Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Charmaine S. Morales, RN

For Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Charmaine S. Morales, RN, of AFSCME.

Charmaine S. Morales, RN, is president of United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP), which represents over 40,000 registered nurses and health care professionals across California and Hawaii. She led UNAC/UHCP’s expansion into Hawaii in 2018, and during 2021 Kaiser Permanente negotiations, she secured recognition of mental health as equal to physical health. She is the first woman of color—and the first Mexican American and Filipina—to lead UNAC/UHCP. Morales’ leadership embodies solidarity, equity and transformation.

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/21/2026 - 10:19

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: MissionWired Workers Overwhelmingly Ratify First Union 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.

Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 2336 members who work at MissionWired in Washington, D.C., have ratified their first collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

Staff at the digital marketing and fundraising agency have been engaged in negotiations for more than two years. This is the latest campaign win for CWA’s Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA). Highlights of the agreement include guaranteed annual wage increases, higher salary bands, guardrails for artificial intelligence (AI) usage in the workplace, remote work arrangements and more.

“When we started organizing, we wanted a real voice in the decisions that shape our work and our lives. This contract gives us that voice to make sure the tools that we work with every day enhance our jobs rather than replace them,” said data engineer Kelsey Evans. “We’re super proud of what we were able to build into the workplace with a first contract.”

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/21/2026 - 10:14