VA Gov vetoes bills to expand collective bargaining rights for fire fighters
Legislation that would’ve guaranteed fire fighters, police officers, and other public employees’ rights to collectively bargain won’t become law this session.
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IAM District 142 Convention Showcases Rising Airline Member Solidarity
IAM District 142 recently held its first convention in Las Vegas in six years. The conference featured speakers, including IAM International President Brian Bryant, IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes, and IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen, along with other union leaders and industry experts. Many discussions encompassed the recent political climate, including
The post IAM District 142 Convention Showcases Rising Airline Member Solidarity appeared first on IAMAW.
Stand Together As A Union: What Working People Are Doing This Week
Stand Together As A Union: 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:Today is Equal Pay Day – the day of a new year at which women’s average earnings make up the difference from men’s pay from the preceding year. Workers of all demographics and identities deserve equal pay for equal labor. Learn more and get activated at https://t.co/UApJyhUGvr pic.twitter.com/dzbdV5V5Rt— Actors’ Equity (@ActorsEquity) March 25, 2025AFGE:AFGE has fought alongside TSA Officers for decades and we’re not stopping now.The only way to fight back is to stand together as a union.https://t.co/hzd7D05wz8— AFGE (@AFGENational) March 26, 2025AFSCME:🚨UNION BUSTING ALERT🚨 Extremists in the House are taking up bills aimed at eliminating your voice on the job. Here’s a sample of their anti-worker agenda: pic.twitter.com/qrx4cl85bK— AFSCME (@AFSCME) March 25, 2025Alliance for Retired Americans:Wow. Not a good look to say you “love” the SSA field office closures, staff reductions, and general chaos caused by DOGE.pic.twitter.com/kMajHSzSDJ— Alliance for Retired Americans (@ActiveRetirees) March 25, 2025Amalgamated Transit Union:#UnionSolidarity #bvgberlin pic.twitter.com/eLdaYvVFI5— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) March 26, 2025American Postal Workers Union:”[…]any attack on the Postal Service is part of the ongoing oligarchs’ coup against the vital public services our members and other public servants provide the country. We know that privatized postal services will lead to higher postage prices, and lower service quality to the… pic.twitter.com/iIauHwuPVk— The American Postal Workers Union – APWU (@APWUnational) March 26, 2025Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:“We are just starting to see United get serious at the table,” Ken Diaz, president of United AFA, said Wednesday. “This management team has delayed, delayed, delayed. They are starting to take some of their concessions off the table.” @tedreednc https://t.co/87IGeyhSx7— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) March 20, 2025Boilermakers:National Rosie the Riveter Day was extra special for Local 549 #Boilermakers as they celebrated with the original Rosies from the Kaiser Shipyards pic.twitter.com/gq1caXCOYT— Boilermakers Union (@boilermakernews) March 24, 2025Bricklayers:Happy #WorkSiteWednesday!This week’s worksite has a beautiful terrazzo pour from our brothers at BAC Local 7 Tile, Marble & Terrazzo NY & NJ!Thanks Zonca Terrazzo and Mosaic, LLC for highlighting our members!#BestHandsInTheBusiness #ItsBetterInAUnion pic.twitter.com/G3ElmUbEeB— Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union (@IUBAC) March 26, 2025Communications Workers of America:Many CWA members work at locally-owned PBS & NPR stations and play a crucial role in keeping our communities informed. Without public television and radio stations, we will lose access to critical local news and programming https://t.co/31ZGnZd8dF— CWA (@CWAUnion) March 26, 2025Department for Professional Employees:DPE commends @SenThomTillis and @MarkWarner for reintroducing PATPA, which will restore tax fairness for middle class entertainment workers. Here’s our full statement: https://t.co/PUl29YfJ3V pic.twitter.com/lqx6O3QHb9— Department for Professional Employees (@DPEaflcio) March 25, 2025Electrical Workers:The country needs more electricity – and more electricians. https://t.co/RKctPgnfi9— IBEW (@IBEW) March 26, 2025Fire Fighters:🔥 #OnThisDay in 1911, New York City fire fighters responded to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which resulted in the deaths of 146 garment workers. The tragedy led to new laws protecting workers and to the development of @osha_dol. pic.twitter.com/CHyMBi4tet— International Association of Fire Fighters (@IAFFofficial) March 25, 2025Heat and Frost Insulators:Did you know the journal is now available on our website & in the app?