News

Heather Hildebrand Appointed as IAM Automotive Special Representative

International President Brian Bryant announced the appointment of Heather Hildebrand, formerly a District 60 Business Representative, to the position of Special Representative in the IAM Automotive Department. The appointment was effective Jan. 13, 2025. “Heather’s journey from the shop floor to leadership exemplifies the power of dedication and relentless advocacy,” said IAM International President Brian The post Heather Hildebrand Appointed as IAM Automotive Special Representative appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→

IAM, Labor Coalition Welcome USTR’S Comprehensive Indictment of China’s Unfair Shipbuilding Trade Practices

The IAM Union and its labor partners welcomed the comprehensive report from the United States Trade Representative (USTR) on its investigation on commercial shipbuilding and its findings that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) engaged in a broad range of tactics designed to dominate and control the maritime, shipbuilding and logistics sectors. The USTR’s report illustrates The post IAM, Labor Coalition Welcome USTR’S Comprehensive Indictment of China’s Unfair Shipbuilding Trade Practices appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→

IAM Union Members at IKEA Perryville Ratify New Contract, End Strike

PERRYVILLE, MD, Jan. 18, 2025— Approximately 320 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local I460, District 4, employed at the IKEA Distribution Center in Perryville, Maryland, have ratified a new contract to end a strike that began on Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. Statement from IAM Union Eastern Territory General Vice President David The post IAM Union Members at IKEA Perryville Ratify New Contract, End Strike appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→

Reflection and Action: How the IAM Honors the Legacy of Dr. King

Dear IAM Family, This weekend, we honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights icon and a champion of organized labor. Reflecting on his work, we remember his fight and call for racial equality, social justice, and economic parity. Following in his footsteps, the IAM Union has worked to The post Reflection and Action: How the IAM Honors the Legacy of Dr. King appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→

UAW Statement on President Biden’s Affirmation of the Equal Rights Amendment

The United Auto Workers applauds President Joe Biden's strong affirmation of the Equal Rights Amendment and his commitment to ensuring that women in this country have full equality under the law. The post UAW Statement on President Biden’s Affirmation of the Equal Rights Amendment appeared first on UAW | United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America.Continue reading→

USPS Announces Termination of FSAFEDS Accounts for 2025 Plan Year, Provides New Enrollment Option for Affected Employees

January 17, 2025On Dec. 30, 2024, the Postal Service notified the APWU that it is informing employees who enrolled in the FSAFEDS Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for plan year 2025 that their accounts will be terminated. FSAFEDS is no longer the FSA administrator for the Postal Service. Instead, Inspira Financial will be the Postal Service’s FSA administrator for the 2025 plan year. On Dec. 30, 2024, the Postal Service notified the APWU that it is informing employees who enrolled in the FSAFEDS Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for plan year 2025 that their accounts will be terminated. FSAFEDS is no longer the FSA administrator for the Postal Service. Instead, Inspira Financial will be the Postal Service’s FSA administrator for the 2025 plan year. Employees who enrolled in FSAFEDS for 2025 will have the option to enroll in the Inspira Financial FSA. For those who choose to enroll, it will be processed as a late action with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2025. However, an employees’ plan year amount will be deducted by fewer pay periods, which will cause their deduction amount to be slightly higher than their initial enrollment election per pay period. The Postal Service will include a new enrollment form and contact number for Inspira Financial in a mailing to employees whose accounts have been terminated. This enrollment termination only affects those who enrolled in the FSAFEDS plan. Modifications will be permitted through Jan. 31, 2025. For any questions, please ask for a union steward or contact your local union representative. USPS Announces Termination of FSAFEDS Accounts for 2025 Plan Year, Provides New Enrollment Option for Affected Employees0Continue reading→

