10/30/2025 - 5:30pm
Opera Singer and Union President: How SNAP Was My Lifeline
When people talk about SNAP benefits, commonly known as food stamps, conversations too often devolve into stereotypes. The recipients are “lazy,” they should “get a job,” and with a “proper work ethic,” no one would need help putting food on the table.
Well, I am a professional opera singer who has performed on the Metropolitan Opera stage nearly 1,500 times. I’m also the president of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), the union of professional singers, dancers and staging staff across the country. Not the kind of person who would be labeled with those stereotypes, right?
And yet, none of my successes would have been possible without SNAP benefits.
Fifteen years ago, my wife and I were living in a tiny studio apartment in Chicago. We were recent graduates, chasing our dreams of careers in the performing arts and piecing together freelance gigs, anything that paid. We hustled constantly, but the math didn’t work. On top of everyday life expenses like transportation, rent and groceries, the industry's expenses—like music lessons, coaching and scores—also came out of our pockets. We were working constantly but falling behind.
So, I applied for and received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. That support allowed us to continue eating healthy food and to stay financially afloat while we worked toward establishing our careers. It gave us something invaluable, too…time. Time to build sustainable lives in the arts rather than abandon them for something else.
Today, my wife is a successful cruise director and performer. I built a career as a professional singer and now serve as AGMA’s president, advocating for thousands of performing artists nationwide.
SNAP helped us survive. And we are far from unique. Nearly half of the 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP are working—often in jobs that simply don’t pay enough to live. Of those who aren’t working, most are disabled, over 65 or caring for others. More than a million are veterans. These are not freeloaders. They are our neighbors, our co-workers our fellow citizens.
Yet the stigma remains. Even now, 15 years later, I still feel traces of the shame society taught me to feel. I remember standing in a grocery store line, trying to shield my SNAP card from the people behind me. Struggling to get by is hard enough. We shouldn’t make it more difficult by shaming those who use the resources meant to help them.
I’ve come to learn that this stigma is a political tool. It allows those in power to undermine programs that millions depend on. Hunger has always been used as a weapon, an act of economic and political warfare. When people are hungry, when families are forced to choose between rent and food, they are easier to control and silence. Food insecurity is not a natural state of things; it’s a manufactured one. It’s the direct result of policy decisions that prioritize wealth over human dignity.
Right now, that is exactly what’s happening. The Trump administration’s decision to let SNAP funding lapse during the government shutdown, ignoring bipartisan calls to extend it, puts 42 million people (one in every eight people in our country) at risk of losing access to food assistance.
Whether you’ve used SNAP yourself, know someone who has, or simply believe that no one should go hungry, now is the time to speak up. Contact your representatives. Demand that food assistance be funded and protected.
There is no shame in needing help. I’m living proof that SNAP doesn’t enable dependency—it enables possibility! It allows people the dignity of survival while they build their lives. And that’s something worth fighting for.
Ned Hanlon is president of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA).
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 10/30/2025 - 13:29
10/30/2025 - 5:30pm
Worker Wins: The Most Valuable Voices
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Unions Win Extension of Order Halting Trump’s Illegal Shutdown Firings: On Tuesday, a federal judge indefinitely barred the Trump administration from firing federal employees during the government shutdown while a union lawsuit challenging these terminations proceeds through the courts. AFGE and AFSCME first filed the lawsuit on Sept. 30; it has since been expanded to include workers represented by the National Federation of Federal Employees-IAM (NFFE-IAM), the National Association of Government Employees/SEIU (NAGE/SEIU), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU). Every Cabinet department and 24 independent agencies are included in the complaint. “President Trump is using the government shutdown as a pretense to illegally fire thousands of federal workers — specifically those employees carrying out programs and policies that the administration finds objectionable. We thank the court for keeping in place its order preventing the administration from firing workers due to the shutdown while we continue our litigation in court,” said AFGE National President Everett Kelley in a press release. “Today’s ruling is another victory for federal workers and our ongoing efforts to protect their jobs from an administration hellbent on illegally firing them,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “Unlike the billionaires in this administration, public service workers dedicate themselves to serving their communities. These attempted mass firings would devastate both the workers and the people they serve.”