📲As leaders of sustainable practices, we believe how we produce our quarterly journal should reflect our commitment to a greener tomorrow.Want to go paperless? Update your settings in your membership… pic.twitter.com/5z63O4NZz8— Insulators Union 🦎 (@InsulatorsUnion) March 19, 2025Labor Council for Latin American Advancement:🚨 New Episode Alert! 🎙️☕In this episode of El Cafecito del Día, we sit down with Dora Cervantes, Secretary-Treasurer of the IAM, LCLAA Vice President, and a trailblazing Latina leader in the labor movement. 💪🏽🔥 pic.twitter.com/6n3tUvRGPV— LCLAA (@LCLAA) March 25, 2025Labor Heritage Foundation:🎭 Register now for the 2025 LHF Arts Exchange, June 20-22 in Silver Spring! Celebrate labor arts, unity & resilience. Space is limited! Info & sign-up: https://t.co/m0ZMk7Ykx9 pic.twitter.com/e0a4t68LQk— Labor Heritage (@LaborHeritage1) March 25, 2025Laborers:Safety isn’t optional. It’s #UNIONMADE. Laborers build North America’s future—working smart in the heat, staying protected with PPE, and backed by the unstoppable POWER of a union that fights for us. Join the movement 👉 https://t.co/N1htJdvA4k#FeelThePower #UnionStrong… pic.twitter.com/T95lLLbgoo— LIUNA (@LIUNA) March 26, 2025Metal Trades Department:AFGE Continues to Represent TSA Officers, Protect Their Workplace Rights https://t.co/ZX6ATSbDh1— Metal Trades Dept. (@metaltradesafl) March 25, 2025National Air Traffic Controllers Association:NATCAvists are building relationships on Capitol Hill to strengthen the NAS and our profession. Share your photos! Email publicaffairs@natca.org, post with #NATCAinWashington, and tag @NATCA (FB/X) & @NATCAnational (IG). https://t.co/55rz01tlAt pic.twitter.com/602JECPsiC— NATCA (@NATCA) March 25, 2025National Association of Letter Carriers:Letter carriers deliver more than just mail — we provide a vital service that connects all Americans. But none of it happens without a strong, public Postal Service and the dedication of 640,000 USPS employees. Privatization poses a direct threat to that service. We say #HellNo! pic.twitter.com/LhcDWUXATP— Letter Carriers (@NALC_National) March 26, 2025National Domestic Workers Alliance:WATCH: Jess, a Medicaid recipient in Utah, describes how Medicaid program cuts would affect her life.”I currently use Medicaid for my prescriptions, most prominently, and those aren’t something I would be able to afford on my own.”#HandsOffMedicaid pic.twitter.com/X2Zuxj02BT— Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) March 21, 2025National Nurses United:The VA consistently outperforms the private sector when it comes to care, but critics are trying to dismantle the system and privatize it. Who will feel the worst impacts of these attacks? Our veteran patients.Southern nurses send a message to our VA siblings: Stand strong! pic.twitter.com/IvKDf5EXLm— NationalNursesUnited (@NationalNurses) March 25, 2025NFL Players Association:A successful first day out on the links for the #NFLPAClassic 🏌️♂️📸Tune into the @golfchannel tomorrow from 6-8pm ET to see who’s taking home this year’s championship title. 📺 pic.twitter.com/ekpNGCotX7— NFLPA (@NFLPA) March 26, 2025North America’s Building Trades Unions:In: skilled tradesOut: college loanshttps://t.co/8OwIaQ3cDy— The Building Trades (@NABTU) March 24, 2025Office and Professional Employees:This week’s #WomensHistoryMonth spotlight is Wendy Pope of OPEIU Local 29! As chief shop steward at Elevance, she is the first line of defense for co-workers experiencing issues at work. pic.twitter.com/v5UxT4wLk0— OPEIU | #UnionStrong (@OPEIU) March 24, 2025Painters and Allied Trades:Unionized construction workers earn 42% more on average than our non-union counterparts.That’s the difference unions like ours make. pic.twitter.com/ipafqedNPe— IUPAT (@GoIUPAT) March 25, 2025Professional Aviation Safety Specialists:March 25, 1911: fire tore through NY Triangle Shirtwaist Factory killing 146 workers—mostly women & girls. Out of tragedy came stronger workplace protections through labor unions. Attempts to roll back provisions endangers lives, sets our country back. #NeverForget #trianglefire pic.twitter.com/dqK8XiB0qO— PASS (@PASSNational) March 25, 2025Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union:The @RWDSU is proud to announce our endorsement of @EryckaMontoya for NYC Council in District 21! As a native New Yorker who was raised in a union family in Queens, we know that Erycka will fight for working people! pic.twitter.com/jdovRApIr4— RWDSU (@RWDSU) March 26, 2025Roofers and Waterproofers:Choose the right anchorage for your personal fall arrest system – engineered anchor point systems typicallyexceed regulations and are the safest option. Learn more: https://t.co/KeV5KO6x7y #roofersafety365 pic.twitter.com/aQcVml0xqY— Roofers Union (@roofersunion) March 26, 2025SAG-AFTRA:Did you hear @linsayrousseau? 