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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Pono Kodani

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Pono Kodani For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Pono Kodani of AFSCME. Deeply connected to the ocean and his Hawaii Island community, Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA/AFSCME) member and lifeguard Pono Kodani says the most rewarding part of his job is saving a life, especially with drowning being the No. 1 cause of death among children in the islands. Born and raised on the east side of Hawaii Island, Kodani grew up going to the beaches that he now patrols. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/15/2025 - 10:00Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: University of Minnesota Resident Physicians Union Certified by State Labor Board

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: University of Minnesota Resident Physicians Union Certified by State Labor Board 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. The Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services officially certified on Friday that a majority of resident physicians at the University of Minnesota have signed cards to join the Committee of Interns and Residents (CIR/SEIU).A supermajority of the nearly 1,000-person bargaining unit filed for union recognition late last month. Their exciting organizing campaign was made possible by the reform of Minnesota’s Public Employment Labor Relations Act, which was passed in 2024.“We went into medicine because we want to take care of people, but at the heart of it, we just don’t think that great patient care should have to come at the expense of our well-being,” said Dr. Sofia Haile, a family medicine resident, in a press release. “In fact, we believe our health and our patients’ health are actually intertwined. Creating a system where physicians can be our best for patients and be our best for ourselves is what we’re hoping to achieve as a union.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/15/2025 - 09:53Continue reading→

Dangerous and Unprecedented Times

May 15, 2025“No matter our political beliefs or how we vote, we can and should find common ground in meeting the rising tide of fascism with an even greater tide of resistance of workers’ unity and solidarity.” APWU President Dimondstein shares his observations and thoughts about recent attacks on workers’ rights. magazinePresidentMark Dimondstein These are certainly dangerous and unprecedented times for all workers. Many have heard the saying – if we don’t learn from history, we are bound to repeat it. But to learn from it, we must know it. In January, the world commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Red Army’s liberation of the Nazi Auschwitz concentration camp toward the end of World War II. Yet a recent survey shockingly revealed that two-thirds of the U.S. population under the age of 42 knew nothing of this notorious fascist death camp where over one million people, mostly Jewish, were murdered in gas chambers. How does a society turn to such barbarism, where human beings exterminate other human beings, justifying their heinous crimes behind the “big lie” that the white, blond-haired, blue-eyed, “Aryan race” is superior to “inferior” peoples? History shows it never starts with death camps. It starts with actions like those that are happening again today: demeaning and degrading others based on who they are, where they were born, or the color of their skin; labeling those with differing views as enemies of the state; calling immigrants trash; mocking disabled people; eliminating women’s fundamental rights; criminalizing protests; placing a president above the law; chilling free speech; bullying universities and lawyers; pardoning convicted insurrectionists; banning books; declaring the teaching of true history as unpatriotic; defying court orders; and attacking unions and workers’ rights. Retired conservative Marine General John Kelly, Donald Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff during his first term, warned us during the 2024 election that Trump is essentially a fascist and prefers ruling as a dictator. The start of Trump’s second term confirms his warning. Workers should be deeply concerned. History teaches us that fascism is a bitter enemy of working people. One of Hitler’s first acts was banning trade unions, seizing union assets, and arresting, imprisoning, and executing union leaders and activists. Millions of workers were forced into slave labor. Behind the Nazi call to “Make Germany Great Again,” and their military onslaught to rule the world and eliminate “inferior” peoples, over 85 million people were killed before world fascism was defeated. History also provides a lesson on the importance of solidarity. Reverend Niemoller, a German Lutheran pastor who initially supported the rise of Hitler, resisted when the Nazis sought control over his church. He survived imprisonment and left us with this powerful message: “First, they came for the Communists, and I did not speak up because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak up because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak up because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak up because I was not a Jew. And then when they came for me, there was no one left to speak for me.” At the 2018 APWU National Convention, delegates wisely passed a resolution calling on members to “engage in the struggle to defend union rights and all democratic rights in opposition to rising fascism…” Such democratic rights include defense of the public Postal Service, the rights of federal workers to join unions and bargain for a better life, voting rights – including Vote-by-Mail, of refugees seeking asylum, to protest and dissent, to due process, to public education, and to free speech. Despite these challenging times, workers certainly are not helpless. No matter our political beliefs or how we vote, we can and should nd common ground in meeting the rising tide of fascism with an even greater tide of resistance of workers’ unity and solidarity. Fighting back and winning against growing tyranny can help ensure that the devastating history of German-led world fascism will not be repeated on our watch! ■ Dangerous and Unprecedented Times0Continue reading→

La Jornada: To Mexican Autoworkers

By UAW President Shawn Fain I am an autoworker. My grandparents were autoworkers. I grew up in an autoworker town called Kokomo, Indiana. As a young father, I got a job as an electrician at Chrysler. I joined the UAW – the United Auto Workers – and it changed my life. Through the union, I learned that no matter where you’re from, if you work for a living, the working class is your family. So today, on International Workers Day, May Day, I want to say loud and clear: Mexican autoworkers are not our enemy. You are our family. The post La Jornada: To Mexican Autoworkers appeared first on UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.Continue reading→