AFM Reaches Tentative Agreement with Broadway League, Averting Strike: Powered by an overwhelmingly supportive strike authorization vote, American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 802 announced in the early hours of Thursday that its members have successfully secured a tentative agreement with the Broadway League. Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) members on Broadway won their new agreement last week, meaning all eyes were on the musicians who bring Broadway performances to life. AFM members have been without a contract since August and were prepared for a walkout if a deal wasn’t reached by Thursday morning. “United in solidarity, Local 802 Broadway musicians are thrilled to announce that we reached a tentative agreement at 4:30 am with the Broadway League that will avert a strike scheduled to begin later today,” AFM Local 802 President Bob Suttmann said in a press statement. “This three-year agreement provides meaningful wage and health benefit increases that will preserve crucial access to healthcare for our musicians while maintaining the strong contract protections that empower musicians to build a steady career on Broadway.”
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Sundance Institute Workers Join CWA: Just a few months before the 2026 Sundance Film Festival is set to begin, workers at the Sundance Institute have successfully secured voluntary recognition from management as members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9003. Staff delivered a petition to leadership this week and are now preparing to negotiate their first contract. Members of the Sundance Institute Workers United are eager to settle a deal that addresses concerns around staffing, wages and benefits. “We are the staff of the Sundance Institute that are on the ground and working face-to-face with our audiences and artists,” said Sara Kenrick, who works in event operations, in a CWA press release. “We are the most valuable voices to this organization's purpose, and we have slowly but surely been pushed aside. We are understaffed and underpaid, and our concerns have been overlooked. If Sundance wants to continue being Sundance, they need to welcome us back to the table.”
AV Technicians at Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino Join IATSE: Audiovisual (AV) technicians at Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas formed a union with Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 720 this year and have now ratified their first collective bargaining agreement. The crew work throughout the hotel, casino and sportsbook areas on the property, which is owned by Caesars Entertainment. The agreement includes major wins like immediate wage increases of more than 6.5%, an improved health care plan and more. “Planet Hollywood was the only Caesars Entertainment property on the Las Vegas Strip without an IATSE contract, so getting this agreement cements our partnership with Caesars as a union employer,” added Apple Thorne, IATSE international vice president and Local 720 business representative. “Having the union represent me and my department takes the weight off my shoulders. I’m looking forward to working shows again with bands and assisting on big productions throughout the city and maybe the world,” said Yuvani Santamaria, Planet Hollywood AV technician lead.
Health Care Workers in West Virginia Stand Together for a Better Contract: Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 who work at Montgomery Rehab and Nursing in Montgomery, West Virginia, ratified a new contract. Key provisions of the three-year contract include the largest across-the-board pay increases for certified nursing assistants of any contract ever at the facility; longevity raises in years five, 10 and 20; the preservation of health benefits with minimal premium increases in the second and third years of the agreement, and preservation of vacation accrual for all current employees. “I want to congratulate our Montgomery Rehab and Nursing members on standing strong in solidarity and winning themselves a collective bargaining agreement that raises their living standards and protects their health benefits,” said UFCW Local 400 President Mark P. Federici. “These gains were hard-earned and a direct result of their unity.”
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RWDSU Members Ratify New Canteen Contract with 100% Support: Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) Local 513 members who work at Canteen in Wilmington, Massachusetts, unanimously ratified a new five-year contract, securing strong gains and continued stability for all workers. Under the new contract, RWDSU members will receive a 4% wage increase for each of the first three years, followed by a 3.5% increase in the final two years. Other details of the contract include an increase in the cell phone allowance to $30 per month, a $500 signing bonus, and no changes to other benefits and vacation provisions. “This contract is a clear win for our members,” said Tina Buonaugurio, RWDSU New England Joint Board President and national recorder. “It provides meaningful wage increases, preserves benefits, and shows the power of solidarity when workers stand together.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 10/30/2025 - 13:11
Tags:
Organizing
10/30/2025 - 11:00am
Protect Good Jobs: 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:
Sierra Repertory Theatre has joined the growing list of employers standing strong with union actors and stage managers! See how the movement is growing - visit the portal. https://members.actorsequity.org/newsandevents/news/news-detail/2025/08/...
