Fallen fire fighters honoured in British Columbia
IAFF members and political leaders joined the families of 27 fallen fire fighters who were honoured at the BC Fallen Fire Fighters Memorial Ceremony March 3 in Victoria.
Read More....AFT and AFL-CIO Respond to Department of Education Reduction in Force Announcement
AFT and AFL-CIO Respond to Department of Education Reduction in Force Announcement
Labor leaders and education advocates American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten and AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler condemned the Department of Education’s reduction in force announcement.
Weingarten said:Many of America’s global competitors — and adversaries — are no doubt cheering President Donald Trump’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. They know that countries who out-educate the rest of the world will out-compete it. And now brand new Education Secretary Linda McMahon and Trump want to neuter, if not completely shutter, the entity that helps give all children in the United States access to the great public school education they deserve. On Tuesday, the department announced plans to cut nearly half of its staff. McMahon says these catastrophic firings, alongside hundreds of so-called “buyouts,” are about “efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers.” The reality is far more cowardly….A gutted department would mean fewer teachers, more crowded classrooms and increased mental health and behavioral challenges for students. We’d most likely see increased absenteeism and decreased graduation rates. Fewer students would be able to obtain the degrees or credentials they need for well-paying jobs, meaning more students would have to settle for low-wage work or simply drop out of the workforce. And many cities and states would have to increase school budgets to make up for these cuts, resulting in higher state and local taxes.Instead, this move sends a clear message that, in Trump’s America, only kids from wealthy families are entitled to opportunity. How does that help make America great?…My union will continue to fight to protect our kids and to fund their future, because it is both the smart and the right thing to do. Last Tuesday, we held over 100 events across the country to protect our kids.Diverting billions from our children to pay for tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy is a callous decision that short-changes everyone. If we want to engage kids, if we want America to be a nation of “explorers, builders, innovators [and] entrepreneurs,” as Trump said in his inaugural address, then logically it follows that we should be investing more in education, not less.The dreams of millions of kids, and the promise of America, depend on it.Read the rest of Weingarten’s statement.Shuler said:Firing half of the staff so that the Department of Education cannot function will jeopardize the resources, programs and protections that give millions of students the opportunity to succeed. Public schools are the cornerstones of our communities: they provide the free, universal education that working families depend on, feed and care for our kids, and create millions of good union jobs. The Department of Education provides critical support to educators and school staff, and financial aid and student loans that put college and trade schools within reach for working families who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford it.Access to quality public education is a top priority for the American people, but billionaires like Elon Musk are pushing a Project 2025/DOGE agenda that only boosts the rich and powerful. We urge members of Congress to safeguard our taxpayer dollars by quickly acting to protect services that are essential to American life and provide vital support to our nation’s students, parents and educators.
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 03/12/2025 – 12:53
Women’s History Month Profiles: Anna Rose Sullivan
Women’s History Month Profiles: Anna Rose Sullivan
For Women’s History Month, we’re taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women’s history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today’s profile is Anna Rose Sullivan of AFSCME.
For Anna Rose Sullivan, being a public defender is about fairness. Many of her clients lack the financial means to hire a private lawyer. Sullivan works every day to ensure that everyone—regardless of their economic background—receives fair and equal treatment under the law. And through her union, she and her co-workers have negotiated for sustainable caseloads so they can give each case the time and attention it deserves.
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 03/12/2025 – 10:08
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Women’s History Month
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers in Utah Ratify State’s First Cannabis Industry Union Contract
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Workers in Utah Ratify State’s First Cannabis Industry 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.
