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Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Tammy Baldwin
AFL-CIO
This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are taking a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Sen. Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin.
Here are some of the key reasons why Baldwin is one of the best candidates for working people in 2018:
After graduating from Smith College, she worked on pay equity issues in the Wisconsin governor's office.
She led efforts against unfair trade deals that ship American jobs overseas.
Baldwin voted against repealing the Glass-Steagall Act, a law that could have prevented the 2008 financial crisis.
She introduced "buy American" legislation to help rebuild drinking-water infrastructure with American-made iron and steel.
Baldwin wants to make the tax system simpler and fairer, and provide working families with a tax cut.
She proposed legislation that would strengthen the research and development tax credit, spurring job creation.
Baldwin has been an active...
National Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Henry L. 'Hank' Lacayo
CSUCI
Throughout National Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling labor leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to our movement. Today's profile features Henry L. "Hank" Lacayo.
A longtime staple of labor, political and academic circles in California, Henry L. "Hank" Lacayo was a force from his beginnings in the labor movement in the 1950s all the way up to his passing in 2017. He was born in Los Angeles in 1931 but moved to Mexico when he was young. He returned to California for high school. Upon graduating, he joined the Air Force. After his military service ended, Lacayo went to work at North American Aviation (later Rockwell International) in 1953. Within a few years, he not only became involved in UAW Local 887, he quickly rose to a full-time employee of the local and served as editor of its newspaper.
UAW President Walter P. Reuther encouraged Lacayo to continue his labor activism, and in 1962, he was elected president of Local 887, a position he held for 10 years. He...
Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: Julie Blaha
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This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are taking a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Minnesota state auditor candidate Julie Blaha.
Here are some of the key reasons why Blaha is one of the best candidates for working people in 2018:
As secretary-treasurer of the Minnesota AFL-CIO and former president of Anoka-Hennepin Education Minnesota (an affiliate of AFT), she worked across the state to help improve working conditions, increase the minimum wage and expand paid sick and family leave.
She worked with her town's economic development authority to help people have a voice in their local government and attract businesses that create jobs.
Blaha has a long track record as a union treasurer of making sure that members had clear, accurate financial information.
As a former public school educator, Blaha knows that government functions best with accurate data. As the state's auditor, she will be dedicated to the...
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: 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 this week’s Working People Weekly List.
National Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Esther López: "Throughout National Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling labor leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have contributed to our movement. Today's profile features Esther López."
National Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Ernesto Galarza: "Throughout National Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling labor leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have contributed to our movement. Today's profile features Ernesto Galarza."
Oklahoma Union Organizers and Activists 'Training Up' to Win: "Twenty-five energetic and dedicated union member activists and staff, mostly from Oklahoma, came together this past week to 'train up' on fundamental organizing principles critical to winning internal and external union...
Economy Gains 134,000 Jobs in September; Unemployment Down Slightly to 3.7%
The U.S. economy gained 134,000 jobs in September, and unemployment was down slightly to 3.7%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Continued slow wage growth means the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee is premature in raising interest rates.
In response to the September job numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs tweeted:
Labor force participation stayed flat at 62.7% (same as August) as wage gains remained modest at only 2.8% over last September. Slow wage growth, despite recent boosts in output, means higher productivity growth and falling unit labor costs. So much for the tax cuts. @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/xavQ8QWRni
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) October 5, 2018
Continued slow wage growth, only 2.8% over the year, means the @federalreserve is being premature in increasing interest rates. The productivity gains of the last two quarters are once again going to the bosses not the workers. Falling labor share increases inequality. @AFLCIO
— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs...
National Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Esther López
UFCW
Throughout National Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling labor leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have contributed to our movement. Today's profile features Esther López.
López first connected with the labor movement in high school. Because she was bilingual, she volunteered to register Latino voters and get them to the polls. From there, she never turned back.
As her post-school career progressed, she began to play an active role in improving labor conditions in Illinois. She served as deputy chief of staff for the state's Department of Labor before going on to lead the department.
In November 2006, López joined the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) as director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department. She served on the front lines of battles against voter suppression, ending exploitation of refugees, expanding opportunities for women and pursuing LGBTQ equality, including overseeing the launch of UFCW's LGBTQ constituency group, OUTreach. She created the UFCW's...
In Minnesota and Across the Country, Organizing Power Begets Political Power
Minnesota AFL-CIO
As the midterms rapidly approach, politics is at the top of minds across the labor movement. And as a seemingly endless stream of news flows from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail, it can be easy to lose sight of anything else. But organizers have been quick to point out that our electoral strength in November depends on our organizing strength year-round.
Minnesota AFL-CIO Organizing/Growth Director Todd Dahlstrom says it’s never been more important to focus on bolstering membership.
"If we do the internal organizing first, the politics will follow. And for a long time, I think that we've been trying to do the politics and then the organizing," Dahlstrom said. "We need to build a strong union affinity on the front end before we really can start talking about politics."
He says the key lies in having conversations on the shop floor about kitchen table economics—the critical issues facing workers every day, like wages, health care and retirement security. To that end, the Minnesota AFL-CIO has...
Oklahoma Union Organizers and Activists 'Training Up' to Win
AFL-CIO
Twenty-five energetic and dedicated union member activists and staff, mostly from Oklahoma, came together this past week to "train up" on fundamental organizing principles critical to winning internal and external union organizing campaigns. The three-day training was held at the Oklahoma AFL-CIO in Oklahoma City. It was great to have so many energetic and committed organizers share their experiences about the work they are doing to organize working people. And this was a fun training!
This three-day training focused primarily on having the right organizing conversation with members and potential members, identifying and developing workplace leaders who can win, and why we map out our workplaces. Organizers who attended the training came from the Ironworkers, Communications Workers of America (CWA), United Steelworkers (USW), AFT, Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU), Transport Workers (TWU), Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the Machinists (IAM); and although most were from Oklahoma, organizers also traveled from Arkansas, Texas and Maryland to attend...
Best Candidates for Working People, 2018: David Garcia
AFL-CIO
This November's elections are shaping up to be among the most consequential in recent U.S. history. Throughout the summer and fall, we are taking a look at the best candidates for working people. Today, we feature Arizona gubernatorial candidate David Garcia.
Here are some of the key reasons why Garcia is one of the best candidates for working people in 2018:
He favors an economic strategy that encourages the use of local businesses for public contracts and focuses on the entire state, not just urban areas.
Garcia wants to focus on creating jobs in growth industries, including aerospace, biosciences, cybersecurity, energy, defense, optics and photonics.
He supports universal community college to develop the state's high-skilled workforce and to attract new companies to the state.
Garcia wants to invest in sustainable agriculture and value-added practices, such as craft breweries, vineyards and farmers' markets.
He will remove barriers to expansion of high-speed digital infrastructure, the lack of which disproportionately...
Improving Patient Safety: Worker Wins
Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with nurses across the country winning new contracts and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
New Contract for More Than 14,000 California Nurses Includes Improved Protections from Violence and Harassment: Registered nurses at the University of California, members of the California Nurses Association (an affiliate of National Nurses United/NNU) voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new five-year contract. The contract covers more than 14,000 registered nurses at more than a dozen locations. "We are so proud to ratify this historic contract for all registered nurses at UC. Nurses stood together in solidarity and fought back over 60 takeaways that would have directly affected our ability to care for our patients," said Megan Norman, RN, UC Davis. "We won new language addressing infectious disease and hazardous substances as well as stronger protections around workplace violence and sexual harassment."
11,000 VA Nurses Ratify New Contract: More than 11,000 registered nurses at 23 hospitals run by the...
