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Service & Solidarity Spotlight: UFCW Members Ratify Tentative Agreement with JBS 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. United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 members have overwhelmingly ratified a new two-year contract with JBS USA following a powerful three-week work stoppage.Workers at the company’s flagship beef processing plant in Greeley, Colorado, walked off the job after a nearly unanimous vote to authorize an unfair labor practice strike. The new collective bargaining agreement contains a number of major victories—including wage increases that are 33% higher than management’s pre-strike proposal—and not a single concession.“This tentative agreement is a testament to the incredible resolve of our members at the JBS Greeley plant,” said Kim Cordova, president of Local 7. “These workers stood together on the picket line for three weeks, through extreme weather, because they knew their worth and refused to be disrespected. Today, that sacrifice has been rewarded. This is what union power looks like.” Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 04/15/2026 - 10:13Continue reading→

Your Vote Counts: 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:"The California Labor Movement is relieved and empowered to hear that our @CFA_United Union brother John Caravello was just found NOT GUILTY for his role in standing up for workers against ICE in Ventura County. Justice prevails!"- @LorenaSGonzalez— California Federation of Labor Unions (@CaliforniaLabor) April 10, 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, 2026Illinois AFL-CIO:IL AFL-CIO President Tim Drea joined Illinois State University’s unionized buildings, grounds and dining services on the picket line today. Workers have had over 30 bargains sessions and have been fighting for a contract since June. It's time for a #FairContract NOW. #1u pic.twitter.com/uV5BauPjVc— Illinois AFL-CIO (@ILAFLCIO) April 8, 2026Maine AFL-CIO:BIW shipbuilders have been organizing mobile home park residents to fight corporate greed“Even residents who say their landlord treats them well have expressed interest in supporting their trailer park brothers & sisters over on the other side of town.”https://t.co/TRAZiereyt— Maine AFL-CIO (@MEAFLCIO) April 13, 2026Massachusetts AFL-CIO:Right here in MA, billionaires disguised as moderates have introduced a ballot initiative to slash $5 billion in revenues by reducing the state income tax. This will be a disaster for the state budget and economy. Don’t fall for corporate greed, speak up and speak out. https://t.co/1x2f3Vq5cT— Massachusetts AFL-CIO (@massaflcio) April 14, 2026Michigan State AFL-CIO:Michigan’s labor movement is leading the fight for guardrails on AI. But we can’t do it alone. We need workers’ stories to show how dangerous AI can be — and why we need commonsense rules now. AI should be a tool for workers — not a replacement for or weapon used against…— Michigan AFL-CIO ✊ (@MIAFLCIO) April 13, 2026Minnesota AFL-CIO:Another round of #Labor2026 candidate endorsements! We're proud to endorse @paulcumings in Senate District 53 & Christos Jensen in House District 52A. Working people deserve elected leaders like Paul & Christos who will support us through their actions. #BetterInAUnion #mnleg pic.twitter.com/EjavrrgqzX— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) April 9, 2026Missouri AFL-CIO:Missouri AFL-CIO President Jake Hummel was at the State Capitol today testifying against dangerous legislation to roll back safety standards, and then to meet w/ Linemen who are advocating for workers across the state. Fighting for higher wages, better benefits, and safer sites! pic.twitter.com/7PMbSUJZq6— Missouri AFL-CIO (@MOAFLCIO) April 13, 2026Nevada State AFL-CIO:39 days left until early voting begins!Ensure your voter registration information is up to date on @NVSOS's website, change party affiliation, or register for the very first time! https://t.co/CgSlyXKYzj pic.twitter.com/qYOLiTvnth— Nevada State AFL-CIO // Pass the #PROAct (@NVAFLCIO) April 14, 2026New York State AFL-CIO:Hundreds of prospective leaders from local unions across NYS have gone through the Union Leadership Institute, and many have progressed to leadership positions within their respective unions. You could be next! Scholarship available: https://t.co/W2o7WScbLm— NYS AFL-CIO // #UnionStrong (@NYSAFLCIO) April 10, 2026Oregon Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO:Every working Oregonian deserves the chance to make their voice heard at the ballot box. Voting by mail is safe, secure, and easy. Check your registration today:https://t.co/7ZHZkG1JW2— Oregon Labor Federation, AFL-CIO (@OregonAFLCIO) April 13, 2026Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:Just getting by isn’t enough. Every working person deserves fair pay, respect, and a future they can count on. ✊ Hear President Ferritto’s full speech here: https://t.co/JVfW6H6qWm pic.twitter.com/CA0ti4iEgQ— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) April 13, 2026Texas AFL-CIO:Together, we helped 21 Austin residents and families of union members complete their citizenship application!Texans work hard, regardless of their status. Now more than ever, immigrant workers are a critical part of our economy and labor movement! ✊🏽 pic.twitter.com/eXgH2a0Vkx— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) April 12, 2026 Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 04/14/2026 - 13:50Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: AFSCME and American Library Association Prevail in Fight to Protect Libraries and Museums Nationwide 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. AFSCME and the American Library Association (ALA) have reached a settlement agreement with the Department of Justice that protects the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and ensures the agency will continue to support libraries and museums across the country.IMLS has a congressional mandate to provide essential coordination, research and funding for the nation’s libraries, museums, public gardens, aquariums, zoos and other cultural institutions that enrich our lives and educate our communities. The lawsuit was filed last year amid the Trump administration’s attacks on the federal agency, including major staff reductions.“Today is a victory for every community that depends on libraries and museums as gateways to opportunity, learning and connection,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. “As the nation’s largest union of cultural workers, AFSCME members fought tirelessly to protect this essential institution, which supports the vital services we provide to communities across the country. Thanks to these efforts, this vital funding is protected in every state in the country, so our communities can continue to have access to these essential places of learning.” Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 04/14/2026 - 09:37Continue reading→

