AFL-CIO Blog

  • Service & Solidarity Spotlight: IBEW Members in Alaska to Install High-Speed Internet for State’s Remote Population
    Service & Solidarity Spotlight: IBEW Members in Alaska to Install High-Speed Internet for State’s Remote Population 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. Members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1547 in Anchorage, Alaska, are working to bridge infrastructure gaps in underserved communities by providing reliable internet to the state’s villages and rural Indigenous populations. Local 1547 members are employed through several contractors that will begin work on the Alaska Communications' FiberOptic project later this year. This grant-funded effort aims to connect up to 21 communities along the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers to reliable, high-speed internet. Because of the unique environmental factors in Alaska, this project is a massive, complex undertaking. But the skilled IBEW members who will be performing this high-tech work are ready to help expand connectivity throughout the region. “It’s exciting to be on the cutting edge of telecommunications here in Alaska,” said Local 1547 Business Manager Doug Tansy, who is a member of the Native population and grew up in interior Alaska. “These are very much underserved communities, and they’re geographically very difficult to get to, as well as being extremely expensive on a per capita basis. What our telecommunications members are doing will bring change to our state’s landscape. I really think it’s going to change the ambition of those communities when they have a chance to get an education and grow their knowledge.” Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 02/05/2025 - 10:27 — Feb 5
  • Celebrating Black History Month: In the States Roundup
    Celebrating Black History Month: 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 X (formerly Twitter). Alaska AFL-CIO: California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO: Colorado AFL-CIO: Connecticut AFL-CIO: Illinois AFL-CIO: Maine AFL-CIO: Massachusetts AFL-CIO: Michigan State AFL-CIO: Minnesota AFL-CIO: Missouri AFL-CIO: Nevada State AFL-CIO: New Hampshire AFL-CIO: New York State AFL-CIO: North Carolina State AFL-CIO: Ohio AFL-CIO: Oregon AFL-CIO: Pennsylvania AFL-CIO: Texas AFL-CIO: Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO: Wisconsin State AFL-CIO: Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 02/04/2025 - 10:51 — Feb 4
  • Black History Month Profiles: Latauna Bigelow
    Black History Month Profiles: Latauna Bigelow For Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently actively making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Latauna Bigelow of SMART. Latauna Bigelow joined SMART Local 100 16 years ago after graduating from apprenticeship school and became a journeyman. In addition to working as a conductor warden, she has served as shop steward, an organizer and a RISE committee member. In order to create a more inclusive workspace, she is educating herself, getting more involved in the RISE committee and sharing her personal experiences. Over the years, Bigelow has won many awards, but finds it most rewarding when a member thanks her for her words of encouragement and for being a great listener. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 02/04/2025 - 10:35 — Feb 4
  • Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Hockey Players’ Unions Join the AFL-CIO
    Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Hockey Players’ Unions Join the AFL-CIO 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. Today, two of professional hockey’s North American players’ associations—the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the Professional Hockey Players’ Association (PHPA)—announced they are formally affiliating with the AFL-CIO and joining its Sports Council. “Whether our work is on the rink, in the classroom or on the factory floor, every worker deserves a voice on the job and the power that comes with union membership,” said Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO. “We are thrilled to welcome the NHLPA and the PHPA into the federation and our Sports Council, and we look forward to supporting their work to ensure strong union contracts, fair wages, safe working conditions and professional development opportunities for professional hockey players. On the heels of SEIU’s affiliation last month, America’s labor movement is more unified than ever. We will continue to channel that strength and momentum into the fight for workers’ rights.” Read the full statement from the AFL-CIO here. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 02/04/2025 - 10:27 — Feb 4
  • Gaining A Seat at the Table: The Working People Weekly List
