For Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Maxine Lachnite-Pelker of the Heat and Frost Insulators (HFIU).

Maxine Lachnite-Pelker began her insulator career in 1988, working first as a helper and then starting her apprenticeship in early 1989. She worked hard for many years as an insulator and a mother, retiring in September 2021. She is now a project engineer with a signatory insulating contractor. Lachnite-Pelker is a trailblazer in her industry and an inspiration to all women in her local, showing what can be accomplished by working hard and working together. 

Tags: Women's History Month

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.

In an historic development, workers across the United States and Canada are launching United Videogame Workers-CWA Local 9433 (UVW-CWA), a direct-join, industrywide video game union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in partnership with the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). 

UVW-CWA builds off of mobilization following the Game Developers Conference in 2018, which was a launching pad for the start of Game Workers Unite, an international grassroots organization dedicated to labor organizing the video game industry. The launch of UVW-CWA also coincides with the fifth anniversary of CODE-CWA, which has helped more than 6,500 tech and video game workers organize to join the union since 2020. 

“The creation of this union was not done in isolation; it’s a cumulative effort by the thousands of video game workers who have been fighting for years to redefine what it means to stand together and reclaim power in one of the largest and highest-grossing industries on the globe,” said Tom Smith, CWA’s senior director of organizing. “These workers are taking a bold stand, joining together to build power for the workers behind the games we all know and love.”

“Our mission is to take back our lives, our labor, and our passion from those who treat us like replaceable cogs; to empower our fellow workers; to link up arms with the laid off, with the freelancer, with the disillusioned contractor, with the disenfranchised and the marginalized, with the workers laboring invisibly to keep this industry afloat,” reads UVW-CWA’s mission statement. “We are going to create a game industry that works for us, one that nourishes its talent and invests in its future, rather than constantly seeking short-term profits. We are the ones that make the games, so we must be the ones that set the terms of how we work.”

Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.

San Joaquin County Nurses Ratify New Contract: Members of the California Nurses Association, an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), who work for the San Joaquin County health system voted overwhelmingly last week to ratify a new three-year contract. Registered nurses (RNs) secured this victory after going on a one-day unfair labor practice strike earlier this year and issuing another notice of a work stoppage that was set to begin March 9. Highlights of the deal include improved safety provisions, stronger nondiscrimination language and competitive wage increases. “This has been a long, hard-fought victory for San Joaquin County nurses,” said Kelly Mertz, an RN in the trauma department, in an NNU press release. “With this contract, San Joaquin County can be a competitive health care employer—meaning it can recruit and retain experienced nurses and avoid staffing crises. Our collective union power, our solidarity, and our commitment to each other and to patient safety brought this monumental contract to reality. We have once again proven that when nurses stand up and fight for what is right, we win.”

SAG-AFTRA Reaffirms Commitment to DEI and Accessibility: In the wake of studios rolling back equity pledges under the Trump administration, SAG-AFTRA’s national board passed a resolution this weekend acknowledging the vital role that diversity and accessibility plays in the entertainment industry and reaffirmed the union’s commitment to these principles. In recent weeks, major studios have silently scrubbed their websites of DEI commitments and dropped commitments to equitable hiring and promotion practices as the White House rails against these initiatives in both the federal and private sector. SAG-AFTRA pushed back against this trend and highlighted the union’s historic commitments to the authentic portrayal of the “American Scene,” which references a contract clause that affirmed a nondiscrimination policy across productions. “For decades, SAG-AFTRA has advocated for equal employment opportunity within the entertainment and media industry, including meaningful representation of historically underrepresented communities and holding employers accountable to their commitments,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland in a joint announcement. “That advocacy continues unabated, and is as important now as it has ever been. We will be engaging directly with employers to reaffirm their obligations under the various SAG-AFTRA contracts and that they remain in full compliance with those commitments.”

Federal Court Orders Reinstatement of Fired Probationary Federal Employees: On Thursday, a U.S. District Court judge ordered the immediate reinstatement of fired probationary workers at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, the Interior, Energy, Defense and the Treasury and mandated that these agencies must immediately cease termination of probationary staff. Additionally, the judge also barred the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from giving any guidance to federal agencies on which employees should be terminated. The plaintiffs in this case include AFGE, AFSCME, the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) and multiple advocacy groups. “AFGE is pleased with Judge [William H.] Alsup’s order to immediately reinstate tens of thousands of probationary federal employees who were illegally fired from their jobs by an administration hell-bent on crippling federal agencies and their work on behalf of the American public,” said Everett Kelley, national president of AFGE, in a press release. “We are grateful for these employees and the critical work they do, and AFGE will keep fighting until all federal employees who were unjustly and illegally fired are given their jobs back.” “Public service workers are the backbone of our communities in every way,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders in a press release. “Today, we are proud to celebrate the court’s decision which orders that fired federal employees must be reinstated and reinforces they cannot be fired without reason.”