Get Organized and Fight Back: What Working People Are Doing This Week

Get Organized and Fight Back: 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:Read the Spring edition of The Organizing Voice, a quarterly newsletter focused on all things organizing, in the member portal today! Find updates on some ongoing campaigns as well as contract wins from around the country. https://t.co/4uDGJ2xFyM pic.twitter.com/nmjnyOWKl8— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) May 13, 2025AFGE:🚨🚨MAJOR VICTORY ALERT🚨🚨AFGE and allies have won a major victory in our case to stop the unlawful firing of huge numbers of federal employees. And we aren’t done yet — not by a long shot. https://t.co/1uKKCiCevo— AFGE (@AFGENational) May 10, 2025AFSCME:Congress is preparing to push people off Medicaid and SNAP. Get Organized and fight back. https://t.co/CdMoYg8L9i— AFSCME (@AFSCME) May 14, 2025Alliance for Retired Americans:SHAME. House Republicans want to implement the largest Medicaid and food assistance cuts in history so they can give even more tax cuts to the wealthy. https://t.co/aGvYfNfJIk— Alliance for Retired Americans (@ActiveRetirees) May 13, 2025Amalgamated Transit Union:Another brutal attack on one of our members. We wish our Local 583-Calgary, AB, member a quick recovery. It’s long overdue for our transit agencies to better protect our members and our riders. #NotOneMore #canlab https://t.co/Tq5Zy5kENV— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) May 14, 2025American Federation of Musicians:Statement on the reported Firing of Register of Copyrights Perlmutter: Shira Perlmutter has served the American people with unrivaled expertise for decades. Her unlawful firing will gravely harm the entire copyright community. She understood what we all know to be true: human… pic.twitter.com/ZLSiUfZ2Kf— AFM (@The_AFM) May 11, 2025American Federation of Teachers:WATCH & SHARE: In an interview with Alicia Menendez on MSNBC, @rweingarten and @vinguptamd discussed the importance of #Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act in providing care for millions of Americans and providing funding for hospitals across the country. https://t.co/wvRWqbL3Z1— AFT (@AFTunion) May 14, 2025American Postal Workers Union:☎️Call your House Representative at 844-402-1001 and urge them to vote 'NO" on proposed cuts to postal and federal pensions! pic.twitter.com/bXiccgepUj— The American Postal Workers Union - APWU (@APWUnational) May 6, 2025Association of Flight Attendants-CWA:United Airlines management today announced new premium cabins while continuing to demand concessions from Flight Attendants in negotiations this week.“Service doesn’t happen without us,” said @FlyingWithSara & @AFAUnitedMEC Pres. Ken Diaz. https://t.co/9KfxdbMy4h #ContractNow https://t.co/vjAvgHHIuH— AFA-CWA (@afa_cwa) May 13, 2025Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers:ON STRIKE 🪧 24 members of BCTGM Local 3G (Battle Creek, Mich.) who make Knappen Baking Flour in Augusta, Mich. Support them by sharing!#knappenmilling #knappenmillingstrike #ulpstrike #bctgmpower #onstrike pic.twitter.com/LKMTNh82iy— BCTGM International (@BCTGM) March 13, 2025Boilermakers:It is with deep sorrow that the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers must inform members of the tragic death of Brother Steve E. Chambers, Local 667, of Cameron, West Virginia, after a jobsite incident. Read: https://t.co/M0BmmvmWSA— Boilermakers Union (@boilermakernews) May 13, 2025Bricklayers:BAC Local 4 CA members Jesse Martinez, Yjuan Bocage and his son apprentice Yuan Jr. are working on the #SanDiego Airport!#WorksiteWednesday #BestHandsintheBusiness #skilledtrades #1u pic.twitter.com/6S19IAAtlx— Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Union (@IUBAC) May 14, 2025Communications Workers of America:CWA members are taking action across the country to ensure that public infrastructure dollars are spent on high-quality, fiber-first broadband networks built by trained, experienced union workers!https://t.co/QYoDPOIjIM— CWA (@CWAUnion) May 10, 2025Department for Professional Employees:Congrats to @ActorsEquity members at Second City on their new five-year union contract that will raise wages by 40.5%! https://t.co/9N77EEwD5Q— Department for Professional Employees (@DPEaflcio) May 13, 2025Electrical Workers:#IBEW sisters from across Illinois were out in full force for a tradeswomen lobby day, calling on elected officials to support policies that will bring more women into the trades. https://t.co/Jer0Dmy2IC— IBEW (@IBEW) May 13, 2025Fire Fighters:🔥The #IAFF demands a federal antitrust investigation into fire truck manufacturers, saying industry consolidation has led to skyrocketing costs and years-long delays. "It's really a critical hazard in public safety." - @iaffpresident From @Reuters:https://t.co/8T2cwRbEpK— International Association of Fire Fighters (@IAFFofficial) May 13, 2025Heat and Frost Insulators:FREE 24/7 mental health & well-being benefits are available to every member & their family. 