04/03/2025 - 5:30pm
We Build Futures: What Working People Are Doing This Week
Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week.
Actors' Equity:
AFGE:
AFSCME:
Alliance for Retired Americans:
Amalgamated Transit Union:
American Federation of Musicians:
American Federation of Teachers:
American Postal Workers Union:
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
Boilermakers:
Bricklayers:
Communications Workers of America:
Department for Professional Employees:
Electrical Workers:
Fire Fighters:
04/03/2025 - 11:00am
EVENT ALERT: Join Us in Saying Hands Off Our Unions!
On April 5, workers are joining with our allies and community members across the country to tell President Trump and Elon Musk: Hands Off Our Unions!Â
On Friday, the Trump administration took its most blatantly anti-worker, anti-union action yet: an executive order stripping the right to organize from hundreds of thousands of federal workers.
This is union-busting, plain and simple, and we won’t stand for it.
This Saturday, America’s unions are coming together with allies of labor at hundreds of events all across the country to send a message: Hands off our Social Security. Hands off our public schools. Hands off our Medicare. Hands off our jobs. And hands off our unions and our contracts!
Will you join us at a Hands Off event near you?Â
It’s clear that their executive order is punishment for unions that are leading the fight against the administration’s illegal actions in court and in the streets—and a blatant attempt to silence us. Â
So now is the time to be even louder.Â
On April 5, events will be happening all across the country, in major cities and small towns. Take a stand for our federal workers, the government services that we all rely on and our fundamental freedoms—including the freedom to join a union.Â
Find an event near you, and join this mass movement of workers and allies who are speaking out.Â
We’ll see you there!
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 04/03/2025 - 10:08
04/02/2025 - 10:00pm
Worker Wins: We Did This Together
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Journalists Secure First Contract at Wisconsin Nonprofit News Outlet: Milwaukee NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA) Local 34051-represented journalists at Wisconsin Watch ratified their first union contract on Friday. Members of the Wisconsin Watch Union unanimously voted to accept the agreement after more than a year of negotiations. Highlights of the deal include higher salary minimums, annual cost of living increases, remote work protections, expanded leave and more. “We did this together,” said Phoebe Petrovic, investigative reporter and an initial Wisconsin Watch Union organizer, in a TNG-CWA press release. “We’ll continue to do great journalism knowing our workplace is more structured, secure and protected.”
UNITE HERE Members at Philadelphia Stadiums Reach Tentative Agreements: After a series of historic strikes, UNITE HERE Local 274 members who staff concession stands at major sports venues in Philadelphia have won tentative agreements (TAs) with their employer, Aramark. The most recent contract covering food service workers at the Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park and the Wells Fargo Center expired in March 2024. The TAs ensure a $20 an hour wage floor for nontipped workers—which will increase again to $29 in 2029—expanded health care coverage, more paid holidays and other hard-fought victories. “We fought hard for this contract. No department was left behind. We stuck together and that's why we were able to set a new standard for Aramark workers and stadium workers,” said Sam Spector, who works as a club attendant and bartender at all three complexes, in a Local 274 press release. “I went years without health insurance. This is a big deal that stadium food service workers will be able to qualify for healthcare.”