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— Actors' Equity Association (@actorsequity.bsky.social) October 24, 2025 at 9:34 AM
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 Black Trade Unionists:
Coalition of Labor Union Women:
Communications Workers of America:
Department for Professional Employees:
Over 1,100 professionals at SoCal Edison voted to join @ifpte.bsky.social in June. Jesse Platas helped organize his coworkers and told us that his workplace has improved already because management has to consult with his union to make changes. Watch the full interview: youtu.be/wimBPJeUa80?...
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— Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO (@dpeaflcio.bsky.social) October 28, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Electrical Workers:
Heat and Frost Insulators:
10/30/2025 - 11:00am
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Sundance Institute Workers Join CWA
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.
Just a few months before the 2026 Sundance Film Festival is set to begin, workers at the Sundance Institute have successfully secured voluntary recognition from management as members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9003.
Staff delivered a petition to leadership this week and are now preparing to negotiate their first contract. Members of the Sundance Institute Workers United are eager to settle a deal that addresses concerns around staffing, wages and benefits.
“We are the staff of the Sundance Institute that are on the ground and working face-to-face with our audiences and artists,” said Sara Kenrick, who works in event operations, in a CWA press release. “We are the most valuable voices to this organization's purpose, and we have slowly but surely been pushed aside. We are understaffed and underpaid, and our concerns have been overlooked. If Sundance wants to continue being Sundance, they need to welcome us back to the table.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 10/30/2025 - 10:08
10/29/2025 - 11:00am
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: AV Technicians at Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino Join IATSE
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.
Audiovisual (AV) technicians at Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas formed a union with Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 720 this year and have now ratified their first collective bargaining agreement.
The crew work throughout the hotel, casino and sportsbook areas on the property, which is owned by Caesars Entertainment. The agreement includes major wins like immediate wage increases of more than 6.5%, an improved health care plan and more.
“Planet Hollywood was the only Caesars Entertainment property on the Las Vegas Strip without an IATSE contract, so getting this agreement cements our partnership with Caesars as a union employer,” added Apple Thorne, IATSE international vice president and Local 720 business representative.
“Having the union represent me and my department takes the weight off my shoulders. I’m looking forward to working shows again with bands and assisting on big productions throughout the city and maybe the world,” said Yuvani Santamaria, Planet Hollywood AV technician lead.
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 10/29/2025 - 09:40
10/28/2025 - 5:00pm
Hold Employers Accountable: 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.
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:
Colorado AFL-CIO:
Illinois AFL-CIO:
Massachusetts AFL-CIO:
Michigan State AFL-CIO:
Minnesota AFL-CIO:
Missouri AFL-CIO:
10/28/2025 - 5:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: ATU Golf Tournament Raises Money for MS
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.
More than 120 golfers, including the most female golfers ever, came out for the 38th Annual Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) MS Golf Tournament. ATU locals, sponsors and guests raised funds for the ATU Multiple Sclerosis Research Fund to support ongoing research to help end MS.
International President John A. Costa, International Secretary-Treasurer Kenneth R. Kirk and International Executive Vice President Yvette Trujillo addressed participants at the reception, thanking them for attending the tournament and supporting the ATU MS Research Fund.
“I’ve been coming to this event for many years, and this is one of the biggest ATU MS Golf Tournaments ever. Our Union has been doing this tournament for 38 years, and I am proud that we have continued this tradition,” Costa said. “Thank you to our IVPs, our Locals, members, sponsors, and everyone who showed up to raise funds for the ATU MS Research Fund to fight this debilitating disease. And thank you to International Secretary-Treasurer Ken Kirk and staff for once again organizing a great event.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 10/28/2025 - 10:20
10/27/2025 - 4:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Health Care Workers in West Virginia Stand Together for a Better Contract
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 the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 who work at Montgomery Rehab and Nursing in Montgomery, West Virginia, ratified a new contract.
Key provisions of the three-year contract include the largest across-the-board pay increases for certified nursing assistants of any contract ever at the facility; longevity raises in years five, 10 and 20; the preservation of health benefits with minimal premium increases in the second and third years of the agreement, and preservation of vacation accrual for all current employees.
