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.

Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 members who work for the Martz Gold Line, a fixed-route commuter bus service in Maryland, went on strike late last week over unfair labor practices (ULPs) and the company’s refusal to bargain in good faith.

ATU began contract negotiations in mid-December of last year—bus operators, mechanics, and service technicians have been working under an expired contract since Jan. 20. Members have been trying to reach an agreement that provides them with the fair wages, working conditions and benefits, but Martz has repeatedly rejected their concerns while attempting to strongarm the union into accepting its subpar offers. After workers walked off the job, the company tried to declare an impasse in negotiations so management could forcibly implement the proposals that ATU members have already rejected.

“Throughout the negotiations there has been only one party, the Union, that’s been operating in good faith and actually wants to reach a deal,” said Local 689 President Raymond Jackson in a press release. “Martz Gold Line’s labor law violations are unacceptable, and now is the time for workers to fight back.”

“Our Union and our members at Local 689 are fed up with the disrespect Martz has shown them. We’ve been down this road before in the DC area with strikes. Our members will again stand strong and united,” added ATU International President John Costa. “This is about securing a future where every transit worker is valued, heard, and treated with the dignity they deserve for the service they provide every single day. It’s time for Martz to get back to the table to give these workers a contract that treats them like the heroes they are.”

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.

Ahead of Workers Memorial Day, AFL-CIO Releases Death on the Job Report: “‘Every worker has the fundamental right to come home safe at the end of their workday,’ AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in an April 23 press release. ‘But for too many workers, that basic right is under attack. Workers fought and died for generations for the health and safety laws and protections we have today, and this year’s report shows we need to do even more.’”

AFL-CIO, Unions Sue Trump Administration Over Cuts to Key Labor Relations Agency: “The AFL-CIO and unions representing workers across private and public sector industries filed suit against the Trump administration April 14 over its dismantling of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), including firing mediators and staff, and closing field offices across the country. FMCS is a small but important independent federal agency that is integral to the government’s Labor relations infrastructure. Among the critical services FMCS provides, it helps resolve contract negotiations between workers and employers to protect both the economy and workers’ rights, generating over $500 million in national economic savings each year, even by conservative estimates. But DOGE cuts have decimated the agency: 93% of FMCS staff have been placed on leave, the mediation workforce has been taken down from the 80-100 needed for the agency’s work to just five, and all of the field offices have been closed.”

AFL-CIO Organizes New Free Federal Workers Legal Defense Network: “With federal workers across the country under attack, the AFL-CIO has organized a new legal defense network to help those workers who have been targeted. The free program is called Rise Up: Federal Workers Legal Defense Network. Tens of thousands of hardworking people who run the programs and services that working families rely on have been mistreated or abruptly fired by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.”

Chicago: Union Leaders Say Capitalism Doesn’t Like Worker Safety: “AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond opened the session by stressing the importance of putting ‘a human face’ to job cuts with these public discussions. ‘It’s workers who wake this country up every morning and tuck this country to sleep at night. And we run programs and services with dedication and pride,’ Redmond said.”

The AFGE Union and Allies Rally in Support of Federal Environmental Workers: “The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) held a rally in Ann Arbor on Tuesday, calling for community support for federal environmental workers. Tuesday marked the 55th anniversary of Earth Day. Following its founding, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established. Tricia Paff is the AFGE Union President at Local 3907 for the EPA laboratory in Ann Arbor. She says if 20 million people successfully rallied for environmental reforms 55 years ago, then today's citizens can organize local rallies, building on the momentum of AFGE’s recent rally to raise awareness about climate change.”

Federal Workers Speak Out at North Carolina Labor Forum: “The signs made it easy for attendees to find a forum April 17  in support of federal workers and funding. ‘Nobody elected billionaires,’ read a navy blue poster taped to the door of Ferguson Auditorium at A-B Tech. ‘Stop the billionaire takeover’ was another, along with ‘Workers over billionaires’ and ‘Billionaires out, workers in.’ The event was part of a series of nationwide forums held by the labor union AFL-CIO as part of its Department of People Who Work for a Living campaign to fight threats to federal workers.”

