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Worker Wins: A Long, Hard-Fought Victory Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. San Joaquin County Nurses Ratify New Contract: Members of the California Nurses Association, an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), who work for the San Joaquin County health system voted overwhelmingly last week to ratify a new three-year contract. Registered nurses (RNs) secured this victory after going on a one-day unfair labor practice strike earlier this year and issuing another notice of a work stoppage that was set to begin March 9. Highlights of the deal include improved safety provisions, stronger nondiscrimination language and competitive wage increases. “This has been a long, hard-fought victory for San Joaquin County nurses,” said Kelly Mertz, an RN in the trauma department, in an NNU press release. “With this contract, San Joaquin County can be a competitive health care employer—meaning it can recruit and retain experienced nurses and avoid staffing crises. Our collective union power, our solidarity, and our commitment to each other and to patient safety brought this monumental contract to reality. We have once again proven that when nurses stand up and fight for what is right, we win.”SAG-AFTRA Reaffirms Commitment to DEI and Accessibility: In the wake of studios rolling back equity pledges under the Trump administration, SAG-AFTRA’s national board passed a resolution this weekend acknowledging the vital role that diversity and accessibility plays in the entertainment industry and reaffirmed the union’s commitment to these principles. In recent weeks, major studios have silently scrubbed their websites of DEI commitments and dropped commitments to equitable hiring and promotion practices as the White House rails against these initiatives in both the federal and private sector. SAG-AFTRA pushed back against this trend and highlighted the union’s historic commitments to the authentic portrayal of the “American Scene,” which references a contract clause that affirmed a nondiscrimination policy across productions. “For decades, SAG-AFTRA has advocated for equal employment opportunity within the entertainment and media industry, including meaningful representation of historically underrepresented communities and holding employers accountable to their commitments,” said SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher and SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland in a joint announcement. “That advocacy continues unabated, and is as important now as it has ever been. We will be engaging directly with employers to reaffirm their obligations under the various SAG-AFTRA contracts and that they remain in full compliance with those commitments.”Federal Court Orders Reinstatement of Fired Probationary Federal Employees: On Thursday, a U.S. District Court judge ordered the immediate reinstatement of fired probationary workers at the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, the Interior, Energy, Defense and the Treasury and mandated that these agencies must immediately cease termination of probationary staff. Additionally, the judge also barred the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) from giving any guidance to federal agencies on which employees should be terminated. The plaintiffs in this case include AFGE, AFSCME, the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) and multiple advocacy groups. “AFGE is pleased with Judge [William H.] Alsup’s order to immediately reinstate tens of thousands of probationary federal employees who were illegally fired from their jobs by an administration hell-bent on crippling federal agencies and their work on behalf of the American public,” said Everett Kelley, national president of AFGE, in a press release. “We are grateful for these employees and the critical work they do, and AFGE will keep fighting until all federal employees who were unjustly and illegally fired are given their jobs back.” “Public service workers are the backbone of our communities in every way,” said AFSCME President Lee Saunders in a press release. “Today, we are proud to celebrate the court’s decision which orders that fired federal employees must be reinstated and reinforces they cannot be fired without reason.”UFCW Members Ratify Utah’s First Cannabis Union Contract: United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 99 members who work at Utah-based dispensary WholesomeCo made history last week when they ratified their contract, becoming the state’s first cannabis industry workers to do so. Workers first organized with UFCW in November 2023 as part of the union’s larger national Cannabis Workers Rising campaign. The history-making deal includes guaranteed wage increases over the contract lifetime, company-provided insurance coverage, paid meal breaks, a ratification