Nurses at Wynn Hospital in New York Ratify Contract: Members of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), who work at Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS)—Wynn Hospital voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement last week. MVHS was created via a 2014 merger between the former Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare and the former St. Elizabeth Medical Center—after which nurses at both facilities combined their bargaining units under NYSNA. The medical center moved to its current location in downtown Utica in 2023, and staff have reported persistent staffing issues. This marks the first contract between the union and MVHS. Highlights of the deal include across-the-board pay raises (with retroactivity dating back to Jan. 1 of this year), wage increases to retain experienced nurses, improved safe staffing enforcement and more. “Over the last few months, nurses have been fighting for a contract that ensures the hospital have a plan to recruit and retain nurses to ensure safe patient care,” said NYSNA President Nancy Hagans. “This contract is a win for nurses and a win for the future of healthcare in Utica. Now we need the rest of Central New York to follow suit to ensure that ALL patients in New York receive the best care possible.”  Â
Ohio University Faculty Overwhelmingly Vote to Form Union: After a yearslong organizing campaign, faculty members at Ohio University are celebrating a powerful victory in their election to form the United Academics of Ohio University (UAOU), which is affiliated with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). Of the staff who voted, over 70% cast a ballot in favor of organizing, according to the State Employment Relations Board. While the petition to join UAOU was filed in March 2024, faculty have been discussing a union four years prior after dozens of their colleagues were fired during the COVID-19 pandemic. As they turn their attention to bargaining, members are hoping to secure a contract with improved job security, fair pay and a stronger collective voice at work. “I am so proud to be part of OU faculty coming together to vote yes for our union,” said Rachel Terman, an associate professor in sociology. “I am looking forward to a faculty union that works with the administration to do what is best for students, faculty and higher education in Ohio and particularly Southeast Ohio. The work to get to this point hasn’t been easy, but the persistence and patience of OU faculty are a testament to our professional dedication.”
Unifi Aviation Ramp Workers Vote to Join IAM: Ramp workers at Unifi Aviation in Cleveland have overwhelmingly voted to join the Machinists (IAM). These staff are critical to daily operations at airports, with responsibilities like loading and unloading planes, handling baggage, directing planes to gates, and more. Ramp agents cite concerns around excessive workloads and management’s failure to improve their working conditions as core motivators for organizing. “The organizing campaign was built on strong worker solidarity and open conversations,” said IAM Local 1363 Directing Business Representative Tim Verlinden. “We created a space for daily discussions and strategic planning within the internal committee, allowing us to navigate the many challenges we faced during this process. By staying united and committed, these workers were able to push forward and make their voices heard.”
Activision User Research Workers Vote to Join CWA: A supermajority of user research workers at video game publisher Activision voted on Friday to form a union with Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9400. User researchers study consumer opinions and behaviors for video game developers so they can produce the best experience for players. As part of the Campaign to Organize Digital Employees-CWA (CODE-CWA), these workers are joining the ranks of more than 2,000 colleagues at other Microsoft-owned studios who have organized under the tech giant’s neutrality agreement with CWA. “A union allows workers to create an industry that works for them, which is vital in an industry that we deeply care about,” said organizing committee member Pat Dimaandal in a press release. “Workers should not feel punished for pursuing a career that they love, and that’s why we’re organizing toward long-term, sustainable careers in this industry.”
Community College of Philadelphia Strike Averted After Tentative Agreement Secured by Union: Early Wednesday morning, members of the Faculty and Staff Federation of Community College of Philadelphia (FSFCCP), American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Local 2026, reached a tentative agreement just hours before faculty and staff were set to walk off the job. Negotiations over separate four-year contracts for CCP’s full-time professors, adjuncts and school staffers concluded after a final 19-hour bargaining session. Workers have been without a contract since August and, earlier this month, in a powerful display of unity, 97% of voting members voted to authorize a strike if necessary. Details of the deals are not publicly available until a ratification vote has taken place, but FSFCCP said that they contain historic raises, more manageable classroom sizes and some critical elements of members’ staffing demands. Representatives from the union said, “We believe we reached a tentative agreement that will significantly improve the lives of our faculty and staff members and will improve the learning conditions of CCP’s students. CCP is the heart of Philly.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 04/02/2025 - 15:45
Tags:
Organizing
04/02/2025 - 3:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Ohio University Faculty Overwhelmingly Vote to Form Union
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 yearslong organizing campaign, faculty members at Ohio University are celebrating a powerful victory in their election to form the United Academics of Ohio University (UAOU), which is affiliated with the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT).
Of the staff who voted, over 70% cast a ballot in favor of organizing, according to the State Employment Relations Board. While the petition to join UAOU was filed in March 2024, faculty have been discussing a union four years prior after dozens of their colleagues were fired during the COVID-19 pandemic. As they turn their attention to bargaining, members are hoping to secure a contract with improved job security, fair pay and a stronger collective voice at work.
