmakers who made the decision to side with us and our workers to defeat this harmful bill.”
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/08/2021 - 08:30Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
Economy Gains 559,000 Jobs in May; Unemployment Down to 5.8%
The U.S. economy gained 559,000 jobs in May, and the unemployment rate declined to 5.8%, according to figures released Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In response to the May job numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs tweeted:
Labor force flow data show we are in a steady pattern of unemployed workers being able to land jobs. The early exits last Spring reflected the large share of temporary layoffs. The flat trend shows there is nothing related to UI benefit supplement changes. #JobsReport #JobsDay pic.twitter.com/td9awvdRfb
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) June 4, 2021The labor force flow data show bigger numbers of workers who were not-in-the-labor force landed jobs than ended up unemployed, though the number of re-entrants to the labor force who didn't find jobs was up from last month. New entrants had lower unemployment this month. @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/BYrAF5b5p8
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) June 4, 2021Job gains this month were shared by most industries. Again the lowest wage industry (moving down on the chart), leisure & hospitality, continued to show the greatest job gains (moving right on the chart). Construction sticks out for showing job losses. @AFLCIO #JobsReport pic.twitter.com/DgD0x8NyAk
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) June 4, 2021Weakening the unemployment insurance system has been shown in many studies to lower labor force participation. The search requirements of unemployment benefit programs encourages workers to stay engaged. Cutting UI doesn't help. @AFLCIO #JobsReport
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) June 4, 2021Using the narrow unemployment rate and even the broadest measure of labor slack, it is not responsible to suggest we are in a tight labor market. Employers are misgauging who they think should show up in the que. Employers are not showing they are being less selective in hiring pic.twitter.com/hlLwQ8hpsc
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) June 4, 2021The unemployment rate for those with less than a high school diploma fell from 9.3 to 9.1%, so finally THE Black unemployment rate at 9.1% is the same as for high school drop outs, but not a sign of a tight labor market. @AFLCIO #JobsReport
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) June 4, 2021Last month’s biggest job gains were in leisure and hospitality (+292,000), education (+144,000), health care and social assistance (+46,000), professional and business services (+35,000), information (+29,000), manufacturing (+23,000), transportation and warehousing (+23,000) and wholesale trade (+20,000). Losses were seen in construction (-20,000) and retail trade (-6,000). In May, employment changed little in other major industries, including mining, financial activities and other services.
In May, the unemployment rates declined for teenagers (9.6%), Hispanics (7.3%) and White Americans (5.1%). The jobless rates for Black Americans (9.1%), adult men (5.9%), Asians (5.5%) and adult women (5.4%) showed little change in May.
The number of long-term unemployed workers (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) declined in May and accounted for 40.9% of the total unemployed.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 06/07/2021 - 12:54Unions Are Essential to Racial Justice: The Working People Weekly List
Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s the latest edition of the Working People Weekly List.
Unions Are Essential to Racial Justice: "The events of the past year, from the many high-profile police killings of Black people to the COVID-19 pandemic’s disproportionate impact on communities of color, drive home the need for all of us to play a more active role to combat racial inequity and white supremacy. And one venue where real change can occur is in the workplace. As the president of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO, I lead a coalition of 24 national unions representing more than 4 million professionals. Through bargaining for pay, benefits and working conditions, our affiliates’ members have created sustainable, family-supporting careers in their industries. While these workplace improvements have raised standards for all professionals, employees of color tend to see some of the greatest gains from union membership."
House Kills GOP Touted Right-To-Work Bill: "'These bills are nothing more than out of state, corporate interests looking to take advantage of our lawmakers, our businesses, and our workers,' said AFL-CIO New Hampshire president Glenn Bracket. 'They deprive workers of their freedom to join together and form strong unions if they choose to. And they have no business being a part of how we do things here in New Hampshire.'”
Biden Administration Will Expand Union Rights for 46,000 TSA Officers: "The U.S. Homeland Security Department said on Thursday that 46,000 Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers will be eligible for expanded union rights and the department will move to boost pay for frontline airport screeners. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka called the announcement 'a critical victory for tens of thousands of hardworking union members and will finally allow @TSA workers to bargain for their future like other federal workers.' He urged TSA 'to immediately come to the table to reach a fair contract, and we call on Congress to finally codify these workers’ bargaining rights into law by passing the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act.'”