Workers at WholesomeCo in Bountiful, Utah, ratified a union contract, becoming the first cannabis industry workers in Utah to do so. The workers are members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 99. The agreement provides guaranteed wage increases over three years; company-provided medical insurance coverage, dental and vision coverage; paid bereavement and parental leave; paid time off and paid holidays and meal breaks; and a ratification bonus. The contract covers delivery fulfillment agents, demand inventory agents, inventory compliance agents, pharmacy fulfillment agents, pharmacy agents and retail display agents at the Bountiful facility.Local 99 President Jim McLaughlin said the contract was “an important milestone not just for WholesomeCo employees, but for all Utah cannabis workers. With the ratification of this historic contract, WholesomeCo will continue to be a great place to work while helping raise the standard of living for employees industry-wide.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 03/12/2025 – 09:54
This Workers’ Memorial Day, File a PS Form 1767 – Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition or Practice
March 12, 2025This Workers’ Memorial Day, we are calling on our members to take part in collective action to make sure our workplaces are clean, safe, and healthy! On April 28, fill out and file a PS Form 1767 – Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition or Practice. Here’s how a PS Form 1767 works:
magazineSpeak Up for Safe Jobs
Each year, on April 28, we observe Workers’ Memorial Day. On this day, the labor movement remembers workers killed or injured on the job and vows to continue the fight for strong safety and health protections in the workplace. Without workers standing together and fighting for our safety, we would not enjoy the protections from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and our union contract.
This Workers’ Memorial Day, we are calling on our members to take part in collective action to make sure our workplaces are clean, safe, and healthy! On April 28, fill out and file a PS Form 1767 – Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition or Practice. Whether something small like sticky floors, or a persistent problem such as a toxic workplace, stand up with your coworkers to shine a light on the hazards in your workplace. If we don’t look out for each other, no one else will.
How a PS Form 1767 Works:
To report a hazard, find and fill out the PS Form 1767. These must be readily available to you. If it is not, you can fi nd a form on apwu.org.
APWU recommends that you utilize the 4-copy NCR form provided by the USPS in your workplace. This way you can see what actions were completed or ignored.
File a report of the condition on PS Form 1767 with the immediate supervisor and request an inspection of the condition.
The immediate supervisor must promptly (within the tour of duty): Investigate the alleged condition; Initiate immediate corrective action; Record actions or recommendations on the PS Form 1767; Forward the original PS Form 1767 and one copy to the next appropriate level of management (approving offi cial); Give the employee a copy signed by the supervisor as a receipt; Immediately forward the third copy to the facility safety coordinator. If the hazard is not fixed within 7 days, you can file a grievance to ensure action is taken.
Below is a list of some issues you can report on a PS Form 1767:
• Blocked fire extinguishers
• Doors blocked
• Pallets stacked too high
• Mail Transportation Equipment overloaded
• Red-tagged equipment not being repaired
• Empty equipment stacked too high
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) not being provided
• Safety service talks not being given to all employees
• Fire extinguishers expired or not inspected
• Restrooms inoperable or unclean
• Emergency stops being bypassed on machine jams
• Fire and spill drills not conducted
• Safety barriers inoperable or unrepaired after damage
• Tractor trailer backing lines not visible nor repainted
• Insufficient parking lot lighting
• Air conditioning and heating inoperable
• Harassment, intimidation or bullying in the workplace
• Hazmat spill procedures ignored
• Compressed gas cylinders stored in unsafe areas
• Exit routes not marked or illuminated
• Doors, passageways, stairways not properly marked as
“Not an Exit”
• Floors obstructed with equipment
• Inadequate lighting or ventilation
• Eye flushing stations inoperable or unclean
• Shelving not bolted down or to walls
• First aid kit material outdated or unavailable
• Missing guard covers on mail processing equipment
• Shelter in place not properly labeled
• Deaf and hard of hearing not included in safety talks
• Mold and asbestos issues
• Drilling without out proper vacuum and or ventilation
• Dust and other unknown matter in ventilation systems
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) not updated
• Leaking roofs not repaired
• Worn out or torn floor mats not replaced
• Starting and stopping devices not clearly marked
• Roll up doors inoperable or malfunctioning
• DBCS machines damaged or malfunctioning ■
This Workers’ Memorial Day, File a PS Form 1767 – report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition or Practice0
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Stand Up for Safe Jobs on Workers’ Memorial Day!