UFCW Members Ratify Utah’s First Cannabis Union Contract: United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 99 members who work at Utah-based dispensary WholesomeCo made history last week when they ratified their contract, becoming the state’s first cannabis industry workers to do so. Workers first organized with UFCW in November 2023 as part of the union’s larger national Cannabis Workers Rising campaign. The history-making deal includes guaranteed wage increases over the contract lifetime, company-provided insurance coverage, paid meal breaks, a ratification bonus and other huge wins. “With the ratification of this historic contract, WholesomeCo will continue to be a great place to work while helping raise the standard of living for employees industry-wide,” said Local 99 President Jim McLaughlin.

IATSE Secures Tentative Agreement for Off-Broadway Workers: After a two-month strike, the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Atlantic Theater Company said Monday that they had reached a tentative agreement (TA) covering production workers. The bargaining unit spans nearly 100 workers at the off-Broadway nonprofit theater who will soon vote on whether to accept the TA terms. Stage crew handle vital roles for performances at the New York City venue like audio, videography, hair and makeup, costuming, props, carpentry and lighting. “The proposed agreement includes significant compensation increases including comprehensive benefits that both parties believe reflect the essential contributions of the production crew to Atlantic Theater Company’s success,” said IATSE in a press release. “Ultimately, after extensive discussions and dialogue, the Atlantic Theater Company is poised to become the first not-for-profit theater company producing solely Off-Broadway in history to have a union agreement covering production classifications.”

Tags: Organizing

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:

BREAKING: The Alaska House just voted to pass HB 69, which would increase the BSA by $1,000. 

This is a huge win for Alaska's working families. #akleg #RaiseTheAKBSA pic.twitter.com/EIHvA3F6S1

— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) March 12, 2025

Arizona AFL-CIO:

Today Union members joined Veterans at the Tucson VA Hospital rallying against VA employee layoffs

For Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Rachelle Martin of AFSCME.

Rachelle Martin does so much it’s hard to know where to begin. She’s the single mother of two daughters, the co-chief steward at the Washington State Department of Health, a Washington Federation of State Employees executive board member, as well as the president of a fiscal sponsorship nonprofit, all while attending graduate school for her master’s degree in public administration. Her work as the first woman president of the Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council is truly incredible. 

Tags: Women's History Month

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.

The 12 Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members have secured their first collective bargaining agreement with podcast company Pushkin Industries. The contract was approved unanimously and establishes a minimum salary of $73,000, guaranteed raises, and guaranteed IP negotiation for shows where unit members write, research and host their own ideas; provides artificial intelligence protections; enshrines Quiet Weeks in August and December; provides 16 weeks fully paid parental leave, a minimum 12 weeks of severance, and a laptop; establishes protections for remote and hybrid employees; reports on the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion work; and establishes Just Cause among other provisions.

“We’re proud of this contract, and we think it reflects the strength of the community we’ve built at Pushkin and is an essential part of the movement to build better standards across the industry,” the union said. “We’re grateful to leadership for working with us throughout this process and for investing in our future together. The unit is looking forward to it!”

Pushkin was co-founded by Jacob Weisberg and Malcolm Gladwell and produces podcasts like "Revisionist History," "Deep Cover," "Broken Record," "Against the Rules with Michael Lewis," and "Where’s Dia?"

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.

In response to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s agreement with Elon Musk’s DOGE, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) President Brian Renfroe released the following statement:

NALC is aware of the agreement between the Postal Service, [General Service Administration] and DOGE to assist with ‘identifying and achieving certain efficiencies.’ We remain in contact with the Postal Service regarding DOGE’s efforts at USPS and any potential impact on NALC members. The safety of our members always comes first. That includes their information and data….

Common sense solutions are what the Postal Service needs, not privatization efforts that will threaten 640,000 postal employees’ jobs, 7.9 million jobs tied to our work, and the universal service every American relies on daily.