Field Hearing Held in Davenport Discusses Trump Administration’s Cuts to Federal Agencies: “‘What we’re doing is really getting interviews from people being affected,’ Fred Redmond, secretary treasurer with the national AFL-CIO, said. ‘People who’s being affected by the cuts and government service, the people that’s being affected by being released from their jobs for no apparent reason and we’re really trying to capture in the impact.’”

Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Returns May 10: “The largest single day food collection event in the country is returning for its 33rd year. The National Association of Letter Carriers and the National Rural Letter Carriers Association are again hosting the annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. It’s easy to participate. Postal customers are asked to leave a bag of nonperishable food items near their mailbox on May 10th. Letter carriers will pick up the bags during regular mail delivery times. Every item collected stays local.”

Punching In: A 1,000-Lawyer Battalion to Help Federal Workers: “With mass reductions in force across the federal government on the horizon, the AFL-CIO, federal workers’ unions, and advocacy groups have mobilized a network of more than 1,000 volunteer attorneys to provide legal services to laid off federal employees. Leaders behind the new Federal Workers Legal Defense Network launched last week say they saw a need for more federal-sector labor law resources based on the sheer number of federal workers being let go and the Trump administration’s response to lawsuits seeking to restore these jobs. More than 100,000 federal workers have left or been fired from the federal government so far. Craig Becker, general counsel at the AFL-CIO, said advocates recognized the need for more individual legal representation because ‘the administration is arguing that cases have to be brought before the agencies and therefore can’t proceed on a class action basis in federal court.’”

Inside a Union’s Fight Against Trump’s Federal Job Cuts: “‘I can’t compare this to any other time in my career,’ the union’s national president, Everett Kelley, said in an interview. ‘We’ve seen some tough fights, but never have we seen any president’ try to ‘put the federal government into mission failure.’ Mr. Kelley said he saw the administration’s effort as a prelude to privatizing vast swaths of the federal work force. ‘At the same time, I think not only are federal workers realizing the urgency of our mission, I think the American people are realizing it,’ he said.”

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 American Federation of Musicians (AFM).

Name of Union: American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada.

Mission: The AFM brings together professional musicians across the United States and Canada, enabling them to live and work with dignity, receive fair compensation for their labor and have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect them. Members accomplish this by adhering to collective standards, participating democratically, organizing, bargaining collectively, building political power, encouraging member involvement, fostering mutual respect and developing diverse leadership. AFM uses their collective voice and power through a democratic and progressive union to promote social and economic justice and oppose the forces of exploitation through union solidarity.

Current Leadership of Union: Tino Gagliardi was elected AFM international president in 2023. An accomplished trumpet player with a deep-rooted performance history in New York City’s clubs, recording studios and Broadway theater pits, his commitment to the musicians’ union is further exemplified by his multiple terms as president of AFM Local 802 (New York City), from 2010 to 2018 and again in 2022. He is a trustee and co-chair of the AFM-Employers’ Pension Fund, trustee and co-chair of the AFM and SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund, and executive committee member of the International Federation of Musicians, and serves on the executive board of SoundExchange.

Other members of the AFM International Executive Board are International Vice President Dave Pomeroy; Vice President from Canada Allistair Elliott; International Secretary-Treasurer Ken Shirk; and Executive Officers Tina Morrison, John Acosta, Ed Malaga, Luc Fortin and Dusty Kelly.

Current Number of Members: 70,000

Members Work in: All fields and genres, including freelance gigging and session musicians, touring, recording artists, DJs and composers/arrangers—performing all styles of music from rock to classical to reggae to country and everything in between. 

Industries Represented: AFM’s agreements cover live performances, feature film scores, television programs, cable television, independent films, video games, streaming music, Broadway, theater, symphonic performances and more.

History: AFM was formed in 1896 when musicians gathered in Indianapolis to create an organization to represent “any musician who receives pay” for musical services. Soon after, the American Federation of Labor granted a charter to AFM, which by then represented 3,000 members. Organizing efforts were pursued anywhere there were musicians, from theaters and restaurants to symphonies and operas. 

Within two years of the release of the first film that included sound in 1927, 20,000 musicians lost their jobs playing in the theater pits where the music to accompany silent films originated. But these and other technological advances wouldn’t deter the musicians. In the next few decades, they won minimum wage scales for recording and secured their first contract with the film companies. 

