Today's AFL-CIO Press Clips
MUST READ
Labor unions to get prime billing on first night of Democratic National Convention
CBS News
By Aaron Navarro
Aug. 19, 2024
Laborer's International Union of North America president (LiUNA) President Brent Booker, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) President Kenneth W. Cooper, Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Claude Cummings and American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) President Liz Shuler will also speak Monday. "[Harris] has had workers' backs throughout her career: from the picket line to the Senate floor, protecting our pensions and fighting for home care workers' rights and against corporate greed," Shuler said in a statement. "The labor movement is mobilizing like never before behind the Harris-Walz agenda that puts working people first — and against the Trump Project 2025 agenda that attacks our unions and everything we stand for."
Harris seeks to neutralize Trump’s appeal to some rank-and-file union members
Politico
By Holly Otterbein and Brittany Gibson
Aug. 18, 2024
“It’s no secret that over the course of time, he’s been very effective at messaging to working-class people,” said Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, of Trump. “The way he communicates on economic issues can be appealing because he talks about unfair trade policies that have decimated the Midwest and offshored jobs.”
POLITICS
Harris leans into populism with proposal for middle-class and lower-income tax relief
CNN
By Tami Luhby, Ebony Davis and Eric Bradner
Aug. 16, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday unveiled a populist economic agenda, proposing a new plan to provide tax relief for more than 100 million middle-class and lower-income Americans as she builds out the details of her governing agenda weeks after locking down the Democratic presidential nomination. The vice president proposed her economic platform — which includes measures aimed at making housing, groceries, health care and child rearing more affordable — in a speech in battleground North Carolina. It comes as her Republican rival, former President Donald Trump, seeks to pin blame on Harris for the spike in inflation since she and President Joe Biden took office. Harris’ proposals largely build on Biden’s economic platform, reviving or extending temporary measures that congressional Democrats enacted in major packages when the party controlled Congress during the first two years of Biden’s term.
Harris Lays Out Her Economic Vision, Casting Trump’s as Backward-Looking
The New York Times
By Erica L. GreenJim Tankersley and Nicholas Nehamas
Aug. 16, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris unspooled her economic agenda on Friday in her first major policy address, casting her vision as one for the future and former President Donald J. Trump’s as of the past, as she argued that she would improve the lives of middle-class Americans and benefit generations of their descendants. In a roughly 30-minute speech in Raleigh, N.C., she painted a sharp contrast between herself and Mr. Trump, who has spent more time attacking President Biden’s economic policies than laying out his own. “This election, I do strongly believe, is about two very different visions for our nation,” Ms. Harris said. “One — ours — focused on the future and the other focused on the past. We see that contrast clearly in many ways, including when it comes to how we think about the economy.”
Harris pitches plans to tackle food, housing, medicine and child care costs in N.C. speech
NBC News
By Sahil Kapur
Aug. 16, 2024
At a campaign speech Friday in North Carolina, Vice President Kamala Harris promised to “make it a top priority to bring down costs” if elected president and touted her new plans to tackle food and housing costs, slash prescription drug prices and expand the child tax credit. Harris said the Biden administration has made progress, given the Covid economy it inherited from former President Donald Trump, but that it isn’t enough as “many Americans don’t yet feel that progress in their daily lives.”
Harris and Walz campaign in Pennsylvania ahead of Democratic Convention
NPR
By Asma Khalid and Lexie Schapitl
Aug. 18, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz campaigned in western Pennsylvania Sunday, making their pitch to voters in the key battleground state ahead of the Democratic National Convention. The first stop on the Democrats’ “bus tour” was at a campaign field office in conservative Beaver County, where Harris and Walz participated in a phone bank. Former President Trump carried Beaver County with nearly 60% of the vote in 2020.
Harris holds slight national lead over Trump, Post-ABC-Ipsos poll finds
The Washington Post
By Dan Balz, Scott Clement and Emily Guskin
Aug. 18, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris holds a narrow lead over former president Donald Trump in the presidential election, a notable improvement for Democrats in a contest that a little more than a month ago showed President Joe Biden and Trump in a dead heat, according to a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll.