📲 For support, visit our website or call/text 1-800-456-6327 #InsulatorsUnion #Insulators #InsulatorPride #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth #MentalHealth pic.twitter.com/C1qebiwnZR— Insulators Union 🦎 (@InsulatorsUnion) May 9, 2025International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers:"Due Process Is a Right, Not a Privilege You Get for Being Good"https://t.co/mtyxAmOTFF— SMART Union (@smartunionworks) May 13, 2025International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers:Matt Biggs, President of the IFPTE, joined radio legend Ed Ferenc on the America's Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the potential impact of proposed federal workforce cuts and more. https://t.co/SlkWKeltHj— IFPTE (@IFPTE) May 13, 2025International Labor Communications Association:We want YOU to submit to the 2025 Labor Media Awards!Submit by May 30 and pay $60/entry, or submit by July 1 and pay $80/entry.Learn more about the contest and submit here: https://t.co/9YGKIYAudh pic.twitter.com/0xnlDbGthw— International Labor Communications Association (@ILCAonline) May 5, 2025Labor Council for Latin American Advancement:🎉 Central Florida LCLAA showing up and standing strong! 💪🏽 Shoutout to members Art Franco and Maria Revelles for representing at the UAW Local 788 Rally. Solidarity with our union siblings fighting for justice and dignity on the job! ✊🏽 #LCLAA #UnionPower #UAW788 pic.twitter.com/IhnxDLVn9B— LCLAA (@LCLAA) May 8, 2025Laborers:Poor, neglected #infrastructure costs us all—slower commutes, lost productivity, rising bills.This #InfrastructureWeek, let’s rebuild it the right way with: UNION hands. #UNION pay. UNION power.America deserves nothing less. #LIUNABuilds pic.twitter.com/pNqPv6Z8by— LIUNA (@LIUNA) May 14, 2025Major League Baseball Players Association:Congratulations, Aaron Nola, on being named the next Players Trust Most Valuable Philanthropist! During the @Phillies 2024 season, Nola donated $1,000 per strikeout to @TeamRWB, contributing a total of $197,000 for his 197 Ks. Nola has also helped raise $250,000 for ALS… pic.twitter.com/DcPAoZ6ABV— MLBPA (@MLBPA) May 14, 2025Major League Soccer Players Association:As we step into may, the MLSPA recognizes #AAPIMonth and celebrates the significant contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities to both soccer, the labor movement, and well beyond 💙 pic.twitter.com/0qxv97Ibcr— MLSPA (@MLSPA) May 2, 2025Maritime Trades Department:AMP President Sees Great Promise for Maritime@AMPmaritime https://t.co/ReQjoVvrW1— Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO (@Maritime_Trades) May 9, 2025Metal Trades Department:Some creative ideas from IFPTE 777 President Colin Smalley—How Federal Workers Without a Union Can Still Act Like a Union https://t.co/PHfUjLOw3Y— Metal Trades Dept. (@metaltradesafl) May 8, 2025Musical Artists:🔥 650+ AGMA Artists at the Met signed this Statement of Intent, uniting for a fair contract with better pay, job security, and stability. This is solidarity. Together we will: https://t.co/KLsVhPS7iE pic.twitter.com/3e506BigcY— AGMA (@AGMusicalArtist) May 12, 2025National Air Traffic Controllers Association:Our Convention photo album on Flickr is the best place to relive all the highlights of the week, from powerful moments on the Convention floor to the energy and camaraderie at evening events. https://t.co/FBuOh9h3Ho pic.twitter.com/iRfglDLJNr— NATCA (@NATCA) May 12, 2025National Association of Letter Carriers:Thank you for supporting our dedicated members and their hard work in this important annual effort to fight hunger in communities across the country! 📬 #StampOutHunger https://t.co/DKXU6TPmDC— Letter Carriers (@NALC_National) May 13, 2025National Domestic Workers Alliance:We stood vigil for 24 hours at the Capitol with @caringacrossgen, lifting up stories of caregivers, disabled people & families who rely on Medicaid. Thanks to every partner, caretaker, & congressperson like @RepSuhas that showed their support. pic.twitter.com/qFFR77HwP5— Domestic Workers (@domesticworkers) May 14, 2025National Hockey League Players’ Association:Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell are just current linemates now raising future linemates 🐧🥹📸: @penguins pic.twitter.com/Jx4CyewDCs— NHLPA (@NHLPA) May 5, 2025National Nurses United:Nurses know exactly what would help solve our global nurse staffing crisis: #SafeStaffing with mandated nurse-to-patient ratio laws.Read the full report from @GlobalNursesU: https://t.co/cWCQ5qbRFy pic.twitter.com/jhqdOVduiS— NationalNursesUnited (@NationalNurses) May 14, 2025NFL Players Association:Super Bowl champ ✅Commencement speaker ✅Keep living the dream, A.J. https://t.co/V0MPKsvltE— NFLPA (@NFLPA) May 10, 2025North America's Building Trades Unions:When I-95 collapsed, @LIUNA was on the scene and on the job, rebuilding vital infrastructure used by millions in only 12 days.Skilled labor keeps America moving.#InfrastructureWeekhttps://t.co/C7lLucBwZM— The Building Trades (@NABTU) May 13, 2025NWSL Players Association:Please respect her privacy during this time. https://t.co/AYOjs1y9Oj— NWSLPA (@nwsl_players) May 10, 2025Painters and Allied Trades:Taxpayer-funded projects should not support contractors who break the law and exploit workers. Yet at the Oak Grove development in Norwalk, CT, subcontractors with egregious labor violations are still being used by AP Construction We’re calling on Norwalk Housing Authority to… pic.twitter.com/9zk4pDJglt— IUPAT (@GoIUPAT) May 5, 2025Professional Hockey Players’ Association:The PHPA is saddened to learn of the sudden passing of ECHL Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Utah Grizzlies, Kevin Bruder. Our thoughts are with Kevin’s friends and family, as well as the entire Utah hockey club and the larger ECHL family during this difficult time. https://t.co/WkLYsVa6xj— PHPA (@thephpa) May 14, 2025Professional