2 YEARS of negotiations. We are fighting for proper A.I. protections: transparency, consent & compensation. It’s time for the video game employers to #LevelUpTheContract! Show your support & learn more at https://t.co/ob855yNcHq. #VideoGameStrike pic.twitter.com/GzQVGUPlxT— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) March 22, 2025Service Employees International Union (SEIU):Medicaid is healthcare for nearly 80 million Americans. We’re here in DC reminding Congress that people matter, not billionaire tax breaks. ✊🏽 #ProtectMedicaid pic.twitter.com/eiZvJWpanK— SEIU (@SEIU) March 26, 2025Solidarity Center:In 2021, state-organized forced labor – including child labor – in Uzbekistan’s cotton sector ended. Workers have been organizing for fair wages, safe conditions & a voice on the job – creating a path for cotton products that benefit working people, brands & the global market. pic.twitter.com/lP7c9zn7q2— Solidarity Center (@SolidarityCntr) March 20, 2025The NewsGuild-CWA:NEW: Today, we joined a lawsuit against the U.S. Agency for Global Media and others for their efforts to shutter the agency and close several international newsrooms – forcing our members at Radio Free Asia off the job. pic.twitter.com/gEvTTNgc0i— The NewsGuild-CWA (@newsguild) March 21, 2025Theatrical Stage Employees:BREAKING: Atlantic Theater Company Production Workers Ratify First Union Contract, End StrikeProduction crewmembers at Atlantic Theater Company have voted to ratify a tentative agreement reached on March 10th and are set to become among the first not-for-profit theater company… pic.twitter.com/eFvHbNXhal— IATSE // #IASolidarity (@IATSE) March 25, 2025Transport Workers Union:The TWU successfully fought in Albany & NYC for a bigger in-house workforce to carry out the MTA Capital Plan. Our allies @NYSenDems and @NYSA_Majority stood with @twulocal100. A safer, more reliable transit system is coming if NYS funds the plan. @TwuSamuelsen https://t.co/TgYcCH0g5z— TWU (@transportworker) March 25, 2025Transportation Trades Department:It’s better in a union! 💪It was great to meet with @SenLBR to discuss her transportation priorities for Delaware and her committee assignments this Congress. #TransportationTuesday pic.twitter.com/aVUhNwFltx— TTD | America’s Transportation Unions (@TTDAFLCIO) March 25, 2025UAW:”Cummins should stop stalling, stop using bully tactics (private security bullies), and scare tactics (scabs), and come back to the table ready to negotiate in good faith.” — Paul Youngblood, UAW Local 291, UAW Region 4 | #StandUpUAW pic.twitter.com/GElOahKP4d— UAW (@UAW) March 26, 2025UNITE HERE:Alongside Working Families United and other allies, UNITE HERE Local 2 demonstrated our commitment Monday to protect TPS. We made our voices heard outside the courthouse on Monday before a judge heard a motion to postpone Homeland Security’s termination of TPS for Venezuelans. pic.twitter.com/b7wRsKBPqy— UNITE HERE (@unitehere) March 26, 2025United Food and Commercial Workers:It is not too late to sign up for the 2025 Free Foreign Language Program Spring quarter! Whether it’s for travel, for work, or just for fun, this program offers members the ability to learn over 70 languages for free online.🌐: https://t.co/61IC0Gx1LG pic.twitter.com/3uM1c6xC7r— UFCW (@UFCW) March 25, 2025United Steelworkers:The @SolidarityCntr, part of the @AFLCIO family, stands with workers across the🌎 facing some of the toughest working conditions. Their work is driven by labor’s shared vision: all workers have the right to organize, earn fair wages & work w/ dignity. https://t.co/92OF4UlA3e pic.twitter.com/k2eCqDqd95— United Steelworkers #EverybodysUnion (@steelworkers) March 26, 2025Utility Workers:Active members like Dana Pew of UWUA Local G-555 make #WomensHistory and #LaborHistory at the same time. https://t.co/GXKatzpfmJ— UWUA National (@The_UWUA) March 26, 2025Writers Guild of America East:Management loves to say we’re all family – it’s time to start treating workers like it. Fill out the interest form if you’re a nonfiction production worker looking for better conditions! #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/NybzKZEGsk— Writers Guild of America East (@WGAEast) March 25, 2025
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 03/26/2025 – 10:05
Maintenance Craft In-Service Open Season March 1-31, 2025
March 1, 2025Once a year, during the month of March (March 1-31), ALL career employees may request to be tested for Maintenance Craft eligibility ratings and placement on In-Service Registers.