    Gaining A Seat at the Table: 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. Portland City Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Strike: “More than a thousand unionized city of Portland workers voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to strike following months of negotiations. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (Oregon AFSCME Local 189) said 87% of people voted in favor of a strike, with 89% of members who participated in the vote.” GE Appliances Union Workers Ratify New Contract. Here’s What We Know: “After months of contract negotiations and union workers striking down a tentative agreement, workers at GE Appliances have ratified a new labor contract. The roughly 5,000 union workers in Louisville at GE Appliances—a major manufacturer of dishwashers, refrigerators, and washers and dryers—voted in the new contract on Wednesday with 72.5% of voting workers in favor of the new deal. IUE-CWA Local 83761 President Dino Driskell said the contract is a roughly $142 million investment over its four years. ‘The IUE-CWA Local 83761 has informed us that the proposed four-year agreement has passed,’ GE Appliances spokesperson Julie Wood told the Courier Journal via email Wednesday evening. ‘We appreciate our employees’ ongoing commitment to our business and the work they do every day to support our customers.’” “No Cuts, No Compromise!”: Kansas Citians Mobilize to Defend Public Transit as Funding Crisis Looms: “Last week, over 100 low-wage workers, bus riders and drivers came together to protest major cuts to bus routes and union jobs that are being considered by the city government. Bus riders and community members with Stand Up KC joined Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1287 members and Sunrise Movement KC outside of the Kansas City Area Transit Authority (KCATA) headquarters to protest a lack of funding from KCMO City Council.” GM Profit Sharing: Here’s the Record Amount UAW Members Will Get for 2024: “For every $1 billion GM makes in North America, the automaker’s hourly U.S. employees receive $1,000, according to the Detroit automaker’s agreement with the United Auto Workers. GM made about $14.258 billion in North America in 2024, up 18% year-over-year. ‘Our membership performed beyond all expectations,’ [UAW International Vice President Mike] Booth wrote. ‘It is our members’ skillfulness that made this profit possible, as they produce the finest products in the world, right here in the U.S.A.’” For Inspiration in 2025, Look to Labor’s 2024 Wins (Liz Shuler): “As we kick off 2025, there is no better source of inspiration than looking back at the extraordinary things workers accomplished this past year. I am struck by how stories of workers standing together and holding corporations accountable dominated headlines. Organizing stayed on the rise as the National Labor Relations Board reported that union election petitions were up 27% from fiscal year 2023. In a critical election year, 26,000 union volunteers across the country reached more than 10 million voters, and made the difference for pro-worker candidates. And all over the country, brave workers took to the streets and went on strikes that secured life-changing new contracts.” Whole Foods Workers Form First Union in Amazon’s Grocery Chain: “Workers at a Whole Foods Market in Philadelphia voted on Monday to become the first unionized store in Amazon’s grocery chain, opening a new front in the e-commerce giant’s efforts to fend off labor organizing in multiple segments of its business. Employees at the sprawling Whole Foods store, in the city’s Spring Garden neighborhood, voted 130 to 100 in favor of organizing with the United Food and Commercial Workers union, the National Labor Relations Board said.” Beth Israel Medical Center Residents and Fellows Vote to Unionize: “Residents and fellows at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center voted to unionize with 83 percent in favor on Wednesday, joining the Service Employees International Union’s Committee of Interns and Residents. Sixty-one percent of the 811-member bargaining unit—which includes interns, residents, chief residents, and physician fellows at BIDMC—participated in the mail-in election, which was run by the National Labor Relations board from Dec. 19 to Jan. 17. The vote passed by a margin of 407–85. CIR-SEIU organizers wrote in a press release that the BIDMC house staff unionized ‘to gain a seat at the table to advocate for themselves and their patients, especially immigrant and refugee patients, and other folks coming from working-class communities of color who often face the highest barriers to care.’” Union Leaders Critique Hotels’ Skipped Room Cleanings: “Is skipping hotel room cleanings saving the environment or a scam for hotels to save on labor costs? Union leaders are calling out hotels for their supposed concern for the environment, arguing that this is nothing more than a ruse to allow customers to expect less while paying the same price. Lizzy Tapia, president of Unite Here Local 2, a San Francisco-based hotel workers union, explained on a recent broadcast of America’s Workforce Union Podcast that ‘previous to the pandemic, [Marriott Hotels] used to have what they called ‘The Green Choice Program’ [that allowed guests to choose not to have their rooms cleaned every day but]...after 3 days or 5 days of not having your room cleaned, your room is sticky and dusty and dirty—[and] it requires double the amount of work, not to mention the chemicals and water, and all of that stuff. So, The Green Choice Program was a hoax.’” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 02/03/2025 - 14:37 — Feb 3

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