“I am so proud to be part of OU faculty coming together to vote yes for our union,” said Rachel Terman, an associate professor in sociology. “I am looking forward to a faculty union that works with the administration to do what is best for students, faculty and higher education in Ohio and particularly Southeast Ohio. The work to get to this point hasn’t been easy, but the persistence and patience of OU faculty are a testament to our professional dedication.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 04/02/2025 - 09:58
04/01/2025 - 2:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers at Famous LA Museums Launch Effort to Form Union
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.
Staff at Los Angeles’ Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits have gone public with their intent to join AFSCME District Council 36.
As part of AFSCME’s Cultural Workers United (CWU) organizing campaign, workers are joining together under the name Natural History Museum & Tar Pits Workers Union (NHMTPWU). The bargaining unit would cover some 300 performers, engineers, educators, guest relations associates, and other workers who are seeking improvements like higher wages and more workplace transparency.
“As staff, we provide valuable services to our Los Angeles community and work hard to keep our institutions running,” workers said in a public letter that urged management to voluntarily recognize the union. “We believe that the power of decision making must be shared with all voices, including ours, across various departments and diverse roles within the institution.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 04/01/2025 - 10:05
04/01/2025 - 2:00pm
Stand Up and Support Federal Workers: In the States Roundup
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:
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:
Colorado AFL-CIO:
03/31/2025 - 7:30pm
A Pretty Overwhelming Victory: The Working People Weekly List
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.
Working People Respond to Executive Order Attacking Federal Worker Collective Bargaining RightsPrimary tabs
Working People Respond to Executive Order Attacking Federal Worker Collective Bargaining Rights: “The Trump administration issued a new executive order stripping collective bargaining and union rights from workers across the federal government. Advocates for working people condemned the move.”
Panel of Postal Union Leaders Maps Plans to Combat Privatization Threat: “A longtime right-wing goal, the threat of privatization of the Postal Service, and the retirement of controversial Trumpite Postmaster General Louis DeJoy dominated the discussion by three postal union presidents of the USPS and its future. The March 25 panel, with Letter Carriers (NALC) President Brian Renfroe, Postal Workers (APWU) President Mark Dimondstein, and Rural Letter Carriers President Don Maston, not only discussed DeJoy’s departure—and who might succeed him—but who would follow DeJoy’s controversial postal ‘modernization’ plan.”
Ohio University Faculty Approve Unionization by Wide Margin: “Nearly 800 Ohio University faculty will soon be part of a union, following a years-long organizing campaign and an election that saw more than 70% of participating faculty vote to unionize, according to unofficial results. ‘We worked really hard for this, and we actually had a very good sense that we had strong support,’ faculty organizer Julie White told the Independent. ‘It was a pretty overwhelming victory, and now I think the task is to go forward and represent the interest and concerns of faculty.’”
Interview: Sheria Smith, Leader in the Fight to Save the Education Department: “Sheria Smith is President of AFGE Local 252, which represents workers at the U.S. Department of Education. As the Trump-Musk administration moved to completely dismantle her agency, Smith suddenly became the focal point of the labor movement’s fightback. People’s World talked with her in Dallas on March 23.”
CSX Announces Tentative Agreement with Boilermakers Union: “CSX on Tuesday evening (March 25) announced it had reached a tentative five-year labor agreement with the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, its second such deal of the day. The union—formally the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers & Helpers—represents 59 CSX employees.”
Activision User Research Workers Vote to Form Union with CWA: “Today, labor union group Communication Workers of America (CWA) took to their blog to announce that user research workers within Activision overwhelmingly voted to unionize with the CWA last Friday. Microsoft has also recognized the union, per the release.”
NCCC, IBEW Vote to Ratify National Agreement: “The National Carriers Conference Committee (NCCC) and members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) have voted to ratify a national collective bargaining agreement. This ratified national agreement is the seventh of the 2025 bargaining round, following the successful contract ratification by BMWED members last week.”
Celebrating Federal Workers at L'Enfant Plaza: “‘We often take federal employees for granted, yet they dedicate their lives to serving the American people, often under challenging circumstances,’ said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. ‘It's crucial that we take time to recognize their hard work and commitment, not just on special occasions, but every day. They are going through a difficult time, and we are proud to support them with a simple thank you.’”