magazineMaintenance DivisionIdowu Balogun
From March 1-31, ALL career employees may request to be tested for Maintenance Craft eligibility ratings and placement on In-Service Registers. In March, career employees already on the In-Service Register can submit a written request to remain on those registers and avoid the annual purge that occurs on April 1.
Below are the January 18, 2023 Questions & Answers for the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Re: In-Service Examinations, Register and Eligibility:
National Q&As on the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Re: In-Service Examinations, Register and Eligibility Ratings
Is the March annual service wide opportunity to test for Maintenance Craft eligibility ratings limited to once per year during the month of March?
Yes.
Who is eligible to participate in the annual opportunity to test for Maintenance Craft eligibility ratings?
All career employees are eligible.
Can Maintenance Craft employees participate in the annual opportunity to test for Maintenance Craft eligibility ratings?
Yes.
If In-Service Registers do not exist, where are the exam results placed?
The HR MSS Coordinator is responsible for placing the results in the employee’s eOPF.
What form must career employees complete when submitting a written request to participate in the March annual In-Service opportunity?
Management shall provide an Employee Maintenance Position Selection (EMPS) form as found in the EL-304 to employees.
What occupational group can career employees request to receive eligibility ratings for?
All Maintenance Craft occupational groups (MSS and non-MSS) that require an examination, except National Service Technician ET-11.
Can non-Maintenance Craft, career employees that have already received eligibility ratings request to be tested again in subsequent years in an attempt to improve their scores?
Yes.
What options are available for non-Maintenance Craft employees who have failed the structured interview, but received an eligibility rating on examination 955?
In subsequent years, the employee may (1) request to retake the examination for the structured interview only or (2) can request the opportunity to retake both the examination 955 and the structured interview. If the employee retakes examination 955, the highest achieved score is used as the eligibility rating.
Can current Maintenance Craft employees that have received In-service eligibility ratings for occupational groups that are not in their facility, request to be tested again in subsequent years in an attempt to improve their scores?
Yes.
What happens if an employee is a “no show” for the proctored exam or structured interview during the In-Service process?
The employee is deemed ineligible and may request to take the exam/structured interview during the following year’s annual opportunity.
Are there any changes to the way employees are ranked on In-Service Registers?
No, there are no changes.
If non-custodial In-Service Registers exist, how will employees be added in subsequent years?
Merged in score order.
If an employee on an In-Service Register declines to accept a position in the Maintenance Craft, is that employee’s name removed from the In-Service Register?
No, the employee will be bypassed for that position.
When will In-Service Registers be purged?
Every year on April 1.
What must employees on In-Service Registers do to avoid the April purge and remain on In-Service Registers?
Employees must submit a written request by March 31 to the District HR MSS Coordinator. The exception is employees on custodial In-Service Registers, which are not purged.
Is there a specific form that employees must use to submit their notification to management of their intent to avoid the April purge and remain on In-Service Registers?
No, any written/emailed request to remain on the In-Service Registers will be accepted. ■
Maintenance Craft In-Service Open Season
March 1-31, 20250
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Machinists and NFFE-IAM Hold Event Celebrating Federal Workers
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Machinists and NFFE-IAM Hold Event Celebrating Federal Workers
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.
Early Monday morning, the Machinists (IAM) and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) gathered to show support for federal workers alongside AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler (pictured above) and community allies. Rally attendees spoke with commuters and held signs thanking federal employees for their critical work keeping our essential services running.“We often take federal employees for granted, yet they dedicate their lives to serving the American people, often under challenging circumstances,” said IAM 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.”Randy Erwin, national president of the NFFE-IAM, added: “They deserve our respect, our support, and fair treatment. This event is a small way to show our appreciation for their dedication and service.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 03/26/2025 – 09:23
Eliminating the Gender Pay Gap
March 24, 2025Research and Education Director Joyce Robinson provides information to illustrate the pay gap between men’s and women’s wages and legislation aimed to combat it.
magazineResearch and EducationJoyce B. Robinson
Because women earn less than men, they must work longer for the same amount of pay. Equal Pay Day originates from the 1996 National Committee on Pay Equity to illustrate the gap between men’s and women’s wages, and is the symbolic day when women’s earnings catch up to men’s earnings from the previous year. This year, National Equal Pay Day will be celebrated on Tuesday, March 25, 2025.