Technology continued to push organizing among AFM members, including a strike in 1942 that shut down the U.S. recording market for two years. Musicians won that strike and forced the recording industry to pay musicians who performed at live shows when recordings of those shows were sold. Out of that strike came the creation of the first residual payments and the Music Performance Trust Fund, which continues to sponsor free live performances throughout the United States and Canada today.

Since its inception more than 129 years ago, the AFM has had one goal: to elevate, protect and advance the interests of all musicians who receive payment for their musical services. While technology and the music industry have evolved, the AFM’s mission has remained constant. It continues to focus on safeguarding musicians’ rights in the face of artificial intelligence and declining revenue from recording and streaming services. Along the way, there have been many challenges and even some setbacks, but the AFM has been unwavering in its dedication to working musicians everywhere.

Current Campaigns: The AFM is currently focused on expanding agreements with major production companies, increasing AFM representation among employees at chain music schools, and organizing musicians involved in video game scoring. By partnering with local officers, the organizing department empowers bargaining units to achieve majority membership, paving the way for stronger collective bargaining agreements. Other key initiatives include lobbying for copyright protections that safeguard musicians’ intellectual property, the Fair Trade Music campaign to assist gigging musicians, the Venuology website that helps musicians share information about music venues, along with outreach efforts for artists performing at music festivals, and educating aspiring professional musicians through presentations at music schools and conservatories. The AFM International Unfair List informs members about employers engaged in primary labor disputes. AFM supports the American Music Fairness Act and the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act.

Community Efforts: AFM provides members with resources for traveling with instruments and visa assistance. AFM offers assistance to members impacted by hurricanes and other emergencies. AFM provides the following member-exclusive benefits: AFM Entertainment, an online booking and referral service for AFM members that accepts solo artists, bands and ensembles from all music genres; GoPro Hosting, affordable website hosting services that enable musicians to build an online presence without needing technical expertise; GoPro Tunes, a digital music store that offers music from AFM members, allowing artists to set their own prices and retain 100% of sales revenue (minus credit card fees); equipment and business insurance, with policies tailored for musicians, including coverage for musical instruments and equipment, general liability, business owner’s policy, errors and omissions, cyber insurance and additional options.

Learn More: Website, Facebook, X, Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn

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.

Ten stage and wardrobe professionals, members of the Theatrical Stage Employees’ (IATSE) Associated Crafts and Technicians (ACT) Local, who work on Chicago Razzle Dazzle II LLC’s production of “Chicago: The Musical,” won voluntary recognition of their union.

The voluntary recognition is part of a growing trend within North America’s live‑events sector. In recent years, the owners of concert tours, festivals and theatrical productions have recognized the tangible benefits of a unionized workforce. 

“We are elated to be joining the IATSE after longing for representation and a voice on the job,” the crew members said in a statement. “We are proud to finally be a part of this organization that stands for fair labor practices [and] worker representation and provides community in an ever-growing profession. We hope to be an example of the strength that comes from a united front in the fight for workers’ rights and are excited to return to the ‘Chicago’ tour with a union contract.” 

“Chicago: The Musical” debuted on Broadway in 1975 and remains one of the longest-running musicals in history, and these IATSE ACT members are part of the revival that first opened in 1996. 

“It’s an honor to welcome these workers into the IATSE family and provide a path for collective representation,” said IATSE Assistant Director of Stagecraft Stasia Savage. “While the workers on this production are overall quite happy, we standby to provide training, advocacy and protections.”

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

After Long Wait, Rochester ATU Members Accept First Contract: After more than a year of negotiations, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1005 members who work at Rochester, Minnesota, Public Transit’s Zumbro Independent Passenger Service (ZIPS) paratransit line have accepted a contract offer. The ATU members have been waiting on a final contract offer from Sun Transit since March 2024, when they voted unanimously to join the ATU. This first contract provides medical coverage, job security and an immediate pay bump with retroactive payments going back to January 2025. “It’s a good foundation with where we are at now with this contract and us accepting it,” said Demassion Ware, a ZIPS driver and ATU Local 1005 representative. “That way when we do go back to the table again we can ask for something much higher, something more comfortable and more on queue with what other companies are paying their drivers.”