Education Dept. Should Be Made Efficient, Not Dismantled: Union President: “Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, warned that dismantling the Department of Education could have severe consequences for students across the nation, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
Washington Senate Passes Bill to Extend Unemployment Benefits to Striking Workers: “The Washington State Senate has passed Senate Bill 5041, which would extend unemployment insurance (UI) benefits to workers during labor strikes. If the bill passes the House and is signed by the governor, Washington would become the third state, after New York and New Jersey, to grant this benefit. The bill allows striking workers who have logged at least 680 hours in the past year to receive UI benefits starting the second Sunday after their legal strike begins, following a one-week waiting period. These workers would be eligible for up to four weeks of UI benefits.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 03/28/2025 - 10:50
03/31/2025 - 7:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: SMART-Transportation Division Reaches Tentative Contract with Keolis
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 International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers-Transportation Division (SMART-TD) reached a tentative five-year agreement with Keolis Commuter Services, Â the contract operator of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority commuter rail services. The agreement, announced on March 28, is retroactive to July 1, 2023, and will include 5% raises each year, plus an additional $2 per hour in 2027, as well as three additional sick days per year, the addition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday, and changes to vacation allotments and bereavement leave. SMART-TD represents 450 Keolis employees, who still need to vote to approve the agreement.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 03/31/2025 - 10:36
03/31/2025 - 1:00pm
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: Actors' Equity
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 Actors' Equity Association (Equity).
Name of Union: Actors' Equity Association
Mission: Actors’ Equity Association is a national labor union, founded for the purpose of negotiating strong agreements that protect the wages, hours and working conditions of its members; enforcing those agreements; organizing new work opportunities for professional stage managers and actors, and pursuing appropriate legislation on matters affecting their profession. Actors’ Equity Association values diversity and inclusion, and is aggressive and responsive in seeking equity for all its members. Furthermore, Equity seeks to lead the industry as a voice for the values it has adopted.
Current Leadership of Union: The current president of Equity is Brooke Shields, who was elected in May 2024. She comes to union leadership with a long career that has ranged from acting and modeling to writing and entrepreneurship. Shields’ career in the spotlight began early, modeling for print ads before her first birthday and on the runway by the time she was three years old. She attracted national attention as an actor at age 11 when she starred in Louis Malle’s “Pretty Baby,” and she cemented her icon status with “The Blue Lagoon” when she was just 15 and “Endless Love” the following year. As a model, Shields has graced the covers of hundreds of magazines, most notably Time magazine as the "Face of the Eighties.” She stepped away from the spotlight to attend Princeton University, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in French literature. She made her off-Broadway debut in “The Eden Cinema” while still an undergrad, and she appeared in “Love Letters” in both Hollywood, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, later also performing the show off-Broadway. Her Broadway debut came in 1994, when she stepped into the role of Rizzo in a revival of “Grease,” for which she received a Theatre World Award for “Outstanding Debut on Broadway.” She has subsequently returned in “Chicago,” “Wonderful Town,” “Cabaret” and “The Addams Family.” On the West Coast, Shields appeared in the acclaimed ensemble play “Girls Talk,” and she made her directorial debut with the Hollywood Bowl production of “Chicago.” She has appeared in numerous productions off-Broadway, including “The Vagina Monologues,” “The Exonerated,” “Love Loss,” “What I Wore” and others. In addition to her theater and film achievements, Shields has maintained a successful and critically acclaimed television career. She is also the author of a number of books. Shields recently unveiled her latest entrepreneurial project Commence, a hair and scalp health brand that targets women 40-plus. She has spent the past five years building a powerhouse executive team around her and fostering a community online of more than 2 million women over the age of 40, who are all united by being on the precipice of “what’s next?”Â
Al Vincent Jr. serves as executive director.
Current Number of Members: More than 51,000.
Members Work As: Singers, actors, dancers, and stage managers
Industries Represented: Equity has more than 40 contracts in the theater industry, from Broadway to dinner theater to immersive and experimental productions. The union also represents cast members at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort.
History: In the early 1900s, theater acting was alluded to with the phrase “life upon the wicked stage,” as actors and stage managers were forced to rehearse without pay, left stranded throughout the country when shows closed on the road, required to pay for their own costumes and worse. In 1913, 112 actors in New York decided they'd had enough. They formed a union that day and adopted the name suggested by William Courtleigh, Actors’ Equity Association. In 1919, the new union was recognized by the American Federation of Labor and shortly thereafter Equity launched the first actors’ strike in American theater history. During the strike, chorus and ensemble members also went on strike and formed Chorus Equity Association, which would later formally merge with Actors' Equity in 1955. At the conclusion of the strike, the theater producers signed a five-year deal that met most of Equity's demands.
Equity has long fought for civil rights. In 1947, Equity resolved that its members would not play at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., when the theater banned Black audience members. This was an early bold stance that not only worked (the theater closed and reopened with a nondiscrimination policy), it set the tone that Equity would follow to this day, fighting against discrimination in the theater, both on stage and off, and increasing employment opportunities for actors and stage managers of color, women, seniors and those with disabilities. The union has consistently fought to raise wages, expand benefits and protections, preserve historic and advance other reforms that benefit actors and stage managers in the theater and working people broadly.
Current Campaigns: Equity is actively organizing new workplaces, both theatrical and “theatrical-adjacent,” such as Disneyland, Casa Bonita, and Chippendales—you can contact an Equity organizer to learn more about how to Organize Your Workplace. Equity is celebrating 2025 as A Chorus Year, marking the 75th anniversary of The Legacy Robe, the 70th anniversary of the merger of Chorus Equity Association with Actors’ Equity Association and the 10th anniversary of Swing Day. Equity's Diversity and Inclusion efforts include reports on Hiring Bias and Wage Gaps in the theatre industry, as well as Policy Recommendation Papers shared to promote best practices in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. Equity's Student Outreach Presentations allow students to hear information and experiences from a union actor or stage manager to help pre-professionals learn more about the union of professional actors and stage managers as they consider their career options.
Community Efforts: The Actors' Equity Foundation provides grants to nonprofit theaters and institutions serving the arts community, offers workshops and seminars for professional development, and presents annual awards honoring Equity members for their contributions to the industry. The Actors' Equity Association Political Action Committee pursues the political interests of Equity members nationwide. The Theatre Authority is a nonprofit organization that administers and regulates the work of union members at charitable benefit performances. Equity also supports many service organizations, including Actors Federal Credit Union, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Entertainment Community Fund.
Learn More: Website, Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, X, YouTube
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 03/31/2025 - 11:45
03/31/2025 - 1:00pm
Take Action: The White House Just Ripped Up Union Members’ Contracts
Last night, the Trump administration took its most blatantly anti-worker, anti-union action yet: an executive order stripping the right to organize from hundreds of thousands of federal workers at more than 30 agencies.
The fact sheet it issued explicitly said that this is retribution for unions speaking out and leading the charge against the administration’s illegal actions in court.
This is union-busting, plain and simple, and if President Trump can cancel hundreds of thousands of union members’ contracts with the stroke of a pen, no union contract in America is safe—and freedom for anyone to join a union, no matter where you work or where you live, is under attack.Â
We are asking every single American who cares about the fundamental freedom of all workers to call their member of Congress right now.Â
MAKE A CALL!
Our message is simple: Tell your senators and representative that we demand our union rights to be protected. Other important points are:
- Unions improve federal agency performance—they don’t hurt it. The executive order issued last night is about union-busting, not national security. Â
- The Trump administration is punishing unions for speaking out against its illegal actions. Any member of Congress who supports working people needs to speak out and fight back. Â
- We will not stand for this blatant abuse of power that attacks the freedom of any worker to join a union.Â
It’s clear this is an attempt to silence workers. Which means it’s time for us to get louder.Â
Make a call today: 844-733-3172
The labor movement is not about to let Trump and an unelected billionaire destroy what we’ve fought for generations to build.Â
An injury to one is an injury to all. We will fight this outrageous attack for all working people.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 03/28/2025 - 15:41
