AFL-CIO
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Greta Jianjia Cheng
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profile: Greta Jianjia Cheng
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 Greta Jianjia Cheng of USW.
Greta Jianjia Cheng, a graduate student researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, was a driving force during last year’s campaign for graduate workers at the university to join the United Steelworkers (USW). About 2,100 graduate workers voted by 98% in November to become USW members—one of the most lopsided margins in the union’s history. Cheng came to the United States in 2017 to pursue graduate studies, and saw firsthand the challenges that come with being an international graduate student. Now, as a member of the USW bargaining committee, she hopes to address those issues.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 05/16/2025 – 09:17
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Labor and Workplace Health and Safety Groups Sue to Restore Programs at NIOSH
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Labor and Workplace Health and Safety Groups Sue to Restore Programs at NIOSH
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.
On Wednesday, unions across nursing, education, mining and manufacturing industries, along with a manufacturer of personal protective equipment, sued the Trump administration to reverse the illegal dismantling of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a component of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).The plaintiffs include the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC), California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC), Dentec Safety Specialists Inc., the Machinists (IAM), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM), National Nurses United (NNU), New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), United Auto Workers (UAW), Mine Workers (UMWA) and United Steelworkers (USW).“By gutting NIOSH, Elon Musk and his DOGE won’t just be cutting corners—they are cutting lives short and placing working people in danger. Working people have fought too hard for these critical protections to now watch an unelected billionaire dismantle them and take us back to a time when chronic disease and death on the job was commonplace,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with unions and partners today in filing this lawsuit to challenge this illegal, reckless and potentially deadly assault on worker health and safety.”Read the full press release on the lawsuit here.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 05/16/2025 – 09:09
Worker Wins: Pay Workers A Living Wage
Worker Wins: Pay Workers A Living Wage
Our latest roundup of worker wins includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
AFSCME Members Add Worker Protections to City of Austin’s AI Policy: Members of AFSCME Local 1624 are celebrating the Austin City Council’s passage of Item 55, which institutes strong ethical guardrails and worker protections as Texas’ capital city adopts artificial intelligence (AI) into its work. Local 1624 represents public sector workers who are employed by the city of Austin and Travis County. Members worked closely with City Council members to shape the AI policy to ensure that working people won’t have their jobs displaced by this emergent new technology. The resolution also protects against AI-based productivity scoring, allows for workers to appeal decisions made by algorithmic tools and requires AFSCME members to be consulted as new technologies are introduced. “We support innovation—but it must come with safeguards,” said Local 1624 President Brydan Summers, who spoke at the city council meeting in support of the resolution. “This resolution ensures AI is used to support—not replace—public workers. By requiring human oversight, banning continuous surveillance, and protecting workers from AI-only decisions, Item 55 puts the safety and dignity of the workforce first.”Sunberry Beverages Union Members Ratify New Contract: United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 951 members who work at Sunberry Beverages in Paw Paw, Michigan, voted on Tuesday to overwhelmingly ratify a powerful new contract. Before ratification, the approximately 60 UFCW members at the plant had been working under an agreement that was signed before Sunberry bought the facility from previous owner Knouse Foods. The beverage manufacturer honored their existing contract, but as day-to-day production shifted, members needed new provisions to reflect changes to their work. Highlights of the new agreement include wage increases, expansion of full-time status and benefits eligibility to all workers, improvements to paid time off policy, increases to the 401(k) match, and more. “After the change in ownership, job duties and responsibilities at the plant changed significantly for the union members,” said John Cakmakci, Local 951 president and chief negotiator. “I am proud of the members who served on the bargaining committee and worked together to achieve contract gains that improve the lives of their fellow members. It’s important for the company to recognize how valuable the Sunberry workers are and reward their hard work and loyalty with a strong contract.”University of Minnesota Resident Physicians Union Certified by State Labor Board: 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.”SEIU Member Abducted by ICE Released from Detention: After a federal judge issued an order for Rümeysa Öztürk’s release from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 509 mem ber and Tufts University graduate student returned to Massachusetts on Saturday evening. Öztürk—a Turkish citizen on a student visa—was held in federal custody at a detention facility in Louisiana for six weeks after plainclothes officers arrested her in late March. The only evidence the Trump administration has cited as grounds for her arrest is an op-ed criticizing Tuft’s response to the war in Gaza that she co-authored in the student newspaper. Judge William K. Sessions III ordered Öztürk to be released with no travel restrictions and warned