Hotel Workers in Toronto Ratify New Contract with Wage Increases and Other Improvements: Approximately 60 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1006A who work at the Radisson Blu hotel in Toronto, Canada, ratified a new three-year contract. The contract includes wage increases of $1.50 per hour on ratification for nongratuity employees and increases of 20 cents per hour to $1.20 per hour for gratuity employees, an additional 12% in wage increases over the remainder of the contract for all employees in the bargaining unit, new lead hand premium for several departments and new evening premium for housekeeping, improved bereavement leave, improved sick leave, shoe allowance for part-time employees, reduction in the room assignment for housekeepers, increases to benefit and pension plan contributions, and higher retirement allowance for certain age groups. “We were happy with what we accomplished,” said Jemal Mousa, who works at the Radisson Blu and served as a member of the negotiating committee. “We did fairly well—we did good with pensions, benefits, sick leave, and improved the retirement package. Everybody was happy.” “As a member of UFCW 1006A, you are part of a union and a movement which is advocating and achieving fairness, respect and dignity for workers across Ontario,” said UFCW Local 1006A President Wayne Hanley. “I’m proud of our exceptional negotiating committee for being a strong and relentless voice for our members at this hotel and helping achieve significant improvements.”

IBEW Members at National Grid Approve Contract with 4% Annual Wage Increase: Some 1,200 National Grid employees, members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1049, who work in Long Island’s natural gas and power plants, voted 590–90 to approve a new contract. The successful vote ends a monthslong contract negotiation period during which workers were on the verge of a strike multiple times. The new four-year contract includes a 4% yearly wage increase across the length of the contract, a reduction in out-of-pocket health care costs, and improvements in 401(k) and life insurance policies. “This is an agreement that I have been able to endorse. The negotiating committee as a whole has endorsed this new agreement,” said Pat Guidice, the union’s business manager. “It’s a good agreement.” “From the moment negotiations started, our membership’s well-being was our foremost priority,” Guidice said. “We’re pleased to see that our membership voted in favor of the new deal.”

AFA-CWA Flight Attendants at Hawaiian Airlines Ratify Contract Extension: Hawaiian flight attendants, members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), voted to ratify a contract extension through February 2028 that includes continued pay increases, retirement improvements and better profit sharing. The extension will provide a strong foundation to build upon as flight attendants at Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines continue negotiations for a joint collective bargaining agreement as part of the companies’ merger. The extension was ratified with 88% voting for the agreement. It includes three pay raises, inclusion in the Alaska Air Group profit-sharing program and scheduling improvements. “This contract extension provides Hawaiian Flight Attendants with certainty and guaranteed economic and work rule improvements as we work towards our joint contract,” said Joni Kashiwai, AFA Hawaiian negotiations chair.

American Red Cross Workers in Oklahoma Join UFCW Local 1000: Approximately 19 workers who work in the Product Release and Component Labs Division of the American Red Cross in Tulsa, Oklahoma, joined United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1000. These workers process blood products after the units have been received from donors, and pack and ship blood products and samples for hospital orders. The workers joined UFCW because they wanted better wages and benefits and were concerned about workplace safety issues. The organizing campaign was successful, in part, because UFCW Local 1000 showed the workers how to form an organizing committee and reach out to their fellow workers to get their voices heard. “Forming our union wasn’t just about better wages—it was about respect, safety, and having a real voice in the workplace,” said Murphy Moua, one of the workers. “Now, we stand together to make sure our hard work is valued, and that every task we perform is done with the care and dignity it deserves.”