Ready to Push Back: The Working People Weekly List

Ready to Push Back: 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. AFL-CIO & SEIU Are Reuniting in the United States—13 Million Trade Union Members Ready to Push Back: “The AFL-CIO and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) announced on Thursday that they are reuniting to launch ‘a new, long-term effort to make it easier for workers to win a voice on our jobs with their unions’. Two million SEIU service and care workers will join the nearly 13 million-member AFL-CIO, and together, these powerful organisations will push back on union-busting and win for working-class families. The unions formally announced the affiliation at a roundtable discussion with workers who are fighting to win their unions on Thursday in advance of the AFL-CIO’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference, which started yesterday. The workers will share their stories of why they need new rules to make it easier to join together in unions. The joint statement said: ‘At a critical moment when everything is on the line for the nation’s working people, the labour movement is uniting to challenge the status quo and build a movement of workers who will fight—on the job, in the streets, at the ballot box, in our communities—for higher pay, expanded benefits and new rules that empower them to join together in unions and organise across industries.”Joe Biden: The Best President Labor Ever Had : “As Joe Biden gets ready to leave the White House Jan. 20, one verdict is clear: He kept his often-repeated pledge to be the most pro-union president in U.S. history. For four years, at every level of his administration, he and his appointees went out of their way to support unions and union labor.”Stagehands and Technicians at Portland’s State Theatre Have Unionized: “Nearly three dozen technicians and stagehands at Portland’s State Theatre have unionized. The 35 employees who help the theatre’s shows come to life will join Local 114 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees after winning their National Labor Relations Board election to unionize on Tuesday.”Trump’s Plan to Slash Federal Jobs Puts Black Workers at Risk: “President–elect Donald Trump’s plans to shrink the federal workforce would have disparate impacts on Black employment, while potentially eroding a key conduit to economic mobility that many Black families have relied on for generations. Some researchers say a substantial cutback could push the Black unemployment rate higher, particularly in areas like Washington, D.C., where Black joblessness is among the highest in the country. Such an outcome would stand at odds with Trump’s campaign promises to protect Black workers’ jobs and provide them with more employment opportunities.”Brightline Onboard Workers Sign On with TWU: “The approximately 100 onboard and lead attendants at Brightline, Florida’s private-sector passenger railroad, have voted to join Transport Workers Union of America (TWU). The National Mediation Board announced the election results on Jan. 14 in Washington, D.C., after weeks of balloting, which began Nov. 27, according to TWU. The Brightline workers, who sell food and beverages and provide other services on trains between Miami and Orlando, Fla., voted to join TWU on a roughly two-to-one margin, the union said.”The Labor Movement Won Big Victories in 2024. Now It Must Fend Off Trump: “Organized labor is currently preparing to fight back. Just a week into 2025 the SEIU announced that it was rejoining the AFL-CIO to help fight Trump’s anti-worker agenda. The two unions have been unaligned for almost 20 years. In remarks made at a roundtable discussion shortly after the decision, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler stressed the need for solidarity among workers. ‘We just finished an election cycle where one party spent the entire time telling working class people across this country, ‘Look how different you are from each other,’’ said Shuler. ‘He’s an immigrant. She’s transgender or they worship differently than you do’ and it worked to some degree, right? We watched it. The scariest thing in the world to the CEOs, to the billionaires in this country and the folks like Donald Trump who do their bidding, is the idea that we might one day see through that.”Nurses Across U.S. to Rally Over AI Safeguards: “On Jan. 16, thousands of registered nurses will hold marches, protests and rallies to demand the hospital industry ensure safe staffing levels and artificial intelligence safeguards, a Jan. 14 National Nurses United news release said. ’Patient advocacy is at the core of what we do as nurses,‘ Nancy Hagans, RN, president of NNU, said in the release. ’That’s why we’re demanding safe staffing and protections against untested technologies such as AI. We see the harm that these cost-cutting schemes cause our patients on a daily basis.‘”2.5 Million Americans Were Once Denied Social Security Benefits. A New Law Changes That: “‘For years, members were bringing this up and and asking for it to be changed, because it had such an impact, especially on our lower paid employees, like our paraprofessionals, who often are living paycheck to paycheck and working multiple jobs,’ said Cropper, who also serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the Ohio AFL-CIO.”From Mental Health to Class Solidarity: Workforce Trends to Watch In 2025: “Still, workers at Google’s Pittsburgh contractor HCL unionized in 2021, the Bethesda Game Studios workers voted to join the Communications Workers of America union, and Code for America reached a collective bargaining agreement with its union, CFA Workers United in 2023. The numbers in these early examples may be small, but as labor unions continue to expand their reach into previously unorganized sectors, expect to see a greater emphasis on fair pay, better working conditions, and broader social benefits for workers.”CES 2025: Hollywood Unions Battle to Contain AI Disruptions in Creative Industries: “The increasing capabilities of generative AI systems were all the rage at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this year, but for all the enthusiasm from the tech world, there is still plenty of concern about the impact these tools will have on the workforce, from industrial and service work to creative industries, including entertainment, film and TV. So while the crowds were jamming the aisles of the Las Vegas Convention Center, representatives of America’s biggest unions were meeting down the street at the AFL-CIO’s Labor Innovation and Technology Summit to coordinate strategy around AI and try to ensure that workers have a seat at the table when it comes to setting policy around AI. Co-founded by SAG-AFTRA, the AFL-CIO, and the AFL-CIO Tech Institute, the LIT Summit brings together top labor leaders, worker advocates, policy experts, and allied organizations to discuss workers’ role in emerging technologies, as Big Tech’s role in the market and the halls of government evolves, according to the organization. Some of the unions in attendance such as the machinists have been engaged around issues of automation for decades, while others like those representing teachers and nurses are looking to ensure that new AI-driven innovations in education and medicine are deployed in collaboration and consultation with frontline workers rather than imposed from above.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/17/2025 - 12:07Continue reading→

