AFL-CIO Tour Bus Stop in St. Louis Fights to Hold Lawmakers Accountable

St. Louis-area union members held a rally and press conference Friday to hold Rep. Ann Wagner accountable for betraying working people by voting for the disastrous federal budget bill and delaying its cuts until after the 2026 midterms, when she’s up for re-election.

A part of the AFL-CIO’s “It’s Better In a Union” bus tour, the event featured remarks from a variety of local unions, including the St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council, American Postal Workers Union (APWU), AFGE, and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). After the speeches, a group of union members delivered an oversized letter to Wagner, outlining workers’ grievances with the harmful legislation she supported.

“We are here to advocate for safe workplaces, comprehensive benefits and job security for the working people,” said St. Louis Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Robbie Robertson. “The goal is to provide working people with the stability and peace of mind they need to support themselves and their families. The unions are here to build a stronger economy by fighting for freedom, fairness, and security for the working people.” 

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 07/29/2025 - 09:27

Tags: Better in a Union Bus Tour

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Norfolk Botanical Garden Workers Vote to Form a Union with IAM

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.

Workers in Norfolk, Virginia, who work at Norfolk Botanical Garden, become the second botanical garden in the state to organize in as many years, with nearly two-thirds of them supporting the formation of the union with IAM Union (IAM).

Workers had a powerful outpouring of community support during their effort—hundreds of people signed a petition backing their union drive and lawmakers like state Sen. Angelia Williams Graves and U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott also stood alongside them in their fight. Members are looking to have more input on the garden’s direction and to improve workplace safety, notably raising concerns about opaque or lacking inclement weather policies. Better pay was also a driver for the unionization push.

“We need to be a voice for everyone,” said Bridget Fitzgerald, the union organizer working with Norfolk garden employees. “If you can’t include everyone’s voice, then you’re still excluding those same 23 people who are essentially a third of the bargaining unit, and you don’t want to do that. You want everybody to come together in unity.”

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 07/29/2025 - 09:22

AFL-CIO Bus Tour Rolls into Steel City with Big Union Energy

Pittsburgh was the latest stop of the “It's Better in a Union” bus tour, and union members in the Steel City showed out in full force. The event, which was held downtown and hosted by the United Steelworkers (USW), showcased union solidarity and power in fighting back against attacks by billionaire CEOs and politicians.

The crowd heard from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, USW President Dave McCall and USW Vice President Roxanne Brown. 

“So if you’re a worker out there—whether you’re in a union yet or not, if you want freedom, fairness and security, come join us on this tour,” Shuler said. “Come be part of this movement. Come find out why it’s better in a union! We’re going to keep the momentum going all summer long and build a country that works for working people!”

A number of local workers spoke about how they’re fighting back against union-busting in order to exercise their union rights. A member of The NewsGuild (TNG-CWA) spoke about how he and his union siblings have had to endure more than 1,000 days of being on strike as the anti-union ownership of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has refused to bargain in good faith. Other union members decried cuts to funding for higher education and research, and the elimination of health insurance for millions of Americans. Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Angela Ferritto and Allegheny/Fayette Central Labor Council President Darrin Kelly also fired up the crowd and called on all in attendance to join the fight. 

“We’re going to hold those accountable who stood with the billionaires instead of the middle class and those wanting to join the middle class,” McCall said. “If we put people in good-paying union jobs, it would increase our tax base all across this country. That’s how you pay down the national debt—give people good jobs with good wages. You don’t gut our needed services.”

Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 07/22/2025 - 14:22

Tags: Better in a Union Bus Tour

AFL-CIO Tour Bus Races Through Derby City with BOSK Workers Ahead of Their Landmark Election

On Saturday, labor leaders, union members and elected lawmakers gathered in Louisville after the Kentucky State AFL-CIO’s first Women’s Union Summit concluded to rally with workers at EV battery manufacturer BlueOval SK (BOSK) as they prepare for their election to join the UAW.