Nurses at Hawaii’s Wilcox Medical Center Ratify New Contract that Raises Pay, Includes Safer Staffing Levels: After nearly a year of negotiations and a three-day strike in January, nurses who work at Wilcox Medical Center in Hawaii voted to approve a new three-year contract that went into effect this week. The new agreement covers about 160 Wilcox nurses, members of the Hawaii Nurses’ Association (HNA), and increases pay and improves staffing levels at the medical center. HNA is affiliated with Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 50. Negotiations began May 6, 2024, and the nurses have worked since August without a contract. In February, the Kauai County Council unanimously passed a resolution urging the state legislature to implement safe nurse-to-patient ratios at hospitals. “It has been a relentless battle for almost a year,” said HNA President Rosalee Agas-Yuu. “After countless hours of organizing over 35 bargaining sessions, a three-day strike, and a Kauai County resolution, we are finally seeing a breakthrough.” The agreement includes pay increases that provide a 6% pay increase this year and 4% each in the second and third years of the contract. It also includes longevity pay increases. Staffing guidelines have been set up that align with national professional nursing organizations. The agreement also features a new Staffing Council made up of Wilcox nurses and nurse leaders who will meet regularly about staffing issues and needs.

SEIU In-Home Caregivers in Fresno County to Receive Pay Increase: After two years of negotiations, thousands of Fresno County in-home care workers, members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015, are poised to secure pay raises and increased medical benefits. The union, which represents more than 500,000 caregivers across California, announced a tentative contract agreement. The contract must still be approved by SEIU members and the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. If approved, the new contract will provide hourly wage increases that will bring wages to $18.35 an hour by September. The contract also will increase the employer health insurance contributions. The previous contract expired in December 2022, and negotiations for a new contract began in 2023. The union confirmed that members have until May 15 to vote on the contract. Then the board is expected to vote on the contract at its May 20 meeting. “We have fought the good fight for all our fellow SEIU 2015 members. We are happy that we have come to an agreement on our wages for all Fresno County care providers. It’s amazing to build collective power together and win for our communities to thrive,” said Fresno In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) provider Olga Valle. California’s IHSS program provides individuals with in-home services, such as bathing, feeding, grocery shopping, as well as mobility and restroom assistance, so they can keep living safely in their homes. There are some 24,000 IHSS workers who provide long-term care in Fresno County. 

Tags: Organizing

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.

Wednesday, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler attended a public hearing in Charlotte, North Carolina, where local workers testified about how cuts to essential federal services and jobs have affected their lives. The hearing is one of a series of nationwide events being held as part of the AFL-CIO’s Department of People Who Work for a Living (DPWL), a labor movement–driven campaign to counter attacks on workers and essential social programs by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“When you think about these cuts we’ve seen the past few months—whether you’re a Democrat, Republican, Independent—the common thread is, they touch every single one of our lives, don’t they?” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.

North Carolina State AFL-CIO President MaryBe McMillan spoke about veterans and how they will suffer greatly from the cuts. Maryann Ruiz, community organizer with the Carolina Migrant Network, talked about how immigrants deserve dignity and explained that immigrants want nothing more than a fair shot and a voice that’s heard. Jacqueline Sandle, a retired letter carrier, discussed how DOGE is threatening 7.9 million U.S. Postal Service jobs. Numerous other workers spoke about how the Trump administration’s attacks will harm them, but the overall theme was that Charlotte is ready to fight back and won’t put up with attacks on its communities and union contracts.

Ahead of Workers Memorial Day, the AFL-CIO released its 34th annual “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect” report, a comprehensive analysis of the state of workers’ health and safety at the national and state levels. Workers are dying and being injured on the job, and the Trump administration and DOGE are putting them at greater risk by enacting policies that will create deplorable working conditions, according to the report.

“Every worker has the fundamental right to come home safe at the end of their workday. But for too many workers, that basic right is under attack,” said Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO. “Workers fought and died for generations for the health and safety laws and protections we have today, and this year’s report shows we need to do even more. The Trump administration and DOGE are gutting the federal agencies that hold bosses accountable for endangering workers, firing the federal workers who monitor and research health hazards, indicating that they will repeal crucial worker safety regulations, and giving billionaires like Elon Musk the power to access and even manipulate OSHA whistleblower records. We can’t bring back the thousands of workers lost each year, but we can fight to prevent more devastation to working families across this country and demand that the Trump administration reverse course.”

“This year’s ‘Death on the Job’ report once again shows that, as in every crisis, the crisis of worker mortality is hitting Black and Latino workers the hardest,” said Fred Redmond, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO. “It is unacceptable that employers are continuing to fail all workers, and especially Black and Latino workers, by not providing them the safety measures and resources they need to stay safe on the job. Enough is enough. The AFL-CIO is fighting the scourge of workplace mortality, and we will not rest until the number of workers who die on the job is zero.”

