Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Antonio Betancourt of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

Antonio Betancourt is dedicated to moving the film industry in Puerto Rico forward. He is currently coordinating specialized workshops to improve the knowledge of IATSE crew members and has developed film workshops for underserved communities. Betancourt is also one of the founding members of IATSE Local 494. “Being part of IATSE has helped me develop into a crew member who can be proud of his legacy,” he said. He is a member of the Cinema Audio Society and was the sound mixer for “What Happened to Santiago” (“Lo que le Pasó a Santiago”), which was nominated for an Oscar.

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Alicia Castro Chicol of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).

Since becoming a member of IATSE Local 480 in 2011, Alicia Castro Chicol has actively served as a volunteer and board member of Chainbreaker Collective, a membership-based economic and environmental justice organization that helps expand access to affordable transportation and sustainable communities for working people in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and surrounding areas. Having strong roots in both El Salvador and Guatemala, Chicol helps with community organizing through different grassroots and political entities within these countries. 

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 Temple Association of University Professionals (TAUP)—an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)—has secured a tentative agreement (TA) on a five-year contract with the administration of Temple University.

This deal follows more than a year of negotiations and is subject to approval by both membership and Temple’s board of trustees. The TA features a $10,000 across-the-board raise for full-time employees upon ratification—amounting to a 10% raise for at least half the bargaining unit, which includes more than 2,300 faculty, librarians and other academic professionals. Over the life of the contract, a tenured professor on average will receive an 18% increase, while those who are nontenured will get about 23%. Other wins include expanded bereavement leave, improved parental leave, more protections for academic freedom, no increased health care costs and more.
“This is the most complex and transformative agreement for our union since our 1990 strike, and contained in this agreement are historic wins on pay equity, job security, and numerous working conditions, benefits, and union power,” the union said in a statement posted to social media.

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement.

Here's who we've featured so far:

• Omayra Sánchez, Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU)
• Amanda Filpo, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART)
• Roy Zuniga, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)
• Elizabeth Mercado, Communications Workers of America (CWA)

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Elizabeth Mercado of the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

Elizabeth Mercado has been a CWA union activist and leader for more than 23 years. She has held many positions in both her union and her community—from serving on her local school board as the first Puerto Rican woman (and, eventually, president), to chairing the CWA National Women’s Committee from 2021 to 2023, working as a Labor Council for Latin American Advancement Trabajadoras Fellow and beyond, Mercado continuously demonstrates her commitment to the community, workers’ rights and human rights.

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to the labor movement. Today's profile features Roy Zuniga of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC).

In addition to delivering mail to the customers on his route, Roy Zuniga goes the extra mile to serve his fellow letter carriers as a shop steward, on-the-job instructor and NALC activist. Reflecting on why being involved in his union is important to him, Zuniga shared the following: “What I enjoy most is passing on to the new members what was passed on to me and more. When you see new brothers and sisters at a meeting or they call you because they have a question, it makes it all worth it.”

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.

After a historic union election victory earlier this year, UAW members who work for Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, are gearing up to begin negotiating a powerful first contract with the automotive giant later this week.

More than 400 newly minted UAW members, their family members and community supporters rallied on Sunday to channel momentum from the vote to securing a contract that raises workplace standards, increases wages, improves benefits and codifies protections similar to those secured by autoworkers in other unionized plants. Other demands from Volkswagen workers include corporate accountability, workplace respect, retirement security and better paid time off. With representation across every department and shift at the facility, the 20-person elected bargaining committee has been meeting for weeks already to analyze survey data about members’ goals for the first agreement.

“Our victory in April was just the beginning,” said Samuel Gallardo, an assembly line worker at Volkswagen. “Now we are focused on winning a contract that reflects the hard work and dedication of every worker here. We’ve shown that when we stand together, we win—first our union, and soon a contract that guarantees higher wages, better benefits, and a brighter future for all.”

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 (formerly Twitter).

Alaska AFL-CIO:

If Project 2025 is implemented, roughly 15 million workers could be forced to pay taxes on their healthcare benefits. This is another prime example of how Project 2025 only aims to hurt working families. #LaborMonth2024 #1u pic.twitter.com/zr7AZISCFy

— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) September 18, 2024

California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:

So… what are you doing Saturday? pic.twitter.com/nmwl3sbjDL

— California Federation of Labor Unions (@CaliforniaLabor) September 16, 2024

Connecticut AFL-CIO:

New Haven is a UNION TOWN! Working people are rallying with striking hotel workers at the Omni as they fight for fair wages, job security & respect for all hotel workers. #1u #strike @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/TGtzhyAekX

— Connecticut AFL-CIO (@ConnAFLCIO) September 14, 2024

Florida AFL-CIO:

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 Communications Workers of America (CWA) announced on Sunday that the union has reached a tentative agreement (TA) with AT&T Southeast, ending the longest telecommunications strike in the region.

The new contract covers technicians, customer service representatives, and other workers who install, maintain, and support residential and commercial services in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Wages and health care costs were key issues for members. The deal includes across-the-board wage increases of 19.33%, with additional 3% increases for wire technicians and utility operations, and provisions that hold health care premiums steady in the first year and then lowers them in the second and third years.

“I believe in the power of unity, and the unity our members and retirees have shown during these contract negotiations has been outstanding and gave our bargaining teams the backing they needed to deliver strong contracts,” said CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. “CWA members and retirees from every region and sector of our union mobilized in support of our bargaining teams, including by distributing flyers with information about the strike at AT&T Wireless stores.”

The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy. It’s the beating heart of our country’s civil rights—and our labor movement.

That’s why we’re celebrating National Voter Registration Day—the single largest voter registration day in the country. We’re reaching out to make sure you, your family, co-workers, neighbors and friends are ready to exercise our democratic rights.

The voter registration deadline is approaching in many states over the next few weeks. Some states have deadlines during the first week of October.

So we have two important questions for you.

1. Will you take a moment to review the voter registration deadlines in your state?

Find information about your state’s voting laws and deadlines through our partner Ballot Ready.

2. Will you make sure your voter registration is correct and up to date? Or, register to vote for the first time. We have all the tools you need on our website:

betterinaunion.org/register

It’s important to check your voter status early, so you don’t miss any registration deadlines and are ready when Election Day rolls around.

Thank you for getting ready to vote in November! Our vote is our voice, and we’ll need every voice during this election to make sure we protect our contract, our jobs, and our freedoms.