IAM Virginia State Council: Spring Session Drives Political Action and Solidarity
The IAM Virginia State Council convened in Richmond, bringing together IAM Union leaders and members to strengthen political engagement, align priorities and build power for working people across the Commonwealth. Watch the video report here. Council leaders highlighted the strength and diversity of IAM membership in Virginia—from air transport and rail to federal service—while underscoring
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Solidarity In the Streets: In the States Roundup
Solidarity In the Streets: 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.
California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:Yesterday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta released evidence in a case he is bringing against Amazon for price-fixing.Emails show us that this giant retailer is unlawfully pressuring and forcing other retailers to not allow their prices to dip below what Amazon charges.… pic.twitter.com/LSt8036SI4— California Federation of Labor Unions (@CaliforniaLabor) April 21, 2026Connecticut AFL-CIO:BREAKING: Hair and Make-Up Artists employed by Distinct Artistry at ESPN have voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionizing with IATSE Local 798! @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/omJwPsSA4a— Connecticut AFL-CIO (@ConnAFLCIO) April 13, 2026Florida AFL-CIO:ICYMI: Check out the coverage of the great work being done by our siblings in @SoFloAFLCIO who are advocating for better working conditions for World Cup Workers! https://t.co/aD44SZhxWl— Florida AFL-CIO (@FLAFLCIO) April 15, 2026Illinois AFL-CIO:Wrapping up NABTU’s Legislative Conference in D.C. when IL AFL-CIO President Tim Drea and Secretary-Treasurer Pat Devaney ran into U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. #UnionStrong #NABTU2026 pic.twitter.com/4YwXCZ3uES— Illinois AFL-CIO (@ILAFLCIO) April 21, 2026Massachusetts AFL-CIO:Congrats to all the runners today, we hope all the fans out there had a blast on a beautiful Marathon Monday! Thank you to the countless workers who make today possible. We hope everyone across MA is enjoying a restful and reflective Patriots Day https://t.co/KIsK2tGw5E— Massachusetts AFL-CIO (@massaflcio) April 20, 2026Michigan State AFL-CIO:Are you ready to March on May Day? pic.twitter.com/sL92wyFRBd— Michigan AFL-CIO ✊ (@MIAFLCIO) April 20, 2026Minnesota AFL-CIO:Any union member will tell you it’s #BetterInAUnion . Minnesota’s Labor Movement fights better pay, safer workplaces, healthcare & retirement security, more union jobs, and respect at the workplace. Get involved to help build a stronger Labor Movement. https://t.co/QfiywfwJqU pic.twitter.com/5eftRmlmDg— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) April 20, 2026Missouri AFL-CIO:Call your state representative and tell them to VOTE “NO” on H.J.R. 173 & 174. pic.twitter.com/wBCxAn4mAx— Missouri AFL-CIO (@MOAFLCIO) April 21, 2026Nevada State AFL-CIO:Showing up for a headline is not the same as showing up with a real solution. pic.twitter.com/vYQZXXzJ7M— Nevada State AFL-CIO // Pass the #PROAct (@NVAFLCIO) April 17, 2026New York State AFL-CIO:For 17 years, the journalists and media workers of the Albany Newspaper Guild have been working without a contract at the Times Union. On the latest #UnionStrong podcast, we’re diving into their story. Listen wherever you get podcasts or watch on YouTube. https://t.co/gOFigZ0oDF— NYS AFL-CIO // #UnionStrong (@NYSAFLCIO) April 17, 2026North Carolina State AFL-CIO:Join us April 28th in Raleigh to toll a bell 196 times – once for each person in NC who died while working for a better life in 2024. RSVP at https://t.co/WZaKnjtfir #WMD2026 #1u pic.twitter.com/zu5fGpp6mS— NC State AFL-CIO (@ncstateaflcio.bsky.social) (@NCStateAFLCIO) April 17, 2026Oregon Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO:Working people ❤️ vote by mail. Voting by mail makes democracy more accessible and is a free, safe way to participate in elections. pic.twitter.com/AGVZlMEC8R— Oregon Labor Federation, AFL-CIO (@OregonAFLCIO) April 20, 2026Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:Union voices matter—and together, we’re making them heard. 📞 Our spring virtual phone bank blitz starts TODAY!Join us to engage and mobilize our fellow union members ahead of the May 19th Primary Election!Register now: https://t.co/EA6m6act2x pic.twitter.com/a96veBMcIk— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) April 21, 2026Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council:Early voting for County Primaries across the state begins tomorrow in Tennessee. Voting will last from April 15th until the April 30th. Check the GoVoteTN app to find a sample ballot or visit your local county commission before you make a plan to vote. pic.twitter.com/djXI16HC4x— Tennessee AFL-CIO (@tnaflcio) April 14, 2026Texas AFL-CIO:Texas workers are ready for something different.If you want fully-funded public education, better wages, and worker protections, give Greg Abbott the boot this November! pic.twitter.com/XZuvpk2MtR— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) April 20, 2026Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO:When workers and immigrants are under attack, we stand up and fight back. 📣Stand with Labor this May Day. Join us at Cal Anderson Park at noon for speakers 🥁 then we march.More info ➡️ https://t.co/33rMimeiT9 pic.twitter.com/kaeEY1k6cu— Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO (@WAAFLCIO) April 20, 2026
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 04/21/2026 – 12:42
IAM Union, Steelworkers Stand in Solidarity with Eaton Workers in Aguascalientes, Mexico