For Many Workers, Change in Mask Policy Is a Nightmare: "The Kroger supermarket in Yorktown, Virginia, is in a county where mask wearing can be casual at best. Yet for months, the store urged patrons to cover their noses and mouths, and almost everyone complied. 'People don’t like to wear masks here,' said Janet Wainwright, a meat cutter at the store, 'but very few people would go without it.' That changed in mid-May after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised vaccinated Americans that they could go maskless in most indoor settings. The next week, the store told employees that they could no longer ask customers to cover their faces. So mask use plummeted, and the anxiety of Ms. Wainwright and other workers shot up. More than a dozen retail, hospitality and fast-food workers across the country interviewed by The New York Times expressed alarm that their employers had used the CDC guidance to make masks optional for vaccinated customers."
Striking Coal Miners in Alabama Energize Support Across the South: "About 1,100 coalminers represented by the United Mine Workers of America in Brookwood, Alabama, have been on strike since the start of April against Warrior Met Coal amid new union contract negotiations. Last month supporters held a concert to raise money for striking miners that included Mike Cooley of the Drive-By Truckers and comedian Drew Morgan. Labor leaders from around the U.S., including the AFA-CWA president, Sara Nelson, and the AFL-CIO secretary treasurer, Liz Shuler, have visited the striking miners to lend their support. 'Warrior Met still refuses to engage in meaningful negotiations with the UMWA at the bargaining table,' the UMWA international president, Cecil E. Roberts, said in a recent press release. 'But they are clearly on the wrong side of history. Community support for the strikers is growing, and now their struggle is gaining nationwide attention.'”
Pavement Coffeehouse Employees Move to Unionize; Would Be First Union Café In Massachusetts: "Employees at Pavement Coffeehouse, a local chain with locations around Greater Boston, have begun the process of forming a union—hoping to become the first coffee shop in the state with a unionized workforce. Eleven members of the Pavement Coffee Organizing Committee, represented by the New England Joint Board UNITE HERE union, delivered a letter to Pavement Coffee Roasters owner Larry Margulies Tuesday morning that declared their intent to form a union. In the letter, employees asked Margulies to voluntarily recognize the union, not engage in 'any union busting activity' and enter into a good faith contract negotiation."
AFL-CIO’s Department of Professional Employees Praises Biden Administration’s Proposed Funding for the Arts & Humanities: "'We are excited to see the Biden administration take a promising step towards the big bold action needed to put creative professionals back to work and build the arts back better,' said DPE president Jennifer Dorning. 'In proposing $201 million in funding for the NEA, President Biden has provided a path for the agency to quickly get to a funding level of $331 million, which amounts to one dollar per capita and, adjusted for inflation, is the high water mark for funding historically.'”
President Richard Trumka Joined Bloomberg Radio to Discuss Why the PRO Act Is Key to Build Back Better: "AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka joined Bloomberg Radio to discuss why the PROAct is key to Build Back Better and putting us on the path to an economic recovery."
On Infrastructure and Clean Energy, America Must Play to Win: "Today’s energy infrastructure challenges are no less daunting. We must invest quickly and decisively to reduce emissions and stem climate change, and to improve our lagging competitiveness. New infrastructure must also deliver results on social equity, inequality, and systemic racism, 21st century crises whose solutions cannot be deferred. That’s why the AFL-CIO and the Energy Future Initiative formed the Labor Energy Partnership—to forge a path to modernize our energy infrastructure, address climate change with the urgency it deserves, and seize the opportunity to create high-quality union jobs. Like President Biden, we put workers’ rights, dignity and power at the center of the clean energy transition."
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 06/07/2021 - 11:26Pride Month Profiles: Angela Hamby
For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Angie Hamby.
Angela Hamby is a trailblazer and an advocate who fights until the job is done. She has worked at MARTA in Georgia for nearly two decades, currently working as vice president of maintenance, and has long served as a shop steward and member of the executive board of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 732.
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 06/07/2021 - 09:30Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Connecticut AFL-CIO: UConn Health Rally for Fair Wages and Treatment
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Connecticut AFL-CIO reports that members of University Health Professionals Local 3837, an affiliate of the Connecticut American Federation of Teachers (AFT), held an informational picket on Thursday, May 27. The picket was held in an effort to tell UConn Health management that they demand a fair contract. For months, the union has sought telework, safe patient limits, support for workplace violence and COVID-19 related trauma, reduction in mandatory overtime and fair-wage increases. UConn Health management has repeatedly rejected fair proposals.
“Enough is enough,” said the union in a Facebook post. “After spending the last year calling health care workers ‘heroes,’ UConn Health is trying to gut our contract, reduce our benefits and force us to take a two-year wage freeze. On top of that, elected officials, including the governor, are refusing to raise revenue to invest in the community (like UConn Health) and are diverting federal funds that could be used for hazard pay for essential workers.”
Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 06/07/2021 - 08:36Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
Pride Month Profiles: Dominic Trumfio
For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Dominic Trumfio.
Dominic Trumfio is a member of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 10-208 in Chicago. Trumfio is a theater musician, associate music director at his church and musical director for the Kiki Queens, a highly sought-after volunteer live-singing drag group, which has partnered with a variety of community-service organizations in the Chicago area. Trumfio says that a multifaceted music career has afforded him the opportunity to work in a variety of settings and give back to his community.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/04/2021 - 09:08Service + Solidarity Spotlight: UMWA Supports Striking Coal Miners in Alabama
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Mine Workers (UMWA) at Warrior Met Coal in Brookwood, Alabama, continue to strike, with another rally on Wednesday. UMWA, led by President Cecil Roberts, has been providing support and comfort to the members of locals 2245, 2397, 2368 and 2427, who have been on strike since April 1. The 1,100 coal miners are fighting for improvements to wages and benefits after they made concessions in the last contract with Warrior Met in 2016. Roberts recently spoke in an interview about the efforts, which include ongoing rallies, other locals providing support for families with strike pantries, and the Alabama Strike Fest, a May 22 concert in Brookwood that featured comedians Drew Morgan and D.J. Lewis, Mike Cooley of the band Drive-By Truckers, and Birmingham gospel punks Lee Bains III and the Glory Fires. While the struggle continues, the coal miners in Brookwood know that UMWA has their back.
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/04/2021 - 08:30Tags: Community Service, COVID-19
Pride Month Profiles: Andrew Reed
For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Andrew Reed.
Andrew Reed grew up in a union home. His father was a member of the United Steelworkers (USW). In 2015, he began working at Stark County Job and Family Services in Ohio. The next year, he became active in the same union his father belonged to and serves as president of USW Local 9187. He is a member of the USW International LGBTQ+ Advisory Council and is the LGBTQ+ liaison for USW District 1. His other activities include chairing the United Way's Labor Cares Program, completing one year of the District 1 Leadership Program and Boy Scouts of America, where he is an Eagle Scout and has won awards for his outstanding leadership.
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 06/03/2021 - 09:30Service + Solidarity Spotlight: AFSCME Member Saves Baby Ducks
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Sometimes your union job takes you down a strange path. During his daily duties of cleaning and opening the Charles River Esplanade in Boston, Massachusetts, T.J. Ruddock was called to help a woman one morning. Ruddock, a member of AFSCME Local 3485, responded to a report of a mother duck frantically circling a sewer grate. Trapped below the grate were eight ducklings who were unable to escape.
“At first, we tried a net to scoop them out, but the ducklings kept jumping out before we could get them up,” Ruddock said. “We realized someone was going to have to just get down in there and get them out by hand, so I grabbed my highwaters and climbed in.” Ruddock retrieved all eight ducklings and returned them to their mother. “I definitely love this part of the job, being able to help. You’re always helping out people, the wildlife, helping when there are events. I’m trying to get a full-time position to be here and help out more often.”
Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 06/03/2021 - 08:32Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
Pride Month Profiles: Kim Sansom
For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Kim Sansom.
Kim Sansom has been a member of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 429 for 29 years and has been serving as president of the local for the past two years. She also serves on IBEW's International Women's Committee and the Electrical Workers Minority Caucus. Sansom has been instrumental in building and leading the Music City Construction Careers apprenticeship readiness program in Nashville, Tennessee, and is fiercely committed to recruiting, supporting, and mentoring women, people of color and LGBTQ people in the trades.
Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/02/2021 - 10:30Pride Month Profiles: Bess Watts
For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Bess Watts.
Throughout her many years of service to the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), an affiliate of AFSCME, Bess Watts earned a reputation as a fighter and a strong voice for LGBTQ rights in Rochester, New York. She also fought for two decades to advance women's rights and the rights of working people. Watts began her career as an interlibrary loan specialist and senior clerk at Monroe Community College before working her way up to several leadership positions, including president of the Monroe County local of CSEA and as president of the Pride At Work Finger Lakes Chapter.
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/01/2021 - 10:30Tags: pride
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: CWA Members Rally to End the Filibuster, Pass the PRO Act
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
On May 20, Communications Workers of America (CWA) members joined hundreds of other Arizonans at End the Filibuster rallies in Phoenix, Tucson and Flagstaff to increase the pressure on Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly to declare their support for ending the filibuster. A few days later, at the Arizona Democratic Party’s state convention, members passed resolutions calling for Sinema and Kelly to work to end the filibuster and support the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. CWA Local 7050 member and Arizona Democratic Party Labor Council Co-Chair Angel Wells helped circulate the PRO Act resolution and spoke in favor of its passage at the meeting.