“I want to congratulate our Montgomery Rehab and Nursing members on standing strong in solidarity and winning themselves a collective bargaining agreement that raises their living standards and protects their health benefits,” said UFCW Local 400 President Mark P. Federici. “These gains were hard-earned and a direct result of their unity.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 10/27/2025 - 09:56
10/27/2025 - 4:30pm
‘You Need a Voice to Have Freedom’: 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.
North Carolina Teachers Association Becomes AFT Union Affiliate: “‘These North Carolina teachers have been organizing for years to strengthen public education for their students and to secure the conditions, voice and salaries they needed for themselves, and I am so proud to welcome them to the 1.8 million-strong AFT family,’ said AFT President Randi Weingarten. ‘Thanks to Joanna’s inspiring leadership and the wisdom of PENC’s executive board, we are uniting because we know that we can achieve far more together than we ever can alone.’”
Broadway Musicians Reach Tentative Agreement, Averting Strike: “Broadway musicians have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, averting the possibility of a strike. Local 802 AFM, the union which represents musicians, had said they would strike ‘immediately’ if a deal could [not] be reached with the Broadway League, a trade association for producers and general managers, after a mediation session Wednesday. This was the second threat of a strike in the past few weeks, as Actors’ Equity and the League had also hit an impasse in their negotiations.”
Unions Urge Pension Funds to Downvote Musk’s Pay in New Campaign: “‘To reward this destructive behavior with an obscene salary is a slap in the face—not only to the federal workers he’s fired, but to the retirees whose pensions are invested in Tesla stock,’ said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. The unions involved in the effort are the AFT and the Communications Workers of America. They urged the public to visit a website that enables easily sending messages to state pension funds and retirement fund operators including Fidelity and Vanguard to urge them to vote no.”
Tentative Contract Agreement Reached with SEIU for Circuit Court Employees: “A tentative three year contract agreement with the union representing Branch County Circuit Court employees is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Commissioners during their work session on Thursday afternoon. Service Employees International Union, Local 517M, represents the employees. The deal would be in effect for 2026, 2027 and 2028. County Administrator Frank Walsh says in his memo to the Commissioners the major changes include wage increases of four percent in the first year followed by three percent raises in the second and third years.”
Trump Has Handed Coal Miners a 'Death Sentence.' But They’re Not Going Without a Fight.: “As I reported for In These Times, the rule would have cut the allowable exposure level of the deadly dust—20 times more toxic than coal dust and a major cause of black lung disease among coal miners—in half. The Department of Labor had estimated in 2024 that, with proper implementation and enforcement, the rule would save thousands of lives. Instead, coal miners across Appalachia continue to suffer from its absence. United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) International President Cecil E. Roberts characterized the delay as ‘a death sentence for more miners.’”
St. Michael Medical Center, Nurses Union Approve New Contract: “UFCW 3000, the union that represents roughly 850 nurses at St. Michael Medical Center in Silverdale, ratified a new contract Oct. 17 following 20 bargaining sessions over a roughly seven-month period. As part of the new contract, nurses secured wage increases totaling 18.5% from 2025 through 2028, including 12.5% in the first year. New enhanced safety measures include: a daily safety huddle on the 3rd floor, between the charge nurse and lead security officer, which goes into effect at the time of contract ratification. Break relief nurses will allow safety devices to be available 30 days after ratification, and the future installation of a weapons detection system in the emergency department by September 2026. Previously the union was informed this would occur in early 2027.”
Workers Take Steps to Unionize at Four D.C. Music Venues, Including 9:30 Club: “The door staff, bartenders, food vendors and other hospitality staffers for 9:30 Club, Lincoln Theatre and the Atlantis are organizing with Unite Here Local 25, which predominantly represents hotel, restaurant and casino workers. Stagehands, lighting designers and sound engineers at those venues, as well as at the Anthem, are looking to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees’ Local 22, while box office employees at all four venues are working with IATSE Local 868.”
California Labor Leader's Felony Charge Over Immigration Protest is Reduced: “AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement Friday that [David] Huerta was simply observing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement workplace raid to ensure workers were being treated fairly and was unfairly arrested and charged.”
Union Reaches Deal with Trump Administration Over Student Loan Forgiveness: “The Trump administration reached an agreement Friday with the American Federation of Teachers to expand the resumption of student loan forgiveness to several repayment plans. If the courts approve the agreement, the Education Department will continue to process loan cancellations for borrowers who are eligible to have their debts cleared through the Income-Contingent Repayment and Pay As You Earn plans. Cancellation under those federal student loan plans, which tie payments to earnings and family size with the promise of loan forgiveness after 20 or 25 years of payments, has been paused since February.”
