AFL-CIO Blog

  • ‘State of the Unions’ Podcast: A Huge Deal
    ‘State of the Unions’ Podcast: A Huge Deal On the latest episode of “State of the Unions,” podcast co-hosts Julie Greene and Tim Schlittner check in with AFL-CIO Industrial Union Council Executive Director Brad Markell about the UAW strike at General Motors and interview Veena Dubal, an associate law professor at UC Hastings College of the Law, whose work helped pave the way for passage of A.B. 5, the landmark pro-worker legislation in California.  Listen to our previous episodes: “State of the Unions” is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher and anywhere else you can find podcasts. Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 09/18/2019 - 10:40 Tags: Podcast — Sep 18
  • U.S. Labor Movement Supports Mexico's Working People
    U.S. Labor Movement Supports Mexico's Working People AFL-CIO At a meeting Saturday in Chicago, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) assured Mexican-American political, labor, community and religious leaders that the U.S. labor movement will work to ensure that any new trade agreement raises the standards of living for all working people across North America. “Any NAFTA agreement that leaves Mexican workers poor and vulnerable and American workers jobless is dead on arrival," Trumka said. And the U.S. and Mexican labor movement are in agreement that any new trade agreement must work for people not corporations.” Mexican Sen. Napoleón Gómez Urrutia, who leads Los Mineros, one of Mexico's few independent unions, attended the meeting along with Mexican Congresswoman María Libier González-Anaya. Both agreed with Trumka that any new trade agreement must protect workers on both sides of the border. AFL-CIO Gómez Urrutia explained that while the recently passed Mexican labor law reform was an important step forward, there is still much work to do to protect independent unions, and workers' freedom to bargain for a fair contract. “When NAFTA was passed 25 years ago, Mexico had the highest wages in Latin America," Gómez Urrutia said. "Today we have the lowest salary. This trade agreement created a model to exploit working people, through sham contracts written by corporations. Today in Mexico corporations set their own unions and enforce their own contracts." AFL-CIO The meeting took place a week after Trumka met with Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador in the presidential palace in Mexico City, where they had a frank conversation about the fundamental changes that must be at the heart of any North American trade deal.  “I am absolutely convinced that President López Obrador wants the new labor law to work," Trumka said. "If in fact the new labor law doesn’t work and we can’t get rid of those 700,000 contracts, then I am afraid that our brothers and sisters in Mexico will be forced to live in poverty for decades to come. This is a great opportunity to enforce that law." AFL-CIO While in Mexico, Trumka also met with the nation’s labor minister and leaders from independent unions, including Gómez Urrutia. He witnessed firsthand the obstacles Mexican working people face in freely negotiating a collective bargaining agreement:
    My trip only served to confirm the disastrous impact of NAFTA. Forty percent of our brothers and sisters in Mexico are living in poverty. There are still hundreds of thousands of protectionist contracts. For years the Mexican government has kept wages artificially low for Mexican workers, and the tool that they used to do that are these sham contracts. 
    AFL-CIO The AFL-CIO’s senior strategic adviser for state and local bodies and federations, Ramon Becerra, and AFL-CIO International Director Cathy Feingold played active roles in organizing the meeting and engaging with political and community leaders from Mexican-American clubs, federations and worker centers, and labor and immigration activists. AFL-CIO In addition to trade, immigration was a top issue discussed during the meeting. González-Anaya highlighted the important role of labor unions in protecting immigrant rights.  In his address, Chicago Federation of Labor President Bob Reiter (IUOE) said, “At this time of history when Chicago is building on its legacy of being an immigrant city and fighting back against those who seek to divide us on economics and issues of race and ethnicity, when we should be coming together to lift up our core values and fight for economic and social justice.” AFL-CIO Trumka reminded attendees that we are a labor movement of immigrants and that our unions must provide sanctuary and our contracts must offer protections where our laws do not.  “Immigrants can find hope and a home in the labor movement,” he said. “Our nation is being poisoned by hateful rhetoric and divisive tactics that come from the highest level of our government. We are not going to rest until every aspiring American can live here and work here safely as a citizen of the United States.”   AFL-CIO Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 09/17/2019 - 10:03 Tags: Mexico     — Sep 17
  • Pittston, Solidarity and Labor's Future: Labor Podcast and Radio Roundup