Leer en español The IAM Union has joined the United Steelworkers (USW) in solidarity with workers at the Eaton plant in Aguascalientes, Mexico, who are organizing to demand control over their collective bargaining agreement and to affiliate with an independent union. “These workers are exercising their fundamental right to freedom of association – a right
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Service & Solidarity Spotlight: New Jersey Cannabis Workers Celebrate Union Election Victory Ahead of 4/20
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: New Jersey Cannabis Workers Celebrate Union Election Victory Ahead of 4/20
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 cannabis products producer Sun Extractions have voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360, marking another win for the union’s ongoing campaign to ensure fair labor protections in the emergent industry.Medical and recreational cannabis sales in the state are on track to exceed $2 billion, and the workers who make those profits possible are organizing to ensure that they can secure wages and benefits that reflect that success.“New Jersey’s cannabis industry is stronger today, thanks to this vote by Sun Extractions workers,” said Hugh Giordano, director of organizing at UFCW Local 360. “Sustainable success for businesses, employees, and communities starts with fair treatment, strong standards and shared commitments. That’s how jobs in the cannabis industry become long-term careers, and it’s the future these employees are working towards.””We have more reasons than ever to celebrate 4/20 this year. We’re welcoming the workers of Sun Extractions into the Local 360 family, seeing the hard work of our members move an entire industry forward, and talking to other states as they look to New Jersey as a model of how to do it right,” UFCW Local 360 President Sam Ferraino Jr. said. “It’s another proof-point for what we always say: stronger unions mean stronger industries and stronger communities. And that’s worth celebrating.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 04/21/2026 – 10:20
Teamsters Join Legislators to Advance Faster Labor Contracts Act
(WASHINGTON) – Today, Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien and rank-and-file Teamsters from Amazon and Corewell Health East joined lawmakers urging U.S. House members to sign onto a discharge petition for the Faster Labor Contracts Act. The petition, which was filed by Rep. Donald Norcross (D-NJ,1st District), would force a floor vote on the bill.
“In America today, workers are forced to wait 458 days on average before obtaining a first union contract. This is unfair, it’s un-American, and it must be fixed,” O’Brien said. “This bill needs to move, and it needs to move fast, because working people in this country have been waiting long enough.”
The legislation would require employers to meet workers at the bargaining table within 10 days of successfully voting to join a union. The Senate version of the bill was introduced earlier this year by Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and has continued to gain bicameral support.
“When we won our election to become Teamsters in November 2024, we were eager to get to the table, but it wasn’t until June 2025 that we started bargaining for our first union contract. And today, we are still fighting for our first contract nearly a year since we started negotiations,” said Rachel Szadyr, a cardiac ICU nurse at Corewell Health East. “When working people vote to organize, they deserve a contract in a timely manner. And if their employers hold things up, they should be held accountable. The case for the Faster Labor Contracts Act could not be any clearer.”
Under the leadership of the O’Brien-Zuckerman administration, the Teamsters Union has organized more than 90,000 workers nationwide in just four years, including 10,000 nurses at Corewell Health East in Michigan and nearly 10,000 Amazon workers. Amazon Teamsters alone have been waiting more than four years for the e-commerce giant to enter contract negotiations.
“Amazon, the worst employer in America, refuses to recognize our union even though multiple judges have consistently demanded that it do so,” said Novelette Russell, an Amazon Teamster from JFK8 in Staten Island. “The Faster Labor Contracts Act will empower us to address the poverty wages, sky-high injury rates, and other inhumane conditions that Amazon perpetuates by imposing real consequences on employers that think they are above the law.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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Hundreds of IAM Local 778 Members Rally at Olin Winchester’s Lake City Army Ammunition Plant Strike Line
INDEPENDENCE, Mo., April 20, 2026 – In a powerful display of solidarity and determination, hundreds of striking members of IAM Union Local 778 gathered at 5 a.m. this morning on the picket line outside the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant, calling on Olin Winchester to return to the bargaining table with a fair contract offer.
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IAM Union Supports Congressman Norcross’s Discharge Petition to Advance Faster Labor Contracts Act
WASHINGTON, D.C., April 20, 2026 – The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is urging members of Congress to sign U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross’s (D-N.J.) discharge petition to force a vote on the Faster Labor Contracts Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at ensuring workers can secure a first union contract without unnecessary delays. Collective bargaining is
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Get to Know AFL-CIO’s Affiliates: National Women’s Soccer League Players Association
Get to Know AFL-CIO’s Affiliates: National Women’s Soccer League Players Association
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 65 of our affiliates. Next up is the NWSL Players Association (NWSLPA).
