AFL-CIO
Solidarity Now, Solidarity Forever! In the States Roundup
Solidarity Now, Solidarity Forever! 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.
Alaska AFL-CIO:Yesterday, during a meeting of the Alaska AFL-CIO, Vice Presidents voted to endorse Click Bishop for Governor. pic.twitter.com/kwLquxcv6i— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) June 16, 2026California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO:On Monday, hundreds of Oakland city workers represented by IFPTE Local 21 shut down the City Council meeting to demand a fair contract that retains qualified staff and protects public services. We stand in solidarity with our @IFPTE21 members and call on Acting City… pic.twitter.com/hdfnIcGE5x— California Federation of Labor Unions (@CaliforniaLabor) June 10, 2026Illinois AFL-CIO:Delegates from Illinois attended the @AFLCIO Convention in Minneapolis this week, where many of our leaders shared their wins and struggles with union members from across the country. Together, we are fighting for a future that works for ALL working people. #ItsBetterInAUnion pic.twitter.com/IhbCfG9gIq— Illinois AFL-CIO (@ILAFLCIO) June 10, 2026Maine AFL-CIO:Powerful video about mobile home park organizing in Jay and the community’s legacy of standing up to corporate greed! https://t.co/rCsMQmQhGC— Maine AFL-CIO (@MEAFLCIO) June 3, 2026Massachusetts AFL-CIO:The Labor Movement has a simple, clear message for Nike: Sign an enforceable agreement to raise wages and guarantee organizing rights for the workers who make its products.@GBLCBoston pic.twitter.com/HBb3hOZBjy— Massachusetts AFL-CIO (@massaflcio) June 15, 2026Michigan State AFL-CIO:Congratulations, Local 2093! Solidarity now, solidarity forever!💪💪💪 https://t.co/mYYPmXLYPy— Michigan AFL-CIO ✊ (@MIAFLCIO) June 15, 2026Minnesota AFL-CIO:One year ago today, Melissa and Mark Hortman were taken from all of us. We remember them and everything Speaker Hortman did to make Minnesota a better place for working people and families. pic.twitter.com/JCuoyhhu4h— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) June 14, 2026Missouri AFL-CIO:Yep. And in Missouri, the GOP is pushing Amendment 5 to RAISE sales and uses taxes on working families in order to help the wealthy not pay income tax. Under their plan, 80% of Missourians will PAY MORE in taxes every year while the rich get richer. https://t.co/O16bBSUObB— Missouri AFL-CIO (@MOAFLCIO) June 16, 2026Nevada State AFL-CIO:Nevada labor was proudly represented on a national stage as our Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Susie Martinez delivered the opening address at the @Teamsters 31st convention.As a 39-year Teamster out of local 986, we warmly welcome 3,000 Teamsters to fabulous Las Vegas! pic.twitter.com/NXBqCAby1b— Nevada State AFL-CIO // Pass the #PROAct (@NVAFLCIO) June 15, 2026New York State AFL-CIO:LABOR WALKS are happening all over NYS on the first day of early voting! #UnionStrong pic.twitter.com/NaKVQKS4OV— NYS AFL-CIO // #UnionStrong (@NYSAFLCIO) June 13, 2026Oregon Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO:The Oregon AFL-CIO is now the Oregon Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, but we’re still the same statewide union movement committed to fighting for Oregon’s workers! pic.twitter.com/HeaRWGVhwF— Oregon Labor Federation, AFL-CIO (@OregonAFLCIO) June 15, 2026Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:Pennsylvania Unions are representing at the @aflcio convention ✊🏼@seiuhcpa @AlleghenyLabor @the_uwua@LIUNA @IBEW @IBEW3RDDISTRICT @ATUComm @ATU_Local85 pic.twitter.com/2Ptg3ozSxt— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) June 10, 2026Texas AFL-CIO:✊ TEXAS UNION WIN: @IAM_Union District 776 members at Lockheed Martin just won a groundbreaking contract with:✔ Historic wage increases✔ Better retirement benefits✔ More vacation time✔ No mandatory overtime✔ $6,000 ratification bonusThat’s the union difference! pic.twitter.com/Hk2JmcBcMo— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) June 15, 2026Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO:It’s good for what fails ya pic.twitter.com/DMFgtrL8zb— Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO (@WAAFLCIO) June 10, 2026Wisconsin State AFL-CIO:Congratulations to St. Mary’s nurses on this organizing win! 🥳https://t.co/xjR5TGGDu2— WI AFL-CIO (@wisaflcio) June 12, 2026
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 06/16/2026 – 13:18
Pride Month Profiles: Doug Boney
Pride Month Profiles: Doug Boney
For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today’s profile is Doug Boney of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE).
