Today's AFL-CIO press clips
POLITICS
Labor leaders, advocacy groups respond to big, ugly betrayal of America’s working families (Opinion)
The Labor Tribune
July 10, 2025
Liz Shuler, president, AFL-CIO: “Donald Trump signed into law the worst job-killing bill in American history. “It will rip health care from 17 million workers to pay for massive tax giveaways to the wealthy and big corporations, amounting to the country’s largest money grab from the working class to the ultra-rich. “Every member of Congress who voted for this devastating bill picked the pockets of working people to hand billionaires a $5 trillion gift. But if the politicians who rammed through this shameful bill think they can sneak away without anyone knowing the damage they’ve done and the chaos they’ve created, they don’t know anything about the Labor Movement. “The AFL-CIO will make sure that all working people across this country hear the truth about what happened this (past) week in Washington and the dire consequences the bill will have on all of our lives.
US court pauses block on Trump eliminating union bargaining for federal workers
Reuters
By Daniel Wiessner
July 10, 2025
A U.S. appeals court on Thursday placed a brief pause on a judge's ruling that had blocked President Donald Trump's administration from stripping hundreds of thousands of federal workers of the ability to engage in union bargaining with U.S. agencies. A panel of the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an administrative stay of U.S. District Judge James Donato's June ruling while it decides whether to pause it pending the Trump administration's appeal.
Ninth Circuit Halts Order Protecting Federal Worker Union Pacts
Bloomberg Law
By Parker Purifoy
July 10, 2025
The Trump administration can move forward with disregarding collective bargaining agreements for federal workers at nearly two dozen agencies after an appeals circuit panel paused a lower court order. The US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit blocked a preliminary injunction from Judge James Donato for the US District Court for the Northern District of California while the government appeals it. Donato had ordered Trump officials and federal agencies to continue recognizing unionization rights for workers represented by the American Federation of Government Employees and several other unions.
AFT Publishes Full Page New York Times Ad Opposing Trump’s ‘Big, Ugly Betrayal’ Bill
Black Star News
By AFT
July 10, 2025
Together with prominent activists, institutes, unions, legal experts and advocacy groups, the AFT published a full-page advertisement in the New York Times today slamming President Donald Trump’s “big ugly, betrayal,” the billionaire-first agenda that Republicans rammed through Congress at the expense of everyone else.
Trump’s Department of Labor is dismantling key workplace protections
Economic Policy Institute
By Celine McNicholas, Margaret Poydock, and Samantha Sanders
July 10, 2025
Congress has failed workers for decades. Policymakers have not raised the minimum wage in nearly 20 years. They have not passed legislation to fix our nation’s broken labor law, leaving the National Labor Relations Act largely untouched for more than 60 years. Further, they have failed to pass legislation providing U.S. workers with paid sick leave, predictable work schedules, and workplace protections against extreme heat.
White House reviews mass federal layoff plans, aims for swift action
Reuters
By Nandita Bose
July 11, 2025
The White House is scrutinizing layoff plans by federal agencies in an effort to limit further court challenges after the Supreme Court cleared the way for a sweeping downsizing of the government workforce, according to two senior White House officials with knowledge of the matter. The White House Counsel's Office and the Office of Personnel Management are coordinating with federal agencies to ensure their plans comply with the law, one of the officials said. That includes meeting requirements set by Congress, such as rules for how layoffs must occur and the minimum number of staff an agency must retain.
Federal workers union says it will continue to fight firings after Supreme Court ruling
PBS
By Lisa Desjardins and Ian Couzens
July 10, 2025
Everett Kelley, National President, American Federation of Government Employees: Well, thank you for having me, first of all, Lisa. Federal employees are just at a disarray, if you will. They are so confused. In one minute, they have been told, you're going to get RIFed. The next minute, it's put on hold, and then you're going to be RIFed again. So people are confused. But, at the same time, they are more determined now than ever to fight these unjust actions.
EPA must reinstate employees placed on leave for dissent letter, says union
Reuters
By Leah Douglas
July 10, 2025
Employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently placed on leave after signing a letter critical of the Trump administration's policies should be reinstated, said a union official in a letter to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin on Thursday. The 139 employees, and hundreds of other EPA staff, had signed the June 30 letter accusing the agency of harmful deregulatory actions and of ignoring science. The agency is undergoing a major reorganization under the directives of President Donald Trump, including staff reductions and elimination of grants and programs, including for environmental justice.
US Senate to vote on Trump aid, broadcasting cuts as deadline looms
Reuters
By Patricia Zengerle and Bo Erickson
July 10, 2025
The Republican-led U.S. Senate is due to vote next week on President Donald Trump's request to slash $9.4 billion in spending on foreign aid and public broadcasting, setting up a showdown with Democrats that could complicate annual budget talks. Senator John Thune of South Dakota, the chamber's Republican majority leader, told reporters the Senate could take up the bill as soon as Tuesday.