Name of Union: National Women’s Soccer League Players AssociationMission: The players of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) vow to build on the opportunity that has been afforded to them, as well as work to achieve those goals that have not yet been attained. They honor the vision and progress of those who came before them. They commit themselves to doing all in their power for the betterment of their members so that they may best contribute to the common goal: to play world-class soccer on the field and to inspire the next generation off the field.Current Leadership of the Union: The executive committee consists of Haley Hopkins (president), Dani Weatherholt and Madison Hammond (vice presidents), Maggie Graham (secretary), and Emily Menges (treasurer).Day-to-day operations are handled by Executive Director Meghann Burke and Deputy Executive Director Tori Huster.Current Number of Members: More than 400Members Work As: Professional soccer players.Industries Represented: Professional women’s soccer.History: The NWSLPA was first organized in 2017, as players conducted a card-check drive to unionize all NWSL players under a standard player agreement. The NWSLPA adopted its constitution and bylaws, and Yael Averbuch was elected as the union’s first president.In 2018, the NWSL voluntarily recognized the NWSLPA as the exclusive bargaining representative of all NWSL players.In April 2019, Brooke Elby was elected as the union’s second president. That same month, the NWSLPA engaged in its first-ever work stoppage, as players on the Chicago Red Stars and Reign FC refused to play in unsafe field conditions. By December, Elby was named co-executive director, sharing responsibilities with Averbuch.In 2020, Tori Huster was elected the third president in NWSLPA history. In July 2020, the NWSLPA notified the league of its intent to negotiate its first collective bargaining agreement (CBA).In March 2021, the NWSLPA named Meghann Burke as its first full-time executive director, formalizing the union’s leadership at a critical moment. By August 2021, players brought forward reports of misconduct by coaches and others in positions of power, prompting a broader reckoning across the league. After successfully canceling a full weekend of games, players returned to the field on Oct. 6, 2021. In the sixth minute of play, matches across the league paused as the players gathered at the center circle, standing arm-in-arm in silence to call for change. The NWSLPA issued eight demands outlining a path toward accountability and structural reform.In January 2022, the NWSLPA ratified its first CBA. The agreement established free agency rights for the first time in U.S. domestic women’s professional soccer under a CBA, significantly increased minimum salaries, returned group licensing rights to players, introduced revenue-sharing mechanisms, and secured critical health and safety protections—including mental health leave, pregnancy and parental leave, second medical opinions, and the right to choose a surgeon.In October 2022, the joint investigative team—formed by the NWSLPA and NWSL in response to the players’ demands—released its findings, marking a critical step toward accountability and reform. On Dec. 14, 2022, the NWSL announced unprecedented disciplinary sanctions in response to the report, signaling a turning point for the league.In 2024, the NWSLPA and NWSL reached and ratified a second CBA after months of voluntary bargaining, securing further historic gains for players and continuing to reshape standards across women’s professional sports in the United States.Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: The NWSLPA partners with various organizations. The Support the Players National Emergency Trust was created to provide charitable assistance to current and former professional women’s soccer players with unexpected financial hardships, and to remove cost as a barrier to accessing mental health services. The NWSLPA works with various partners to feature officially licensed products. Learn More: Website, Bluesky, Instagram
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 04/20/2026 – 14:11
IAM Union: Whirlpool Can’t Celebrate American Manufacturing While Dismantling It
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) issued the following statement in response to the recent story published by the Coalition for a Prosperous America: The Coalition for a Prosperous America’s glowing profile of Whirlpool Corporation reads like a press release written by an out-of-touch corporate CEO and executive board. While trade officials toured
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UNFI Teamsters Avert Strike, Ratify Strong First Contract
(POMPANO BEACH, Fla.) – Following a credible strike threat, more than 200 warehouse workers at United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), represented by Teamsters Local 769, voted to ratify a lucrative five-year agreement. The contract includes significant wage increases, improved benefits, and strong workplace protections.
“Ratifying our first Teamsters contract is a proud moment for every worker in this warehouse,” said Vedjo Williamceau, a UNFI warehouse worker and Local 769 member who served on the negotiating committee. “Throughout our organizing drive and contract campaign, we showed what’s possible when workers stick together. We’re excited for what comes next.”
Teamsters at the Pompano Beach facility will receive a 31 percent raise throughout the life of the agreement, access to Teamsters health care, and entry into the Teamsters Western Conference Pension Plan. Warehouse workers also won long-term job security, including just cause protections and strong grievance and arbitration procedures.
“These workers stood together and won an agreement that mirrors the gains of UNFI Teamsters across the country,” said Joshua Zivalich, President of Local 769. “Contracts like this one make a real difference for our members and are possible because of the strength our rank-and-filers across this company have already built.”
UNFI is the primary distributor for Amazon-owned Whole Foods. Workers at UNFI’s Pompano Beach facility organized last year as a part of a larger movement of workers at this company voting to join the Teamsters. Since 2022, the Teamsters have organized more than 3,500 UNFI workers, growing the union’s footprint to more than 5,500 members at the company nationwide.
“UNFI recognized the power of a credible Teamsters strike threat and didn’t want to test their luck,” said Tom Erickson, Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. “Warehouse workers nationwide are seeing what we are achieving at UNFI and choosing to organize with the Teamsters to win the same standards.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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