Aviation Safety Specialists:At every opportunity, @PASSprezdc Spero advocates for increased funding & staffing on behalf of the employees we represent at the FAA. These workers are critical to modernizing air traffic control system. #aviationsafety #publicservice #federalemployees #unionsolidarity https://t.co/OuCRzPTygL— PASS (@PASSNational) May 13, 2025Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union:With the New Jersey Democratic primary just around the corner, union members across the state are stepping up to make sure their voices are heard at the ballot box. Learn more about @RWDSU Local 108's voter registration work: https://t.co/Uc2WGRJZUy pic.twitter.com/5WGHfBjyTm— RWDSU (@RWDSU) May 13, 2025Roofers and Waterproofers:Become an effective safety leader! Foundations for Safety Leadership for Residential Construction (FSL4Res) teaches critical leadership skills to foremen, supervisors and other frontline leaders on jobsites in the residential sector. Visit https://t.co/ynYyi5AYKQ #roofersafety365 pic.twitter.com/X443zETWR8— Roofers Union (@roofersunion) May 14, 2025SAG-AFTRA:Congratulations to #SagAftraMember @clydekusatsu for receiving the L.A. Local's Ralph Morgan Award! 🎉🏆 This honor recognizes a member's dedication and contributions to their union. Thank you for everything you've done, Clyde! #SagAftraStrong pic.twitter.com/J718EQpMt3— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) May 14, 2025Service Employees International Union:We stand with @RepRashida: Kids shouldn’t have to live in fear of losing their parents.Family separation is cruelty—plain and simple.Trump’s immigration policies are breaking families and breaking hearts.We’re fighting back. pic.twitter.com/HNG4Y37eVD— SEIU (@SEIU) May 14, 2025Solidarity Center:Believe in fair pay, safe jobs & economic justice across borders? Join us➡️https://t.co/7BqDXeZ3dTWorkers in #Malaysia's electronics supply chain who make semiconductors, a part of nearly all electronics, are using collective bargaining to address & prevent hazards on the job pic.twitter.com/3DtO4v6kUY— Solidarity Center (@SolidarityCntr) May 13, 2025The NewsGuild-CWA:We love seeing this type of solidarity across Guild newsrooms. This is what being in a union is all about!✊Good luck to the Post Tech Guild as tech workers receive ballots this week for their union election!@NYTGuildTech @wapotechguild https://t.co/y6fzzss7sP— The NewsGuild-CWA (@newsguild) May 8, 2025Theatrical Stage Employees:Statement on Three US Policy Developments Regarding Artificial Intelligence for Behind-the-Scenes Entertainment Workers:1. Regarding the U.S. Copyright Office’s “Copyright and Artificial Intelligence, Part 3: Generative AI Training” Report:“We commend the U.S. Copyright… pic.twitter.com/DSYYSlEtAo— IATSE // #IASolidarity (@IATSE) May 14, 2025Transport Workers Union:TWU Local 106 and the NJ/NY State Conference lobbied lawmakers in Albany today on critical legislation re- bus lanes, pensions, and the protection of school bus drivers. pic.twitter.com/o4wmZPpqgo— TWU (@transportworker) May 13, 2025Transportation Trades Department:During #InfrastructureWeek 2025, @TTDAFLCIO is proud to announce that @opcmiaintl became our 38th affiliated union! By placing & finishing concrete and applying plaster products, these workers have an essential role in building U.S. infrastructure, transportation projects & more. pic.twitter.com/IaA14EuoyU— TTD | America's Transportation Unions (@TTDAFLCIO) May 14, 2025UAW:"Where We Stand."Book of resolutions adopted at the 26th UAW Constitutional Convention in Anaheim, CA, 1980. From the archives at the @ReutherLibrary. pic.twitter.com/cmlkMWBeBZ— UAW (@UAW) May 14, 2025Union Label and Service Trades Department:For those of us who were paying attention, there was nothing quiet about it. Federal workers deserve better! https://t.co/asYGBPwgzh— Union Label Dept. (@ULSTD_AFLCIO) May 1, 2025Union Veterans Council:We attending a @theactionnet event: Unite for Veterans Rally, June 6, 2025 Washington DC. RSVP here: https://t.co/Lli0a3nnj6— Union Veterans Council🪖✊ (@unionveterans) May 7, 2025UNITE HERE:Right now, Congress is considering a budget package that would cut $1.5 trillion from essential programs like Medicaid. So many of our community members rely on Medicaid, and cutting it would tear healthcare away from millions. Call your reps! 📞📞📞https://t.co/5EJpUavjga— UNITE HERE (@unitehere) May 14, 2025United Food and Commercial Workers:Don't miss your chance to apply for this year’s UFCW Charity Foundation scholarship!UFCW members or their immediate family are eligible. Learn more: https://t.co/3eeNJxOMix pic.twitter.com/2PhmhxHDLw— UFCW (@UFCW) May 12, 2025United Steelworkers:Now that you’ve secured your copy of A History of America in Ten Strikes, it’s time to read the introduction. The first virtual book club meeting is on May 20! Learn more and sign up: https://t.co/piMwYP243R pic.twitter.com/6RYM5wPSZt— United Steelworkers Union (@steelworkers) May 14, 2025Writers Guild of America East:Solidarity with our Vox Media Union members fighting for a fair contract. Vox mgmt has refused to even give meaningful counters to our proposals. Stay tuned for ways to support as the 30-day countdown to contract expiration begins. ⏰ @voxmedia Full statement from the unit: pic.twitter.com/pUPVVA4fSY— Writers Guild of America East (@WGAEast) May 14, 2025 Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 05/14/2025 - 11:46Continue reading→