American Postal Workers Union (APWU) National Executive Board released the following statement:

Members likely heard the recent news of an agreement between the Postmaster General and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by the un-elected billionaire Elon Musk, and not established by Congress. It is no surprise that DOGE has set its sights on the people’s Postal Service…. 

The APWU position is clear: There is no legitimate role for DOGE in the USPS or any other Federal agency. The public Postal Service was created by Congress as an independent government agency with robust oversight from the Office of Inspector General, the Postal Regulatory Commission, and the Board of Governors, as well as Congressional Committees.

The National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), an affiliate of the Laborers (LIUNA), released the following statement:

Mail Handlers have seen the DOGE team dismantle federal agencies, impacting services provided to Americans across the country, and are therefore rightly concerned about the potential impact on the work of the Postal Service generally and the work of the more than 54,000 dedicated mail handlers across the country….Privatizing the Postal Service will threaten customers’ ability to receive packages and letters ranging from Social Security checks, necessary medications, government correspondence, and mail from loved ones….

The NPMHU will remain cautious and vigilant and is prepared to fight against any ill-conceived attempts by DOGE to dismantle this American institution.

For Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Sue Martin of AFSCME.

Sue Martin is the first female president/secretary-treasurer of the Nebraska State AFL-CIO and a member of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees (NAPE)/AFSCME Local 61. She helped lead successful ballot initiatives to increase the minimum wage and institute paid sick leave in Nebraska. With her admirable dedication and passion for the state’s labor movement, Martin is highly regarded by Nebraska affiliates, elected officials and coalition partners. 

Tags: Women's History Month

For Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Sandra Parker-Murray of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

Sandra Parker-Murray is the secretary-treasurer for CWA Local 7777 in Denver. She is a fierce organizer and political advocate. She brings her years of experience as a front-line telecommunications worker and delivery driver into her work, ensuring that workers’ voices do not get lost. She is active in Colorado Independent Drivers United, part of CWA Local 7777 focused on building power for drivers in rideshare, delivery, taxi and limousine services. She can often be found advocating at the Colorado State Capitol. 

Tags: Women's History Month

This is the first post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates again. The series will run weekly until we’ve covered all 63 of our affiliates. First up is the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA).

Mission: AGMA is committed to protecting and advancing the employment and artistic rights of its members. Through the negotiation and enforcement of approximately 70 collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) nationwide, AGMA ensures fair wages, safe working conditions and a higher quality of life for the artists who bring the performing arts to life. 

Current Leadership of Union: Ned Hanlon serves as president. The other officers are J Austin Bitner (secretary-treasurer), Brian August (staging staff vice president [VP]), Helena Brown (choristers, actors and staff performers VP), Antuan Byers (dancers VP), Andrew Stenson (soloists VP), Andres Garcia (Eastern and Southern Region VP), Katharine Goeldner (New York Region VP), Cameo Humes (Midwestern Region VP) and Jennifer Wallace (Western Region VP).

Current Number of Members: More than 6,500.

Members Work as: Singers; dancers; staging staff; and faculty, staff and instructors in opera, ballet/contemporary dance and choral performance across the United States. 

Industries Represented: Opera, ballet and contemporary dance, and concert choral performance.

History: AGMA formed in 1936 as an organization of solo musical artists. In August 1937, the union was granted a charter from the Actors and Artistes (4As) to cover the fields of grand opera, concert and recital. AGMA pursued a campaign to organize artists throughout the country, and the first CBA that the union successfully negotiated that fall was with the Association of California Symphony Orchestras. Today, the union, led by the AGMA Board of Governors and supported by AGMA’s professional staff, negotiates and enforces more than 70 CBAs throughout the country and continues to set industry standards, even for nonunionized companies.

Current Campaigns and Community Efforts: AGMA actively supports its members through a variety of initiatives and resources. The union maintains an up-to-date list of auditions relevant to members, provides visa consultation services and offers contract enforcement and negotiation support. AGMA runs several member-led caucuses, including the AGMA Black Caucus, Opera and Concert Choristers Caucus, and Staging Staff Caucus, fostering community and advocacy within the union. The AGMA Relief Fund provides critical financial assistance to members in need. The union also offers educational webinars and a monthly newsletter and enables access to Union Plus and the Entertainment Community Fund resources. Additionally, the union now sells union-branded merchandise to promote solidarity and awareness. AGMA continues to mobilize around key labor issues, including fair wages, arts funding, workplace protections and organizing efforts in the performing arts.

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