Harris pledges to tackle costs, build houses, lower taxes in economy speech
Reuters
By Nandita Bose and Jeff Mason
Aug. 16, 2024
Kamala Harris outlined proposals to cut taxes for most Americans, ban "price gouging" by grocers and build more affordable housing on Friday as part of the "opportunity economy" she plans to pursue if she wins the White House. In her first major economy-focused speech as the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris pledged to introduce a new child tax credit of as much as $6,000 for families with infants, cut taxes for families with kids and lower prescription drug costs.
Harris calls for expanded child tax credit of up to $6,000 for families with newborns
CNBC
By Kate Dore
Aug. 16, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday unveiled an economic plan, including an expanded child tax credit worth up to $6,000 in total tax relief for families with newborn children. The Democratic presidential nominee’s plan aims to restore the higher child tax credit enacted via the American Rescue Plan in 2021, which provided a maximum credit of up to $3,600 per child, according to a fact sheet from the campaign. The 2021 credit was up to $3,000 or $3,600, depending on the child’s age and family’s income. Harris’ proposed tax break would increase for middle- to lower-income families for one year after a child is born. “We will provide $6,000 in tax relief to families during the first year of a child’s life,” said Harris during a policy speech in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Election Highlights: Harris Makes Appeal to Middle Class on Economy, Vowing to Lower Costs
The New York Times
By Nicholas Nehamas and Jim Tankersley
Aug. 16, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris unveiled the central planks of her economic agenda in Raleigh, N.C., during her first major policy speech, focusing on how she plans to fight big corporations and bring down the costs of food, housing and raising children. Ms. Harris tried to contrast her approach with that of former President Donald J. Trump, suggesting that he was an ally of billionaires and corporate executives who would make life more expensive for working Americans, especially with his plan to impose more drastic tariffs on imported goods.
Harris calls for ‘opportunity economy’ during speech in N.C.
The Washington Post
By Staff
Aug. 16, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris was in Raleigh, N.C., where on Friday she delivered an economic speech that included a proposed ban on “price gouging” in the grocery and food industries, as well as a tax credit that would provide $6,000 per child to families for the first year of a baby’s life. Democrats believe their prospects of carrying North Carolina have improved with Harris atop the ticket. Former president Donald Trump has advertised no public events for Friday. His running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), campaigned in Wisconsin, another battleground state.
Harris has proposed a slew of economic policies. Here’s a look at what’s in them
PBS
By Will Weissert
Aug. 16, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris is out with a string of new economic proposals focused on food prices, taxes, housing and medical costs that she says will empower the middle class. The plans constitute the first major policy proposals that Harris has released in the nearly four weeks since President Joe Biden bowed out of the race and endorsed his vice president.
Kamala Harris Leads in 18 National Polls Before DNC Convention
Newsweek
By Martha McHardy
Aug. 16, 2024
Kamala Harris is leading Donald Trump in 18 national polls ahead of the Democratic National Convention next week. Since launching her campaign almost a month ago, the polls have looked positive for Harris, with all national poll aggregators now showing she is in the lead, including FiveThirtyEight, which shows she is leading Trump by 2.7 points on 46.3 percent to his 43.6 percent. FiveThirtyEight's poll tracker, which compiles the results of nationwide polls and weights them based on reliability, shows Harris in the lead in 18 polls released in August. Those include a poll conducted by Outward Intelligence between August 11 and 15, which shows that Harris is leading Trump by 6 points in a head-to-head matchup and when third party candidates are included. In another poll by Emerson College, conducted between August 12 and 14, Harris was 4 points ahead of Trump on 50 percent to his 46 percent in a head-to-head matchup.
Why nurses, teachers and other Maine labor groups are getting behind Harris and Walz
Maine Morning Star
By AnnMarie Hilton
Aug. 16, 2024
“Vice President Harris and Gov. Walz have spent their political careers supporting workers and backing legislation that will meaningfully improve the lives and livelihoods of working people in America,” said Andy O’Brien, communications director for Maine AFL-CIO. “They are really helping us turn the corner to a new environment that will be conducive to earning good wages and solid benefits, pathways to retirement and protections on the job.” In addition to the Maine AFL-CIO, Maine Morning Star spoke with leaders from the Maine State Nurses Association and the Maine Education Association. While the unions are not all officially endorsing the Democratic nominee, representatives from each said they believe a Harris administration would do more to protect workers rights.