In a fitting end to a groundbreaking inaugural gathering for union women across industries, the AFL-CIO “It’s Better in a Union” tour bus pulled into the city to uplift the voices of women workers at BOSK who are fighting for a fair collective bargaining agreement. Kentucky State AFL-CIO President Dustin Reinstedler and state federation Communications Director Belle Townsend delivered words of solidarity alongside Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1447 President Lillian Brents—who is also the president of the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) Derby City Chapter—and United Steelworkers (USW) District 8 Director Larry Ray. The rally also included speeches from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Rep. Morgan McGarvey and state Rep. Nima Kulkarni.

“We want a voice…we want to get negotiating going and get a contract negotiation for a better workplace, better health insurance and better pay,” said Amanda East, an equality operator at the battery plant.

Her fellow worker Amber Levay added, “Next time you see me, we will be in negotiations.”

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 07/28/2025 - 13:55

Tags: Better in a Union Bus Tour

Bus Tour Hits Atlanta on the Road to Labor Day

Labor leaders and union members in Atlanta gathered at the Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 613’s Union Hall for a Workers Over Billionaires rally as part of the AFL-CIO’s nationwide bus tour. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler also showed support for the airport workers organizing in Atlanta to fight for a union on the job.  

Attendees heard from President Shuler, Georgia State AFL-CIO President Yvonne Brooks, Georgia State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer James Williams, Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council President Sandra Lee Williams, and Teamsters Local 728 Solid Waste and Recycling Division Director Chuck Stiles.

A National Nurses United (NNU) member who works at an Atlanta Veterans Affairs hospital; a member of the Union of Southern Service Workers, a project of the Service Employees International Union (USSW-SEIU), who has worked at Waffle House for 16 years; and a local AFGE president who represents Centers for Disease Control and Prevention workers all delivered powerful testimony.

“We will not stay silent, and we will not back down,” said President Brooks. “It’s about time Georgia workers and all the workers in the southern region got the freedom, fairness and security that we are owed, and we refuse to back down.”

Today, President Shuler met with Delta Air Lines ramp workers and flight attendants organizing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport with IAM union, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), UNITE HERE and SEIU to deliver a message that the entire labor movement is behind them. Airline workers know it’s better in a union!

Read more about the rally here.

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 07/23/2025 - 14:01

Tags: Better in a Union Bus Tour

Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: Mine Workers

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 Mine Workers (UMWA).

Name of Union: United Mine Workers of America

Mission: To empower workers with a strong voice on the job and financial security at home. The union fights for safe working conditions, fair wages, quality benefits and strong, effective representation for all working families.

Current Leadership of Union: Cecil E. Roberts currently serves as international president. A sixth-generation coal miner from Kanawha County, West Virginia, Roberts began his mining career at Carbon Fuels' No. 31 mine in Winifred, West Virginia. He was first elected international vice president in 1982 and re-elected several times before being elected president in 1995. Now serving his fifth full term, Roberts will retire in October 2025 after three decades of dedicated leadership as UMWA’s international president.

Following Roberts’ retirement, International Secretary-Treasurer Brian Sanson will assume the role of international president. The UMWA leadership team also includes nine vice presidents: Chuck Knisell (District 2), Steve Earle (District 12), Brian Lacy (District 17), Larry Spencer (District 20), Michael Dalpiaz (District 22), Mike Payton (District 31), Rick Altman (At-Large), James Gibbs (At-Large) and Don Barnett (At-Large). In addition, the UMWA has three International auditor/tellers: Jody Dukart (Canada), Tanya James (East) and Bob Butero (West).

Members Work As: Coal miners, manufacturing workers, clean coal technicians, health care workers, corrections officers and public employees.

Industries Represented: The mining industry, public employees, manufacturing, health care, the Navajo Nation, and retirees throughout the United States and Canada.

History: Founded in 1890, the United Mine Workers of America has been a driving force in the American labor movement for more than 130 years. From securing the eight-hour workday to leading strikes that demanded safer working conditions, fair wages and dignity on the job, the UMWA has always stood on the front lines for working families.

The UMWA didn’t just help build the labor movement; it created it. As a founding force behind the AFL-CIO, the UMWA helped form the foundation of the largest and most powerful federation of unions in the United States. Without the UMWA, we wouldn’t have the labor powerhouse we know today.

