09/17/2025 - 8:00pm
Stand Up to Protect Ourselves: 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:
ICYMI - What is the difference between business reps and field reps? Business reps handle all aspects of contract enforcement, while field reps handle safe and sanitary conditions in the workplace – but they both work together to make sure that the contract is being upheld.
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— Actors' Equity Association (@actorsequity.bsky.social) September 16, 2025 at 6:16 PM
AFGE:
AFSCME:
Alliance for Retired Americans:
Amalgamated Transit Union:
American Federation of Teachers:
American Postal Workers Union:
09/17/2025 - 1:30pm
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage 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.
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 Mexico Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO:
09/17/2025 - 1:30pm
Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Esthela Hernandez
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Esthela Hernandez of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
Esthela Hernandez began her career in 1993 as a zero operator in GTE’s (now Verizon) first bilingual Spanish services group, launching a 32-year journey through major telecom companies, including a return to Verizon in 2025. She rose through various departments while adapting to industry changes and earned a bachelor's degree in business management. A dedicated union advocate, she has served as a union steward at three locals and contributed to numerous CWA committees.
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 09/17/2025 - 10:02
Tags:
Hispanic Heritage Month
09/17/2025 - 1:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Delaware DOJ Workers Form Union with AFSCME Council 81
orking 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.
Professionals at the Delaware Department of Justice (DOJ) who perform a number of duties to support the state’s attorneys voted with near unanimity to join AFSCME Council 81.
The bargaining unit includes nearly 200 staff at the department, including clerks, code enforcement officers, maintenance workers, accountants, administrative assistants and others. Their union election was certified at the end of August, and workers are now focused on negotiating a contract with provisions around higher pay, better training and increased promotion opportunities.
“We’re considered the backbone of the department,” said Monica Walker, a legal assistant in Delaware’s Special Victims Unit. “We make sure all the paperwork, files, copies and videos are ready, and that our attorneys are fully prepared for their court cases.”
“We work for the largest law firm in the state, and we want to be compensated fairly,” added paralegal Liz Ghione. “We want to be a part of the conversation and have a seat at the table.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 09/17/2025 - 09:52
09/16/2025 - 1:00pm
Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Zabdiel Martinez
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Zabdiel Martinez of AFSCME.
Zabdiel Martinez is an economic support specialist in Dane County, Wisconsin, helping families access food assistance and Medicaid. A proud AFSCME Council 32 member, Martinez fights for strong public services. He’s even taken that fight to Washington, D.C., meeting with lawmakers to show how cuts to Medicaid and SNAP hurt communities like his. Back home in Wisconsin, he continues to advocate for the resources working people in his community need.
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 09/16/2025 - 10:24
Tags:
Hispanic Heritage Month
09/16/2025 - 1:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Florida Nurses Decisively Vote to Join NNU
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.
Registered nurses at HCA Florida Fort Walton–Destin Hospital voted last week to join the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), marking yet another victory for medical professionals at HCA Healthcare hospitals.
HCA Healthcare is the largest for-profit operator of medical facilities in the country. Based on Medicare cost reports, the corporation’s Florida-based hospitals made nearly $15 billion in profits, including $616 million at Fort Walton-Destin Hospital from 2019 to 2023. Nurses cite concerns around unsafe staffing levels, broken equipment and workplace violence as core motivators for forming a union.
“I am absolutely overwhelmed and elated that we are now part of National Nurses United,” said Paige Campbell, a registered nurse in the emergency department. “We now have the opportunity to make real changes at our hospital so we can provide the highest quality of care to each and every one of our patients. We know that with a seat at the bargaining table, management must address our concerns. And while we rejoice in this victory, we know in the end, it is our patients who will be the biggest winners.”
“We are so proud to welcome the hundreds of nurses at Fort Walton-Destin Hospital to our NNU family,” said Marissa Lee, a registered nurse in Kissimmee, Florida, who is also an NNU vice president. “Now when nurses stand up to advocate for better patient care, they are not standing alone. They are standing with 10,000 other HCA nurses and more than 225,000 registered nurses across the country.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 09/16/2025 - 10:15
09/15/2025 - 6:00pm
A Long History of Fighting for Us: 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.
Roth's Fresh Markets Employees Reach Tentative Agreement, Cancel Strike: “The United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 555 reached a tentative agreement with Roth's Fresh Markets on Sept. 10 and called off a strike scheduled to begin Sept. 11. ‘We are incredibly grateful for the unwavering support shown by the community over the past few months. Your solidarity and understanding were invaluable in reaching a successful agreement. This would not have been possible without you. Thank you for standing with workers at Roth’s every step of the way,’ Dan Clay, president of UFCW Local 555, said in a press release.”