Kamala Harris names a unionist as her VP
Northwest Labor Press
By Don McIntosh
Aug. 16, 2024
Just hours after Vice President Kamala Harris named Tim Walz as her running mate Aug. 6, AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler celebrated the pick in a press statement, calling Walz a “principled fighter and labor champion” who’s not just an ally but a union brother. Walz is a former public high school teacher and football coach who has been Minnesota’s governor since 2019. As governor, he signed lots of pro-worker legislation, including: Paid family and medical leave and mandated paid sick days; A ban on noncompete clauses; A ban on employers from holding mandatory anti-union meetings; Letting teachers unions bargain over class size; and
$2.6 billion in infrastructure investments. “He thinks all the time about working people,” AFL-CIO president Bernie Burnham told Slate.com. “We’re very excited to share him with everybody else.”
Kamala Harris gains momentum in key Sun Belt states, cuts into Donald Trump's lead
USA Today
By Sudiksha Kochi
Aug. 17, 2024
Vice President Kamala Harris is gaining momentum in key Sun Belt states, according to a new poll, that spells trouble for former President Donald Trump. The New York Times/Siena College poll, conducted between Aug. 8 and Aug. 15, found that Harris is leading Trump among likely voters in Arizona 50% to 45% and among likely voters in North Carolina 49% to 47%. Trump is leading Harris by a narrow margin among likely voters in Nevada 48% to 47% and in Georgia by 50% to 46%, according to the poll.
Oregon labor is ‘all in’ for Harris-Walz
Northwest Labor Press
By Graham Trainor
Aug. 16, 2024
Ask any labor activist or political observer about how they’ve been feeling over these last few weeks with what has happened on the national political scene and you might hear things like “turbulent,” “a rollercoaster,” “inspiring and energizing,” or a host of countless other emotions. In the midst of all of the challenges and changes these last few weeks have brought, there is one thing that has emerged with perfect clarity. The labor movement is all in for the incredible pro-worker Harris-Walz ticket and is ready to do the work to send them to the White House.
Harris vows to build ‘opportunity economy’ and attacks Trump on tax
The Guardian
By George Chidi
Aug. 16, 2024
Vice-president and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris unveiled her economic campaign proposal in North Carolina to build what she called an “opportunity economy” focused on the middle class. She said in Raleigh: “Your salary should be enough to provide you and your family with a good quality of life … such as, no child should have to grow up in poverty. Such as, after years of hard work, you should be able to retire with dignity, and you should be able to join a union if you choose.”
Tim Walz Joins TikTok as Harris Campaign Expands Gen Z Outreach (Exclusive)
Variety
By Gene Maddaus
Aug. 16, 2024
Tim Walz is joining TikTok, as the Democratic ticket aims to reach young voters by doubling down on dad humor. Vice President Kamala Harris launched her own account on the platform on July 25. It now has about 4.5 million followers. Her running mate — @timwalz — introduced himself on TikTok on Friday with a 10-second video shot on the banks of the Mississippi River.
Kamala Harris isn’t just listening to workers. She’s sounding like them. (Opinion)
MSNBC
By Rev. Dr. William Barber
Aug. 16, 2024
With its rallies that pack arenas, Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has harnessed an energy that many have compared to Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Polls in battleground states indicate that the dynamics of the presidential race have fundamentally shifted, but skeptics question if the good vibes can last once the vice president starts to detail policy. Is this burst of excitement, they ask, just the momentary enthusiasm of voters surprised by an unexpected transition? When we pay attention to what Harris and Walz have already said, though, it’s clear they have tapped the energy of worker-driven movements that want to create an economy that works for all of us. The good vibes and the economic vision of this campaign are, in fact, deeply connected.
Americans’ first impressions are positive for Walz, negative for Vance
The Washington Post
By Emily Guskin
Aug. 16, 2024
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has made a positive first impression after Vice President Kamala Harris announced him as her running mate. But Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), former president Donald Trump’s choice for vice president, is not winning the popularity contest. A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll finds 32 percent of Americans have a favorable impression of Vance and 42 percent find him unfavorable, a net favorability rating of -10 points.
Biden plans to use his convention speech to hand off to Harris and make case against Trump
AP News
By Zeke Miller
Aug. 17, 2024
President Joe Biden will give the keynote address Monday night at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, making a symbolic handoff of his party to Vice President Kamala Harris and pressing the case for what he says is the threat to the country if Donald Trump returns to the White House. Biden’s aides said the president will use his remarks to deliver the argument for why he believes Harris must replace him and defeat Trump, whom he says is a threat to democracy. Biden will also play up some of his popular accomplishments before he steps out of the spotlight for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to take center stage the rest of the week, the aides said.