Here are 14 things you need to know from the 2025 Death on the Job report:

1. 385 workers died each day from hazardous working conditions. 

2. 5,283 workers were killed on the job in the United States. 

3. An estimated 135,304 workers died from occupational diseases. 

4. The overall job fatality rate decreased to 3.5 per 100,000 workers. 

5. Workers of color die on the job at a higher rate: Black and Latino worker job fatality rates are disproportionate compared with all other workers and they continue to remain high. 

6. Employers reported nearly 3.2 million work-related injuries and illnesses, a decrease from the previous year. 

7. At least 55 workers died from heat on the job, a 28% increase from 2022; fatal and nonfatal data are an undercount of the real problem. 

8. Workplace homicides continue to be a significant problem, even though they decreased 12.6% since 2022; workplace suicides increased 5.2% from 2022. 

9. Separately, unintentional overdoses at work decreased nearly 5% from 2022 to 2023, due to increased attention paid to and efforts to combat the opioid crisis. 

10. The rate of serious workplace violence injuries has increased to 4.3 per 10,000 workers. 

11. Musculoskeletal disorders from repetitive motion injuries continue to be a major problem, accounting for approximately 28% of all serious work-related injuries and illnesses in private industry. 

12. Underreporting of all workplace injuries and illnesses is widespread—the true toll of work-related injuries and illnesses is 5.2 million to 7.8 million each year in private industry. 

13. Chemical exposures continue to plague working people, leading to debilitating, life-threatening diseases that are totally preventable. 

14. The cost of job injuries and illnesses is enormous, estimated at $174 billion to $348 billion a year—an undercount of the real impact on society, families and communities.

The report also suggests solutions to these problems—actions that can be taken to improve these numbers.

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.

Some 1,200 National Grid employees, members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 1049, who work in Long Island’s natural gas and power plants, voted 590–90 to approve a new contract.

The successful vote ends a monthslong contract negotiation period during which workers were on the verge of a strike multiple times.

The new four-year contract includes a 4% yearly wage increase across the length of the contract, a reduction in out-of-pocket health care costs, and improvements in 401(k) and life insurance policies.

“This is an agreement that I have been able to endorse. The negotiating committee as a whole has endorsed this new agreement,” said Pat Guidice, the union’s business manager. “It’s a good agreement.”

“From the moment negotiations started, our membership’s well-being was our foremost priority,” Guidice said. “We’re pleased to see that our membership voted in favor of the new deal.”

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.

As part of a nationwide series of Department of People Who Work for a Living (DPWL) events taking place this month, the Georgia State AFL-CIO and North Carolina State AFL-CIO held public hearings last week to discuss how cuts to federal funding and jobs have impacted local residents.

Workers in Warner Robins, Georgia, and Asheville, North Carolina, bravely spoke out about how attacks on federal agencies by Elon Musk’s DOGE are threatening their local economy, jeopardizing critical funding for important social services we all rely on, and putting the most vulnerable in danger. Local lawmakers and union leaders attended the events to hear this powerful testimony and speak about what we can do to fight back. Rep. Austin Scott (Ga.) and Sen. Thom Tillis (N.C.) were both invited to listen to the concerns of constituents from their respective states, but both failed to make an appearance.

“Those patients that I get up and take care of every day, that's what's important to me,” said Lori Hedrick, a nurse at Mission Hospital in Asheville. “These Medicaid cuts that are being proposed [are] going to be devastating to so many of them. We're just going to experience an overload, a much worse staffing crisis. Emergency room wait times, that's going to become even worse.”

“It’s not a political job that I do,” said Abby Tighe, a former probationary worker at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) who spoke at the Warner Robins hearing. “It’s not a political job that anyone at the CDC does. We are here to serve the American people, and we should be supported by the executive branch and by the legislative branch to do that work.”

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.

Unions Form Pro Bono Legal Network for Federal Workers Targeted by Trump: “‘We are still operating as though there is a rule of law,’ Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, said of the network’s intent to bring individual cases through the administrative board process. ‘We are suing when things go awry, but we are watching closely to see that the rule of law holds.’”

