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Get to Know AFL-CIO's Trade Departments: Metal Trades Department This is the next post in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our trade departments. The series will run weekly until we’ve covered each of the departments. Next up is the Metal Trades Department (MTD). Name of Department: Metal Trades DepartmentMission: The Metal Trades Department is a trade department of the AFL-CIO. It was chartered in 1908 to coordinate negotiating, organizing and legislative efforts of affiliated metalworking and related crafts and trade unions. Seventeen national and international unions are affiliated with the Metal Trades Department today. More than 100,000 workers in private industry and federal establishments work under contracts negotiated by Metal Trades Councils. Workers retain membership in their own trade unions.Current Leadership: Dale M. Troll serves as president. Members of the Metal Trades Department Executive Council are Mark McManus (1st vice president), James A. Williams Jr. (2nd vice president), Terry Larkin (3rd vice president), Kenneth Cooper (4th vice president), Kevin Sexton (5th vice president), Brent Booker (6th vice president), Michael Coleman (7th vice president), Brian Bryant (8th vice president), Timothy Simmons (9th vice president), John L. Downey (10th vice president) and Kevin Bryenton (11th vice president).Affiliated Unions: Boilermakers (IBB); Electrical Workers (IBEW); Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers-USW (GMP-USW); Heat and Frost Insulators (HFIU); International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART); International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT); International Chemical Workers Union Council-UFCW (ICWUC-UFCW); International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE); Ironworkers; Laborers (LIUNA); IAM Union (IAM); Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU); Operating Engineers (IUOE); Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT); Plasterers and Cement Masons (OPCMIA); National Association of Government Employees/SEIU (NAGE/SEIU); and United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA).History: On June 15, 1908, the AFL Executive Board closed out a busy session—officially chartering four new departments for the federation, including the Metal Trades, the Building Trades, the Union Label and the Railroad Department. When the Metal Trades charter was officially issued, IAM President James O’Connell was elected its first president. He was joined by Secretary-Treasurer A.J. Berres, and vice presidents James W. Kline, Joseph A. Franklin, John R. Alpine, J.J. Hynes, Joseph F. Valentine and W.W. Britton. The Metal Trades Department’s first affiliates were the Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers’ International Alliance; International Association of Blacksmiths; Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Shipbuilders of America; International Federation of Draftsmen’s Unions; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; International Union of Steam Engineers, International Brotherhood of Stationary Firemen and Oilers; International Brotherhood of Foundry Employees; International Association of Machinists; Metal Polishers, Buffers, Platers, Brass and Silver Workers’ International Union; International Moulders’ Union of North America; Pattern Makers’ League of North America; International Union of Stove Mounters; and United Association of Plumbers and Steamfitters of the U.S. and Canada.The department held its founding convention in Cincinnati in February 1909. The department has been consistently vigorous and active in support of the United States’ defense against foreign aggression. At its founding, the department’s president intervened with the secretary of the Navy to bring about industrial peace in U.S. shipyards as the United States was rapidly expanding its Navy to assume a role as a young superpower at sea.The department and many of its affiliates were involved in the construction and operations of the 41-mile Panama Canal. At a cost of $380 million, the canal project employed 70,000 workers over the 10 years it took to complete it (in 1914); 5,600 workers died on the job.After World War I, as world leaders responded to calls for disarmament, President Woodrow Wilson initiated a downsizing of the U.S. defense establishment, which consisted primarily of a vast naval arsenal. One of the unexpected consequences of that action was massive unemployment in U.S. shipyards. The situation became acute as some 10,000 shipyard workers had been laid off by 1922. The situation prompted John J. O’Connell, accompanied by AFL President Samuel Gompers, to convene a meeting with Navy Secretary Edwin Denby and his then-assistant secretary, Franklin Roosevelt, to suggest that the shipyard workers be put back to work to dismantle some 120 surplus Navy vessels.The Metal Trades Department remained the primary collective bargaining organization for trade unions in shipbuilding and armament manufacturing through the Roaring ’20s, confronting many of the same industrial developments that unions in manufacturing faced.After more than a quarter-century of frustration over corporate domination of government, the New Deal ushered in a period of reform and regulation that began to level the playing field for workers and their unions. With the enactment of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, the establishment of the National Labor Relations Board and widespread organizing success that followed, the prestige of labor leaders was on the rise. Even during the New Deal, when labor acknowledged a strong ally with Roosevelt in the White House, unions still had to fight hard to keep corporate power and greed in check. For the Metal Trades, a good deal of that struggle involved maneuvering around the bureaucracy of the National Recovery Act.By Dec. 7, 1941, the U.S. shipbuilding industry was bustling as it constructed Liberty ships as part of the Lend-Lease Act intended to fend off Germany’s aggression against the British. Labor’s commitment to wartime production was critical to the eventual Allied victory over Japan and Germany.New challenges continue to arise and leadership continues to look back on the legacy of the organization for inspiration and direction.Learn More: Website, Facebook, X Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 06/29/2026 - 16:19Continue reading→