that her detention had the potential to cause a chilling effect on free speech. Union members and community allies rallied behind Öztürk after she was detained, holding nationwide protests decrying her arrest. “Rümeysa is free – and she is free because workers stood up and demanded justice,” said SEIU President April Verrett in a video statement posted to social media. “We are so excited for her, she gets to return home to her friends and her family and her studies at Tufts University. But our work is far from over. Rümeysa is free, but millions of other immigrants are not. They are still in the shadows. Our work is not done until everyone who calls this country home gets to live with freedom and dignity and respect.”Overwatch Developers Form Union with CWA: 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.”Arizona Agricultural Workers Make Cannabis Industry History with New Contract: United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 99 members who work at Trulieve’s production facility in central Phoenix ratified their first union contract this past Wednesday, becoming the first cannabis cultivators in state history to do so. While retail cannabis workers have been securing collective bargaining contracts around the country in recent years, this agreement is a landmark deal for agricultural workers in the industry. In January 2024 Trulieve Magnolia staff voted to join UFCW, in only the second union election ever administered by the Arizona Agricultural Employment Relations Board. “I’m telling you, if you ever read them bumper stickers on the street that say, ‘Work union, live better,’ that’s a true statement,” said Larry Terrell, a former union airline worker who is now a Trulieve cultivator. “It was an eye-opener coming to the cannabis industry from the airline industry. I just felt like the workers’ rights weren’t all there. I feel like they didn’t treat their employees very well….For what these companies make, they can afford to pay their workers a livable wage.”Striking University of Oregon Student Workers Reach Tentative Agreement: After more than a week on strike, the University of Oregon Student Workers (UOSW) union—an affiliate of the UAW—announced Thursday that their bargaining team has reached a tentative agreement with administrators. If ratified, this agreement would be the first contract covering a wall-to-wall undergraduate student worker unit at a public university. Members perform essential roles in dining halls, dormitories, academic departments, recruitment, cultural spaces, student life and research labs. Student workers initially walked off the job on April 28, after 11 months of negotiations with the university, to fight for better wages and improved protections against harassment in the workplace. “This is a historic and amazing contract whatever way you slice it,” said Ryan Campbell, a member of UOSW’s bargaining team. “[UO administration] can’t push some of this stuff out of the way now….Going through this experience, now we can help other people, so it’s a very very cool thing.”REI Union Blocks Corporate-Backed Co-Op Candidates in Board Election: Last week, REI confirmed that thousands of their Co-op members voted to reject corporate-backed candidates in their board of directors election after REI Union members launched a massive “Vote No” campaign in response to the retailer’s union-busting. The union is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU-UFCW). Since 2022, 11 storefronts have voted to organize and none have been able to reach a fair contract so far. After years of bad faith bargaining from the nominally progressive corporation, workers urged Co-op members to vote “withhold” on all three of REI’s proposed candidates, including two incumbent board members, to demand the corporation live up to its values. Now, REI members are demanding that pro-worker candidates Tefere Gebre—former executive vice president of the AFL-CIO and current chief program officer at Greenpeace USA—and Shemona Moreno—executive director of nonprofit 350 Seattle—fill the vacant seats on the board of directors. “This victory was only possible because REI members and REI workers stood together to send a resounding message that it is time for the co-op to return to its core values,” the union said in a press statement. “We are optimistic that Mary Beth Laughton will take this opportunity to listen to everyone who voted for workers and members to have a voice in the company’s future. Moving forward, REI should stop union busting, negotiate a fair contract with organized workers, and fill the vacancies on the board with the candidates that members backed initially.”NowThis Staff Ratify New Union Contract: Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members at short-form video news outlet NowThis have unanimously ratified a new collective bargaining agreement. The three-year deal increases the minimum salary floor for the nine current unit members to $80,000, as well as increases the overall contract minimum with an additional $1,000 increase in the second and third years of the contract. Other highlights include a longevity bonus on every four-year anniversary and strong guardrails against the use of generative artificial intelligence. “The Mighty 9 remaining members of the NowThis Union are thrilled to celebrate our successful contract negotiation,” the NowThis bargaining unit said. “We’re very thankful to those who supported us by writing letters to the CEOs of NowThis and Accelerate Change and encouraging them to help us reach a deal. We look forward to working with management and continuing to grow NowThis into the success we know it is.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 05/15/2025 – 15:53
Tags:
Organizing
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 – 10:00
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 – 09:53
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 – 11:46
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 – 09:59
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 – 09:55
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 – 11:16
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 – 10:16