bonus and other huge wins. “With the ratification of this historic contract, WholesomeCo will continue to be a great place to work while helping raise the standard of living for employees industry-wide,” said Local 99 President Jim McLaughlin.IATSE Secures Tentative Agreement for Off-Broadway Workers: After a two-month strike, the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Atlantic Theater Company said Monday that they had reached a tentative agreement (TA) covering production workers. The bargaining unit spans nearly 100 workers at the off-Broadway nonprofit theater who will soon vote on whether to accept the TA terms. Stage crew handle vital roles for performances at the New York City venue like audio, videography, hair and makeup, costuming, props, carpentry and lighting. “The proposed agreement includes significant compensation increases including comprehensive benefits that both parties believe reflect the essential contributions of the production crew to Atlantic Theater Company’s success,” said IATSE in a press release. “Ultimately, after extensive discussions and dialogue, the Atlantic Theater Company is poised to become the first not-for-profit theater company producing solely Off-Broadway in history to have a union agreement covering production classifications.” Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 03/19/2025 - 12:09 Tags: OrganizingContinue reading→

Women's History Month Profiles: Rachelle Martin For Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Rachelle Martin of AFSCME. Rachelle Martin does so much it’s hard to know where to begin. She’s the single mother of two daughters, the co-chief steward at the Washington State Department of Health, a Washington Federation of State Employees executive board member, as well as the president of a fiscal sponsorship nonprofit, all while attending graduate school for her master’s degree in public administration. Her work as the first woman president of the Thurston-Lewis-Mason Central Labor Council is truly incredible.  Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 03/19/2025 - 10:00 Tags: Women's History MonthContinue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Video Game Workers Launch Industrywide 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. In an historic development, workers across the United States and Canada are launching United Videogame Workers-CWA Local 9433 (UVW-CWA), a direct-join, industrywide video game union with the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in partnership with the American Federation of Musicians (AFM). UVW-CWA builds off of mobilization following the Game Developers Conference in 2018, which was a launching pad for the start of Game Workers Unite, an international grassroots organization dedicated to labor organizing the video game industry. The launch of UVW-CWA also coincides with the fifth anniversary of CODE-CWA, which has helped more than 6,500 tech and video game workers organize to join the union since 2020. “The creation of this union was not done in isolation; it’s a cumulative effort by the thousands of video game workers who have been fighting for years to redefine what it means to stand together and reclaim power in one of the largest and highest-grossing industries on the globe,” said Tom Smith, CWA’s senior director of organizing. “These workers are taking a bold stand, joining together to build power for the workers behind the games we all know and love.”“Our mission is to take back our lives, our labor, and our passion from those who treat us like replaceable cogs; to empower our fellow workers; to link up arms with the laid off, with the freelancer, with the disillusioned contractor, with the disenfranchised and the marginalized, with the workers laboring invisibly to keep this industry afloat,” reads UVW-CWA’s mission statement. “We are going to create a game industry that works for us, one that nourishes its talent and invests in its future, rather than constantly seeking short-term profits. We are the ones that make the games, so we must be the ones that set the terms of how we work.” Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 03/19/2025 - 09:50Continue reading→

