AFL-CIO Blog

  • Service & Solidarity Action: Join the Picket and Support Fired Dancers!
    Service & Solidarity Action: Join the Picket and Support Fired Dancers! Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. Dancers at the Dallas Black Dance Theatre (DBDT) organized and unanimously voted for a union with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) back in May. Then, DBDT did the unthinkable: It fired the entire troupe and hired nonunion replacements. Join us on the picket lines to support the DBDT-fired dancers as we demand fairness. AGMA, the dancers, our affiliated unions and community allies will be on the line, sending a clear message to DBDT: Union-busting is disgusting, and it will not stand. When: Oct. 11–12, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. CTWhere: One Arts Plaza, 1722 Routh St., Dallas, TX 75201 Register here. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 10/11/2024 - 09:38 — Oct 11
  • Worker Wins: Collectively Our Voice is Powerful
    Worker Wins: Collectively Our Voice is Powerful Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. Airport Concession Workers Win $25 Minimum Wage: UNITE HERE Local 23-represented concessions workers at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas announced last week that they have secured a $25 minimum wage during bargaining. This landmark victory comes after 100% of voting members elected to grant the union strike authorization power in August. Workers are employed by one of the largest hospitality companies in the world, Delaware North, which is owned by billionaire Jeremy Jacobs and reported $4 billion in revenues last year. “Local 23 members are often overlooked as cooks, servers, bartenders and retail workers, but without them, the airport and Delaware North would not be as successful as they are,” said UNITE HERE Local 23 Secretary-Treasurer Willy Gonzalez at a press conference Monday. “We work in the back of the house, and sometimes the back of the house doesn’t get seen...but collectively our voice is powerful.” Toledo Symphony Ratifies New Five-Year Contract: The Toledo Federation of Musicians (TFM)/American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 15-286 and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra (TSO) ratified a new five-year contract last month that will run until the end of the 2028–2029 season. Throughout the lifetime of the agreement, TFM members will see major victories like a pay increase of 39% and higher matching contributions to their 403(b) retirement plans. The deal also includes the establishment of two new core string positions and conversion of several previously part-time roles into full-time positions. Musicians additionally won more paid parental leave, standardization of the tenure evaluation process and more that will allow them to continue giving world-class performances. “We are proud of the collaborative spirit that defined these negotiations,” said Casey Gsell, TSO principal bassoon and chair of the Orchestra Committee. “This agreement not only provides significant financial improvements for our members but also enhances our role in the community, supports education, and ensures equitable treatment of our musicians. It is a true testament to what we can achieve when we work together.” PASS Ratifies New Contract with Federal Aviation Administration: Late last month, Professional Aviation Safety Specialists (PASS) National President Dave Spero signed a new contract covering more than 4,000 workers in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) Aviation Safety Directorate. This victory comes after two years and eight months spent at the negotiating table with the federal government agency. The new agreement was ratified by an overwhelming 85% of members and is effective as of Oct. 6. PASS is still in negotiations for a new contract for the more than 7,000 FAA employees the union represents in the Air Traffic Organization. “I’m proud of the work our team did at the bargaining table,” Spero said. “It was challenging at times, but in the end, we achieved a strong collective bargaining agreement that stressed recruitment and retention, as well as fair work rules, for employees who are critical to carrying out the FAA’s mission. I want to thank our members for their support and patience during the process.” Indiana PetSmart Workers Win First Union for Chain in the U.S.: In a landslide 12–2 victory, PetSmart workers in Mishawaka, Indiana, have successfully won the first union election at a U.S. location of the pet superstore chain. With organizing help from the United Commercial and Food Workers (UFCW), PetSmart associates, trainers, groomers and other staff are coming together and forming unions across the country. Workers are fighting for higher pay, improved hours and better working conditions with the protections of a powerful union contract. With a collective bargaining agreement, PetSmart Union said they will be able to better serve the animals of all shapes and sizes that they care for. “With this victory, we’ve shown the company that we’re serious about coming together and unionizing for real change in our stores,” PetSmart Union wrote on their website. “Now, we’re focused on putting our collective voice into action and building strength throughout the country! We can’t wait to see which PetSmart store joins us next in our fight to make PetSmart the company we know it can be.” Kapiʻolani Nurses Weather Hospital Lockout and Win New Contract: On Wednesday, members of the Hawaiʻi Nurses’ Association (HNA)—an affiliate of the Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU)—who work at the Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children ratified a hard-fought new three-year contract. After a historic 18-day lockout, two strikes, three informational pickets, and one year and 18 days of contract negotiations, HNA members secured a monumental agreement that includes the first contractually enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios in Hawaii history. The contract also contains wage increases, double time for extra hours prior to a shift, increases to longevity differentials, improved protections against workplace violence and more. “This contract sets a new standard for what quality patient care will look like for our community,” said HNA in a social media post. “Hawaiʻi deserves the best health care, and Kapiʻolani nurses were willing to fight to make that a reality. Joined by our patients, families, union siblings and community supporters, we fought for what was right and refused to give in. Aloha and mahalo, Hawaiʻi. This one was for you.” Washington Teachers’ Union Reaches Tentative Agreement: The Washington Teachers’ Union (WTU), a local of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), reached a tentative agreement (TA) Monday with the District of Columbia Public Schools for a new five-year contract. This TA comes a year after the expiration of WTU’s previous contract with the Washington, D.C., school district—the union credits the dedication and commitment of bargaining committee members for securing this win. The deal includes fair and competitive pay raises, more structured breaks to prevent burnout for both educators and their students, increased time for lesson planning and preparation, and provisions that ensure fair workloads for educators. “The bargaining team heard from members about the need for improved working conditions. We took that to heart and were able to secure many provisions that show respect to educators, such as breaks to prevent teacher and student burnout, time to prepare and plan lessons, and fair workloads,” said WTU President Jacqueline Pogue Lyons. “The team also pushed hard and obtained decent and fair pay raises over the course of the five-year contract, despite the district’s contention that it was working in a tight financial environment.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 10/10/2024 - 13:00 — Oct 10
  • Defending Workers' Rights: The Working People Weekly List
    Defending Workers' Rights: 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. 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.   Union Leaders Talking with Workers at the Gordie Howe Bridge, Letting Them Know What’s at Stake in the Election: “The president of the AFL-CIO is here in Detroit, on a side street, really, Cavalry Street, off of Ford Street, right at the foot of the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Liz Shuler—she’s talking to Teamsters, operating engineers, 13 different trades unions that are represented here working on the Gordie Howe International Bridge, and like the rest of us, she’s heard the reports that, you know, leadership obviously supports Harris. Some membership doesn’t. She’s not surprised: ‘Just like the country, the labor movement has people with very diverse political beliefs. But what we do is look at the issues. So if a candidate is supporting things like prevailing wage requirements and project labor agreements on a construction site, we want to make sure that those workers know which candidate is actually defending their rights.’” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler from Union Headquarters in Washington, D.C., Talking Up Vice President Harris to Trades Workers: “Michigan remains a battleground state in the 2024 presidential election. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler from union headquarters in Washington, D.C., talking up Vice President Harris to trades workers before their shifts on the Gordie Howe bridge this morning: ‘We want to make sure that those workers know which candidate is actually defending their rights. Who will protect their contract, who will make it easier to join a union, not harder? And since these are unionized workers, we know their union contract means a lot to them, and so we want to make sure they’re aware of where these candidates stand when it comes to union issues.’ Shuler telling us that Harris’ record has earned union members’ support. It’s the first time in recent memory the president of the AFL-CIO has been here personally in Michigan to push for or against a presidential candidate.” In Support of the Harris–Walz Campaign, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler Meeting with Detroit-Area Union Members in Construction Trades: “Happening now in support of the Harris–Walz campaign: AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler meeting with Detroit-area union members in construction trades. This is happening at the Gordie Howe International Bridge. They’re talking about what’s at stake for workers this election. About 1 in 5 voters in Michigan will be union voters during this election, which is a key topic.” Project 2025 Would Erode Labor Rights and Roll Back Child Labor Laws: “On this edition of Your Call, we’re continuing our series on Project 2025 by discussing what the rightwing roadmap means for workers, labor rights, and the right to unionize. Donald Trump says he’s pro-worker, but during his first four years as president, he was anti-worker and anti-union. The National Labor [Relations Board] members he appointed ‘made it more difficult for unions to win representation at nonunion workplaces’ and the Trump Supreme Court ‘issued a devastating ruling against public sector unions’ that made it ‘easier for government employees nationwide to not pay union dues even if their workplace is unionized,’ according to CNN. A second Trump administration stands to be even worse. Project 2025 includes provisions to cut overtime pay for millions of workers and suggests that Congress should consider getting rid of public sector unions altogether. It would also roll back workplace safety laws, including those that protect children.” Hotel Workers Knock on a Million Doors, Targeting Latinos, to Keep Arizona Blue for Kamala Harris: “Maria Romero became a U.S. citizen in 2016 to vote against Donald Trump, offended by his characterization of Mexicans as criminals and rapists. Adversity motivates her, she said. Now, the hotel housekeeper is pounding the scorching Phoenix pavement, pushing back against growing support among Latinos for Trump, who now leads polling in the key swing state Biden won in the last presidential election.” U.S. Unions Step Up Efforts to Make Case That Trump Is No Friend of Workers: “‘Trump has found ways to break through with working people,’ Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s main labor federation, told the Guardian. ‘He has the rhetoric down, but he doesn’t have the results to back it up. That’s why it’s important that we, as messengers, combat that with facts.’ The AFL-CIO is urging the nation’s 14.4 million union members to look at its ‘candidate comparison’ website, which makes the case that Trump is anti-union. He crossed a union picket line, praised the idea of firing workers who are on strike, and often used non-union workers at his construction sites.” AFL-CIO Leads Union Women in Massive Mobilization for the Election: “Quoting Trump’s saying ‘I have the concepts for a plan’ to replace the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, Shuler deadpanned ‘That’s the equivalent of saying “The dog ate my homework.”’ Junking the ACA and turning health back over to rapacious insurers who reap workers’ dollars through high premiums and co-pays while denying care has been a longtime Republican goal.” Harris Vote Is a ‘No Brainer’ for Transport Workers: Transport Workers Union’s John Samuelsen: “John Samuelsen, international president of the Transport Workers Union, joins CNBC’s ‘The Exchange’ to discuss why the union is backing Kamala Harris in the election, the threat of automation in the transportation sector, and more.” Biden Announces 10-Year Deadline to Replace All Lead Pipes Throughout the U.S.: “President Biden on Tuesday announced $2.6 billion in funding to replace all lead pipes in the United States as part of a new EPA rule that will require lead pipes to be identified and replaced within 10 years using the new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act. The EPA estimates that nine million homes in the U.S. have lead pipes. The city of Milwaukee, where Mr. Biden is making the announcement, has 65,000 lead pipes, which the city says will cost an estimated $700 million to remove.” More Black and Latina Women Are Leading Unions—And Transforming How They Work: “Momentum for Black and Latina women rising into labor union leadership has picked up in the last five years. But the work began long before that by ‘our foremothers who laid this foundation and have been pushing and kicking those doors open for decades,’ according to Liz Shuler, who in June 2022 became the first woman in history to lead the AFL-CIO, a federation of 60 national and international labor unions.” Jobs Report Blows Past Expectations, Showing Hiring Surge: “U.S. hiring surged in September, blowing past economist expectations and rebuking concern about weakness in the labor market. The fresh report marks one of the last major pieces of economic data before the presidential election. Employers hired 254,000 workers last month, far exceeding economist expectations of 150,000 jobs added, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showed. The unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1%.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 10/10/2024 - 12:56 — Oct 10
  • Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Mission Nurses Reach New Contract Agreement with HCA
    Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Mission Nurses Reach New Contract Agreement with HCA Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. A little over a month after Mission Health registered nurses (RNs) voted to authorize a strike, they announced that they had ratified a new three-year contract with HCA. The contract will improve patient safety and nurse retention. The 1,600 nurses, who are represented by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), said the highlights of the contract include substantial wage increases, new measures that will ensure that nurses are “floated” (temporarily reassigned) to units similar to their normal specialty and the ability of nurses to use preferred names and add personal pronouns to name badges. “We are excited to have this new contract and ensure that our hospital is on a path to taking the best possible care of our patients and community,” said Huns Brown, an RN working in Mission Health’s pulmonary progressive care unit, in the release. “The devastation Hurricane Helene brought to our region underscores how Mission being the best possible version of itself is more important than ever.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 10/10/2024 - 10:02 — Oct 10
  • Seeking Fair Pay: What Working People Are Doing This Week
    Seeking Fair Pay: 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. Actors' Equity: AFGE: AFSCME: Alliance for Retired Americans: Amalgamated Transit Union: American Federation of Musicians: American Federation of Teachers: American Postal Workers Union: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA: Boilermakers: Bricklayers: Coalition of Labor Union Women: Communications Workers of America: Department for Professional Employees: Electrical Workers: Heat and Frost Insulators: Jobs With Justice: Labor Council for Latin American Advancement: Labor Heritage Foundation: Laborers: Machinists: Maritime Trades Department: Metal Trades Department: Mine Workers: Musical Artists: National Air Traffic Controllers Association: National Association of Letter Carriers: National Domestic Workers Alliance: National Nurses United: NFL Players Association: North America's Building Trades Unions: Office and Professional Employees: Painters and Allied Trades: Plasterers and Cement Masons: Pride At Work: Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union: Roofers and Waterproofers: SAG-AFTRA: Solidarity Center: The NewsGuild-CWA: Theatrical Stage Employees: Transport Workers Union: Transportation Trades Department: UAW: Union Veterans Council: UNITE HERE: United Food and Commercial Workers: United Steelworkers: Utility Workers: Working America: Writers Guild of America East: Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 10/09/2024 - 15:37 — Oct 9

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