09/16/2024 - 8:30pm
Help Make Air Travel Safe: 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.
Boeing Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Strike, in Defeat for Troubled Company: “Boeing workers picketed outside the company’s plants in Washington state early Friday morning after voting overwhelmingly to strike. Tens of thousands of machinists voted Thursday to reject a proposed deal between the company and the union that would have significantly boosted pay and benefits even as it fell short of other union demands. Some 96% of members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751 voted in favor of the strike—far more than the two-thirds needed to launch the work stoppage.”
Harris Pushes for Labor Reforms, Union Support: “In an election year, Labor Day kicks off the official campaign season, and Vice President Kamala Harris kicked hers off with a bang. She had rallies in Detroit, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh, all major cities in battleground states. Joined by local elected officials in each place, vice presidential nominee Tim Walz in Milwaukee, and President Biden in Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh, flanked by AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, teachers' union leaders Becky Pringle (National Education Association) and Randi Weingarten (American Federation of Teachers), Harris gave a rousing speech that reminded us that we have organized labor to thank for the eight-hour workday, pensions, paid vacations and health care, worker benefits that have now become standard.”
Trump and Harris, with Divided Labor Records, Grapple for Pennsylvania’s Union Voters: “The AFL-CIO, the largest umbrella organization for U.S. unions, gave Harris a lifetime score of 98% on her Senate voting record. Walz got a 93% rating for his votes from the AFL-CIO when he served in the House of Representatives. He belonged to the National Education Association, the nation’s largest labor union, while working as a high school teacher.”
TSA Officers Help Make Air Travel Safe. Workers Deserve Protections from Congress: “As the vice president for the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 777, which represents Transportation Security Officers at airports across Wisconsin and Illinois, I work on behalf of the hundreds of transportation security officers who ensure that our passengers fly safely in and out of airports in those states. We take pride in on our work, and with over six million passengers flying in and out of Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in 2023 alone, there's a lot of work to take pride in.”
AFL-CIO, Entertainment Unions Unveil Federal Priorities for Nonprofit Artists and Journalists: “The Department for Professional Employees, a trade department of AFL-CIO, the largest labor federation in the U.S., has put forward a slate of new federal policies it hopes can create more sustainable careers in the nonprofit arts and media sectors. The policies, which speak to concerns from nonprofit workers across 12 unions, including Actors’ Equity, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE and more, call for stronger labor protections as part of federal funding received through the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, gaining seats on federal grantmaking councils for working professionals and updating federal grants in these areas, so that the funds are not limited to just one production or project.”
White House Calls for Stronger Labor Standards Across Federal Agencies: “President Joe Biden signed an executive order Sept. 6 calling on federal agencies to adopt a series of ‘high-road labor standards,’ according to an announcement from the White House, continuing the administration’s push toward expanding the federal workforce while pushing certain standards. The announcement calls the move the ‘first in history to specify a clear list of labor standards that all Federal agencies should look to prioritize.’”
Tim Walz Is a Dream Pick for the Labor Movement: “Walz has a strong Labor record to match. In a July 29 letter urging Harris to choose Walz, 26 Minnesota Labor leaders noted that Walz enacted paid family and medical leave for all families, provided unemployment insurance to hourly school workers, expanded the collective bargaining rights of Minnesotans, provided free school meals to every Minnesota student, appointed a Labor lawyer to lead the state Department of Labor and Industry, signed a tough law against wage theft by corporations and developers, and made it illegal for employers to force working people to attend anti-union meetings. The centerpiece of Walz’s Labor policy is… a law he signed in May 2023 that the news website Minnesota Reformer described as potentially ‘the most significant worker protection bill in state history.’”
Approval of Labor Unions Nears Record High: Gallup: “Seven in 10 Americans say they approve of labor unions, just shy of the record-high approval rating for organized labor, according to a new Gallup poll. The survey, released Monday, found 70% of Americans approve of labor unions, while 23% disapprove and 7% have no opinion. This is 1 point shy of the 71% reading in 2022, which marked the highest approval rating since 1965.”