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: VA Memorial Products Service Employees Vote to Join AFGE

Service & Solidarity Spotlight: VA Memorial Products Service Employees Vote to Join AFGE 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 Federal Labor Relations Authority last week officially certified the election where Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemetery Administration’s (NCA’s) Memorial Products Service (MPS) workers successfully voted to join AFGE Local 17.These newly minted members work at three remote processing locations in Illinois, Kansas and Tennessee—before the COVID-19 pandemic, they had worked out of offices located at the cemeteries. Local 17 previously represented the workers in Tennessee and Kansas, but once they became remote, the NCA designated them as unrepresented. Now that MPS staff won their election, they’re looking forward to addressing things like overtime concerns and issues with performance evaluations.“I was really excited,” said Local 17 3rd Vice President Megan-Brady Viccellio. “Local 17 already represents several of these employees, and we’re really heartened that they wanted to come back to the fold. I think that they had experience with the protection of the really robust master agreement at VA. It was a 14 to zero vote. That speaks volumes about the value that they see.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 01/17/2025 - 10:57Continue reading→

IAM Leadership, Member Activists Pledge to Continue Dr. King’s Legacy

Recently, almost 60 IAM members, including IAM International President Brian Bryant and other IAM Executive Council members, continued the union’s commitment to equality by sending a large IAM delegation to Texas, for the AFL-CIO Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference in Austin. The post IAM Leadership, Member Activists Pledge to Continue Dr. King’s Legacy appeared first on IAMAW.Continue reading→

Postal Workers and Allies: Stop the Slowdown!

January 17, 2025Stop the Slowdown! The Postal Service proposed plans to decrease service standards to the detriment of our communities. Here’s why hundreds of thousands members of the public are standing up and fighting back against efforts to degrade the country’s mail system. Let’s keep the pressure on! magazineA Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service The Postal Service has once again proposed serious cuts to mail service in large swaths of the country. A Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service is standing up and fighting back against efforts to degrade the country’s mail system, as it has time and again since its creation in 2013. The current proposal from the Postal Service will spell the end of afternoon collection of mail from post offices, stations, and branches across the country. Instead, mail will be picked up the following morning. While this may not seem like a big operational change, it means much of the country’s First-Class Mail can be expected to take an additional day to reach its destination. Perhaps even more outrageous, is that the Postal Service is proposing to no longer count Sunday as a day towards its service standards – the goal it sets for delivery times for mail. As in 2021, when the USPS last proposed changes to its service standards, the Postal Service is required to seek an opinion from its regulator, the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), and to give the public an opportunity to comment on its proposals, before proceeding with making the changes. And once again, members of A Grand Alliance and its allies stood up and flooded the Postal Service with their views. More than 50,000 postal workers, family members, and allies submitted comments to the Postal Service’s public notice-and-comment process. More than 300,000 members of the public sent messages directly to the Postal Board of Governors and their members of Congress. And, almost universally, those who had a chance to read about the Postal Service’s proposals had a clear message: Stop the Slowdown! Many commenters noted that they have no viable alternative to the Postal Service, and slowing the mail down would hurt their household finances or their small businesses. Many who live in rural areas noted that they are entirely dependent on the Postal Service to take of all sorts of critical tasks, such as sending bills, receiving medication, or making medical appointments. With slower mail, they’re not just worried about costly late fees, but sometimes with decisions about their health as well. Several writers said that, because they live in rural areas of the country, they do not have access to alternative shipping services like FedEx, UPS, or Amazon. Some commenters added that internet access is unreliable where they live. Many repeated that the Postal Service is a lifeline to their families and communities. Others noted how further slowing of the mail would only degrade the Postal Service’s standing with the people. They noted that the Postal Service, as one of the few universal services in the country, was unique in its ability to reach every community in the country, no matter who you are, or where you live. One person said, “It is a source of pride to live in a country which guarantees reliable postal service to all of us.” The PRC can only offer an advisory opinion on the Postal Service’s proposed changes. Ultimately, it is up to Postal management to decide if their proposal is in the best interest of the country and the people they serve. Our hope is that our voices are heard loud and clear, in the many hundreds of thousands, that the people demand reliable, quality, and speedy mail service now and for generations to come. Postal Workers and Allies: Stop the Slowdown!0Continue reading→

Our Labor History: National Strike Against GE and New York Transit Strike

January 17, 2025This month in Labor History, we look back at two major strikes that shifted their industries: the General Electric and Westinghouse nationwide strike of over 800,000 auto and steelworkers, and the New York City Transit Strike which shut down the city’s public transit for 12 days. Learn more here: magazineLabor HistoryAPWU History National Strike Against General Electric Sparks Shutdown of Major IndustriesContinue reading→

APWU Applauds Decision to Keep Local Mail Local

January 16, 2025In November 2024, The Postal Regulatory Commission reversed course on a slew of postal consolidations, retaining local mail processing at 16 additional facilities across the U.S. This is a win for the public postal service, as we believe local mail should remain local. magazine In November 2024, the Postal Service notified the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) in two rounds of announcements dated Nov. 12 and Nov. 22, that 16 additional facilities that will retain local mail processing, reversing their recommendation for consolidation, as originally planned. The APWU applauds this decision. While we agree that the current network needs upgrades to handle the change of mail-mix from a majority of envelopes and flats to packages, we believe that local mail being consolidated and sorted hundreds of miles away from its entry into the mail flow, only to return a day later, further delays America’s mail. We stand with the people of our country and agree that we need improved postal services. During the peak season for holiday mail, we anticipate too many delays. But we also know how well the Postal Service can operate. During the 2024 General Election season 97.7 percent of them were delivered within three days. When we have the proper staffing in place and enact measures to ensure that our system runs efficiently, like we did during the 2024 election season, we can ensure that every community from coast to coast – and beyond – has dependable mail delivery service. “The APWU believes that the Postal Service must modernize its network to improve service and deliver mail reliably to its customers,” said APWU President Mark Dimondstein. “We are happy to see the USPS responding to feedback that local mail should stay local, but we also know that moving the goal posts on service standards and ending afternoon collections for certain facilities will not improve the public’s trust or experience with our Postal Service.” ■ APWU Applauds Decision to Keep Local Mail Local0Continue reading→

USPS Board of Governors Elects New Leadership

January 16, 2025The USPS Board of Governors elected governor Amber F. McReyolds as a new board chair at its fourth and final meeting of 2024, Now three vacancies exist upon the expiration of Anton Hajjar's term on December 8.  magazine On Nov 14, in its fourth and final meeting of 2024, the Postal Board of Governors elected fellow governor Amber F. McReynolds to serve as chair of the Board. She also currently chairs the Board’s Election Mail committee. Additionally, the governors elected Derek Kan to serve as vice chairman. At this meeting, the Board discussed the Postal Service’s 2024 financial report, reports from the Audit and Finance committee, Compensation and Governance committee, Operations committee, and Election Mail committee. It was also the final meeting for Governor Anton Hajjar. Hajjar’s seat on the Postal Board of Governors expired on Dec. 8, adding an additional vacant seat to the two existing vacancies. Outgoing President Joe Biden had already submitted three nominees to fill these seats, which include Val Butler Demings, William Zollars, and Gordon Hartogensis. But, by the time of publication for this issue of The American Postal Worker, the Senate failed to move to confirm the president’s nominees, and the vacancies are expected to carry over to a new Trump administration. The Board provides the important oversight in ensuring that this institution continues to provide high-quality service to every community. The gridlock to confirm these qualified nominees is frustrating, but it further demonstrates the necessity of grassroots actions and vigilance at the state and local level to ensure that the Postal Service is treating employees well and moving the mail to every door, without exception. The Postal Board of Governors does not have the final say in how our mail runs – the people do. No matter who Trump nominates to the Board, the APWU will keep fighting for the exceptional service and delivery standards our communities deserve. Stay tuned for more updates. usps board of governors elects new leadership0Continue reading→

Project 2025 Seeks to Undermine Public Services with Schedule F

January 16, 2025The reinstatement of Trump’s 2020 “Schedule F” Executive Order may be on the horizon with Project 2025, reclassifying many civil servants into at-will employees without job protection. Organized labor must stand together and prepare to fight back: magazine The American Postal Worker has reported on the conservative-created, Trump-supported Project 2025 in past issues. Please see the August- September 2024 and October- November 2024 issues for more background information. Americans everywhere depend on efficient government services to support our communities, foster economic stability, and provide a social safety net for neighbors in need. Civil servants, at all levels of government, help make sure public services like Social Security payments, disaster relief, and public education are accessible to everyone who wants them. Keeping high quality public services available and open to the public also means keeping civil servants with expertise in these jobs. Project 2025 seeks to undermine this expectation of efficiency and expertise in public services by dismantling the Federal Government and reinstating Trump’s 2020 “Schedule F” Executive Order. This would allow the ruling administration to reclassify many civil servants as policymaking or policy-evaluating workers, thereby removing their civil service protections and making them at-will employees. President Trump could then install whomever he pleases based on favoritism and loyalty to his administration. Deploying Schedule F to replace dedicated civil servants with inexperienced cronies removes the very people who are experts at their jobs and have the knowledge to help our government serve our communities in the best possible way. Installing employees based on “who you know” favoritism effectively removes the nonpartisan and professional nature of civil service – civil servants should simply be the most qualified for the job. That’s why tests like the ones postal workers must take for employment exist. An unbiased exam means that workers earn their jobs based on their skills, not who we know or what color our skin is. Furthermore, in the long run, this practice could effectively dismantle public trust and efficiency in government services, letting billionaires like Donald Trump and Elon Musk make the case for a privatized, capitalistic government that profits off its citizens, instead of a government that exists to uplift workers and our communities. Our union family at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is preparing to fight back and protect their workers who are providing essential public services at the federal level. We must stand together as working people and fight back against attacks on the AFGE and our other union families, to protect knowledgeable, dedicated federal employees and great public services for everyone. ■ Project 2025 Seeks to Undermine Public Services with Schedule F0Continue reading→

2024 Ballot Measures: Wins for the Working Class

January 16, 2025During the 2024 General Election, voters weighed in on more than just candidates; in many states, they also voted on state-specific ballot measures that mattered most to them as individuals, such as increasing the minimum wage, preserving public education, protecting reproductive rights, and the right to unionize. magazineElections During the 2024 General Election, voters didn’t just choose candidates to represent them in their respective local, state, and federal elections, but in many states they also voted on ballot measures on specific issues that mattered most to them as individuals. Ballot measures, or ballot propositions, are state-level measures that give citizens the power to change laws through a vote, meaning that the voters decide on the issues. Ballot measures can be a key tool to allow voters to pass measures at the state level. In 2024, voters decided on issues that affect working class people, irrespective of partisan affiliation, such as increasing the minimum wage, expanding paid sick leave, preserving public education, banning anti-union captive-audience meetings, protecting reproductive rights, and the right to unionize. In many cases, the same states who voted in favor for the issues above also elected candidates that opposed them, showing a dissonance between the progressive policies voters want and the conservative policies elected officials enact. Working people need a party that will focus on the issues that affect us – and fight for those same issues when they are in office. Voters said enough with the status quo and empty promises, they sought change that will impact their lives and families. The results in this election, for both candidates and ballot measures, show that if we are going to win for working people, we need candidates who will fight for us, not the billionaire class. ■ 2024 Ballot Measures: Wins for the Working Class0Continue reading→