Since joining IATSE in 2010, Doug Boney has worked as an assistant production coordinator for Local 871 and as a business representative of Local 884. Boney is a dedicated member of the IATSE Pride Committee, an IATSE representative on the national executive board of Pride At Work and the diversity committee chair for District 2.
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 06/16/2026 – 10:24
Tags:
Pride
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: A+E Factual Studios Workers Organize with the Writers Guild of America East
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: A+E Factual Studios Workers Organize with the Writers Guild of America East
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.
Workers at A+E Factual Studios, the nonfiction television production arm of A+E Global Media, voted overwhelmingly to form a union with the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE).A+E Factual Studios, co-owned by Disney and Hearst, produces popular series such as “Dance Moms: A New Era,” “The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard,” “History’s Greatest Mysteries” and “Cold Case Files.”“We’re thrilled to welcome workers at A+E Factual Studios to the Writers Guild of America East,” said Michael Rauch, WGAE vice president of film/television/streaming. “We look forward to bargaining a fair first contract that reflects the value of their work, and continues to build on the momentum we’ve grown across nonfiction television production.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 06/16/2026 – 10:18
Tags:
Organizing
‘Unions Change Lives’: The Working People Weekly List
‘Unions Change Lives’: 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.
Unions Prepare for Battle Over AI in 2028 Elections: “‘You’re either with workers or you’re with millionaires,’ AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler told Axios. ‘There’s just been a dearth of leadership in terms of elected officials really prioritizing this and putting workers at the center.’”Major Resolutions Passed by AFL-CIO Reflect Strong, Growing Labor Movement: “The 30th AFL‑CIO Constitutional Convention, which wrapped up here Wednesday, was a step towards strengthening labor’s fight back against the anti-worker Trump regime and building working-class unity. Delegates reelected President Liz Shuler and Secretary‑Treasurer Fred Redmond, welcomed the Service Employees International Union back into the fold after two decades, and set ambitious organizing goals for the mid-term elections and new union organizing. The spirit of solidarity was also proclaimed in several important resolutions passed at the convention.”Catapult Workers Collective Wins Union Election: “An ‘overwhelming majority’ of workers at Catapult Book Group have voted to join UAW Local 2110 via a union election with the National Labor Relations Board, per an announcement. The Catapult Workers Collective, which encompasses around 20 staffers at the Brooklyn-based publisher, expressed excitement to begin the collective bargaining process. Upon the initial announcement of their intent to unionize in April, workers cited concerns surrounding ‘job security, wages, and a need for greater transparency from company leadership.’”Sean Astin Sounds the Alarm to Rally Unions on Free Speech Protections: ‘Rights Paid with Blood’: “Sean Astin, amid a key moment for freedom of speech in the United States, didn’t mince words when talking about the importance of the First Amendment during a recent speech. ‘I love my country. I love my freedom of speech. I love my freedom to assemble,’ the SAG-AFTRA president said. ‘Rights that every one of our organizations counts on for our survival; rights paid with blood. If we don’t defend those rights together now, we will lose them.’ Astin delivered the speech at the Constitutional Convention of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), giving the keynote address (themed ‘Unions Change Lives’) to a crowd of 1,000 labor union leaders. This comes exactly one week after SAG-AFTRA voted to ratify a new bargaining agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers with 91.42% of votes in favor.”Huerta Pumps Up AFL-CIO Crowd with Calls for Economic and Political Democracy: “Legendary labor leader Delores Huerta, aged 96, pumped up the crowd at the AFL-CIO convention in Minneapolis with a wide-ranging speech urging action on everything from migrants’ rights to the Equal Rights Amendment to the PRO Act to health insurance for the nation’s farmworkers. Huerta, the co-founder of the United Farm Workers, and author of the now widely used motto ‘Si se puede!’ addressed the crowd for more than half an hour and repeatedly urged them to take to the streets. She added that the labor movement is a credible source not just of information, but of inspiration for progressive causes.”Randi Weingarten: America’s Teachers Can’t Afford to Teach: “Teachers’ paychecks have never fully reflected their passion or professionalism, but as America’s cost-of-living crisis persists, educators increasingly cannot afford even life’s basic necessities. Rebecca Mikkelson, a school counselor in New Mexico, currently works three jobs just to buy the basics—groceries, a place to live, and health insurance. ‘The message this sends is deeply troubling: even when educators follow the rules, invest in education, eliminate my debt, and work full time in public service, financial security is no longer guaranteed,’ she tells