Evergreen Public Schools Reaches Tentative Deal with Union to End Strike: “Officials with Evergreen Public Schools and a union representing classified staff reached a tentative agreement late Wednesday, according to the district. The deal marks the end of a strike that pushed the start of the school year back three weeks for the district’s nearly 22,000 students. The district did not provide details about the agreement, but in an emailed statement Evergreen Superintendent Christine Moloney said union leaders scheduled a ratification vote for Thursday. Throughout the strike, negotiators with the Evergreen chapter of the Public School Employees of Washington SEIU Local 1948 said they were fighting for fair wages for their approximately 1,400 members. The union represents bus drivers, paraeducators, school security officers and other support staff.”
Gov. Josh Stein Calls to Invest in Workers at State AFL-CIO Convention: “North Carolina AFL-CIO president MaryBe McMillan praised Stein for pushing to taking action against foreclosure scams and prioritizing health care and education as a state senator as well as combating price gouging, opioid abuse, and voter suppression as attorney general. The NC AFL-CIO has endorsed Stein in each of his campaigns for office in North Carolina. ‘We fought hard to elect Governor Stein because he has a long history of fighting for us,’ McMillan said. At the conclusion of his remarks, Stein awarded McMillan with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, in a surprise to the union president who is set to step down this week. ‘Well that was a nice surprise, y’all,’ McMillan said.”
Workers at 4 Popular Bay Area Rock Climbing Gyms Win Unionization Vote: “Workers at some of the Bay Area’s most popular rock climbing gyms have voted to unionize, joining colleagues at five gyms in Southern California that are in contract negotiations with their employer, Touchstone Climbing. Employees of Mission Cliffs and Dogpatch Boulders in San Francisco, as well as The Studio in San Jose and Diablo Rock Gym in Concord, won their unionization votes on Monday night. ‘I’m very excited; it’s excellent news,’ said Max Dolso-Morey, a club coach at Mission Cliffs and a member of the union organizing committee.”
Altoona, International Association of Fire Fighters Union Agree to Terms: “The city will hire six additional firefighters soon, based on a new five-year contract that City Council approved this week with the city’s International Association of Fire Fighters local.”
IBEW Ratifies Agreement with UP: “IBEW is one of 11 unions that have ratified agreements with UP; they cover 12 crafts and represent 46% of the Class I railroad’s craft employees. International Association of Sheet, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers’ Mechanical and Engineering Department (SMART-MD) members ratified their agreement with UP earlier this month. The ratified agreements cover five-year terms and include wage increases, effective July 1, 2025, along with additional vacation time, health and welfare benefits, and work rule changes, according to UP.”
Ban on ‘Captive Audience’ Meetings a Victory in New Jersey, Minnesota: “Three recent pro-worker wins—two laws enacted in New Jersey and a prior one in Minnesota upheld in a federal appeals court—again re-emphasize the importance of state and local laws and lawmakers for workers. Because it’s safe to say that without Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and a pro-worker legislature in New Jersey, the law banning firms from forcing workers to attend so-called ‘captive audience’ meetings would never have passed. Murphy signed it on September 4. In those meetings, bosses and their hired persuaders, aka union-busters, can lie, browbeat, intimidate and threaten workers while campaigning against organizing drives. ‘All working people should have the freedom to choose whether to form a union at their workplace without interference or intimidation from their employer,’ said Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham in a statement celebrating the circuit court’s decision.”
Mount Holyoke Dining Workers and Housekeepers Reach Union Agreement After Strike: “A 24-hour strike of Mount Holyoke employees quickly led to a new union agreement Friday that ups workers’ pay and secures legal representation for immigration issues, a growing point of concern for more than 200 dining and facilities staff. Striking staff picketed five entrances to the private college in South Hadley last week to protest slow contract negotiations and alleged unfair labor practices against the housekeeping staff. (The employees were members of either the local 32BJ chapter or UAW Local 2322.)”
Wowkanech: AFL-CIO Labor Walks Kick into Gear: “The Labor Movement mobilized on the streets of Newark this evening under the auspices of the AFL-CIO, with a big show of muscle by the Laborers and the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council. ‘This week we will begin our labor walks, a full labor program, to drive out the vote,’ Charles Wowkanech, president of the New Jersey AFL-CIO, told InsiderNJ, in the shadow of City Hall where crowds of union workers gathered.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 09/12/2025 - 13:20
09/15/2025 - 6:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Braxton Winston Elected President of North Carolina State 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.
On Friday, Braxton Winston II was elected by delegates at the North Carolina State AFL-CIO’s annual convention as the next president of the state federation.
Winston is a member of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 322, served three terms on the Charlotte City Council and was the Democratic nominee for North Carolina's commissioner of labor in 2024. He succeeds President Emeritus MaryBe McMillan who dedicated more than 20 years of service to the state federation. Her tenure heavily emphasized the importance of organizing Southern workers and building worker power in the region.