AFL-CIO Plans Nearly 400 Events to Protest Government Overhaul: “The AFL-CIO will launch nearly 400 events nationwide over the next two weeks in an effort to push back on the administration’s changes to the federal government. The events are organized under the AFL-CIO’s Department of People Who Work for a Living campaign—a shot at Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. Some of the events, beginning during this two-week congressional recess and going until April 28, will be rallies outside federal agencies and protests outside lawmakers' offices. But the centerpiece will be 19 ‘field hearings,’ according to Eddie Vale, who is consulting with the AFL-CIO. Workers from across different unions and sectors will be able to share their stories and solutions to the Trump administration's cuts.”

‘You Made This Possible’: Labor Organizers Submit Twice the Signatures Needed to Put Bargaining Ban to Voters: “Labor groups submitted some 320,000 signatures Wednesday, more than double the number required, in their effort to repeal an anti-union bill passed by the Republican-led Legislature this year. The overwhelming number makes the union’s Protect Utah Workers campaign the largest signature-gathering campaign in state history. Union members lined up Wednesday morning to unload and deliver about 20 bankers boxes of signature packets to the Salt Lake County Clerk’s office before gathering outside and singing ‘Solidarity Forever,’ a popular anthem of trade unions.”

U.S. Labor Groups Sue Over ‘Ignorant’ Cuts of Programs Fighting Child Labor Abroad: “Shawna Bader-Blau, the executive director of the Solidarity Center, a non-profit working in more than 90 countries to improve worker standards and conditions, said the cuts reduced the organization’s budget by 20%, in addition to 30% cuts through USAID cuts. ‘It’s a devastating, huge impact. The Solidarity Center is very often in countries where they are the only external support for trade union organizing and the advancement of worker rights. If we have to leave, we’re not replaced,’ said Bader-Blau. ‘It’s critical to the American economy that American workers not be forced to compete with extremely exploited workers in other countries, up to and including forced and child labor in supply chains.’”

Unions Sue to Reverse Trump’s Dismantling of Labor Mediation Agency: “The AFL-CIO, the United Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of Government Employees and nearly a dozen other unions joined in the suit, saying cuts to the agency endanger both workers and the economy. The cuts stem from a March 14 executive order that calls for a near-elimination of the agency and six others in the interest of the president’s government-slashing agenda led by the Elon Musk-run Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).”

SMART Union Demands Return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, Worker Illegally Deported by Trump: “The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers (SMART) is calling on Americans to contact their representatives and senators to demand the Trump administration facilitate the immediate return of a Maryland man wrongfully deported to El Salvador. Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadorian national legally living in the U.S. with no criminal record, was arrested by ICE agents in Baltimore last month on accusations of being an MS-13 gang member. Abrego Garcia, who hasn’t been charged or convicted of any crime, has since been detained at the Center for Terrorism Confinement, a maximum-security prison accused by human rights groups of torture and due process violations.”

Chicago Teachers Reach Contract Deal for First Time in More Than Decade Without Strike: “For the first time in over a decade, Chicago’s public school teachers have a new contract without a strike or threat of a walkout. The four-year agreement includes pay hikes, hiring more teachers and class size limits. While negotiations between the Chicago Teachers Union and the district didn’t escalate this time, there was unprecedented turmoil surrounding the unusual yearlong talks. The drama included the school superintendent’s firing, the entire board resigning and historic elections that tested the union’s power.”

Commercial Actors Union Reaches Agreement on New Labor Contract: “The labor union representing around 133,000 commercial actors and singers reached a tentative agreement with advertisers and advertising agencies for a new collective bargaining agreement. SAG-AFTRA and the Joint Police Committee announced their tentative deal April 12 after the union extended its contract deadline several times. SAG-AFTRA said in its statement that the agreement would go up to the union’s national board for review and then to a ratification vote for members.”

Over 200 Hennepin County Physicians Certified as First to Unionize in Minnesota: “Around 250 doctors at Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) have been certified as the first unionized resident and fellow physicians in Minnesota, according to union officials. The physicians are represented by the Committee of Interns and Residents, a local of the Service Employees International Union (CIR/SEIU), who said the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services made the certification on April 3.”