    Pittston, Solidarity and Labor's Future: Labor Podcast and Radio Roundup In addition to the AFL-CIO's own "State of the Unions," there are a lot of other podcasts out there that have their own approach to discussing labor issues and the rights of working people. Here are the latest podcasts from across the labor movement in the United States. Follow the links below to find podcasts. They also can be found wherever you listen to podcasts: Arise! Labor Edition: Richard Trumka on Pittston, Solidarity and Labor's Future. Building Bridges: "Putting the movement back into the union movement with Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, who denounced President Trump’s government shutdown for endangering airline security and forcing workers to labor without pay and told her fellow labor leaders, 'to end this shutdown with a general strike!' She became America’s most powerful flight attendant and a rising star of the labor movement. And Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez, president of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), New York's largest nurses union, which has become known for its support of Medicare for All. It has taken its service-oriented union work and further extended it for community needs. And Bianca Cunningham, a staff writer and organizer at Labor Notes Magazine, who got her start in the labor movement as a Verizon retail worker. She was a leader in the 2014 drive that won a union at seven stores, breaking into wireless retail for the first time in the company's history. These workers went on to win their first union contract when they joined landline workers in the 2016 Verizon strike." Heartland Labor Forum: "It’s 38 days and counting that the Blackjewel coal miners of Harlan County, Kentucky, are occupying the tracks saying, 'No Pay, We Stay!' We’ll get their story. Then, it’s almost 40 years since President Ronald Reagan fired over 11,000 striking professional air traffic controllers. What are the lessons of the [Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization] strike for today?"UCOMM Live: This week: "SharpieGate, the Weatherman and our new app, Drug Hub. Plus we have an interview with the AFL-CIO's Liz Shuler. She talks to us at the New York City Labor Day Parade. We remember 9/11 with IBEW Local 3's Business Manager Chris Erikson. Lenny is back to talk about the opioid crisis and some of the great work he did this past week volunteering in Philly. We look at how the [National Labor Relations Board] has lost its way under Trump, his obsession with a weather map, and the 10,000 jobs that were lost because of his trade war." Union City Radio: For the week of Sept. 9-13. Your Rights At Work: "Brian Prechtl, co-chair of the Baltimore Symphony Musicians Players’ Committee, with a BSO lockout update; 1199 SEIU's Yahnae Barner on the NLRB ruling that Universal Health Services Inc. at George Washington University Hospital engaged in unfair labor practices; POGO's Becca Jones on the effect of SharpieGate on federal workers, 'Case Closed' with David Schloss and Press Associates Inc.'s Mark Gruenberg with the latest labor news." Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 09/16/2019 - 14:50 Tags: Podcast — Sep 16
  • Nearly 50,000 UAW Members at GM Go on Strike
    Nearly 50,000 UAW Members at GM Go on Strike AFL-CIO As of midnight Sunday, UAW members at General Motors have gone on strike. The 2015 collective bargaining agreement between UAW and GM expired Saturday after GM offered an inadequate new contract. Nearly 50,000 workers are now on strike. They are demanding fair wages, affordable health care, a share of profits, job security and a defined path to permanent seniority for temporary workers. UAW President Gary Jones said: “We told UAW GM members that we would stand up for them and their future.” UAW Vice President Terry Dittes explained: “We stood up for General Motors when they needed us most. Now we are standing together in unity and solidarity for our members, their families and the communities where we work and live." Ted Krumm of UAW Local 652, who is the national bargaining committee chair, further expanded upon the need for the strike: 
    We have been clear at the table about what GM members have indicated we will accept. We are standing up for what is right. We as local unions will sacrifice to stand up for what we deserve. Our members have spoken; we have taken action; and this is a decision we did not make lightly. We are committed to a strong contract at GM that recognizes our UAW members, who make some of the greatest products in the world and make GM so profitable.
    AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) showed the federation's support for members of the UAW:
    As our UAW brothers and sisters prepare to walk the picket line, the 12.5 million working people of the AFL-CIO are ready to march alongside them. Calling a strike is a deeply difficult decision and always a measure of last resort. This is a fight to win dignity for the 46,000 auto workers who have delivered their bosses record-breaking profits for years. We will have their backs every day until they win the respect and security that they deserve.
    Other labor leaders, organizations and allies quickly showed their support for UAW members:
    Statement from President Bieber supporting UAW-GM members on strike. #Solidarity #1u https://t.co/cTCHl0zVkW — Michigan AFL-CIO (@MIAFLCIO) September 16, 2019
     
    Always proud to stand with UAW members fighting for good jobs and fair wages. I’m hopeful the UAW and GM can negotiate and ratify a contract quickly so Michigan’s autoworkers can get back on the job as soon as possible, as this is so important to our economy. pic.twitter.com/BnVAFIlm9D — Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) September 16, 2019
     
    Statement of NYS AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento on UAW’s Strike against General Motors https://t.co/6ahSY6RjUd — NYSAFLCIO (@NYSAFLCIO) September 16, 2019
     
    AFGE members stand in total solidarity with @UAW members striking for a fair contract with @GM! https://t.co/GVPa9hqTNO — AFGE (@AFGENational) September 16, 2019
     
    The IAM stands with the thousands of @GM workers as they fight for good wages and benefits! #solidarityhttps://t.co/whLHt9iK7q — Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) September 16, 2019
     
    .@Teamsters will honor @UAW @gm picket lines pic.twitter.com/NJpBv2DAfy — David Shepardson (@davidshepardson) September 15, 2019
     
    I support the @UAW's decision to employ American workers' most serious tool to achieve a better deal. #1u — Rep. Andy Levin (@RepAndyLevin) September 16, 2019
     
    I stand in solidarity with workers as they fight for better wages and benefits. — Senator Gary Peters (@SenGaryPeters) September 15, 2019
    Numerous presidential candidates also weighed in with their support for the UAW members:
    Unions like @UAW built the middle class in America by negotiating for better wages, benefits and treatment in the workplace. That work continues today.I stand with UAW as they fight to ensure their members’ hard work is rewarded with a fair share of the success they’ve created.— Michael Bennet (@MichaelBennet) September 16, 2019
    A job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It's about dignity and respect.Proud to stand with @UAW to demand fair wages and benefits for their members. America's workers deserve better. https://t.co/vdYS3sp4eo— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 15, 2019
    I'm proud to stand with the hardworking members of @UAW in their fight for fair wages, health care, and job security. @GM should do right by the workers who fuel its profits. https://t.co/3XF8OswRRn— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) September 16, 2019
    My grandfather was an assembly line worker & @UAW union rep outside of Detroit who showed me the power of collective action as a force to improve lives & right injustice. I stand with UAW workers in their fight for fair wages, better benefits & reversal of plant closures. https://t.co/zgXmm0m8jw— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) September 16, 2019
    As a former union-side labor lawyer, I know how difficult of a decision this is for hardworking folks and their families. They deserve better wages, benefits, and job security. A company generating record profits should pay workers their fair share. https://t.co/rc3ll07SBO— Steve Bullock (@GovernorBullock) September 16, 2019
    The CEO of @GM made nearly $22 million dollars last year—281 times the median GM worker.I stand with the 46,000 @UAW members who have moved to strike, fighting for affordable health care and fair wages.GM can afford to do right by them.#StandWithUS #1U— Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) September 15, 2019
    I stand in solidarity with the more than 48,000 United Auto Workers members who are striking for affordable health care, fair wages, and job security. When we raise our voices together, we can win. https://t.co/VJOhoBqjs6— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) September 16, 2019
    I stand with workers. I stand with @UAW. #UnionStrong https://t.co/rCVz7D4VvK— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) September 16, 2019
    I am with the United Auto Workers on strike today—and with workers everywhere, fighting for the dignity they deserve.— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) September 16, 2019
    Proud to be on the picket line w/ Lordstown @UAW members who are striking w/ 40,000+ of their sisters & brothers for fair wages & affordable healthcare, job security, a path for temp workers to become full-time workers and their share of GM's record-setting profits. #StandWithUS pic.twitter.com/dMvIZV2lfR— Tim Ryan (@TimRyan) September 16, 2019
    I am proud to support the @UAW workers who are standing up to the greed of GM. Our message to GM is a simple one: End the greed, sit down with the UAW and work out an agreement that treats your workers with the respect and the dignity they deserve. https://t.co/nAQoeX82oz— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) September 15, 2019
    I stand with the 50,000 @UAW members striking at General Motors. GM must put the welfare of its workers above perks for its executives and provide fair wages, affordable healthcare, and secure jobs.— Tom Steyer (@TomSteyer) September 16, 2019
    Auto workers deserve good wages, comprehensive benefits, and economic security. I stand with @UAW as they strike to get what they deserve, and urge GM to come to the table and negotiate in good faith. https://t.co/VRmL7VzSzt— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) September 16, 2019
    Unions and the @UAW have been a force for worker equity and fair treatment for decades even as our economy has grown more inhuman and punishing. GM should value its workers fairly and compensate them what they deserve. https://t.co/hPwo38VOOp— Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) September 16, 2019
    Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 09/16/2019 - 12:17     — Sep 16
  • Never Forget: The Working People Weekly List
    Never Forget: The Working People Weekly List AFL-CIO 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. Working People Remember Those Lost Because of 9/11: "The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, 18 years ago today, affected all Americans, but they had a particular impact upon first responders. Thousands of lives were lost that day and more died in the aftermath because of illnesses related to the attacks. The members and leaders of the various unions affected by the 9/11 attacks are memorializing the anniversary in various ways." Celebrating Labor Day: Labor Podcast and Radio Roundup: "In addition to the AFL-CIO's own 'State of the Unions,' there are a lot of other podcasts out there that have their own approach to discussing labor issues and the rights of working people. Here are the latest podcasts from across the labor movement in the United States." Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: Operating Engineers: "Next up in our series that takes a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the Operating Engineers." Pathway to Progress: The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom: "History has long been portrayed as a series of 'great men' taking great action to shape the world we live in. In recent decades, however, social historians have focused more on looking at history 'from the bottom up,' studying the vital role that working people played in our heritage. Working people built, and continue to build, the United States. In our new series, Pathway to Progress, we'll take a look at various people, places and events where working people played a key role in the progress our country has made, including those who are making history right now. Today's topic is the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom." Economy Gains 130,000 Jobs in August; Unemployment Steady at 3.7%: "The U.S. economy gained 130,000 jobs in August, and the unemployment rate remained at 3.7%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics." Responding to Dorian: 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." State of the Unions’ Podcast: Humble Courage and 90210: "On the latest episode of 'State of the Unions,' podcast co-hosts Julie Greene and Tim Schlittner talk to SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris about the future of work, sexual harassment and her journey from young actor to labor leader." Say No to IRAPs: In the States Roundup: "It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states." Stand Up and Be Recognized: Worker Wins: "Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with actors and actresses winning new contracts and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life." Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 09/13/2019 - 13:15 — Sep 13