Feed items
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: 'Airline Workers Are Doing Everything That We Can to Make the Flights Safe'
During the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story.
What does the future hold for air travel? Safety must be the first and highest priority for both workers and passengers, according to Transport Workers Union (TWU) President John Samuelsen. “It is safe to fly, but also, passengers on planes have a level of responsibility,” he said in a recent video from HuffPost. “Facial coverings are a necessity. Personal sanitation on the planes is a necessity. Everybody has a responsibility to ensure that COVID-19 doesn’t spread on these flights.” As air travel continues to gradually increase from its lowest levels in April, TWU members in the airline industry are working to ensure that passengers are as safe as possible.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 07/06/2020 - 10:53
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: UAW Shares Stories of Members Facing Down COVID-19
UAW
During the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story.
Whether they are an academic researcher looking for a drug to fight the deadly virus, an autoworker making a quick pivot to manufacture ventilators, masks or shields, a maintenance worker disinfecting the plant, or a health care worker making sure the sick can receive treatment, UAW members are courageously doing what they can to battle COVID-19. The union profiled some of its members on the front lines who are fighting every day to deal with the public health crisis.
David Gordon, an associate researcher at the University of California, San Francisco and member of UAW Local 5810, is racing to find a treatment for COVID-19. Robert Nadler is working 12-hour days to produce face shields as a die repairer and member of UAW...
Economy Gains 4.8 Million Jobs in June; Unemployment Declines to 11.1%
The U.S. economy gained 4.8 million jobs in June, and the unemployment rate declined to 11.1%, according to figures released Thursday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The improvements reflect the continued resumption of economic activity that previously was curtailed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In response to the June job numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs said:
The growing number of workers who are facing more than five weeks looking for work signals a "typical" recession driven by weak demand. The spike in the short-time unemployed, those unemployed less than five weeks, was related to our health crisis. So, even after we get the health crisis in check, we face a recession the size of the Great Recession in terms of unemployed workers.
He also tweeted:
The Black unemployment rate fell in June reports @BLS_gov on the strength of adult Black women's rate going from 16.5 to 14.0%, but it rose for adult Black men from 15.5 to 16.3%. That increase foreshadows the difficulty of the cyclical component of the...
Pass the HEROES Act: What Working People Are Doing This Week
AFL-CIO
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.
Actors' Equity:
There have been 37,327 new coronavirus cases in Florida since Actors' Equity called on @Disney to delay opening until regular testing is available to our members. https://t.co/cVairwpIcM pic.twitter.com/ilUHpQnLO8
— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) June 30, 2020
AFGE:
The administration should boost its communication with federal employees and create clearer benchmarks for when agencies should call their workers back to the workplace.https://t.co/FsiXb0OIOB
— AFGE (@AFGENational) June 29, 2020
AFSCME:
The corporately-backed Freedom Foundation was behind the Janus v. AFSCME case. The same group has filed a lawsuit to overturn a mandatory masking order in a Washington state...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Milwaukee Area Labor Council Hosts Rallies to Thank Front-Line Workers
Milwaukee Area Labor Council
During the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story.
The Milwaukee Area Labor Council, under the leadership of President Pam Fendt (LIUNA), has been hosting weekly events on Wednesdays for union members to thank front-line workers. The labor council's “We Thank You Wednesday” event last week recognized city of Milwaukee workers. Members of the labor council gathered to show support for AFSCME Council 32 members who are city sanitation workers and to call for increased funding for state and local governments. Union members and allies met outside the city’s sanitation garage with signs and banners to thank the sanitation workers as they returned from their shifts.
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 07/01/2020 - 08:52
...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: UFCW Fights to Save Members' Lives, Help Those on the Front Lines
UFCW
During the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story.
In a press conference on Thursday, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) announced that 238 UFCW members have died from COVID-19 and nearly 29,000 workers have been infected or exposed to the coronavirus over the past 100 days.
The union announced it would take action on three key priorities to protect and help workers during the pandemic:
Reinstating hazard pay and establishing a $15-per-hour minimum wage for all front-line workers.
Establishing a public mask mandate in all 50 states.
Creating a new national public registry to track COVID-19 infections in front-line workers and require companies with more than 1,000 employees to submit monthly reports on their worker deaths...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Paramedic Says, ‘The Anger Is Blinding’
Anthony Almojera
During the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story.
The Washington Post interviewed Anthony Almojera, a paramedic for the New York City Fire Department and vice president of AFSCME Local 3621, DC 37. He illustrated how the words of gratitude for workers like him are not matched by their meager paychecks:
“Do you know how much EMTs make in New York City? We start at $35,000. We top out at $48,000 after five years. That’s nothing. That’s a middle finger. It’s about 40% less than fire, police and corrections—and those guys deserve what they get. But we have three times the call volume of fire. There are EMTs on my team who’ve been pulling double shifts in a pandemic and performing life support for 16 hours, and then they go home and they have to drive Uber to pay their...
Respect at Work: 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.
The President Must Stop Scapegoating Immigrants: "This week, under the guise of protecting workers, President Trump issued a proclamation suspending immigration and a number of work visa programs through the end of the year. We know what this is really about. We’ve seen it many times before. The president is trying to distract from his failure to lead us through this pandemic by returning to one of his favorite themes—scapegoating immigrants."
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Needing Journalists Now More Than Ever: "Michael Hutton is a sports reporter for the Post-Tribune in Gary, Indiana, and a member of The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA) Local 34071. For Hutton and his co-workers, everything is now a COVID-19 story."
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: During COVID-19 Pandemic, Oregon Workers Are Helping Workers: "Working people in Portland, Oregon, have stepped up to fill community needs by...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Flight Attendants Are Essential Workers
During the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story.
Not only are flight attendants first responders in the air, they also face the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. These women and men provide an essential service. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) is raising awareness through the collecting and sharing of "mask selfies." If you are a flight attendant, send your mask selfie to crewlife@afacwa.org and check out this slideshow highlighting the importance of these front-line workers.
Thanks, aviation’s first responders, for continuing to provide essential service to our nation throughout this pandemic. Fly safe & be sure to send your “mask selfies” to crewlife@afacwa.org, as...
Workers First: In the States Roundup
AFL-CIO
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 on Twitter.
Alaska State AFL-CIO:
Workers’ First Caravan in Anchorage #Alaska. #BlackLivesMatter#SenateActNow #1u@AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/aZEzfJ1Qym
— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) June 17, 2020
California Labor Federation:
Eden Alva is right. The #Uber/#Lyft ballot measure is nothing more than a corrupt campaign that will exempt gig corporations from paying their workers. Call it what it is - Wage theft! #SickofGigGreed https://t.co/rVTlrAEysz
— California Labor Federation #BlackLivesMatter (@CaliforniaLabor) June 24, 2020
Colorado AFL-CIO:
Colorado unions stayed strong and fought to ensure every Coloradan can access paid sick time! Thank you union members for calling your legislators! And thank you #CoLeg! We are proud to help pass paid sick in Colorado. #COVIDResponse #5EconomicEssentials pic.twitter.com/E49PFLmE1m...