The Surprising Scientists Hit by Trump’s D.E.I. Cuts
The New York Times
By Kate Zernike
July 10, 2025
But Mr. Trump’s push to end D.E.I. has been a blunt instrument, eliminating highly competitive grant programs that defined diversity well beyond race and gender. Those who have lost grants include not only Black and Latino scientists, but also many like Mr. Dillard, who are white and from rural areas, which are solidly Trump country. The administration has denounced universities as hotbeds of liberal elitism, inhospitable to viewpoint diversity. The canceled diversity grant programs were intended to make science less elite, by developing a pipeline from poorer areas of the country that tend to be more conservative.
Firings without explanation create culture of fear at Justice Dept., FBI
The Washington Post
By Perry Stein
July 10, 2025
The Trump administration is firing and pushing out employees across the Justice Department and FBI, often with no explanation or warning, creating rampant speculation and fear within the workforce over who might be terminated next, according to multiple people with knowledge of the removals who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retribution.
Conservatives are asking Trump for another big tax cut
The Washington Post
By Jeff Stein
July 10, 2025
Fresh off passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” several conservative organizations and Republican lawmakers are preparing to ask President Donald Trump for another major tax cut — this time, potentially without congressional approval. Trump’s tax and immigration law is projected to add more than $4 trillion to the national debt over the next 10 years, broadly reducing tax rates while cutting spending on Medicaid and clean energy subsidies. The legislation is the culmination of years of advocacy on the right, making permanent many of the 2017 tax cuts Trump approved during his first term, and it represents one of the most expensive new laws in decades.
US State Department tells staff planned layoffs to begin soon
Reuters
By Humeyra Pamuk
July 10, 2025
The State Department will start sending notices to members of its workforce impacted by the reorganization soon, the agency's top official for management said on Thursday, as President Donald Trump's administration moves ahead with its plans to overhaul the U.S. diplomatic corps and cut jobs. "Soon, the Department will be communicating to individuals affected by the reduction in force," Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Michael Rigas said in an email to the workforce.
Trump administration backs away from abolishing FEMA
The Washington Post
By Natalie Allison
July 11, 2025
For months, President Donald Trump and his homeland security secretary have said the Federal Emergency Management Agency could be eliminated. But as the president heads to Texas to view the impact of last week’s deadly floods, administration officials say abolishing the agency outright is not on the agenda. A senior White House official told The Washington Post that no official action is being taken to wind down FEMA, and that changes in the agency will probably amount to a “rebranding” that will emphasize state leaders’ roles in disaster response.
Core DOGE staffers follow Musk out the door
Politico
By Sophia Cai and Daniel Lippman
July 11, 2025
It’s emblematic of DOGE’s retreat from the center of the Trump administration’s orbit. The once-feared crew that barged into offices and slashed jobs at an unprecedented pace is a shell of its former self, owing to departures, lawsuits, bureaucratic roadblocks and, crucially, the loss of its chainsawer-in-chief: Musk. At least eight of the core original DOGE staffers have left government, according to internal records reviewed by POLITICO and sources familiar with the matter granted anonymity to discuss it.
IMMIGRATION
Judge blocks Trump's birthright citizenship order after Supreme Court ruling
Reuters
By Nate Raymond
July 10, 2025
A federal judge on Thursday again barred President Donald Trump's administration from denying citizenship to some babies born in the U.S., making use of an exception to overcome the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling that restricted the ability of judges to block that and other policies nationwide. U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante ruled at a hearing in Concord, New Hampshire, after immigrant rights advocates implored him to grant class action status to a lawsuit they filed seeking to represent any children whose citizenship status would be threatened by the implementation of Trump's executive order curtailing automatic birthright citizenship.
Judge Blocks Trump’s Birthright Citizenship Order in Class-Action Challenge
The New York Times
By Zach Montague and Pat Grossmith
July 10, 2025
A federal judge on Thursday blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a contentious executive order ending birthright citizenship after certifying a lawsuit as a class action, effectively the only way he could impose such a far-reaching limit after a Supreme Court ruling last month. Ruling from the bench, Judge Joseph N. Laplante of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire said his decision applied nationwide to babies who would have been subject to the executive order, which included the children of undocumented parents and those born to academics in the United States on student visas, on or after Feb. 20.