“For too long working people in North Carolina and across the South have been told to work harder and accept less,” said President Winston. “But we are here to declare something different—that every worker deserves dignity, security, and power. Every worker deserves a union!…We are no longer waiting for change. We are the change. We are the revival!”
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler was also in attendance and addressed the conference.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein also gave remarks at the North Carolina State AFL-CIO convention, he loudly and proudly championed the importance of building up the “Tar Heel State’s” unions and union workforce.
“A stronger North Carolina requires that we invest in our people so that folks have the skills and knowledge to succeed in an ever-changing economy,” Stein said. “A stronger North Carolina supports working families struggling with the rising cost of living.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 09/15/2025 - 10:13
09/15/2025 - 11:30am
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: National Nurses United
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 63 of our affiliates. Next up is National Nurses United (NNU).
Name of Union: National Nurses United
Mission: NNU is building a militant, class-conscious, national movement of direct-care nurses through union organizing to win health care justice; guaranteed quality health care for all as a human right; major national legislation to promote comprehensive, mandatory RN-to-patient staffing ratios modeled on California’s successful law sponsored by NNU affiliate California Nurses Association; robust protections against workplace violence, with an emphasis on prevention through collective bargaining agreements, regulations and legislation at the federal level; mandatory health and safety standards in the workplace to protect patients and nurses against infectious diseases such as COVID-19; and regulatory policy and collective bargaining agreements that guarantee nurses the education, training and personal protective equipment they need at work.
Current Leadership of Union: Puneet Maharaj serves as executive director of NNU, as well as executive director of NNU’s largest founding affiliate, California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC). Before being named executive director, Maharaj held multiple roles, including as a labor representative and director of national political and government relations.
NNU is ultimately governed by an elected 19-member RN Executive Council that is headed by a Council of Presidents consisting of RNs Jamie Brown, Nancy Hagans, Cathy Kennedy and Mary Turner.
Number of Members: 225,000
Members Work As: Primarily direct-care registered nurses, as well as some other hospital workers.
Industries Represented: Public and private medical institutions from major university hospitals to small-town community hospitals to hospitals run by the nation’s largest for-profit health care chains and some Veterans Health Administration facilities.
History: With more than 225,000 members across the country, NNU stands as the largest union and professional association of registered nurses in U.S. history.
National Nurses United was founded in 2009 to build a powerful national movement of direct-care registered nurses. NNU unified three of the most active progressive nursing organizations. The vision resulting from the founding convention focused on advancing the interests of direct-care nurses and patients and winning health care justice for all.
Over the past decade, NNU and its affiliates have achieved significant success. In addition to those states represented by its affiliates, NNU members now include thousands of registered nurses in Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Nevada, Texas, Missouri, North Dakota and Arizona and have achieved immense success even in states traditionally considered hostile to union organizing. NNU has organized tens of thousands of nurses, making it one of the most successful organizing unions in the United States. NNU members focus on negotiating strong collective bargaining agreements that set the highest workplace, bedside practice and economic standards for cities, states and the entire country. In the legislative arena, NNU sponsors major federal legislation, including national safe RN-to-patient staffing ratios, a bill to improve and expand Medicare for All in the United States, and stronger protections against workplace violence.
Current Campaigns: NNU currently has numerous active campaigns, including unionizing nurses all across the country; winning national RN-to-patient ratios; preventing workplace violence; advancing Medicare for All; and advocating for health and safety, environmental justice, social justice and equity, CalCare, gig workers’ rights, and AI protections in nursing and against dangerous Home All Alone patient care programs.
Community Efforts: NNU nurses believe that allying with our patients and the public is key to winning our goal of health care justice, often working in coalition with local communities. On a national and global scale, NNU’s Registered Nurse Response Network sends registered nurse volunteers to disaster-impacted areas to provide assistance and emergency care. Nurses have helped victims of floods, earthquakes and fires across the United States, including Puerto Rico, as well as in the Bahamas, Haiti, the Philippines and Guatemala. The Nurse Advocacy Network is an activist network of nurses, health care workers, patients and community supporters who mobilize for patient care protections and health care justice. NNU publishes National Nurse Magazine. You can buy branded merchandise in the NNU online store.
Learn More: Website, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, X, Bluesky
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 09/15/2025 - 15:15
09/15/2025 - 11:30am
Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Jennifer Dickerson
Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Jennifer Dickerson of AFGE.
"I am a correctional treatment specialist through the Federal Bureau of Prisons," Jennifer Dickerson said. "I am also part of AFGE Local 3975 as a shop steward, AFGE YOUNG Committee for District 2 and YOUNG appointee for the Hispanic Coalition (HISCO). As a member of AFGE, I believe in solidarity, inclusiveness and standing together."
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 09/15/2025 - 10:33
Tags:
Hispanic Heritage Month