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Sandra Engle

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Sandra Engle For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Sandra Engle of UAW. Sandra Engle had a long career in the labor movement before becoming the executive director of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA). While working as a criminal appeals lawyer at the Legal Aid Society of New York, she was active in UAW Local 2325, and was elected vice president. After taking a leave of absence, she began organizing with multiple unions across the United States, including AFGE, the Machinists (IAM), the Steelworkers (USW) and UAW. She eventually came home to the UAW when she was put on staff in the Organizing Department and became assistant director. In addition, she has served as UAW assistant director in the national CAP Department as well as Education Department. Most recently she was director of UAW's Communications and Strategic Campaigns departments before retiring. Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 05/14/2025 - 09:59Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Overwatch Developers Form Union with CWA

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Overwatch Developers Form Union with CWA 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. Game developers behind Activision Blizzard’s popular franchise Overwatch have become the latest video industry workers to join the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and have secured voluntary recognition from parent company Microsoft.The Overwatch Gamemakers Guild-CWA (OWGG-CWA) is a wall-to-wall union that covers a wide range of roles, including art, quality assurance, engineering, design and more. The nearly 200-person bargaining unit formed its union with the help of CWA’s tech industry organizing project, Campaign to Organize Digital Employees (CODE-CWA), which has helped 6,000 workers in the United States and Canada form unions over the past five years. OWGG-CWA members cite concerns around job security, wages and layoff protections as core motivators for organizing.“After a long history of layoffs, crunch, and subpar working conditions in the global video game industry, my coworkers and I are thrilled to be joining the broader union effort to organize our industry for the better, which has been long overdue,” said Foster Elmendorf, senior test analyst II and organizing committee member. “Workers organizing themselves and striving for better conditions as a group allows us to present initiatives that would not only improve our workplace but video games overall.” Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 05/14/2025 - 09:55Continue reading→

Gearing Up: Las Vegas IAM Local SC-711 Sets Stage for Contract Negotiations at Nellis Air Force Base

IAM Local SC-711 negotiating committee recently gathered at the IAM William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center in Hollywood, Md., to prepare for upcoming contract negotiations with M1 Support Services and its subcontractors, for the Nellis Aircraft Maintenance and Support Services Program at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas. The contract covers more than The post Gearing Up: Las Vegas IAM Local SC-711 Sets Stage for Contract Negotiations at Nellis Air Force Base appeared first on IAM Union.Continue reading→

It Wasn’t Even Close: The Working People Weekly List

It Wasn't Even Close: 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. University of Oregon Student Workers Union and University of Oregon Reach Tentative Agreement: “After a strike that lasted more than a week, the University of Oregon Student Workers union and the university itself have announced that they have come to a tentative agreement on a labor contract. Student workers at the University of Oregon walked off the job in the morning of April 28, after 11 months of failed negotiations with the university.”Union Groups Needed 140k Utahns to Support a Referendum. They Got More Than a Quarter Million Signatures: “In the end, it wasn’t even close. Labor groups had 30 days to get 140,478 signatures to put a referendum on the ballot asking Utah voters if they want to repeal a new law barring public employee unions from negotiating contracts with their government employers. They ended up with 251,590 valid signatures, making it the most successful signature-gathering effort in state history, according to the lieutenant governor’s office, racking up nearly 100,000 more names than the previous record set by the 2018 medical marijuana initiative.”Unions Push Congress to Help Bring Back NIOSH Staff: “A coalition of 28 labor unions is calling on congressional lawmakers to ‘fulfill the promise of a safe job’ by helping in the effort to reverse staffing cuts at NIOSH. In an open letter to the lawmakers, the unions, including the AFL-CIO, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, United Mineworkers of America and United Steelworkers, write: ‘Fifty years ago, our elected leaders made that promise to every working family in America by establishing NIOSH, OSHA, and the Mine Safety and Health Administration, which were all entrusted by Congress to have distinct and imperative responsibilities that have allowed us to make critical progress over time.’”Entertainment Unions ‘Prepared to Fight Back’ Against Trump-Ordered Elimination of NEA, NEH and CPB: “The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition within AFL-CIO said it is prepared to fight back against Trump’s proposed cuts that would eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH), and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Trump’s 2026 ‘Skinny’ Budget Request went out last week, continuing his attacks on nonprofit arts organizations such as National Public Radio and PBS. ‘Unions are prepared to fight back again against efforts to eliminate the NEA, NEH, and CPB,’ said Katie Barrows, Communications Director at the Department of Professional Employees at the labor union in a statement released Wednesday.”On Teacher Appreciation Week, Union Leaders Say Teachers Are Underpaid and Under Attack: “American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said with their skill sets and the amount of time they dedicate to their jobs, public school teachers could earn about 24% more than their current pay working in non-teaching jobs in the private sector. But teachers often stay in the profession ‘because they're making a difference in the lives of kids,’ she said. Weingarten added, ‘You're seeing this over and over and over again that people in communities know the importance of teachers and the importance of public schools. That's why teachers are one of the most trusted professions in the country. But they need to be supported 365 days a year, not just one day a year.’”AFL-CIO’s Shuler, 100 Days in, Challenges Trump Refusal to Follow Constitution: “As Republican President Donald Trump again verbally trashes the U.S. Constitution, both AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and the public, in a new poll by the Pew Research Center, are calling him out for what he is—a serious threat to democracy. Shuler says he is an ‘autocrat’ and the people are telling pollsters he is a ‘dangerous dictator.’ ‘We do not fall in line for autocrats,’ declared Shuler.”Not All Students Go to College. We Need to Make That OK: “For years, America’s approach to education has been guided by an overly simplistic formula: 4+4—the idea that students need four years of high school and four years of college to succeed in life. Even with this prevailing emphasis on college, around 40% of high schoolers do not enroll in college upon graduating, and only 60% of students who enroll in college earn a degree or credential within eight years of high school graduation.”Labor Goes All in for Kilmar: “AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler highlighted Abrego Garcia’s case as well as that of Tufts University student Rümeysa Öztürk in a statement, while condemning President Donald Trump’s unlawful overreach. ‘The Trump administration also has illegally targeted our fellow workers—union members like Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was separated from his family in Maryland and sent to a prison in El Salvador without due process, and Rümeysa Öztürk, detained while walking to dinner in Massachusetts and thrown into a detention center thousands of miles away, despite neither of them having committed a crime,’ Shuler said, before invoking a well-known labor slogan. ‘An injury to one is an injury to all. When Trump targets immigrant families like Kilmar’s and Rümeysa’s, he targets all workers.’” 'It Makes Me Feel Angry': Workers Forced Out by Trump and Musk Speak at MSNBC Town Hall: “Federal workers who were forced out of their jobs by President Trump and Elon Musk speak out in a live MSNBC town hall—‘100 Days of Trump: Forced Out Federal Workers.’ See the workers talk with Stephanie Ruhle and Jacob Soboroff about their experience and what these actions mean for all Americans.” Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 05/13/2025 - 11:16Continue reading→

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Bethany Khan

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Bethany Khan For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Bethany Khan of UNITE HERE's Culinary Union. Bethany Khan is the spokeswoman and director of communications and digital strategy for the Culinary Union, UNITE HERE Local 226. She uses strategic communications, technology, data and digital strategy to support working families in Nevada. Since 2012, Khan's communications and digital strategy work has played a major role in the Culinary Union’s organizing, legislative, policy and electoral campaigns. In 2024, the Culinary Union, under Khan's leadership, had $70 million in earned media, uplifting directly impacted and front-line essential hospitality workers’ voices. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 05/13/2025 - 10:16Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Second City Workers Reach a Deal, Win Wage Gains

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Second City Workers Reach a Deal, Win Wage Gains 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. Actors’ Equity Association announced that workers at The Second City have reached a tentative agreement with employers, avoiding the need for a strike in Chicago as authorized last week. Equity and The Second City employers had been negotiating since late February. The union and employers reached this tentative agreement with the assistance of mediator Brenda Pryor of Apex Dispute Resolution. Equity’s Central Regional Board will review the tentative agreement for ratification on May 14.“Previous wages for performers and stage managers at The Second City had fallen way behind due to inflation and the rising cost of living in Chicago,” said George Elrod, Tour Company Actor. “This deal provides a much-needed wage adjustment, while giving Second City a meaningful media package.”“I am happy that we were able to get a deal that more clearly values the workers of The Second City,” said Abby Beggs, e.t.c. Stage Manager. “Most importantly, I'm proud that we valued and prioritized our touring members and got our mainstage actors on par with the rest of the talent in the city. I believe with this deal, more and more of our actors and performers will be able to afford to do this job, and I am proud to have been a part of getting us there.” Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 05/13/2025 - 10:06Continue reading→

Contract Negotiations Between APWU and Postal Management Nearing ‘End Game’

May 14, 2025Contract Negotiations Between APWU and Postal Management Nearing ‘End Game’ Contract Negotiations The APWU's contract negotiations have been taking place as two other postal unions have also been in negotiations with management. The National Association of Letter Carriers finished their nearly two-year negotiations with a mediation-arbitration award issued by arbitrator Dennis Nolan on March 21. To view the award, visit: bit.ly/NALC-2025-Award Then on April 18, the National Rural Letter Carriers Association reached a tentative agreement with postal management that is now in the ratification process. Their contract expired in May 2024, four months prior to the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between the USPS and the APWU. The APWU has fully studied and discussed both of these results, as the outcome of negotiations with our sister postal unions certainly have an impact, positive or negative, on our negotiations with postal management. The APWU is now seven months past the Sept. 20, 2024, expiration of our contract. As of May 14, the APWU is considering one of two paths: we will either have a new voluntary agreement, which will have been presented to the Rank & File Bargaining Advisory Committee, per the APWU Constitution, for its decision on whether to put it out to a vote of the entire membership. Or alternatively, we will have begun the process of interest arbitration to determine the provisions of a new contract. “Negotiations are never easy and never will be. However, these negotiations were complicated by the almost two-year length of time it took our sister union, the NALC, to complete their negotiation process,” declared President Mark Dimondstein. “Most importantly, the political shift in the administration and ongoing assaults  against federal workers, their unions, and union contracts, made negotiations even more difficult, as well as vital, to secure a new ratified and signed agreement.” What a Difference Worker Power Through Our Union Makes!  APWU members often view the general wage increases (GWIs), which have been relatively modest over the last 20 years, as the sole compensation package of our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Our negotiated compensation package is much more, and includes: • General Wage Increases • Full Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) • Regular Step Increases • Night Differential • Sunday Premium • Overtime, including Penalty Pay Just consider this one example of union-won results from the last nine years of three union contracts (2015, 2018, and 2021): If an APWU-represented employee was hired in August of 2015 as a Level 6 career employee, this employee is now earning $31,000 more every year based on union-secured modest GWIs, full COLA, and regular Step Increases!(Excluding overtime, increases to the Thrift Savings Plan, etc.!) This amounts to an incredible 83% increase over those nine years! Contract Negotiations Between APWU and Postal Management Nearing ‘End Game’0Continue reading→

Join Webinar on Tuesday, May 13 at 7PM ET to Protect Our Postal Pensions!

May 12, 2025Postal and Federal Pensions are at risk – APWU will be hosting a Legislative webinar on Tuesday, May 13 at 7-8PM ET titled Protect Our Pensions: Fight Back Against Proposed Retirement Cuts to explain its devastating impacts and how we can combat them. Postal and Federal Pensions are at risk – On April 30, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform voted to advance a number of significant cuts to the retirement benefits of postal and federal workers, that are now advancing through Congress. APWU will be hosting a Legislative webinar on Tuesday, May 13 at 7-8PM ET titled Protect Our Pensions: Fight Back Against Proposed Retirement Cuts to explain its devastating impacts and how we can combat them. RSVP for the webinar by clicking here, and continue reading to find out more about its negative impacts if passed into law.    RSVP for Protect Our Pensions Webinar Protect Our Pensions Webinar Tuesday, May 13 7PM ETContinue reading→