SUPREME COURT
As Supreme Court hands more power to Trump, labor may lose, union officials say
USA Today
By Gabriel Thompson
July 10, 2025
But a May 22 move by the Supreme Court may signal the end of the NLRB’s independence, say labor leaders, and transform the agency into an extension of the White House. In turn, they warn, President Donald Trump could use the board to reward friends and punish enemies. “It’s time to ring the alarm bell across the labor movement,” said Jody Calemine, the director of advocacy at the AFL-CIO, the national union federation representing nearly 15 million workers across the country.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson says she fears for U.S. democracy
The Washington Post
By Justin Jouvenal
July 10, 2025
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said Thursday that the “state of our democracy” keeps her up at night, echoing a theme that has animated some of her recent public appearances and fiery dissents from recent decisions. “I’m really very interested to get people to focus, and to invest and to pay attention to what is happening in our country and in our government,” Jackson said.
ORGANIZING
Arcade Workers at ‘South Park’ Creators’ Casa Bonita Restaurant Unionize
The Hollywood Reporter
By Caitlin Huston
July 10, 2025
Workers in the arcade department of the immersive restaurant Casa Bonita, owned by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, have gained voluntary union recognition after a two-month long organizing effort. The eight-person unit of workers unanimously signed authorization cards in May asking for union representation from IATSE Local 7, with the goal of achieving greater job security, fair wages and consistent scheduling at the Denver-area restaurant. Casa Bonita management agreed to voluntarily recognize the arcade members on July 1 after a third-party card check.
World Cafe Live workers vote to unionize, citing unfair labor practices by management
Philly Voice
By Molly McVety
July 10, 2025
Employees at World Cafe Live voted to unionize following a tumultuous month for workers who have alleged unfair labor practices by new management. A town hall is scheduled for Thursday night at the venue to discuss concerns related to treatment of employees and the nonprofit's future. Unite HERE Local 274, which represents around 4,000 hospitality workers around the Philadelphia area, said 79% of World Cafe Live's front-of-house and food and beverage staff members submitted a petition to the National Labor Relations Board to join the local chapter.
UNION NEGOTIATIONS
Essentia clinicians join nurses on strike in northern Minnesota
Minnesota Star Tribune
By Jeremy Olson
July 10, 2025
At least 200 nurse practitioners, physician assistants and other clinicians went on strike Thursday against Essentia Health, which is refusing to acknowledge their status as unionized members of the Minnesota Nurses Association. The unusual walkout involves clinicians providing primary and urgent care at 70 Essentia locations across Minnesota, participating in surgeries and rounding on patients in hospitals. Essentia leaders responded by rescheduling some patient visits to different clinics, moving some surgeries from outpatient sites to hospitals and temporarily closing four small-town clinics that are staffed by one provider per day.
Bloomington Duke Energy union workers could strike if new negotiations fail
The Herald-Times
By Andrew Miller
July 10, 2025
Union workers at Duke Energy in Bloomington and around Indiana may go on strike soon if renewed negotiations don’t succeed. The union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said the company is lagging behind competitors on wages and insurance and is refusing to negotiate on the latter. The company says its goal is to reach a “mutually beneficial agreement.”
Why the agreement struck between DC 33 and the city isn't a done deal yet
Philly Voice
By Michaela Althouse
July 10, 2025
Blue-collar municipal employees are back to work after a strike of over a week ended Wednesday morning when a tentative agreement was reached on a new three-year contract. But it's not a done deal quite yet. "I think that [the union was] realistic in understanding where things are politically," said Francis Ryan, a labor historian and professor at Rutgers University. "It's probably the best deal they can get right now, but I have to say that it's not done until the members ratify this contract, and I'm not certain right now that a majority would do so."
SEIU state workers picket across Oregon amid contract negotiations
Statesman Journal
By Anastasia Mason
July 10, 2025
Members of SEIU Local 503 picketed at more than 50 locations on July 10 as bargaining for state workers' contracts continues. "None of us will rest well until we get a contract we need that reflects how we work in inclement weather conditions, how we deal with discrimination in the workplace and how we deal with the layoff language that we all get a right to return back to work," said Johnny Earl, the statewide president for SEIU 503.
MCTS drivers vote to authorize strike as bus system struggles with projected deficit
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Sophia Tiedge
July 10, 2025
Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union 998, representing Milwaukee County Transit System drivers, voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike in a membership tally on July 9. The vote comes as county officials grapple with a nearly $11 million projected deficit that caught Milwaukee County finance officials off guard. Two high-ranking officials in county transit have stepped down since the disclosure of the shortfall.
Will They Strike? Boeing St. Louis Union Members Enter Next Phase Of Negotiations
Simple Flying
By Daniel S Osipov
July 10, 2025
The International Association of Machinists (IAM) in District 837 has entered the next round of negotiations with its employer, Boeing. The IAM is the labor union that represents Boeing workers at the company's aircraft assembly facilities, and District 837 represents employees in St. Louis, Missouri, St. Charles, Missouri, and Mascoutah, Illinois. These negotiations have been occurring for over a month, and a strike has also been looming.