‘Only the rich can have those choices’: Project 2025’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education (Watch)
MSNBC
By Ali Velshi
Aug. 18, 2024
On a mission to gut the Department of Education, Project 2025, the 900+ page outline for the next Republican administration outlines a long list of program cuts and policy proposals that primarily target programs which benefit low income children and students with disabilities. “They want to take the meal programs away from kids. They want to take civil rights away from kids,” says American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten. “How do we help kids go from struggling to thriving if they take this funding away?”
PAYWATCH/CEO PAY
CEOs Inflated Their Paychecks — and Our Prices
Jacobin
By Paul Prescod
Aug. 16, 2024
The AFL-CIO, the country’s major labor union federation, has put forward a much clearer and more compelling message, placing the blame for crippling price increases squarely on rapacious CEOs and their outlandish compensation. In its annual Executive Paywatch report, it finds that CEO pay at S&P 500 companies has actually increased 6 percent over the last year to an average of $17.7 million.
LABOR AND ECONOMY
Over 10,000 hotel workers could go on strike this fall. Here's what travelers can expect.
USA Today
By Kathleen Wong
Aug. 15, 2024
Over 10,000 hotel workers are planning to go on strike this fall. The move could disrupt fall travel at some of the nation's most popular hotels as workers fight for better pay and working conditions. As of Wednesday, over 50 hotels across the U.S. in major cities such as San Francisco and Honolulu have already voted to strike. At six resorts in Hawaii – including the largest in the state, the Hilton Hawaiian Village – 94% of workers voted in favor of striking. Throughout the week, thousands more will decide whether to join the strikes, according to the hospitality labor union UNITE HERE. The workers, including housekeepers, servers, and front desk clerks, are pushing for higher wages and fairer workloads after enduring increased burdens from the pandemic. "Since COVID, the hotels have rebounded, but wages have not caught up," Gwen Mills, International President of UNITE HERE, told USA TODAY. "We need wages to catch up so one job can be enough."
ORGANIZING
IBEW Local 48 volunteers conduct organizing blitz
Northwest Labor Press
By Don McIntosh
Aug. 16, 2024
For three nights in late July, 115 union volunteers knocked on the doors of over 650 non-union electricians to invite them to join IBEW Local 48. More experienced volunteers were paired with less experienced. Reactions were positive. Local 48 organizer Matt Smyth said many non-union electricians understand that the union has helped set the industry standards they already enjoy. Over a dozen of those contacted have since reached out to the union about joining.
Low wages, poor working conditions spur unionization of Maryland dispensary
The Outlaw Report
By LJ Dawson
Aug. 18, 2024
The union drive, which began in June, was fueled by employee complaints about low pay, high healthcare costs, and a perceived lack of support from the dispensary’s parent company, TerrAscend. Despite opposition from management, workers remained steadfast in their pursuit of union representation. “Cannabis workers across the nation generate billions of dollars in sales for these rich corporations while receiving poverty wages in return,”said UFCW Local 27 President Jason Chorpenning. “Local 27 is dedicated to fighting for these workers, and all working people, to achieve a living wage, fair benefits and a better life. We are confident that we will work with these folks to get a great contract that prioritizes dignity, respect and fairness.”
Library staff seek union recognition
The Delaware Gazette
By Glenn Battishill
Aug. 18, 2024
A majority of Delaware County District Library employees turned in signed union cards earlier this week, announcing their intention to unionize, while calling on the library’s director and Board of Trustees to recognize their union. The employees are aiming to be the sixth Ohio library system to join the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) since 2021, according to a release issued by the organization Tuesday. The union said signed union cards from 71.6% of eligible library employees were delivered to management while the originals were filed with the State Employee Relations Board (SERB) to request voluntary recognition of the union.
NEGOTIATIONS & STRIKES
RAs at Emerson College secure first union contract
Boston Globe
By Diti Kohli
Aug. 16, 2024
Resident assistants at Emerson College unanimously ratified their first union contract Thursday, reaching an agreement with the downtown Boston institution with unprecedented speed, within a year of first organizing. The 70-some undergraduate students are now guaranteed semesterly stipends up to $1,600 — on top of the existing perks of free room and board — and will be automatically reappointed to the position, which requires an application and interview, each school year they remain enrolled. The contract also institutes daily pay minimums for RAs during school breaks, reduces the length of pre-semester training, and eliminates the 24-hour on-call requirement, which charged students with addressing resident calls and emergencies at all hours.