Defend the Public Postal Service: 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 on X. Alaska AFL-CIO:BREAKING: The Alaska House just voted to pass HB 69, which would increase the BSA by $1,000. This is a huge win for Alaska's working families. #akleg #RaiseTheAKBSA pic.twitter.com/EIHvA3F6S1— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) March 12, 2025Arizona AFL-CIO:Today Union members joined Veterans at the Tucson VA Hospital rallying against VA employee layoffs 💪 Currently, over 2,400 VA workers have already been laid off, with an alarming plan to eliminate an additional 80,000 jobs. @AFGENational pic.twitter.com/Ss4Fv7bNHT— Arizona AFL-CIO (@ArizonaAFLCIO) March 15, 2025California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:CA @AsmSadeElhawary introduced AB 1331 (sponsored by @CaliforniaLabor ) - which bans California employers from using invasive surveillance technology to monitor their workers in private, off-duty areas, such as the break room, the bathroom or an employee’s personal vehicle. The… pic.twitter.com/wRRjiqAGl9— California Federation of Labor Unions (@CaliforniaLabor) March 18, 2025Colorado AFL-CIO:This Women’s History Month, we recognize the astonishing legacy of “Flaming” Milka Sablich, a true labor champion and leader in the 1927 coal miners strike right here in Colorado. l pic.twitter.com/JKyTJ2PWbh— Colorado AFL-CIO ✊ (@AFLCIOCO) March 15, 2025Connecticut AFL-CIO:Powerful labor town hall with Senators Murphy & Blumenthal. We are fortunate in CT to have two strong Senators fighting every day for working people. But make sure to continue reaching out & telling your stories about how federal cuts and freezes will impact working families. pic.twitter.com/vrXMg1nIX4— Connecticut AFL-CIO (@ConnAFLCIO) March 17, 2025Illinois AFL-CIO:NEXT WEEK: Chicago Climbing Gym workers at First Ascent have announced their intent to form a union. Join them for a night of climbing and solidarity on March 20, from 7-9 PM, to show management that the labor movement has their back. Sign up:https://t.co/tGkihAHdUR pic.twitter.com/w5qF2GErSe— Illinois AFL-CIO (@ILAFLCIO) March 15, 2025Maine AFL-CIO:Join postal workers & letter carriers for rallies to protest attempts to privatize the USPS!@APWUnational Bangor & Portland - Thurs, March 20, 2025@NALC_National Portland - Sun, March 23, 2025 https://t.co/R7zAMaL7JW— Maine AFL-CIO (@MEAFLCIO) March 17, 2025Massachusetts AFL-CIO:Happy St. Patrick’s Day! We are remembering many leaders who built and grew the labor movement. Also thankful for the Massachusetts labor family, which was well represented at our union night fundraiser for the Steven A. Tolman Addiction Fund with the Dropkick Murphys on Friday. pic.twitter.com/LJFl5TLuvl— Massachusetts AFL-CIO (@massaflcio) March 17, 2025Michigan State AFL-CIO:It’s time for lawmakers — Democrats and Republicans — to put politics aside and work together to get pro-worker bills that have already passed the legislature signed into law.Call on the MI House and Gov. Whitmer to do right by working families: https://t.co/HLCYuDtE8X pic.twitter.com/hSaEE1jy96— Michigan AFL-CIO ✊ (@MIAFLCIO) March 18, 2025Minnesota AFL-CIO:"Folks who claim to represent Minnesota businesses, like the @MN_Chamber, will try to tell you #PaidLeave is bad for business. As a thriving small employer and retailer, I can tell you that it is just the opposite." #mnleg https://t.co/CBGmrqGBDK— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) March 17, 2025Missouri AFL-CIO:Seven different #Unions introduced students to career paths at a career pathway showcase last month, this is a great way to offer alternatives to a four-year college and encourage trade apprenticeships! https://t.co/2cMauV0GWp— Missouri AFL-CIO (@MOAFLCIO) March 16, 2025Nebraska State AFL-CIO:Thursday March 20th 3:30pm – 4:30pmStart at the southeast corner of 10th& Pacific St., and move to the northeast corner of 13th & Pacific St.Omaha pic.twitter.com/g1oGR27lEB— NE State AFL-CIO (@NEAFLCIO) March 13, 2025New York State AFL-CIO:On the latest episode of the #UnionStrong podcast we sit down with @NYSDOLCommish to discuss the key workforce elements in the Governor's budget proposal, including worker protections, investments in childcare, workforce training initiatives, and more: https://t.co/cmbjDWkuwV— NYS AFL-CIO // #UnionStrong (@NYSAFLCIO) March 12, 2025North Carolina State AFL-CIO:We support @NC_Governor Josh Stein's call for a pause on scheduled corporate and personal income tax cuts for millionaires and the wealthy few in order to invest in families and workers instead. #ncpol #1u pic.twitter.com/8KtoT2yEvA— NC State AFL-CIO (@ncstateaflcio.bsky.social) (@NCStateAFLCIO) March 13, 2025Oregon AFL-CIO:As an Oregon Department of Human Services worker with @seiu503, Holly Smith works with Oregonians at the lowest income levels in our state. SB 916 is for striking workers who are already in impossible positions. #ORPol #ORLeg #SB916 #OregonLabor #OregonAFLCIO pic.twitter.com/FplFtEp3f9— Oregon AFL-CIO (@OregonAFLCIO) March 14, 2025'Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:Losing jobs and a weakened economy were not on the ballot. We voted for American workers, to protect good-paying union jobs, and build an economy that works for everyone, not just billionaires. #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/J2tPlqndmt— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) March 13, 2025Texas AFL-CIO:#HB1078 is a common-sense bill to help veterans get information on the benefits they've earned!USW (@steelworkers) Local 