Industry video game actors pass agreement with studios for AI security
Reuters
By Danielle Broadway
July 10, 2025
Hollywood video game voice and motion capture actors signed a new contract with video game studios on Wednesday with a focus on artificial intelligence protections, the actors' union, SAG-AFTRA, said in a press release, ending a near year-long strike. "AI was the centerpiece of our proposal package," video game voice actor and member of the negotiation committee Sarah Elmaleh told Reuters after the new agreement passed.
Video Game Actors End Contract Dispute Over A.I.
The New York Times
By Reggie Ugwu
July 10 2025
After striking for nearly 11 months, actors approved a new contract with major video game studios on Wednesday nightthat addressed concerns about the use of artificial intelligence to create digital replicas. The agreement with SAG-AFTRA requires the companies behind some of the world’s most popular games, including Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat and Apex Legends, to obtain the written consent of performers to create visual or vocal replicas. Studios must also pay performers for the use of replicas at a rate comparable to in-person work.
Video game industry agrees to AI restrictions in new labor contract
Quartz
By Emily Price
July 10, 2025
Hollywood’s video game voice and motion-capture actors have officially secured new AI protections after nearly a year of striking. On Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA announced that members ratified a new contract with major video game studios, marking a shift in how AI will be used in the gaming industry.
North Coast Safeway workers consider strike
Times Standard
By Robert Schaulis
July 10, 2025
This week, Safeway workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 5 along the North Coast joined counterparts across the state in collective bargaining with Safeway. Union members concurrently voted on whether to authorize a strike should an agreement fail to be realized. John Frahm, president of the UFCW 5, told the Times-Standard that the union has been negotiating unfruitfully for five months. The UFCW 5’s previous contract with Safeway expired in April.
STATE LEGISLATION
Missouri Governor Signs Bill Rolling Back Voter-Approved Minimum Wage and Sick Leave
The New York Times
By Mitch Smith
July 10, 2025
When Missouri voters were asked last year whether they wanted to increase the minimum wage and require employers to provide paid sick leave, 58 percent of them said yes. Not long after that vote, the Republicans who control the state government mobilized to unwind those changes. On Thursday, Gov. Mike Kehoe, a Republican, signed into law a bill that limited the voter-approved minimum wage increase and scrapped the paid sick leave requirement altogether.
IN THE STATES
Home health care workers rally in Moorhead with concerns about Medicaid cuts
Inforum
By Ingrid Harbo and Michael McGurran
July 9, 2025
Cain, a personal care attendant and member of the SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa union, was one of around two dozen people gathered outside the Moorhead office of U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., on Wednesday, July 9, to voice concerns about the recently signed federal spending and tax bill. The law, dubbed the “big, beautiful bill” by Trump and congressional Republicans, was signed Friday. The law includes massive spending and tax cuts. It outlines various changes and cuts to Medicaid, which provides health coverage for 71 million Americans.
Federal workers in Maine face uncertainty following court ruling allowing for mass layoffs
Portland Press Herald
By Rachel Ohm
July 9, 2025
Federal workers in Maine and around the country are facing uncertainty following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows the Trump administration to move forward with widespread workforce reductions, though it’s still early to say exactly what impact the decision will have.
Union calls for Congressional support as Whirlpool prepares for layoffs
KGAN
By Janelle Brisbine
July 10, 2025
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Union is asking the members of Iowa's Congressional Delegation and Governor Kim Reynolds to stand with the workers facing layoffs at Whirlpool's Amana facility.
LABOR LEADERSHIP
Labor Tribune
By Staff
July 10, 2025
Members of the Missouri AFL-CIO’s Executive Board have elected Ryan McKenna as the organization’s secretary-treasurer to follow the retirement of current Secretary-Treasurer Merri Berry on Aug. 10. McKenna, who started his career working for Fred Weber Inc. building roads and bridges as a member of Laborers’ Local 110, is a former legislator, having served six years in the Missouri House and eight in the Senate, and is the former state director of the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations.
LABOR AND COMMUNITY
3rd generation sheet metal worker promoting young adults to join the trades
Cleveland 19
By Katie Tercek
July 10, 2025
Many high school graduates are opting for a debt-free path post graduation. But what does that look like? 19 News takes you an inside look at how the trades are changing how America’s youth finds work. Paul Shymske is proud to call himself a third-generation sheet metal worker. He’s a business representative at Sheet Metal Workers Local 33 in Parma. His latest project is teaching young adults the trades. He is showing them how they can make a career out of it. All while erasing industry stereotypes. “I think the stereotype is you’re not smart enough to go to college. The truth is this is a smarter way to go because you don’t have the debt,” said Shmyske.