A Culture That is Collaborative, Equitable and Inclusive: 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. 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.What Unions Want on AI Policy: “The AFL-CIO is trying to thread the needle, opposing a moratorium while supporting ‘regulations in place so that the water and power usage is done responsibly.’ Here’s Shuler: ‘We need the guardrails on AI, we just don’t think that a moratorium is the way to get there.’”Washtenaw Community College, Roofers' Union Sign 10-Year Training Extension: “Washtenaw Community College (WCC) and the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers have signed a 10-year extension of their longstanding training partnership. The formalized agreement allows the union’s National Instructor Training Program to continue to be hosted at Washtenaw Community College through 2035. WCC President Rose Bellanca says it strengthens a partnership that prepares roofing industry instructors from across North America in skills that they will impart to fellow union members back home.”Sean Astin and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland: Our Faces and Voices Belong to Us. Let’s Make It Law: “Many Americans reasonably assume that they are protected from having their identities stolen in the form of synthetic depictions of themselves saying things they would never say and doing things they would never do. Shockingly, our nation’s laws do not ensure that we all have the right to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to whether someone else uses our visual likeness or voice to create realistic AI imposters. When images and voices are stolen, a person’s words are no longer their own, and a sacred trust between people is broken.”Ocean State Public Media Votes to Unionize: “Employees at Ocean State Public Media in Providence, R.I., voted last week to unionize with the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. 71% of the employees in the unit voted in favor of unionizing, according to a SAG-AFTRA spokesperson. The unit currently consists of 14 content creators, all of whom voted. The employees announced their intent to unionize last month. They said in a petition to management that they want ‘a culture that is collaborative, equitable and inclusive.’”Production Assistants Ratify Three Warner Bros. TV Union Contracts: “Production assistants on three shows produced by Warner Bros. Television—Abbott Elementary, George & Mandy’s First Marriage and All American—have ratified their first union contracts. The staffers, about 15 in total, unanimously voted to ratify the three separate contracts in a vote that ended Tuesday, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. Their union, Production Assistants United, is affiliated with the Hollywood laborers’ union LiUNA Local 724.”‘The Ability to Say No’: Artists Demand Consent Over AI Use of Their Music: “This letter comes at a time when policymakers are reviewing copyright rules in response to AI and when streaming platforms and social media platforms are overflowing with AI-generated music. The American Federation of Musicians recently sued Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, alleging the major labels ‘received significant compensation’ from the AI companies for past copyright violations and licensed ‘substantial’ portions of their music catalogs to them, but haven’t shared that with the musicians.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/26/2026 - 12:03Continue reading→

Worker Wins: A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. Truckee Fire Employees Join IAFF: Operational staff at the Truckee Fire Protection District in California have joined the Sierra Nevada Firefighters, Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 3800. Local 3800 now represents Truckee Fire captains, engineers and firefighter EMT/paramedics. Workers began organizing so they could establish a more formal structure for communication and secure clear representation regarding issues like staffing, training and working conditions in order to better serve the public. “Unionization was viewed as an opportunity to create a seat at the table with the fire chief and management and to participate constructively in the future of the organization,” said Jameson Schwab, shop steward and Truckee Fire captain. “We’re the next generation of Truckee Fire, and there’s a lot of excitement around helping shape what the next phase of growth will look like.”Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital Nurses Vote to Form Union: Registered nurses (RNs) at Chicago’s Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital have overwhelmingly voted to join the National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU). This landslide victory comes after RNs held a powerful one-day strike calling on Prime Healthcare, the hospital’s owner, to reinstate six unlawfully terminated workers. “Today is a great day to be a union nurse in Chicago,” said Anna Bilanicz, RN, in a press release. “We’re so excited to join NNOC because we know we’ll be able to win the kind of contract that will be a gamechanger for our patients and for us as nurses.” “Prime Healthcare thought they could scare us into silence,” added Chris Williams, RN. “But now that we’re part of the country’s largest nurses union, our voice is louder than ever, and we’re still turning the volume up. We’re ready for a contract that makes sure our patients get the care they deserve, not the shortcuts Prime has been taking.”Staff at New York Immigration Coalition Organize Union, First in Nonprofit’s History: New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) staff have publicly announced their intent to form a union with Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 153. Earlier this month, a supermajority of staff delivered a voluntary recognition request letter to management and they received communication from leadership last week that indicated progress. The New York City-based organization has offices throughout the state, and many workers are themselves immigrants. Under the name NYIC United, this organizing effort is the first in the nonprofit’s nearly 40-year history. “At NYIC, we work day in and day out to see a New York where immigrant communities are met with the dignity and humanity we deserve,” said Jahaira Roldan, an Ecuadorian immigrant who is NYIC’s manager of organizing and strategy. “We, as advocates, are seen as the experts in understanding what it takes to create a people-powered movement strong enough to propel forward holistic protections.” “Unions are for everyone, regardless of immigration status, and as a DACA recipient and TPS holder from Nepal, I am proud to be forming a union with my incredible coworkers at NYIC,” said NYIC’s senior manager of immigrant rights policy, Devashish Basnet. “I am proud to work at an organization that champions immigrant justice, and I believe that with a collective voice at the table, we can strengthen our work and deliver stronger protections for our communities.”Employees of Ocean State Media Vote to Form Union: Editorial staff at Ocean State Media (OSM)—Rhode Island’s joint NPR and PBS organization—decisively voted on Wednesday to form a union with SAG-AFTRA. Hosts, reporters and producers at the news outlet delivered a petition to management last month declaring their intent to organize. “At a time of unprecedented challenges for public media and journalism in general, we seek a more active role in decision-making about the organization and the future of our work,” staff said in their petition to leadership. “We approach this process in a spirit of collaboration and professionalism, hoping we can work together to ensure OSM is always a place where people are excited to build a great career in journalism and broadcasting. We truly believe in the mission of Ocean State Media, and our goal is the realization of our organization’s ideals.”Primary tabsEditorial Workers at New York’s Schneps Media Launch Union: An overwhelming majority of the eligible staff of the Schneps Media Network announced the creation of a union the Independent Association of Publishers’ Employees (IAPE), Local 1096 of The NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America. Schneps Media Network is a series of hyperlocal news outlets spanning New York City and Long Island. Approximately 30 staffers across the editorial department work in New York City at amNY, amNY Law, Brooklyn Paper, The Bronx Times, Brownstoner, QNS, Noticias, New York Family, Staten Island Parent and Caribbean Life and on Long Island at the Long Island Press and Dan’s Papers, among others. “Schneps Media reporters can do a lot with a little, but we shouldn’t have to. A union contract will improve our working and living conditions, making it easier to do work that matters. With better pay, benefits, resources and editorial standards, we’ll be better equipped to do what we love, providing hyperlocal news to the communities that rely on us. A rising tide lifts all ships,” said Kirstyn Brendlen, a digital editor at Brooklyn Paper. The workers are seeking to secure competitive wages, sustainable working conditions and to strengthen the news organization’s mission of providing objective local journalism in the public interest.Liquor Store Workers in Indiana Join UFCW: Workers at a Big Red Liquors location in Bloomington, Indiana, have voted to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700, marking a first organizing win at the regional chain. The bargaining unit covers the staff who stock shelves, backfill the coolers, run registers and clean the store. Newly minted UFCW members cited cuts to work hours, low wages and lack of benefits as core motivations for forming a union. “After watching not just our location but all the Bloomington locations cut hours and then proceed to do better in yearly sales over the prior year, we were hoping for a positive reaction,” said staff member Justin Fisher. “However, not one person received an increase [in] store hours despite being told as an incentive to perform better sales than the year before [that management] would get us more help. We upheld our end of the agreement but feel the company did not. We decided it was time to organize and get a union contract.” “UFCW Local 700 is excited the workers at this Big Red Liquors location chose us as their union,” said Local 700 President Tracy Bartak. “We look forward to working with them to secure a first contract. No matter the industry in which you