A Campaign Kickoff, an Ode to Labor: “In an election year, Labor Day kicks off the official campaign season, and Vice President Kamala Harris kicked hers off with a bang. She had rallies in Detroit, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh, all major cities in battleground states. She was joined by local elected officials in each place, Vice Presidential nominee Tim Walz in Milwaukee, and President Biden in Pittsburgh. In Pittsburgh, flanked by AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, teachers’ union leaders Becky Pringle (National Education Association) and Randi Weingarten (American Federation of Teachers), Harris gave a rousing speech that reminded us we have organized labor to thank for the 8-hour workday, pensions, paid vacations and health care, worker benefits that have now become standard. Those benefits didn’t come without a fight, nor did the establishment of Labor Day.”
Walkout for Washington: “On Tuesday, Sept. 10, at 12 p.m. PT, AFSCME Council 28/WFSE-represented public service workers at state agencies, community colleges and four-year universities will Walkout for Washington to demand livable wages, safe staffing levels, and respect for the Washingtonians that depend on their services. Public workers organized in other unions are also joining these walkouts in a show of solidarity.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 09/12/2024 - 11:05
09/16/2024 - 8:30pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Oshawa Power Workers Ratify New Union Contract
Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 636 who work at Oshawa Power in Ontario, Canada, ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement. The old contract was set to expire in February 2025. The new contract goes into effect Nov. 1 and runs through Nov. 1, 2027. It provides the workers with increases in wages, benefits, premiums and allowances.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 09/16/2024 - 10:02
09/16/2024 - 2:00pm
Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Omayra Sánchez
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 Omayra Sánchez of the Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU).
Omayra Sánchez became chief shop steward among food service employees at Eglin Air Force Base shortly after the workers won their first union contract with ITPEU/OPEIU Local 4873 last year.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 09/16/2024 - 10:18
09/12/2024 - 11:30am
Service & Solidarity Action: 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding
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 the wake of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, tens of thousands of emergency workers, construction workers and others rushed to the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to assist in rescue and recovery operations.
Those near ground zero were exposed to a toxic mix of dust and fumes from the collapse of the twin towers and the fires that lingered. Twenty-three years later, many of these individuals are suffering from serious cancers, respiratory diseases and other serious health problems.
We made a promise to provide medical care and take care of those who became ill because of that tragic day in American history. Unions led the fight to create the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program, and now we need to act again.
The WTC Health Program is once again facing a budget shortfall that will start to impact care and lead to budget cuts in 2028. The shortfall would occur just as we expect more people to need the program’s care due to an increasing number of 9/11 cancers.
Survivors of 9/11 live in every single state and in 434 of 435 U.S. congressional districts. Every member of Congress should support legislation to fully fund this program.
In partnership with Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act, will you call your members of Congress and ask them to co-sponsor the bipartisan 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2024?
We hold in our hearts the memory of the flight crews of the four hijacked jetliners; the heroic firefighters, police officers, and other first responders who put themselves in harm’s way; and everyone we lost on that terrible day. We also remember the construction workers who worked tirelessly to move the wreckage and reclaim bodies, and the health care workers who saved so many lives. Their sacrifice and solidarity will never be forgotten.
We cannot leave behind anyone still suffering today.
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 09/12/2024 - 10:50
09/11/2024 - 5:00pm
Never Forget: 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 Teachers:
American Postal Workers Union:
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers:
Boilermakers:
Bricklayers:
Communications Workers of America:
Department for Professional Employees:
Electrical Workers:
Heat and Frost Insulators:
09/11/2024 - 5:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Eos Workers Vote to Join USW
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 160 workers at Eos Energy Enterprises in Pittsburgh voted to join the United Steelworkers (USW) last week to ensure they have a voice in shaping the future of their role in the rapidly expanding clean energy sector.