Get to Know the AFL-CIO’s Affiliates: American Postal Workers Union

Get to Know the AFL-CIO's Affiliates: American Postal Workers Union 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 63 of our affiliates. Next up is the American Postal Workers Union (APWU). Name of Union: American Postal Workers UnionMission: Through collective bargaining, legislative action, and mobilization of members and the public, APWU fights for dignity and respect on the job for postal workers throughout the postal industry—for decent pay and benefits and safe working places, for defense of the right of the people to public postal services, and for solidarity with all workers, at home and abroad.Current Leadership of Union: Mark Dimondstein was elected president of APWU in 2013 and is serving his fourth three-year term. He began his postal career in 1983. In 1986, he was elected to the first of six consecutive terms as president of the Greater Greensboro (N.C.) Area Local. Beginning in 2000, he served as APWU's national lead field organizer. He won AFL-CIO's Southern Organizer of the Year Award in 2001. Debby Szeredy serves as APWU’s executive vice president, and Elizabeth “Liz” Powell serves as secretary-treasurer.Current Number of Members: 222,000Members Work As: Postal clerks with more than 170 different position descriptions and can be found performing work at retail windows, mail processing, call centers, bulk mail entry, sales retention, and administrative office environments; maintenance; motor vehicle service craft workers who transport mail and maintain postal vehicles; and support services members at information technology/ accounting service centers, operating services facilities, mail equipment shops and material distribution centers; professional nurses employed by the Postal Service; private sector workers including mail haul drivers and mail transport equipment service center employees.Industries Represented: Members are active and retired workers for the USPS, as well as private-sector workers employed in the mailing industry.History: The American Postal Workers Union was founded on July 1, 1971, when five postal unions merged after the Great Postal Strike in 1970. The two largest unions involved in the merger were the United Federation of Postal Clerks—which represented employees who "worked the windows" at post offices and workers who sorted and processed mail—and the National Postal Union—who represented postal workers in multiple crafts. The National Association of Post Office and General Service Maintenance Employees, the National Federation of Motor Vehicle Employees and the National Association of Special Delivery Messengers were the other three unions who merged to create the APWU.Before the Great Postal Strike, early postal unions essentially had no collective bargaining rights, with wage increases dependent on the whims of Congress, i.e. "collective begging." As a result, postal workers were chronically underpaid, barely making enough to make ends meet.Workers grew increasingly frustrated with Congress’ inaction, and on March 18, 1970, thousands of New York City postal workers walked off the job in protest, starting the Great Postal Strike. During the strike, mail service ground to a halt, and the plight of postal workers was brought to the public’s attention. The strike was soon settled, with Congress approving a 6% wage increase and other gains for postal workers.The strike motivated the enactment of the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970, which granted unions the right to negotiate with management over their wages, benefits, and working conditions.Since that first contract almost 50 years ago, the APWU has fought for dignity and respect on the job for the workers they represent, as well as decent pay and benefits and safe working conditions. As a result, the postal unions have achieved unprecedented job security provisions.Current Campaigns: APWU is a partner in U.S. Mail Not for Sale, a worker-led campaign that brings together labor unions, elected officials, member organizations of A Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service, community supporters, and the public to fight plans to sell the public Postal Service to the highest bidder. APWU is also a partner in A Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service that fights back against efforts to dismantle the USPS. APWU has many current campaigns to protect the workers and customers of the USPS, including fighting: against privatization, to build union power, for a fair and decent contract protecting their entire bargaining unit, to save the post office, and to promote safe postal jobs. APWU is also pushing for postal banking as a way to expand basic financial services to those whose needs are unmet by the corporate-dominated financial sector and protect them from the predatory payday loan and check-cashing industry.Community Efforts: The American Postal Workers Accident Benefit Association provides insurance and pays benefits to postal workers and their families in the case of accidental death or disability. The E.C. Hallbeck scholarship provides educational benefits for children of APWU members, while the vocational scholarship program helps the children of APWU members pursue trade, technical, vocational, or industrial occupations. The Postal Employees Relief Fund helps postal workers and their families recover from natural disasters and house fires. The APWU sells branded merchandise in their online store.Learn More: Website, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, Bluesky Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/12/2025 - 13:02Continue reading→

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States.  Here are the union members we've featured so far this month:Angie NguyenIli MeaoliKristy PhamKevin AncongDr. Amanda LoweryDoug FulpMabel WongCheck back throughout the month for more. Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/12/2025 - 09:33Continue reading→

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Mabel Wong

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Mabel Wong For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Mabel Wong of OPEIU. Mabel Wong, a member of Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 153, has worked at Seton Hall University's library for 36 years, providing services to the university and global communities via the interlibrary loan program. "Being a union member provides a collective voice to fight against discrimination and harassment, for fair wages and benefits, and safe working conditions.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/12/2025 - 09:23Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Arts, Entertainment, and Media Unions Push Back Against Proposed Elimination of the NEA, NEH and CPB

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Arts, Entertainment, and Media Unions Push Back Against Proposed Elimination of the NEA, NEH and CPB 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. The Arts, Entertainment, and Media Industries (AEMI) coalition within the Department for Professional Employees (DPE) released a statement on Wednesday condemning the Trump administration’s budget proposal calling for the elimination of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for Humanities (NEH) and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).The coalition is made up of 12 national unions that represent workers in the arts, entertainment, and media industries, and is led by DPE. Trump’s 2026 budget request calls for the wholesale elimination of the NEA, NEH and CPB, as well as other federal and regional cultural agencies.“Unions are prepared to fight back again against efforts to eliminate the NEA, NEH, and CPB,” said the AEMI coalition. “Nonprofit arts, humanities, and public media enjoy broad, bipartisan public support because they power local economies in every state and expand access to quality artistic and educational content across communities….Private money cannot fully replace federal funding. Eliminating the NEA, NEH, or CPB will lead to the loss of good, middle-class jobs.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/12/2025 - 09:13Continue reading→