759 President Raj Penn & USW Local 13-2001 President Aquarius Johnson testified in support of the bill at the hearing ⬇️ #txlege pic.twitter.com/884QbvvHiX— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) March 17, 2025Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO:These virtual sessions are free, and offered on March 20, April 30, and May 29 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Click the link below for more info ⬇️⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/DpPyOeklkn— Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO (@WAAFLCIO) March 18, 2025Wisconsin State AFL-CIO:Early voting for Wisconsin election starts Tuesday: How to vote for Supreme Court, other April races https://t.co/386hAvSDFe via @journalsentinel— WI AFL-CIO (@wisaflcio) March 17, 2025 Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 03/18/2025 - 10:07Continue reading→

Women's History Month Profiles: Sue Martin For Women's History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making women's history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Sue Martin of AFSCME. Sue Martin is the first female president/secretary-treasurer of the Nebraska State AFL-CIO and a member of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees (NAPE)/AFSCME Local 61. She helped lead successful ballot initiatives to increase the minimum wage and institute paid sick leave in Nebraska. With her admirable dedication and passion for the state’s labor movement, Martin is highly regarded by Nebraska affiliates, elected officials and coalition partners.  Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 03/18/2025 - 09:59 Tags: Women's History MonthContinue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Unions Representing USPS Workers Respond to DeJoy’s Agreement with DOGE 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. In response to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s agreement with Elon Musk’s DOGE, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) President Brian Renfroe released the following statement:NALC is aware of the agreement between the Postal Service, [General Service Administration] and DOGE to assist with ‘identifying and achieving certain efficiencies.’ We remain in contact with the Postal Service regarding DOGE’s efforts at USPS and any potential impact on NALC members. The safety of our members always comes first. That includes their information and data….Common sense solutions are what the Postal Service needs, not privatization efforts that will threaten 640,000 postal employees’ jobs, 7.9 million jobs tied to our work, and the universal service every American relies on daily.American Postal Workers Union (APWU) National Executive Board released the following statement:Members likely heard the recent news of an agreement between the Postmaster General and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by the un-elected billionaire Elon Musk, and not established by Congress. It is no surprise that DOGE has set its sights on the people’s Postal Service…. The APWU position is clear: There is no legitimate role for DOGE in the USPS or any other Federal agency. The public Postal Service was created by Congress as an independent government agency with robust oversight from the Office of Inspector General, the Postal Regulatory Commission, and the Board of Governors, as well as Congressional Committees.The National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU), an affiliate of the Laborers (LIUNA), released the following statement:Mail Handlers have seen the DOGE team dismantle federal agencies, impacting services provided to Americans across the country, and are therefore rightly concerned about the potential impact on the work of the Postal Service generally and the work of the more than 54,000 dedicated mail handlers across the country….Privatizing the Postal Service will threaten customers’ ability to receive packages and letters ranging from Social Security checks, necessary medications, government correspondence, and mail from loved ones….The NPMHU will remain cautious and vigilant and is prepared to fight against any ill-conceived attempts by DOGE to dismantle this American institution. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 03/18/2025 - 09:47Continue reading→

Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: AFSCME 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 AFSCME. Name of Union: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)Mission: AFSCME members provide the vital services that make America happen. They work to ensure dignity and security for public service workers across the country. By organizing new members, they build their capacity to strengthen public services, improve working conditions, negotiate decent wages and safeguard pensions and health benefits.Current Leadership of Union: Lee Saunders was elected AFSCME president in 2012, the first African American to hold that position, after previously serving as secretary-treasurer and in many other roles with AFSCME since 1978. He comes from a union family, raised in Cleveland as the son of a city bus driver and a community organizer. Elissa McBride serves as secretary-treasurer, and AFSCME has 34 international vice presidents serving different regions.Members Work As: With hundreds of job categories, members work as/in the fields of attorneys and judiciary employees, behavioral health, corrections, early childhood education, emergency services, environmental stewardship, health care workers, higher education, home care, housing, human services, K-12 schools, law enforcement, library workers, museums and cultural institutions, nurses, probation and parole, public administration, public works, and transportation.Industries Represented: States, cities, counties and other local governments, as well as the federal government and private employers performing public services.History: During the depths of the Great Depression, a group of state employees in Madison, Wisconsin, formed what would later become the Wisconsin State Employees Union/Council 24 in an effort to successfully defend the state's civil service system and stand up to political cronyism. Four years later, in 1936, the American Federation of Labor granted a charter for AFSCME, which united the Wisconsin group with numerous others that had formed across the country after the success in Madison.At the end of 1936, the union had 10,000 members. Growth was difficult at first, but by 1946, the union had grown to 73,000 members. The AFL-CIO merger brought AFSCME another 40,000 members.In the 1960s, during the presidency of Jerry Wurf, AFSCME was active in the struggle for racial justice. The 1968 strike of AFSCME sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, was a signature moment in civil rights and labor rights history. It was in Memphis, in support of the sanitation workers’ struggle, that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968.AFSCME continued to grow during the 1970s and 1980s, with a focus on bringing together independent associations of public employees in an effort to harness the collective power of so many voices. Almost 60 associations, representing 450,000 people, joined AFSCME by affiliation or merger, pushing total membership past the 1 million mark.AFSCME’s growth across the country gave the union a more powerful voice when it came to fighting injustice. In September 1981, AFSCME’s 60,000-member delegation, the largest from any single union, led the march at the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Day, a massive demonstration in Washington, D.C., demanding fair treatment for workers. That same year in San Jose, California, AFSCME Local 101 staged the first strike in the nation’s history over the issue of pay equity for women. The action attracted national media attention and helped spark the pay equity movement.For decades, corporations, billionaires and their allies have engaged in a coordinated and well-financed effort to weaken the power of public-sector unions like AFSCME. Last year, in a case called Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, the most business-friendly Supreme Court in history ruled in favor of anti-worker forces, overturning decades of precedent to make the entire public sector so-called right to work. Many pundits predicted this would be a death blow. But because of the work put in by AFSCME, together with other public-sector unions and the AFL-CIO, AFSCME has emerged in the strongest possible position. No politician or judicial decision can contain the collective power of working people. More than 300,000 fee payers converted to AFSCME members since early 2014; and since the Janus ruling, seven times more people have joined AFSCME than have chosen to drop.Current Campaigns: AFSCME People works to elect candidates that will fight for AFSCME members and priorities. AFSCME's Department of Federal Government Affairs reports on the top federal legislative stories. Staff the Front Lies tackles critical staffing shortages throughout the country. The Student Debt Map tracks student loan forgiveness.Community Efforts: From credit cards to credit counseling, AFSCME Advantage offers union members and their families a wide array of financial products to meet their everyday needs. AFSCME awards several scholarships for members and their families. AFSCME provides members with training and education. AFSCME publishes a blog. NEXT WAVE empowers and unites young AFSCME members from across the union, in the fight for dignity, respect, and economic prosperity. AFSCME sells merchandise in their online store.Learn More: Website, Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 03/17/2025 - 14:22Continue reading→