March 12, 2025On April 28, Workers Memorial Day, I challenge all of you to be willing to Stand Up for Safe Jobs and take action on this day. There are many things you can do:
magazineIndustrial RelationsCharlie Cash
In December 2024, the National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2023 was released. According to the 2023 data, 5,283 fatal traumatic work injuries occurred in the U.S. On average, nearly 15 people died per day at work. Fifteen people woke up, said goodbye to their families, and never returned home.
That is a death rate of 3.5 deaths per 100,000 workers. The death rate for Black or African-American workers is 3.6 deaths per 100,000 workers, and for Hispanic or Latino workers it is 4.4 deaths per 100,000 workers. The death rate for White workers is 3.3 deaths per 100,000 workers.
The U.S. Postal Service remains one of the most dangerous companies to work for. In fiscal year 2023 (Oct. 1, 2022, to Sept. 30, 2023), 34,472 employees were injured or had occupational diseases. Additionally, five employees were killed on the job. This does not account for the thousands of unreported injuries or claims that were not approved by the Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP). Your work is dangerous.
Each year, April 28 is a significant day for workers and unions worldwide. It is the day to honor the hundreds of thousands of workers who die and are injured on the job each year. It is a day of action, reflection, and mourning for workers and unions. It is known as Workers’ Memorial Day. April 28 was chosen because of its relationship with the Occupational Safety and Health Act going into effect on April 28, 1971. The law led to the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to finally had a federal law that required workplace safety.
We cannot rely on OSHA to be there to enforce safety rules and regulations in 2025. Under the current Trump Administration, we are already seeing agencies gutted, starved of funds, and workers being asked to resign, such as government safety enforcement officials. Project 2025 is being implemented at a furious pace. One of its tenets calls for mass deregulation to include the dis- mantling or severe curtailing of OSHA operations. This would lead to safety enforcement being up to individual businesses. This will not lead to less injuries or deaths at work, I believe it will lead to more.
On April 28, I challenge all of you to be willing to Stand Up for Safe Jobs and take action on this day. There are many things you can do. Take a moment of silence at the beginning of your shift by yourself or with your coworkers to honor not just the postal employees injured or killed, but workers worldwide. Take a safe action on that day. Wear a high-visibility piece of clothing to make yourself visible at work but to also remind management and your co-workers of your dedication to workplace safety. You can also reinforce your right to a safe workplace! I challenge you to check your workplace and when you see a safety violation, report it! Complete PS Form 1767 – Report of Hazard, Unsafe Condition or Practice, turn it into your supervisor, and then make sure management follows the process required of them when this form is submitted. You can find some ideas of what can be reported in this Safety article.
The APWU contract with the Postal Service states in Article 14:
It is the responsibility of management to provide safe working conditions in all present and future installations and to develop a safe working force.
But not only does the contract require a safe workplace, so does the law! It is your right and all of us need to be willing to stand up and ght for that right!
STAND UP FOR SAFE JOBS! IT IS EVERY WORKER’S RIGHT! ■
Stand Up for Safe Jobs on Workers’ Memorial Day!0
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Statement from UAW President Shawn Fain Condemning Attacks on Higher Education
The UAW represents 100,000 higher education workers, including campus staff, student workers, faculty, research assistants, and postdoctoral fellows, at Columbia University and beyond. Drawing on our long tradition of protest, support for international peace, and commitment to education for all, the UAW condemns in the fullest terms recent actions taken by the Trump administration to […]
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2025 IAM Transportation Conference Taking Place June 23 – 26 in Las Vegas
The 2025 IAM Transportation Conference will be held from June 23 to June 26, 2025, at the Caesars Palace Hotel in Las Vegas, with registration kicking off on Sunday, June 22. This major event will bring delegates and staff from the airline and railroad industries as we focus on “Building a Better Tomorrow” in Transportation. View the official call here. The
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