Happy Earth Day: 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:

On Monday, Equity honored Afra Hines with the Legacy Robe at the Broadway opening of SCHMIGADOON! This season marks the 75th anniversary of this historic tradition. Check out our profile for interviews with past recipients

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: NYC Residential Workers Reach Tentative Agreement, Averting Strike

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 days ahead of a strike deadline, 34,000 SEIU Local 32BJ members who work as doormen, porters and maintenance workers across New York City reached a tentative agreement with the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations (RAB).

These members perform essential work at approximately 3,500 apartment buildings, condos and co-ops—their previous deal was set to expire today. Highlights of the new contract include raises of $4.50 an hour over the life of the contract, a 15% increase to pension benefits, protections for employer-covered health care and more.

“Today we found a common path forward with the RAB that rewards workers appropriately,” 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich said. “This agreement honors the indispensable contributions 32BJ members make to our city.”

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 04/23/2026 - 09:22