Through generations of struggle and solidarity, from the Ludlow and Matewan massacres to the Pittston strike, the UMWA has remained a symbol of strength, resilience and unwavering commitment to workers, especially in rural America.

Watch this video to learn more:

Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: Preserving Coal Country, Powering Saskatchewan’s Future, Silica Dust Kills, UMWA associate memberships. 

Learn More: Website, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 07/28/2025 - 15:01

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Legal Aid Society Workers Reach Tentative Agreement, Keeping 1,100 Attorneys on the Job

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.

Workers at the Legal Aid Society reached a tentative agreement with management, avoiding a strike authorized by 1,100 public interest attorneys, members of the Association of Legal Advocates and Attorneys (ALAA/United Auto Workers Local 2325).

ALAA authorized a strike at the end of June as its contract with management expired. Attorneys demanded higher pay, lighter workloads, and greater retirement benefits. After a stalled bargaining process, the union terminated its collective bargaining agreement and set a strike deadline for this Friday, promising to walk off the job without a contract. The tentative agreement will head to union membership for a vote. 

“While we are proud of these historic gains on workload protection to increase retention, a first-of-its-kind student loan fund, 20 weeks parental leave, retiree health benefits, and more, we were fundamentally left behind by Mayor Adams and our employers on salaries and pensions,” said Local 2325 chapter Chair Jane Fox. “Our members will vote on this contract next week, but regardless if they vote it up or down, we won a reopener guaranteeing no matter what, we will be back to win the salaries and pensions we deserve next year.”

Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 07/28/2025 - 09:20

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: PrimeFlight Fuelers in Orlando Unanimously Ratify First TWU Contract with 15% Raise

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 Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 504 successfully negotiated their first contract for PrimeFlight Fuelers working at Orlando (Florida) International Airport.

The new contract locks in a 15% raise and replaces a management-controlled paid time-off (PTO) system with guaranteed sick and vacation time. It includes a grievance and arbitration procedure process and a discipline policy, and PrimeFlight Fuelers are no longer “at-will” workers with the new contract. Local 504 members approved it unanimously.

“This first contract for PrimeFlight Fuelers in Orlando provides significant economic gains for workers and their families,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “The new contract immediately turned the Fuelers represented by the TWU from the lowest-paid Fuelers on property to the highest-paid, and provides workers with both sick time and vacation instead of a management-controlled PTO system.”

Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 07/24/2025 - 09:56

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Shaw’s Warehouse Workers Win New Contract with More Than $5 an Hour in Raises

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.

Workers at the Shaw’s Distribution Center in Wells, Maine, overwhelmingly ratified a new four-year contract that includes pay increases and pension improvements.

The contract includes a $5.05 per hour raise over four years, increased employer pension contributions and streamlined workflows. Nate Jordan, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 791 vice president and chief steward at the Shaw’s Distribution Center, said it is the best contract they have won since they formed a union in 1998. The local represents between 250 and 275 workers at the distribution center.

“Our last contract for 2022 to ’25 was the best contract that we've seen and this one here beat it, so we’ve done really well the last couple of contracts,” Jordan said.

Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 07/25/2025 - 09:40

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: University of Pennsylvania Postdocs and Research Assistants Vote Overwhelmingly to Join UAW

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.

Postdoctoral scholars and research associates at the University of Pennsylvania voted in favor of forming a union, Research Associates and Postdocs United at Penn (RAPUP-UAW), with a vote of 95% saying, “Union, yes!”

“We are thrilled with tonight’s results, and ready to work with the university towards a more democratic workplace,” said Emily Perkins, a postdoctoral fellow in psychology. “We love our jobs, but the increasing threats to international scholars coupled with inadequate compensation made a union the obvious choice. We’re ready to speak in one voice for fair pay, better job security, and a more equitable university.”
 

Postdocs and research associates form the backbone of research at Penn, performing groundbreaking studies in laboratories and offices across campus. Their work attracts hundreds of millions of dollars in funding each year. But despite these contributions, many struggle to make ends meet, with very limited job security, no meaningful protections against harassment and discrimination, and spotty benefits that are not guaranteed.

Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 07/23/2025 - 09:37