Workers at the zinc battery company manufacture batteries used to store electricity generated from renewable sources like solar and wind energy. The vote comes right as Eos is eligible for billions of dollars in clean energy federal investments from legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act. UAW members fought back against attempts to undermine their right to a free and fair union election, demanding that corporations receiving taxpayer money should respect the rights of their workforce. Their victory represents a powerful milestone in ensuring this emergent sector has high standards for labor rights.
“We’re proud to be contributing to our nation’s energy future, but for that future to succeed, we need to earn fair wages and be treated with respect on the job,” said Dante Williams, an assembly operator at Eos. “Unionizing puts our future into our own hands, and now we’re looking forward to sitting down and bargaining a fair contract.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 09/11/2024 - 12:25
09/10/2024 - 5:00pm
Labor Votes Debate Bingo
This election is crucial for working people. It’s about protecting our future: strong unions, better wages, affordable health care and a secure retirement. It’s about whether we’re going to build things in America and create millions of good union jobs doing it. It’s about standing up for our fundamental freedoms, including the freedom to join a union.
That’s Vice President Kamala Harris’ vision, and it’s why the labor movement is leading the way to mobilize millions of voters across the country to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
We’ll be following the #ABCDebate tonight at 9 p.m. ET and reacting in real time. And at our own union watch parties and in homes across the country, we’ll also be playing Labor Votes Bingo as a fun way to track what both candidates are saying.
Try your luck by downloading a Labor Votes Bingo card.
Want to play Labor Votes Bingo with friends? Download our five-pack of bingo cards here.
Follow the AFL-CIO and President Liz Shuler on X/Twitter for live updates, and share your debate and bingo photos with us! The AFL-CIO will be posting reactions on Threads, Instagram and Facebook.
And visit our BetterInAUnion.org website for all the facts on Vice President Harris and former President Trump’s records of working for working people, what the Trump Project 2025 Agenda would mean for working families and unions, and ways that you can take action between now and Election Day.
Thanks for tuning in this evening ahead of this critical election for working people!
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 09/10/2024 - 16:02
09/10/2024 - 5:00pm
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Central Vermont Medical Center Support Staff Votes to Join 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.
Support staff at Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) overwhelmingly voted last week to join the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Vermont.
This unit will cover licensed nursing assistants, mental health technicians, phlebotomists, front desk staff and food service workers across CVMC’s locations—including the hospital, 27 community-based medical practices and a nursing facility. The resounding election victory comes just over a year after CVMC nurses and technical staff also joined the state chapter of AFT. Core issues for these invaluable workers are largely based around lack of employment protections other hospital personnel have, the need for safer patient-to-staff ratios, and demands for higher wages and better benefits.
“We are passionate about our jobs, and we value being in service to our central Vermont community, so we are hoping to work collaboratively with the CVMC administration to come to mutually beneficial agreements that will impact our community positively,” said Spencer Starr, a patient service specialist and organizing committee member.
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 09/10/2024 - 10:36
09/10/2024 - 4:00am
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: IAM and Boeing Reach Tentative Labor Deal, Potentially Averting Strike
Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Members of the Machinists (IAM) at Boeing reached a tentative contract agreement that averts a strike that would've begun Thursday if no deal was agreed to. The contract covers approximately 33,000 workers and includes 25% raises over four years and improvements to health care costs and retirement benefits, and a commitment from Boeing to build its next airplane in the Pacific Northwest. The workers will vote on the deal on Sept. 12.
“Financially, the company finds itself in a tough position due to many self-inflicted missteps. It is IAM members who will bring this company back on track,” the union said. “When a plane leaves the factory, it’s our reputation on the line. This proposal helps keep our legacy alive.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 09/09/2024 - 10:06
09/09/2024 - 10:00pm
It's Better In A Union: 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 (formerly Twitter).
Alaska AFL-CIO:
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:
Colorado AFL-CIO:
Connecticut AFL-CIO:
Florida AFL-CIO:
Georgia State AFL-CIO:
