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Labor Day Across America
On Labor Day, working people across the country will be taking the day off and celebrating the achievements of working people. From the North Bay Labor Council's annual pancake breakfast in Santa Rosa, California, to the Mother Jones re-enactment in Salina, Kansas, the creativity and hard work of America's workers will be on display. To be specific, for Labor Day, planned events across the country include:
80 picnics
35 parades
18 marches
14 breakfasts
11 rallies
8 festivals
5 celebrations
3 dinners
3 press conferences
2 barbecues
2 labor balls
And at least one of each: awards ceremony, bingo game, hog roast, labor statue dedication, carnival, concert, cookout, fishing derby, fundraiser, remembrance, run and wreath placement.
If you'd like to join the tens of thousands of Americans participating in one of the many events planned for Labor Day, contact your local or any of the AFL-CIO state federations and central labor councils across the country.
But not everyone gets to take the day off. Read our 2017 Labor Day survey results...
Relatives of Adrian Jones say that social workers didn't permanently remove the boy from his home despite documenting repeated calls and reports of abuse over several years.
Relatives of Adrian Jones say that social workers didn't permanently remove the boy from his home despite documenting repeated calls and reports of abuse over several years.
Relatives of Adrian Jones say that social workers didn't permanently remove the boy from his home despite documenting repeated calls and reports of abuse over several years.
Hurricane Irma is now a Category 3 storm and heading westward as Texas and the Gulf Coast are recovering from Harvey.
First Responders: 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 this week’s Working People Weekly List.
In Devastated Southeast Texas, IBEW Members First Responders: "IBEW locals in the path of the storm, including areas around Corpus Christi, Houston and Galveston, were evacuated, Gonzales said. Some members and retirees have experienced property damage, but no deaths of members have been reported. Houston Local 66 Business Manager Greg Lucero says that crews with utility company CenterPoint Energy are already out working. 'If they were able to report to work, they’re working,' Lucero said of the approximately 1,500 utility members. 'They’re probably sleeping in their trucks right now.'"
Texas Working People Step Up in Worst Storm Ever: "As Hurricane Harvey and its remnants bring unprecedented flooding and damage to a huge portion of Texas, working people in the state are going above and beyond their duties to help one another, Texas AFL-CIO President John Patrick said today."
Many Americans to Spend Labor Day...
A judge threw out the most serious charges, including involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault, against eight members of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity faced.
The Economy Adds 156,000 Jobs in August, and Unemployment Was Little Changed at 4.4%
BLS
The U.S. economy added 156,000 jobs in August, and unemployment was little changed at 4.4%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This continues the recovery of the labor market at a tempered rate, which means the Federal Reserve’s Open Market Committee should continue to let the economy grow and not raise interest rates.
In response to the August jobs numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs tweeted:
Wages, August to August, up only 2.5% low wage pressures means @federalreserve has lots of room for growth to continue @AFLCIO @pdacosta
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) September 1, 2017
After falling, labor force participation stabilizes with slow increases, slightly more for women @IWPResearch @lizshuler @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/ysjVKHzoSB
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) September 1, 2017
Black male unemployment up from 7.0% in July to 7.8% in August in part due to more entering the labor force looking for work @CBTU72 @AFLCIO...
Working People on the Front Lines of Hurricane Harvey Response
Whenever a natural disaster strikes, working people are the first responders, stepping in to save lives and reduce the harm done. After the devastation of a storm like Hurricane Harvey, we are also the recovery and clean-up crews who are around long after the media has moved on to the next story. Here are some of the ways that union members are helping out in the face of one of the most historic storms to ever hit Texas and the surrounding states.
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA): Raising money to help affected families.
AFGE: Search and rescue, staffing national and regional response centers, supplementing emergency response communications, providing food and water, providing tarps and generators, water-borne rescue, distributing medical equipment and supplies, evacuating hospitals, evaluating damage to infrastructure, rescue missions using drones, providing information on storm surges and water heights, providing forcasts, assisting zoos and farms with animals, protecting superfund sites, testing flood waters for contaminants, restoring safe drinking water...
Discrimination from gays and lesbians, as well as heterosexuals, put bisexual individuals at "higher risk for poor mental health outcomes," a new study finds.