A Worker’s First Agenda: 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. JBS and Union Ratify New Agreement Following 3-week Strike: “On Sunday, the union said they ratified the tentative two-year collective bargaining agreement. According to the union, the new agreement secures wage increases, defends workers against increases in health care costs and protects workers from having to pay for personal protective equipment that should be paid for by JBS.”Mechanics at NJ Transit Light Rail Operation Vote to Join Union: “Mechanics at NJ Transit’s Hudson-Bergen light rail operation have voted to join the Transport Workers Union, the labor organization announced. The mechanics work for North Central Transit Services, which holds the maintenance contract for the 17-mile, 24-station operation between West Bergen and Bayonne, N.J. The TWU already represents car cleaners employed by the company, as well as operators and maintenance-of-way workers employed by contract operator ACI-Herzog.”City of Reno, IAFF Local 731 Reach Agreement on CBA: “The City of Reno and the Reno Firefighters Local 731 International Association of Firefighters have reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement. The three-year agreement will last through June 30, 2028, and was approved by Local 731 members. The agreement includes annual cost of living raises of 3% in 2025 and 2026, and a 2% increase in 2027.”South Jersey Postal Worker Honored Nationwide for Saving Family from Burning Home: “A Cherry Hill mail carrier was named a nationwide ‘Hero of the Year’ for his efforts that saved a baby, woman, and dog from a burning home. Kyle Quillen, of Camden, is among fewer than 10 of all mail carriers in the United States who were honored last month during a ceremony conducted by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC). On April 23, 2025, Quillen was on his route in Cherry Hill when he smelled smoke and noticed ‘a plume’ coming from a home.”Apprentices Learn to Be Electrians at Joint Apprenticeship Training Center: “Robert Cruz is devoted to his job as training director at the Joint Apprenticeship Training Center. ‘It's the best job. I change lives every day. I teach people how to fish,’ Cruz said. He had a rough childhood, spending part of it in foster care, and that's one reason he's committing his professional life to this. ‘My whole mission is to be the person I needed to find when I was a kid,’ Cruz said. Teaching apprentices to be electricians. Their education is funded by IBEW Local 99 and the National Electrical Contractors Association.”NYU Professors Ratify Their First Union Contract After March Walkout: “NYU professors who went on strike last month formally announced on Wednesday that, after years of negotiating, they have finally reached their first union contract with the school’s administration. The contract for the nearly 1,000 professors, all of whom are members of Contract Faculty United–UAW (CFU-UAW), includes protections for academic freedom and job security, new benefits including a $200,000-per-year fund for immigration expenses and an optional retirement buyout, and ‘best-in-the-nation’ pay, including an average raise of 20%.”Pediatricians File to Unionize: “More than 100 pediatricians who work for Packard Children's Health Alliance, part of Stanford Medicine Children's Health, have filed to unionize with the Union of American Physicians and Dentists (UAPD). The physicians, who practice at 27 clinic locations throughout the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay region, according to UAPD, filed their petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Monday. Their move to unionize follows years of concern among the group that ‘corporate pressures on healthcare are steering administrative decisions further away from the patients and families they serve,’ UAPD said in a statement.”Women of Steel Members Feeling Empowered After USW International Women’s Conference: “A group of women from the Iron Range who work for Minntac and Keetac enjoyed the USW International Women’s Conference in Toronto last week. They joined about 1000 others at the event. Tawnya Gustafson, the chair of USW Local 2660 Women of Steel, was part of a panel discussion about wins in the workplace and how to be a better leader. She told us a big part of the celebration was hearing from Roxanne Brown, the new USW International President. She’s the first woman to lead the organization.”Punching In: Union Leaders Gear Up to Tackle AI in Future Talks: “The AFL-CIO hosted a Workers First AI summit in recent weeks where leaders from across the labor movement called on Congress and state legislatures to pass AI guardrails. They want ‘an agenda that says, no, you can’t surveil us in the bathroom. No, you can’t steal our data without our consent. No, you are not going to discriminate against us, fire us by app just because a machine told you to,’ AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said during a keynote address. Shuler said they are demanding ‘a worker’s first agenda that protects our civil rights and demands that we all be treated equally and fairly by these technologies.’”United Airlines and Flight Attendants Reach a Tentative Deal with $740 Million in Bonuses: “United Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA reached a tentative five-year labor agreement on March 26 that would provide the carrier's 30,000 flight attendants their first pay increases since 2020, including a $740 million signing bonus pool and top wages of $100 per hour by the contract's end.”Writers Guild Reaches Tentative Four-Year Deal with Studios: “The Writers Guild of America has reached a tentative four-year deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers group representing studios and streamers, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. On Saturday, Puck founding partner Matt Belloni reported on the agreement, saying it adds one more year to the WGA’s usual three-year deal and that it includes ‘Health plan/pension increases, SVOD bumps [and] protection to police licensing for AI training.’ THR understands from a source close to the discussions that those details are accurate.”Toledo Factory Workers Vote to Unionize, Joining UAW Local 14: “Workers at a Toledo manufacturing facility have officially voted to unionize, marking a significant development as federal labor complaints tied to the organizing effort remain under investigation. According to UAW Local 14, employees at ValuePoint Material Solutions in Toledo overwhelmingly voted this week to join the union, bringing the facility under the representation of the United Auto Workers.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 04/13/2026 - 10:17Continue reading→

Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: National Hockey 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 National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA). Name of Union: National Hockey League Players’ AssociationMission: The NHLPA is the exclusive collective bargaining representative of National Hockey League (NHL) players, negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment and ensuring that those rights are protected. The union also provides players with programs and resources to protect their health and safety, enhance their lives off the ice and foster opportunities for them to drive the growth of the game.Current Leadership of Union: The NHLPA is led by Executive Director Marty Walsh, who works closely with the union’s executive board.Walsh is a lifelong advocate for workers with decades of experience, including serving as the U.S. secretary of labor under former President Joe Biden and as the mayor of Boston. He started in the labor movement by following in his father’s footsteps as a union construction worker, became president of Laborers (LIUNA) Local 223 in Boston and then served as head of the Greater Boston Building Trades Council, which represents roughly 35,000 blue-collar workers on major construction projects across the region. In 1997, Walsh was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, where he spent 16 years fighting for workers’ rights and good jobs.The NHLPA executive board is made up of one player representative and one alternate from each of the 32 clubs. Elected by their teammates, these players shape policy, guide union strategy and protect the collective interests of NHL players across the league. See the full list of executive board members.Current Number of Members: 700+Members Work as: Professional hockey playersIndustries Represented: Men’s professional hockeyHistory: The precursor to the NHLPA was established on February 11, 1957, when Ted Lindsay led a group of players in forming the original players’ association. While that initial step did not hold, it laid the groundwork for player representatives from the original six teams to reform the NHLPA as a labor organization in June 1967. Since that time, the NHLPA has continuously served as the exclusive collective bargaining representative of NHL players.Over its more than five decades of service to its members, the NHLPA has supported players through numerous achievements. These included, among many others, the implementation of salary disclosure in January 1990, which became a key factor in creating a more competitive market and driving salary increases; the first ever NHLPA-organized strike in April 1992, which led to the players taking greater control over their name, image and likeness rights as well as increased playoff bonuses and improvements to free agency and arbitration; the creation of the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996; the 1997 implementation of the Hockey Agent Certification Program, which requires that agents meet certain requirements and follow specified regulations.Current Campaigns/Community Efforts: The NHLPA supports several charitable and community programs on behalf of its members, including the Hockey Fights Cancer initiative and the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund. Hockey Fights Cancer, jointly launched by the NHLPA and NHL in 1998, raises money and awareness for cancer research and care through various fundraising efforts and community events. The initiative has raised more than $44 million since its inception to fund lifesaving research and support cancer patients and their families.Launched in 1999, the NHLPA Goals & Dreams fund provides hockey equipment to children in need, enabling them to participate in the sport and develop hockey and life skills. In 2024, the fund celebrated its 25th anniversary, having provided more than $27 million in equipment donations and supporting the hockey ambitions of thousands of children across 45 countries.Learn More: Website, Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 04/13/2026 - 12:56Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: ALPA Members Reach Tentative Contract Agreement with FedEx 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. Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) members who work for FedEx have reached a new tentative five-year agreement with the company.The new deal comes after five years of negotiations with the multinational conglomerate. Economic provisions had been a sticking point in bargaining; this contract includes hourly pay increases of nearly 40% in 2026 and 3% annual pay bumps starting in 2028.“This tentative agreement was reached after lengthy and intensive mediation under the supervision of the National Mediation Board,” said Capt. Jose Nieves, chair of the FedEx ALPA Master Executive Council (MEC), in a press statement. “The next step is completing the MEC review and providing pilots with the information needed to evaluate the agreement.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 04/13/2026 - 09:25Continue reading→