“For too long, union members have worked tirelessly to elect politicians who promise to support us then use the filibuster as an excuse for why they cannot pass legislation like the PRO Act that addresses our needs and builds union member power,” said Wells. “We are tired of getting the runaround. It’s time for our senators to stand on the side of getting things done for working people.”
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/01/2021 - 10:00Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Massachusetts Teachers Association: Rally Against MCAS Tests
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) hosted a rally on May 24 at the Jacobs School in Hull, Massachusetts in a show of support for a teacher facing sanctions after refusing to provide the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests.
The MTA, Massachusetts Association of School Committees and Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents are all opposed to requiring the MCAS this year, suggesting that local diagnostic tools would be more effective in determining learning loss. The organizations cite concerns about students’ mental health and about the loss of learning time in an already truncated year. This year, the tests will also measure the quality of students’ WiFi connections, their access to technology, the stability of their housing and the amount of COVID-related trauma they have endured.
“The MTA and allies are continuing to fight by raising public awareness about the negative impact of high-stakes testing on students and by advocating for a bill to end the state’s MCAS-based high school competency determination forever,” stated the organizations.
“If state and federal bureaucrats refuse to cancel the MCAS, parents can take charge to protect their children. They can opt out—refusing to let their children be subjected to this unnecessary, stressful and racially biased test in the middle of a pandemic.”
Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/01/2021 - 09:33Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
Memorial Day: Honoring U.S. Military Personnel Who Made the Ultimate Sacrifice
Today is Memorial Day. There are more than 1 million working union veterans in the labor movement—found within every affiliated union of the AFL-CIO. For many of those veterans and their families, today is a day of reflection and remembrance. It’s up to all of us to honor the memories of those we celebrate today and to be there for our sisters and brothers who might be having a tough day.
Let’s be clear: Memorial Day isn’t Veterans Day. Veterans Day is a day that honors the service and sacrifice of all U.S. military veterans. Memorial Day is set aside explicitly for those U.S. military personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.
There’s nothing wrong with using this long weekend to attend a BBQ and have a good time. But we should collectively take a moment to remember the true purpose of the day and also remember that many will be grieving.
We’ve lost too many veterans, overseas and at home due to the traumas of war. This year, the Union Veterans Council is using its microphone on Memorial Day to talk to union veterans who might need help or may know someone in need of help, and the council will include resources for veterans struggling with mental health or substance abuse.
We hope that you will join us in spreading this message.
Substance Abuse
Too many veterans have died due to struggles with substance abuse after returning home. On this Memorial Day, let those in your life who are struggling know there are resources available. Let them know, they have your support. Visit the Veterans Administration (VA) for more.
Mental Health
Today is a particularly hard day for veterans and military families. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, there are support systems here for you. Please visit the VA for more.
Other Resources
- VA: Substance Use Treatment for Veterans
- VA: Veteran Suicide Prevention
- VA: Guide to Mental Health Services for Veterans and Families
- VA Hotlines
- Quit VET: Any veteran receiving health care through VA is eligible to use the Quit VET quitline. Call the quitline to speak with a tobacco cessation counselor. Call 1-855-QUIT-VET.
- Veterans Crisis Line: The Veterans Crisis Line connects veterans and service members in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring VA responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat or text. Call 1-800-273-8255 or chat online.
- War Vet Call Center: The War Vet Call Center is a confidential call center where combat veterans and their families can call to talk about their military experience or any other issue they are facing in their readjustment to civilian life. Call 1-877-WAR-VETS (1-877-927-8387).
- Women Veterans Call Center: The Women Veterans Call Center (WVCC) provides VA services and resources to women veterans, their families and their caregivers. You can also chat online anonymously with a WVCC representative. Call 1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-6636) or chat online.
Tags: Union Veterans Council
Build Back Better With Unions: The Working People Weekly List
Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s the latest edition of the Working People Weekly List.
PRO Act Builds It Back Better With Unions: "The American Jobs Plan is not threatened by America’s labor movement. It is strengthened by us and the inclusion of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Let’s clarify a few points. First, the PRO Act will not “force Americans” into anything. Instead, it will give workers the choice to form a union through a free and fair election. That’s not a power grab—just workplace democracy. Not only is the PRO Act strong policy, it’s good politics. A recent Morning Consult poll found a staggering 73% of voters—including 59% of Republicans—support the right to collectively bargain. The PRO Act will strengthen and expand that right. That’s why, in a rare bipartisan vote, the House passed the PRO Act in March."
Biden's American Jobs Plan Builds Back Better for Michigan: "Michigan sits at a transformational moment as we take steps to emerge from this terrible pandemic—not just in winning the battle against COVID-19, but using our recovery to recharge the state’s economy and put people to work as we begin to heal. As leaders with the Michigan AFL-CIO and Michigan League of Conservation Voters, we acknowledge that the labor and environmental movements haven’t always seen eye-to-eye. But one thing we can agree on: Michigan has an incredible, once-in-a-generation opportunity to build back better together."
Dayton Public Schools Announces Dayton-Miami Valley AFL-CIO's Take Kids Fishing Day': "The Dayton-Miami Valley AFL-CIO is hosting their annual 'Take Kids Fishing Day' set for Saturday, June 19, 2021. Get the kids outdoors for fun-filled hours of fishing and a free picnic lunch! (child, grandchild, neighbor or friends invited)."
Biden Taps Union-Side Labor Atty. For Fifth NLRB Seat: "President Joe Biden on Wednesday nominated labor lawyer Gwynne Wilcox to be a member of the National Labor Relations Board, tapping a union-side practitioner to fill the long-vacant fifth seat on the panel."
The Final Straw’: How the Pandemic Pushed Restaurant Workers over the Edge: "Restaurant chains and industry groups say a shortage of workers like Conway is slowing their recovery, as the sector tries to get back on its feet amid sinking COVID cases, falling restrictions and resurgent demand in many areas around the country. All described the pandemic as an awakening—realizing that long-held concerns about the industry were valid, and compounded by the new health concerns. And forced to stop working or look for other jobs early on in the pandemic, many realized they had other options."
The U.S. CDC's Mask Guidance Ignores the Risks Workers Face Every Day: "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) announcement last week that fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks or socially distance came as a great relief to millions of people who have been vaccinated. But it has also led to confusion and chaos in workplaces and other locations where vaccinated and unvaccinated people mix. Public health agencies like CDC are charged with protecting the health of populations, not just individuals. With its recent masking recommendation, the CDC is forgetting its basic public health mission, holding back our efforts to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, and increasing the danger that workers face."
UAW Gets More than 10,000 Signatures to Organize 10 University of California Campuses: "A quiet campaign by UAW organizers at the University of California ended Monday with more than 10,000 signed cards officially submitted to authorities that would create the Student Researchers United-UAW, representing more than 17,000 higher education workers. These union activists are not required to hold a formal election and can, instead, submit the signed 10,441 cards to California's Public Employee Relations Board in Oakland. Researchers marched down to the office at 1330 Broadway carrying a banner just after 2 p.m. Signatures will have to be certified as union organizers await instructions on next steps."
Unions Are Essential to Racial Justice: "As the president of the Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (DPE), I lead a coalition of 24 national unions representing more than four million professionals. Through bargaining for pay, benefits, and working conditions, our affiliates’ members have created sustainable, family-supporting careers in their industries. While these workplace improvements have raised standards for all professionals, employees of color tend to see some of the greatest gains from union membership. Black union members earn 26% higher wages and are more likely than employees of any other race to be union members. Both of these factors help to narrow the wage gap between Black and white employees. Additionally, while union employees do better than their nonunion counterparts within every racial group, union membership impacts the accumulation of wealth more for nonwhite families than for white families. Nonwhite union families have almost five times the median wealth as their nonunion counterparts."
Shuler, Levin: Pro Act Would Have Stopped Amazon’s Tactics at Bessemer: "In a stark illustration of how current U.S. labor law is tilted against workers, two experts on changing it—AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler and Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., a former top union organizer—say the Protect The Right To Organize (Pro) Act would have basically outlawed Amazon’s high-pressure tactics that defeated the union organizing drive at its big warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama. And they also added, in a Zoom press conference on May 20, that one defeat won’t stop organized labor’s campaign to both organize the behemoth and to increase union density in the deep-red, union-hostile South. 'In the deep South, there’s a racist streak of dividing Black and white workers, and it’s called 'right to work,'' Shuler declared. So-called RTW laws, a favorite of union haters in the corporate class and the radical right, first arose in the South in the 1940s for just that purpose.'"
Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 05/28/2021 - 14:52Tags: COVID-19, Community Service