The Animation Guild and Studios Do Not Reach an Agreement, Add Negotiating Dates in September
The Hollywood Reporter
By Katie Kilkenny
Aug. 16, 2024
The Animation Guild and Hollywood studios have scheduled additional negotiations dates for September after concluding a week of bargaining without reaching a deal, The Hollywood Reporter has learned. The union — which represents more than 5,000 animation workers — and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers previously only allotted one week, ending Friday, to reach a new three-year contract. But a consensus wasn’t reached by that time, according to a source.
17,000 Workers at AT&T Southeast Strike Over Unfair Labor Practices
WSAV
By Natasha Young
Aug. 16, 2024
Communications Workers of America (CWA) employed by AT&T Southeast are on strike to protest labor practices committed by management during negotiations for a new union contract according to their press release. The strike will involve over 17,000 technicians, customer service representatives and others who install, maintain and support AT&T’s residential and business wireline telecommunications network in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee according to the press release from CWA.
UAW, Cornell Union workers hold solidarity march in light of recent contract negotiations
WBNG
By Daniel Curren
Aug. 16, 2024
Union workers at Cornell University held a solidarity walk on campus Friday as they continue contract negotiations with the college. Four months after talks began, a deal between the two has not been reached. Backed by United Auto Workers, hundreds of Cornell employees marched down the streets of the campus demanding what they believe is a fair contract. New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento was proud to see them standing up for one another. “We saw tremendous amounts of solidarity. We saw unions from the public sector, in the private sector, and the trades all coming together,” Cilento said. “State AFL-CIO working with the Syracuse Labor Council, everyone coming together to say we’re standing together with our brothers and sisters and our siblings of the UAW.”
Union workers at AT&T go on strike; Here's where in Kentucky
WHAS 11
By Margaret Vancampen
Aug. 16, 2024
Communications Workers of America (CWA) workers employed at AT&T Southeast have gone on strike on Friday as of 3 p.m. According to the union, it has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against AT&T. They claimed the company was not bargaining in good faith, engaged in surface bargaining, and did not send representatives with the authority to make decisions.
Portland area Fred Meyer workers vote to authorize strike, citing unfair labor practices
KOIN
By Jenna Deml
Aug. 17, 2024
Portland Fred Meyer workers have officially voted to authorize a strike, claiming multiple unfair labor practices (ULPs) were committed by the grocery company. This strike authorization also comes after the grocery workers union, UFCW Local 555, walked back its previous endorsement of a Kroger-Albertsons merger on Friday. In a press release, the union noted they have been taking ULP strike authorization votes for expired contracts in Portland throughout the week.
No strike: University of Rochester, facilities workers come to contract agreement
WHEC
By News10NBC
Aug. 16, 2024
Strike averted. After months of negotiations, University of Rochester union facilities workers have agreed to a contract. Members of the International Union of Operating Engineers voted Friday to approve a multi-year contract agreement, 177 to 76. The union had threatened to strike during student move-in days at UR this coming Monday and Tuesday. In a statement, the union says both sides were able to give and take enough to both walk away with achievements.
Northwest ironworkers reject a second employer offer
Northwest Labor Press
By Don McIntosh
Aug. 16, 2024
Ironworkers in Oregon and Washington will vote on a third employer offer after previously voting down a second employer offer in mail ballots counted July 31. In June, members voted down an offer that would have increased total compensation $7.50 an hour over three years. The second offer would have increased total compensation $15 an hour over four years. Now, members will vote on a third offer totaling $16 over four years.
17,000 AT&T workers across the Southeast strike over contract negotiations
NPR
By Rebecca Rosman
Aug. 17, 2024
More than 17,000 AT&T workers across the Southeast are on strike after accusing company management of “unfair labor practices” during recent contract negotiations. A statement released Friday by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) — the union representing the striking employees — said AT&T did not bargain in good faith and sent negotiators who didn’t have any authority to make decisions. “Our union entered into negotiations in a good faith effort to reach a fair contract, but we have been met at the table by company representatives who were unable to explain their own bargaining proposals and did not seem to have the actual bargaining authority required by the legal obligation to bargain in good faith,” said CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt.