AFL-CIO Blog

  • Extending a Helping Hand to Those Affected by the Shutdown
    Extending a Helping Hand to Those Affected by the Shutdown AFL-CIO Across the country, working people are marching and rallying for an immediate end to the government shutdown. Already the longest funding lapse in American history, this manufactured crisis has put the weight of ideological extremism on federal workers and their families. As we continue fighting to reopen the government, the labor movement also is joining together to support our brothers and sisters as they go without a paycheck. If you have been impacted by the shutdown, there are a number of resources available to you. We are engaging a network of United Way/AFL-CIO labor liaisons and labor-associated community service organizations across the country to organize support; furloughed workers can call 2-1-1 to talk to a live, trained professional to find support and identify critical services. Additionally, as a union member, you may be able to access a range of Union Plus benefits, including a $300 furlough grant, mortgage assistance, credit counseling, personal loans, auto insurance, and life and accident insurance. Other resources available to those affected by the shutdown include: Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 01/17/2019 - 09:28 Tags: Government Shutdown — Jan 17
  • Stop Starving Our Schools
    Stop Starving Our Schools UTLA The streets of Los Angeles are packed with the sights and sounds of collective action this week. Braving the cold rain, some 30,000 United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) members turned out for picket lines across the city yesterday, joined by more than 10,000 parents, students and community members. Every L.A. school site—more than 900—participated in the strike, culminating in a 50,000-person march to the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD’s) headquarters. Teachers and their allies aren’t letting up. From the leaders of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and California Labor Federation to working people across the country, the entire labor movement is showing solidarity with UTLA’s fight for better lives, schools and communities. Here are just a few of the realities they’re working to change:
    • The cost of living has increased 27% since 2008.
    • California’s student-to-teacher ratio ranks 48 out of 50 states.
    • Students in transitional kindergarten to sixth grade take more than 100 standardized LAUSD tests.
    • California is the richest state in the nation, yet ranks 43 out of 50 in per-pupil spending.
    • California’s student-to-counselor ratio is 945:1.
    • L.A.’s charter school industry has grown by 287% since 2008, draining nearly $600 million from public schools each year.
    Take action today and tell Superintendent Austin Beutner to meet the demands of Los Angeles teachers, parents and students. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/15/2019 - 15:37     — Jan 15
  • Thousands Rally in D.C. to #StopTheShutdown
    Thousands Rally in D.C. to #StopTheShutdown AFL-CIO As the government shutdown became the longest in U.S. history, thousands of working people took to the streets of Washington, D.C., to send a clear message to the president and Congress to stop the shutdown and let federal government employees get to work. Thousands more rallied at other locations around the country. Facing a politically motivated crisis, federal workers desperately need the solidarity and backing of our brothers and sisters. Leaping into action over recent days and weeks, the AFL-CIO has mobilized the full resources of the labor movement behind them. With the support of affiliates, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) successfully lobbied senators in halting consideration of any legislation until the government is reopened. Using our toll-free hotline, thousands of union members have contacted their senators to strengthen that effort. In addition to the rally in D.C., we mobilized our state federations and central labor councils to turn out members for satellite rallies in dozens of communities across the country—from Colorado and Pennsylvania to Utah and Texas—demanding an immediate end to the shutdown and highlighting the fact that many of the workers locked out during the shutdown live outside of the nation's capital. With each day that the shutdown drags on, the federation will expand and escalate our efforts. Working people won’t allow our brothers and sisters to be left out in the cold. We’re angry, we’re loud and we will be heard. Here are what attendees said about the rallies in D.C. and around the country, using the hashtag #StopTheShutdown:
    Join @AFGENational today at 12pm as we march from the @AFLCIO headquarters to the @WhiteHouse calling for an end to the shutdown. #StopTheShutdown #1u pic.twitter.com/R6cEwRE4RL — AFGE (@AFGENational) January 10, 2019
     
    It’s not even noon and workers have shut down 16th street in front of the @AFLCIO. #StopTheShutdown pic.twitter.com/s138yFekFH — Ringuette (@Ringuette) January 10, 2019
     
    “If this shutdown continues to Saturday it will be our largest shutdown in history and this isn’t a record that anyone should be proud of, let’s call this shutdown what it is: It’s a Lockout. And this has to end NOW!” - @RichardTrumka at #StopTheShutdown Rally #1u — AFL-CIO (@AFLCIO) January 10, 2019
     
    .@AFGENational’s @JDavidCoxSr says this is a lockout and a shake down — not a #shutdown. #1u #StopTheShutdown pic.twitter.com/d6INpOTAWg — AFGE (@AFGENational) January 10, 2019
     
    “Stop playing politics with our lives. End this lockout. Do your job and open the government so we can do our jobs.” -@RichardTrumka, @AFLCIO #StoptheShutdown #TrumpShutdown #Shutdown pic.twitter.com/X2xVsZyyyg — PFAW (@peoplefor) January 10, 2019
     
    Outside the ⁦@IRSnews⁩ building in Kentucky telling Senate @gop to end this senseless government shutdown! All #Union members stand with our ⁦@AFGENational⁩ ⁦@AFLCIO⁩ sisters and brothers! pic.twitter.com/kbeHexc8cX — Ohio AFL-CIO (@ohioaflcio) January 10, 2019
     
    TCU joins our @MachinistsUnion brothers and sisters in saying #StoptheShutdown and #OpentheGovernment #1u pic.twitter.com/2ziSaGIJ4X — Transportation Communications Union/IAM (@TCUnionHQ) January 10, 2019
     
    HAPPENING NOW: Federal workers in Tallahassee demanding our leaders #StopTheShutdown! pic.twitter.com/u9eIVaDcoA — Florida AFL-CIO (@FLAFLCIO) January 10, 2019
     
    “Do not hold 800,000 people’s lives as political pawns” - @MarkWarner #1u #StopTheShutdown pic.twitter.com/R8dj6pUyLp — Department for Professional Employees (@DPEaflcio) January 10, 2019
     
    #TrumpShutdown2019 ⁦@AFLCIO⁩ ⁦@AFGENational⁩ ⁦@NFFE_Union⁩ pic.twitter.com/oa58nKZqPI — MetroDCLaborCouncil (@DCLabor) January 10, 2019
     
    “@realDonaldTrump, @senatemajldr, Senate Republicans: cut it out. End this shutdown!” -@ChrisVanHollen #StoptheShutdown #TrumpShutdown #Shutdown pic.twitter.com/ylHIBG5IDb — PFAW (@peoplefor) January 10, 2019
     
    Members of @IATSELocal22 spent the morning setting up for today's #StopTheShutdown rally outside the @AFLCIO. We stand in #solidarity with all working people and demand an end to this unnecessary government shutdown! pic.twitter.com/hEgdGFymyV — IATSE (@IATSE) January 10, 2019
     
    NALC rallying in solidarity with our brothers and sisters at the AFL-CIO to end the government shutdown! pic.twitter.com/pE6PbG8yEQ — Letter Carriers (@NALC_National) January 10, 2019
     
    Out here for all people affected by the #TrumpShutdown2019 #stoptheshutdown #1u pic.twitter.com/a4t2xpJZub — DC Jobs With Justice (@DCJWJ) January 10, 2019
     
    Steve Ching, a Machinists Union member and NASA contractor at Kennedy Space Center, says it’s time to put working America back to work! #StopTheShutdown pic.twitter.com/AXPW1KfCqW — Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) January 10, 2019
     
    #Teamsters are standing with federal workers and other trade union allies at a rally in Washington, DC right now to demand an end to the government shutdown. Hundreds of thousands of our union brothers and sisters are locked out or working without pay. #StopTheShutdown pic.twitter.com/TKzcQfUE9o — Teamsters (@Teamsters) January 10, 2019
     
    “Let’s hear it for the federal workers of the United States of America!” @rweingarten pic.twitter.com/fnwjXExrDx — AFT (@AFTunion) January 10, 2019
     
    "This shutdown is hurting our families. It's hurting our communities. It's hurting our country." - @AFSCME Pres. Lee Saunders #StopTheShutdown #1u pic.twitter.com/91CWazz2Ls — AFSCME (@AFSCME) January 10, 2019
     
    It’s a cold one, but Aviation’s First Responders are out here in DC with labor allies calling an end to the shutdown! #1u #StoptheShutdown pic.twitter.com/0CRmj22DmV — AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) January 10, 2019
     
    The faces of federal employees affected by the shutdown. #StopTheShutdown pic.twitter.com/T34JEk45ls — Chi Fed of Labor (@chicagoaflcio) January 10, 2019
     
    .@AFGENational McAllen workers are demanding to go back to work and get paid @AFLCIO @TexasAFLCIO @RickTxAFLCIO @Tefere_Gebre @JDavidCoxSr #EndShutdown pic.twitter.com/7ageX7pvWQ — Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) January 10, 2019
     
    With @SenSanders in front of the @AFLCIO standing against the #TrumpShutdown https://t.co/92nyVRyB1e — Mike Levin (@MikeLevinCA) January 10, 2019
     
    Y’all, the wind chill is 26F in D.C. right now, and an enormous crowd of federal workers and allies have gathered in front of @AFLCIO to demand Trump reopen the government. Proud to be here.#TrumpShutdown pic.twitter.com/Zp7T3GJJln — Charlotte Clymer🏳️‍🌈 (@cmclymer) January 10, 2019
     
    NABTU affiliates, including @IBEW, are outside of the @AFLCIO building protesting with thousands of others to #StopTheShutdown! 😤✊ pic.twitter.com/p8neINHrek — The Building Trades (@NABTU) January 10, 2019
     
    Working people have had enough of this federal government lock out. Enough of the partisan games that are playing with people’s lives! RT to show what #1u solidarity looks like as workers march to the White House now! #StopTheShutDown pic.twitter.com/l78YfjBPJj — Liz Shuler (@lizshuler) January 10, 2019
    Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/15/2019 - 12:04 Tags: Government Shutdown     — Jan 15
  • No Joke: Worker Wins
    No Joke: Worker Wins The Onion Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with several newsrooms using collective action and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. Onion Creative Staff Approve New Contract: The creative staff at The Onion, which includes various other related publications, voted to approve a new contract. Nearly 70 employees are covered by the two-year contract. The Onion Inc. Union, affiliated with the Writers Guild of America, East, wrote: "We’re elated to have reached a first union contract for the members at Onion Inc. In addition to the gains made in our contract, we experienced immediate workplace improvements while organizing, including increased interdepartmental communication and a gender pay parity analysis. As part of the WGAE, we have access to resources and the solidarity of thousands of union members across media and entertainment. We’re proud to be part of a wave that’s raising standards across the industry and we encourage everyone to organize their workplaces." Law360 Editorial Staffers Unanimously Approve First Contract: After a two-year battle, members of The NewsGuild-CWA who work as editorial staff at LexisNexis-owned Law360, a legal news site, unanimously approved their first contract. The four-year agreement includes a 22% raise and a minimum annual salary of $50,000. In a statement, the unit said: "Last night, we unanimously (168-0!) ratified a remarkable first contract that fiercely protects and improves the working conditions of everyone in the newsroom at Law360. For years, we have been adamant about protecting the editorial integrity of the newsroom and of our bargaining unit. We successfully negotiated language that prevents the company from reinstating non-compete agreements and onerous daily story quotas. We also achieved a provision that preserves the contract in the event of a sale or acquisition of the company." New York Media Editorial Employees Join NewsGuild: After nearly 80% of eligible staffers signed on, editorial employees of New York Media voted to be represented by The NewsGuild of New York-CWA. The new unit would cover 160 full- and part-time staffers and has asked the company for voluntary recognition of the union. A mission statement from the new unit said: "We believe that unionizing is the best way to address our grievances in the workplace and allow us to continue publishing stories as honest, gritty, and exceptional as this city. We hope that New York Media will recognize our union so that we can begin an amicable collective-bargaining process and build a stronger, more equitable company for another 50 years." New York City Rideshare App Drivers Win Historic Pay Rules: After a campaign by the Independent Drivers Guild (an affiliate of the Machinists) that involved rallying 16,000 drivers to events, lobbying days and thousands of calls and letters, drivers for rideshare apps in New York have won a minimum pay rate that is equivalent to the city's $15 per hour minimum wage. "Today we brought desperately needed relief to 80,000 working families. All workers deserve the protection of a fair, livable wage and we are proud to be setting the new bar for contractor workers’ rights in America," said Jim Conigliaro Jr., founder of the Independent Drivers Guild. "We are thankful to the Mayor, Commissioner Joshi and the Taxi and Limousine Commission, City Council Member Brad Lander and all of the city officials who listened to and stood up for drivers." Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital Win Union Election: Nurses at the hospital in Cortlandt, New York, voted to join the New York State Nurses Association after an anti-union campaign that led to state officials vowing to investigate labor abuses alleged against the hospital. Nurse and organizer Susan Beck said: "We got an email from our president that said respect will be at the center of how we will continue to work together. That’s what nurses really wanted in the first place." Educators at Acero Charter Schools Reach Agreement to End Strike: Educators at Acero charter schools in Chicago ended the first strike in charter school history by reaching a tentative agreement with the school network. The 500 educators won pay improvements, reductions in class sizes and language that makes the school a sanctuary for the schools' immigrant students, including protection against federal immigration enforcement on school grounds. Chicago Teachers Union President Jesse Sharkey said: "This was the culmination of our vision over more than a decade of organizing. Our vision is that educators at charter schools and at Chicago Public Schools have common interests. We live in the same neighborhoods, we teach the same kids, and we wage the same struggles over resources and underfunding. We are now a movement that commands national attention and can stop a city." Environmental Charter School Educators Vote to Join AFT: Educators at Environmental Charter School in Pittsburgh voted to join the AFT. The new unit will represent teachers, nurses, counselors, social workers, academic coaches and educational assistants. They will now proceed with negotiations on their first union contract. Steelworkers Ratify Contract with ArcelorMittal: Some 15,000 United Steelworkers members have a new four-year labor agreement with ArcelorMittal USA that increases wages and benefits. The workers in six states had voted to authorize a strike during the acrimonious negotiations. David McCall, lead negotiator for USW District 1, said: "We successfully defended all of the rights and protections that management sought to reduce, restrict and eliminate. On top of that, we were able to make improvements, fill gaps and fix the parts of our contracts that members identified as top priorities." Oregon Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Workers Join AFSCME: Nearly 270 mental health and addiction recovery workers at Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare in Portland and Milwaukie, Oregon, voted to join AFSCME. The workers are pushing for better pay and lower case loads. The fight for unionization at the clinics was a unwelcome one from management, which held numerous anti-union meetings and AFSCME has filed charges against Cascadia for improperly firing a union supporter. Laid Off Toys 'R' Us Workers Secure $20 Million in Severance Fight: In the process of Toys "R" Us filing for bankruptcy in 2018, 31,000 employees were laid off and did not get severance payments. Meanwhile, some top executives got bonuses. The laid-off workers fought back and have negotiated a settlement with Bain Capital and KKR, private equity firms that owned part of the toy retailer, to pay $20 million in severance payments. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/15/2019 - 09:17 Tags: Organizing — Jan 15
  • #StopTheShutdown: The Working People Weekly List
    #StopTheShutdown: 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. State of the Unions: Special #StopTheShutdown Episode: A Conversation with AFGE President J. David Cox: "With the government shutdown in its third week, Julie and Tim talk to J. David Cox Sr., national president of AFGE. Cox says his members are being held hostage by extremist politics and is calling on all working people to demand that Congress and the White House reopen the government and put federal employees back to work." Our Paycheck Is Not a Bargaining Chip: "It’s day 20 of the government shutdown, and the AFL-CIO has called upon the entire labor movement to fight for our affected brothers and sisters." End the Shutdown: What Working People Are Doing This Week: "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." Economy Gains 312,000 Jobs in December; Unemployment Rises to 3.9%: "The U.S. economy gained 312,000 jobs in December, and the unemployment rate rose to 3.9%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This report shows an increase in unemployed workers and while wage gains are stronger, they are not consistent with a tight labor market. This ongoing financial and economic volatility means that the Federal Reserve needs to hold off on more rate increases." AFL-CIO's Top 10 Blog Posts of 2018: "Today, we are taking a moment to reflect on a historic year for collective action by highlighting the top 10 most-read posts on the AFL-CIO blog in 2018. Throughout the year, working people across the country joined together to build a better America. These are our stories." New Congress Begins with Influx of Worker-Friendly Members: "The 116th Congress begins today and it features a diverse group of members who are more friendly to working people than their predecessors in recent Congresses. Not only does the new class of incoming senators and representatives have the largest group of women ever and the first Native American women, the first Muslim American women and the first openly bisexual senator, it features a dozen union members and even more worker-friendly members." Stop the Shutdown: "The government shutdown is now in its 12th day, meaning some 800,000 federal employees are still without a paycheck because President Donald Trump refuses to sign a federal budget that doesn’t include $5 billion for a border wall. Working people—and their livelihoods—should never be used as political pawns. As congressional leaders prepare to meet with Trump later today, take action now to stop the shutdown." UAW Releases 2019 Union-Made Vehicle Buying Guide: "No matter when you are buying a new vehicle or for what purpose, you have the opportunity to use this substantial buying power to support working people. The UAW releases a guide every year that lets consumers know which cars are union-made in America. Here is this year's list." Ohio’s Ironworkers Local 290 Invests in the Future: "One of the country’s best-kept secrets is that the American labor movement trains more workers than any organization other than the U.S. military. Apprenticeships and job training programs represent a powerful, life-changing opportunity that unions are in a unique position to provide. When those resources are made readily available to working people, membership growth often follows." Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/15/2019 - 08:45 — Jan 15