A Natural Partnership: 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.

‘We Have to Stand Together’: Minnesota Economic Blackout Organizers Push to Take Demonstrations Nationwide: “One of the largest labor unions in the U.S. is pushing to expand Friday’s economic blackout over the surge of federal immigration agents in Minnesota. Organizers are urging Minnesotans not to work, shop or go to school tomorrow, as part of demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in the region, and the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good. They are now planning actions beyond the state, and nationwide.”

Cleveland Institute of Music Faculty Ratify First Union Contract: “Faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music have ratified their first union contract. The three-year agreement between CIM and the American Federation of Musicians Local 4, which represents about 120 members of the conservatory’s faculty, sets standards for compensation, workload, job security and professional support.”

Strengthening Labor Leadership: East Central Illinois AFL-CIO Elects 9 New Officers: “Union workers in Central Illinois now have new representation. The East Central Illinois AFL-CIO swore in nine new officers on Wednesday night. They represent more than 18,000 union members across 11 counties in Central Illinois. They advocate for their members and their families as far north as Iroquois County and as far south as Jasper.”

U.S. Union Leader Tells Davos Elites ‘You’re Gonna Have a Revolution’ if AI Wipes Out Jobs: “The leader of the AFL-CIO, the largest union federation in the U.S., told elites and others gathered at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday that rapid advances in artificial intelligence risk turbocharging the worst inequities of the existing economic order, displacing workers en masse while enriching those at the very top. Liz Shuler, the AFL-CIO’s president, said during a panel discussion that if the billionaires and corporate titans currently directing AI developments are ‘looking to just deskill, dehumanize, replace workers’ and ‘put people out on the street with no path forward—then absolutely you’re gonna have a revolution.’”

American Hockey League and Professional Hockey Players’ Association Ratify CBA: “The American Hockey League’s Board of Governors and Professional Hockey Players’ Association's full membership have ratified a collective bargaining agreement that ensures labor peace in the top layers of the sport in North America for the foreseeable future. The AHL and PHPA announced the final step in the process Wednesday. The CBA, like that of the NHL and ECHL, is good through the summer of 2030.”

One Year In: 53 Ways the Second Trump Administration Is Harming Women and Families: “In what has been called ‘the biggest attack on the labor movement in history,’ the Trump administration issued an Executive Order to eliminate collective bargaining rights for tens of thousands of federal employees working across agencies under the guise of ‘national security concerns.’ In reality, the order attempts to strip unionized employees of protections that both support the workforce and help the federal government be more productive and efficient. The order makes it clear that the Trump administration’s main intention was to retaliate against unions such as the AFGE and National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) that are taking actions to protect federal employees from the administration’s constant, legally dubious attacks. The order has been subject to multiple legal challenges, and in December 2025, a bipartisan group of House Representatives voted to restore collective bargaining rights for federal employees, though that legislation has not passed the Senate.”

Labor Leaders Cheer Reversal of NIOSH Cuts: “Last week’s reversal of cuts to a federal organization behind miner safety programs drew praise from labor leaders. About 1,000 employees of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health—representing about 90% of the agency’s workforce—were placed on administrative leave in April. About 30% of those cuts had been rescinded the next month.”

NABTU Applauds Court Decisions Restarting Major U.S. Offshore Wind Projects: “North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey issued the following statement: ‘We applaud this week’s federal court rulings restarting U.S. offshore wind projects. These decisions mean many NABTU members can finally return to job sites and continue building critical domestic energy infrastructure. Today’s ruling in the Eastern District of Virginia on Dominion’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project, along with recent decisions in the District of Columbia on Ørsted’s Revolution Wind and Equinor’s Empire Wind projects, clears the way for construction to resume on essential domestic power generation development.”

MLK and the Labor Movement—A Natural Partnership: “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday is a federal holiday observed on the third Monday in January, is known globally as a principal leader of the modern American civil rights movement. But he often said the civil rights and labor movements were natural allies. ‘The labor-hater and labor-baiter is virtually always a twin-headed creature spewing anti-Negro epithets from one mouth and anti-labor propaganda from the other mouth,’ King told the 1961 AFL-CIO convention. In 1968, he was assassinated in Memphis where he had gone to stand in solidarity with striking sanitation workers who were members of the AFSCME.”

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 01/26/2026 - 10:21

Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: National Lacrosse League Players' Association

This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates. The series will run weekly until we’ve covered all 64 of our affiliates. Next up is the National Lacrosse League Players’ Association (NLLPA).

Name of Union: National Lacrosse League Players’ Association

Mission: The Association works to establish improved working conditions, job security and economic benefits for all members through its role to act on behalf of all members as the collective bargaining unit. The NLLPA cooperates and collaborates with other labor organizations to advance the interests of its members. The NLLPA’s mission is to promote, unite and represent the interests of all its collective members. The Association gives its members a voice and promotes loyalty among its members.

Current Leadership of Union: Zach Currier serves as president. Reid Reinholdt is the vice president and executive director. Gee Nash serves as treasurer. John Rosa is the secretary. Each team also selects a player representative. See the full list.

Current Number of Members: 400

Members Work As: Professional lacrosse players

Industries Represented: Men’s professional lacrosse

History: The National Lacrosse League Players’ Association is the exclusive bargaining representative for players of the National Lacrosse League with respect to wages, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment. The Players’ Association was founded in 1992, and the union was certified on May 7, 1993, by the National Labor Relations Board as the Major Indoor Lacrosse League Players’ Association (MILLPA). In 1997, the MILLPA became the Professional Lacrosse Players’ Association (PLPA) when the Major Indoor Lacrosse League amalgamated with several private owners to become the National Lacrosse League (NLL) beginning with the 1997–98 season. The PLPA was renamed the National Lacrosse League Players’ Association in 2022. The Players’ Association has negotiated 11 collective bargaining agreements to date on behalf of its players. 

Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: The NLLPA tells the stories of its members. It also works with numerous partners and sponsors and spotlights businesses owned by players.

Learn More: Website, X, Instagram

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 01/26/2026 - 13:23