Biggest U.S. Labor Unions Fuel No Kings Protests Against Trump: ‘You Need a Voice to Have Freedom’: “Some of the largest labor unions in the US are involved in organizing the No Kings protests, with more than 2,700 demonstrations planned across all 50 states, with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and American Federation of Teachers anchoring events. ‘Unions understand that a voice at work creates power for regular people at work. Unions understand that a voice in democracy creates power for regular folks, for working folks in a society,’ said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. ‘These are two of the main ways that regular folks have any power. We and labor understand that you need to have a voice to have freedom. Freedom does not come without a voice.’”
Blizzard Teams Working on Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble Unionize: “Blizzard developers working on Hearthstone and Warcraft Rumble have formed a new union, the latest in a series of labor wins at the Microsoft-owned studio. The over 100-person unit is represented by the Communication Workers of America (CWA), and counts "software engineers, designers, artists, quality assurance testers and producers’ among its members. Inspiration to form the new union came from the successful organizing efforts of Blizzard's World of Warcraft workers last year. The staff behind the classic MMO formed the Warcraft Gamemakers Guild last year, and were followed by similar unions representing developers working on Diablo and Overwatch earlier in 2025. According to the CWA, over 1,900 workers at Blizzard are now represented by the organization.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 10/24/2025 - 12:41
10/27/2025 - 10:30am
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: United Steelworkers
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 the United Steelworkers (USW).
Name of Union: The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union
Mission: The values upon which the USW was founded in 1942 still guide the organization today. These include:
- Uniting in one organization, regardless of creed, color or nationality, all workers eligible for membership.
- Increasing the wages and improving the conditions of employment of members by legislation, joint agreements or other legitimate means.
- Securing equitable statutory old-age pension, workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance laws.
- Enforcing existing just laws and securing the repeal of those that are unjust.
- Securing, by legislative enactment, laws protecting the limbs, lives and health of members, protecting their right to organize and other legislation as will be beneficial.
Current Leadership of Union: David McCall became USW’s ninth international president in 2023. He has dedicated his career to fighting on behalf of union members for more than 50 years, getting his start as a member of USW Local 6787 while working as a millwright at Bethlehem Steel’s Burns Harbor Works in northwestern Indiana. The USW International Executive Board elected him as international vice president (administration) in 2019. McCall served as director of USW District 1 beginning in January 1999 and was elected to five consecutive terms (20 years) in the position.
Myles Sullivan serves as international secretary-treasurer, and USW has four international vice presidents: Emil Ramirez (administration), Kevin Mapp (human affairs), Roxanne Brown (at large), and Luis Mendoza. Marty Warren serves as the national director for Canada.
Number of Members: 850,000
Members Work as: USW members work in a wide variety of settings, including steel, aluminum, iron ore, cement, glass, rubber, paper and forestry, oil, chemical, and manufacturing industries, as well as in mining and other metals. They also work in health care, higher education, energy and utilities, hospitality, cultural institutions, pharmaceuticals, co-ops, security, the public sector, and many others.
Industries Represented: atomic, chemical, education, energy and utilities, glass, molders, pottery, plastics, health care, higher education, pharmacies and pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, metals, mining, oil and petroleum, paper and forestry, public employees, rubber and tires, service sector, transportation, and more.
History: Watch this video or read more on the USW website.
Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: USW produces the “Solidarity Works Podcast,” the quarterly magazine USW@Work and other publications, and it offers various ways to engage in activism with USW. When severe injuries or fatalities occur at USW-represented workplaces, the Emergency Response Team dispatches highly trained responders to support victims, family members and fellow workers during their darkest hours. The USW’s Rapid Response program is building worker power across our halls of power. The USW also sponsors the Tony Mazzocchi Center for Health, Safety and Environmental Education and offers education and membership development to members. The USW has several constituency groups: Next Generation, Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR), Veterans of Steel and Women of Steel. Buy USW-made products on their website.
Learn More: Website, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 10/27/2025 - 09:36