me. ‘This is not a personal failure, it’s a systemic one.’”Union Organizing, Midterms Take Center Stage at AFL-CIO Convention in Minneapolis: “The AFL-CIO, which is the country’s largest and most important labor organization, gathered in Minneapolis this week. The focus was on new union organizing during the Trump administration and the upcoming midterm elections. NPR’s Don Gonyea reports. The delegates kicked off this week by reelecting AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. In her acceptance speech, she first highlighted a major success. Liz Shuler: ‘We said—if you remember, we said we would organize a million new workers over the next 10 years. Well guess what? We got it done in three.’”AFL-CIO Convention Builds Strategy Around a United Movement: “Liz Shuler is the first woman to be the national leader of the AFL-CIO—the democratic federation of 65 national and international unions that represent 15 million working people. She opened by saying: ‘Conferences like this are [about more than] sitting in a room talking. It’s about forming relationships, challenging each other, building trust. What we’ve endured over the past 18 months is the single most egregious coordinated attack on working people and human rights than we have ever seen—purging federal workers from their jobs and attacking diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that have made us stronger.’”Unions to Mobilize Army of 22,500 Election Workers by July 3: “The mobilization is important because, as Shuler and other speakers at the conclave noted, the labor movement is a trusted source of information for both its members and for swing voters whom its organizers contact. Opinion polls back that up. Some 70% of U.S. workers say they would join a union if they could. Even more notable was a survey earlier this year, which showed unions as the only institution with a positive view from voters. All the others—Congress, the presidency, the Supreme Court, corporations and the mass media among them—were underwater. The political organizing target complements a separate target the federation set the day before: To add two million new voters from union households to the 14 million who cast ballots in the last off-year election, in 2022. Shuler called that ‘a very tangible goal.’”Labor Jumps Full Force into 2026 Election Battles: “Entering her second full-term as AFL-CIO President, Liz Shuler laid out big plans for the nation’s labor federation over the next five years. For the current midterm elections, the federation plans to put 50,000 ‘election protectors’ in the field. Accepting her re-election, unopposed, at the AFL-CIO Convention’s opening session in Minneapolis, Shuler also set a target of organizing two million new members over the next five years—the term to which delegates unanimously elected her and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond. ‘And that’s a floor, not a ceiling,’ Shuler declared.”AFL-CIO Calls for Strengthening of U.S. Cargo Preference Rules: “The AFL-CIO’s maritime unions are calling for comprehensive cargo policies to generate the revenue base for an American maritime revival. Commercial and government cargo interests often pick foreign-flag carriers when the law allows, since foreign operators are the least-cost option. Since this has a deleterious long-term effect on the health of America’s maritime industry, the AFL-CIO’s maritime affiliate unions (MEBA, MM&P and SUP) are calling for expanded cargo preference laws to force more government agencies to ‘Ship American’ with taxpayer dollars, along with tax incentives for commercial shippers who choose to move their freight to market on American vessels.”Liz Shuler: America’s Workers Are Fighting Back—and Winning: “This year, we are gathering for our convention in the Twin Cities under vastly different circumstances, with the current administration tearing down the economy, unions, longstanding programs and institutions, and democracy itself. Throughout history, the labor movement has risen to meet the moment—and with you we have again risen to the challenge. We stood together to defend the rights of working people and became the trusted voice this country needed to lead the fight against injustice and oppression. And we did not just fight back and survive—we grew and thrived. We saw more organizing and membership growth across sectors and industries.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 06/15/2026 – 09:34
Pride Month Profiles: Steve Voltz
Pride Month Profiles: Steve Voltz
For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today’s profile is Steve Voltz of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
Steve Voltz is chair of SEIU Healthcare’s Lavender Caucus, which advocates for LGBTQIA+ rights in the workplace and bridges the queer community to the broader labor movement. He helped lead contract negotiations for over 40,000 home health aides as a member of the bargaining committee that established a new minimum wage of $18.75 per hour for home care workers in Illinois’ Community Care Program.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 06/15/2026 – 09:02
Tags:
Pride
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: AFSCME Members at SIU School of Medicine Secure Strong Raises and Longevity System
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: AFSCME Members at SIU School of Medicine Secure Strong Raises and Longevity System
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.