work, UFCW Local 700 is committed to fighting for better working conditions and a better life for our members.”Asian Americans Advancing Justice Workers Ratify Landmark First Contract: Members of Washington-Baltimore News Guild, TNG-CWA Local 32035, who work at Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC) have successfully ratified their first collective bargaining agreement. After more than a year and a half of negotiations and a one-day walkout in March, AAJCollective has reached its inaugural contract, which includes major wins, such as a higher salary floor, a transparent wage step scale, preservation of remote work, expanded paid parental leave, a prohibition on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement entering AAJC workspaces and more. “This contract is proof of what workers can achieve when we stand together,” said the AAJCollective bargaining committee. “Civil rights organizations must model the values they preach. We are proud to have won an agreement that protects our workers and strengthens the mission we all came here to serve.”Health Care Professionals in New Jersey Ratify New Contract: Members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 152 who work at Cape Regional Physicians Associates (CRPA) in New Jersey have secured a powerful new collective bargaining agreement. The three-year contract covers nurses, medical assistants, receptionists and clerical staff who work at dozens of offices across Cape May County. Highlights include across-the-board raises for all staff, yearly wage increases, a new health care plan and clarifying provisions around paid time off (PTO). “Wages and healthcare are usually at the forefront of most negotiations. While we were able to secure good increases and savings to healthcare, language around PTO was the most important issue for CRPA employees. I couldn’t be more proud of our negotiating committee who worked with our bargaining team to create meaningful changes to PTO language that gives our members the flexibility they deserve,” said Chad Brooks, Local 152 bargaining representative.USGS Water Science Center Workers Vote to Join NFFE-IAM: Staff at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New York Water Science Center have voted overwhelmingly to join the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM). The new bargaining unit covers more than 100 workers who perform critical work monitoring and protecting New York’s water resources. This includes hydrologic technicians, geologists, physical scientists, hydrologists, biologists and other science professionals at multiple locations across the state. “I come from a proud union family, and I experienced firsthand the value of union representation in my previous state government job,” said Rebecca Gorney, a USGS biologist and organizing committee leader. “When dramatic changes began affecting federal workers in 2025, conversations among my coworkers quickly turned toward organizing. As we watched staffing levels decline through firings and buyouts, many of us realized the importance of having a collective voice. Through all the uncertainty, employees came to see that a union provides stability, protection, and a voice in the workplace.” “This campaign is a perfect example of what happens when workers take ownership of their future and stand together for a stronger voice on the job,” said IAM Union Assistant Organizing Director Juan Eldridge. “Rebecca and her coworkers built this victory from the ground up through determination, solidarity, and countless conversations with their fellow employees. We are proud to welcome these dedicated USGS professionals into the NFFE-IAM family and look forward to helping them build a strong first contract.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/26/2026 - 11:32 Tags: OrganizingContinue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: USGS Water Science Center Workers Vote to Join NFFE-IAM 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 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) New York Water Science Center have voted overwhelmingly to join the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM).The new bargaining unit covers more than 100 workers who perform critical work monitoring and protecting New York’s water resources. This includes hydrologic technicians, geologists, physical scientists, hydrologists, biologists and other science professionals at multiple locations across the state.“I come from a proud union family, and I experienced firsthand the value of union representation in my previous state government job,” said Rebecca Gorney, a USGS biologist and organizing committee leader. “When dramatic changes began affecting federal workers in 2025, conversations among my coworkers quickly turned toward organizing. As we watched staffing levels decline through firings and buyouts, many of us realized the importance of having a collective voice. Through all the uncertainty, employees came to see that a union provides stability, protection, and a voice in the workplace.”“This campaign is a perfect example of what happens when workers take ownership of their future and stand together for a stronger voice on the job,” said IAM Union Assistant Organizing Director Juan Eldridge. “Rebecca and her coworkers built this victory from the ground up through determination, solidarity, and countless conversations with their fellow employees. We are proud to welcome these dedicated USGS professionals into the NFFE-IAM family and look forward to helping them build a strong first contract.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 06/26/2026 - 10:08 Tags: OrganizingContinue reading→