Gender Gap by Race and Age
Federal women employees are protected by The Equal Pay Act of 1963, which made it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who perform equal work. But many states do not follow these laws. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in the second quarter of 2024, the median weekly earnings was $1,253 for men and $1,017 for women. The data also revealed discrepancies by race. The median weekly earnings of white women were $1,037, while Black women’s earnings were $906, or 87.4 percent compared to white women. Latina women earned $831, or 80.1 percent of earnings per dollar by white women. Asian women earned $1,337, which was higher than white women. And by age, the median weekly earnings of women were highest for women ages 45 to 54 at $1,151, and lowest for women ages 16 to 24 at $771.
Institute for Women’s Policy Research Findings
According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, more than 36 million households in the U.S. are headed by women. Forty-eight percent of white mothers, 49 percent of Latina mothers, 79 percent of Black mothers, 64 percent of Native American mothers, and 43 percent of Asian and Paci c Islander mothers are breadwinners in their households. Yet, mothers overall are paid just 62 cents for every dollar paid to fathers.
The wage gap also varies by state and congressional district. In Utah, where the gap is the widest, women are paid only 61 cents for every dollar paid to men (a gap of 39 cents for every dollar). Even in Vermont, where the gap is the narrowest, women are paid just 83 cents for every dollar paid to men – a gap of 17 cents. In each of the 435 congressional districts across the country and the District of Columbia, the median annual pay for women is less than the median annual pay for men.
The Paycheck Fairness Act
The Paycheck Fairness Act (PFA) was a bill that addressed wage discrimination in the workplace. The House of Representatives formerly passed the bill in April 2021, during the 117th Congress, and it moved to the Senate in March 2023. However, it did not make it to the floor for a vote. If reintroduced and passed in the new Congress, the PFA would help strengthen the Equal Pay Act and eliminate wage discrimination by:
Limiting an employer’s defense that a pay differential is based on a factor other than sex to only bonafide job-related factors in wage discrimination claims,
Enhancing nonretaliation prohibitions,
Making it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee’s wages, and
Increasing civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions.
Equal Pay Day is on March 25, 2025. Wear RED to show solidarity with the fight for pay equity and gender equality! ■
Resources: Institute for Women’s Policy Research, National Committee on Pay Equity, Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census Bureau.
Eliminating the Gender Pay Gap0
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Volkswagen Chattanooga Workers Slammed with Crippling Health Care Costs—One in Three Struggles to Afford Auto Giant’s Subpar Insurance
Days after Volkswagen, the #2 automaker in the world, announced making $20.6 billion in profit in 2024, a new UAW survey of VW workers in Chattanooga reveals the devastating financial toll of VW’s substandard U.S. health care offerings.
The post Volkswagen Chattanooga Workers Slammed with Crippling Health Care Costs—One in Three Struggles to Afford Auto Giant’s Subpar Insurance appeared first on UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.
Teamsters Reject United Airlines’ Insulting Contract Proposal
(WASHINGTON) – The following is a statement from Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien and Teamsters Airline Division Director Chris Griswold on United Airlines Teamsters’ overwhelming rejection of the carrier’s latest disgraceful economic proposal. 99.5 percent of Teamsters voted to reject this greedy carrier’s attempts to cut their wages and send their work to communist […]
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UNFI Teamsters Ratify First Contracts
(WASHINGTON) – Following a credible strike threat, more than 1,000 newly organized drivers and warehouse workers at United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) in Florida, Georgia, and Illinois have ratified their first Teamsters contracts. Represented by Teamsters Locals 26, 79, 728, and 769, UNFI workers have secured agreements that deliver significant wage increases, improved benefits, and […]
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Illinois State Council Energizes Regional Labor Vote
Members of the Illinois State Council of Machinist held its annual meeting in Springfield, IL. The two-day event attracted politicians, activists and members who wanted to learn more about regional politics.
The post Illinois State Council Energizes Regional Labor Vote appeared first on IAMAW.