Members of AFSCME Local 370 (Council 31) ratified a new contract that includes strong raises and a first-ever longevity system that rewards employees for their years of service.The new contract doubles the amount of money in members’ pockets compared to management’s initial proposal. Some members will see wage increases as high as 14%. “We needed to show them that what makes the [Southern Illinois University School of Medicine (SIU-SOM)] work is not just the six-figure doctors—it’s all of us,” said Local 370 President Gina Darden. “It’s the nurses, the front desk workers, the call center workers. We had to make them understand that keeping this place running as well as it does takes all of us.” They also won their first-ever paid parental leave policy, plus paid time off to vote.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 06/15/2026 – 08:56
Tags:
Organizing
Pride Month Profiles: Saylor Billings
Pride Month Profiles: Saylor Billings
For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today’s profile is Saylor Billings of SAG-AFTRA.
Saylor Billings is an accomplished writer, actor, stand-up comedian and producer. She’s a creative force behind television, podcasts and short films. She petitioned the SAG-AFTRA local board, where she serves as secretary, to start an LGBTQIA+ committee. She has been chairing that committee, actively raising its profile and supporting members, since its inception. Billings is also active in the AFL-CIO, serving as one of SAG-AFTRA’s delegates to the Maricopa Area Labor Federation.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 06/12/2026 – 10:01
Tags:
Pride
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: AFL-CIO to Recruit 50,000 Election Protection Volunteers Across the Country
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: AFL-CIO to Recruit 50,000 Election Protection Volunteers Across the Country
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 30th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention dug into the AFL-CIO’s Labor 2026 P.O.W.E.R. (Protect. Organize. Win. Engage. Right Now.) program, focusing on the AFL-CIO’s goal of recruiting 50,000 election protection volunteers across the country, particularly in communities of color and those targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These volunteers will staff polling locations and emergency hotlines in the lead-up to and on Election Day in November to ensure that no one is intimidated into not exercising their basic rights and fundamental freedoms.“I stand here united with the House of Labor because we are all that we have,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. “We are all that we need for this fight. In this moment where so many people have lost hope and the ability to fight back and push back, it is our job in the House of Labor and as civil rights communities to rebuild the hope that’s necessary.” “Essential workers at every level of government have withstood the harassment and fought back through our unions,” said Elissa McBride, secretary-treasurer of AFSCME.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 06/12/2026 – 09:55
Pride Month Profiles: Shane James
Pride Month Profiles: Shane James
For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today’s profile is Shane James of the Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU).
Shane James says Pride Month is a time to “be bold in our truth and unashamed in our history.” As an OPEIU Local 30 steward at San Diego Pride, they said being a union member means “being able to have a support system, stability and assuredness in a time where our community is constantly in a state of fear, caution and instability at the hands of systems that do not care for us.”
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 06/11/2026 – 10:55
Tags:
Pride
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Shuler: ‘How Do We…Fight for the Safety and Dignity of Every Worker on the Job?’
Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Shuler: ‘How Do We…Fight for the Safety and Dignity of Every Worker on the Job?’
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 third day of AFL-CIO’s 30th Constitutional Convention concluded with a conversation about workplace health and safety featuring AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) President Brooke Shields. Union members from across sectors shared their fights for health and safety protections and highlighted the ongoing work that unions are doing to address workplace violence, extreme heat and other job-related hazards.“Whoever you are, whatever your job—you deserve to walk into your workplace knowing you’ll be safe and can go back home at night,” Shuler said. “That’s an idea our workers have died for. And it’s one that is under attack at this very moment from the Trump administration. They’re rolling back hard-won protections. They’re gutting agencies. They’re giving corporations free rein—letting companies know they won’t be held accountable. So in that landscape, how do we fight for safety in our own workplaces? How do we use our power to fight for the safety and dignity of every worker on the job?”Read Convention Resolution 8: We Want Healthy Lives and Safe Workplaces
Kenneth Quinnell
Thu, 06/11/2026 – 09:34