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Devastating Impact: In the States Roundup
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 AFL-CIO:
Red and blue states are facing the same devastating impact from the pandemic. @SenDanSullivan and @lisamurkowski it's time you pass federal aid for states, cities, towns and schools! #FundtheFrontLines
ACT NOW: Call your senator at 1-888-981-9704. https://t.co/ciHvUbyNXe
— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) December 9, 2020
Arizona AFL-CIO:
Arizona's Electoral College! Proud to have Arizona's Labor Movement represented so prominently! https://t.co/c5MIM7kSW1
— Arizona AFL-CIO // #VotersDecided (@ArizonaAFLCIO) December 14, 2020
California Labor Federation:
Here's the kicker. Not only are Californians stuck subsidizing these benefit fees after Uber's $78 billion IPO valuation -- these benefits are still 50% less than what drivers were...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: The Season of Giving: Two-Day Food Drive Held in St. Louis
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
Over the weekend, the Greater St. Louis Labor Council held a two-day food drive in partnership with Neighbors Helping Neighbors, the Greater St. Louis Area Council of Boy Scouts of America and the St. Louis Area Foodbank. The event was held at five different union halls across the region on Friday and Saturday.
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 12/15/2020 - 09:25
Tags:
COVID-19, Community Service
A Dramatic Win: Worker Wins
Despite the challenges of organizing during a deadly pandemic, working people across the country (and beyond) continue organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life. This edition begins with several groups of organizers who won voluntary recognition of their new unions.
Washington State Hospice Care Workers Vote Overwhelmingly to Join IAM: Master social workers and bereavement counselors at CHI Franciscan Hospice Care Center in University Place, Washington, voted overwhelmingly last week to join the Machinists (IAM). The vote was 37–2 and turnout was high for the new 44-person bargaining unit. “I couldn’t be more proud of everyone’s efforts in this dramatic win,” said Gary R. Allen (not pictured), the IAM general vice president of the Western Territory. “The collaborative efforts used during this campaign are improving our organizing culture and establishing the IAM in the health care industry….Our new members work in the hospice care unit—one of the most demanding and important roles in health care.” The campaign was a joint effort among the IAM’s Organizing and Healthcare departments, Western...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: The Season of Giving: Local United Way Chapter Holds Annual ‘Adopt-A-Family’ Drive
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
AFL-CIO Community Services, based in St. Joseph, Missouri, is pushing ahead with its annual Adopt-A-Family program to bring holiday joy to families in need. The program pairs donors with families who might otherwise go without Christmas celebrations this year. The United Way chapter said earlier this week that it is halfway toward meeting its goal of adopting some 400 families this year.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 12/14/2020 - 09:41
Tags:
COVID-19, Community Service
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: The Season of Giving: Dubuque Area Labor Harvest Ramps Up Food Distribution
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The Dubuque Area Labor Harvest last weekend distributed 193 free breakfasts to the elderly and low-income families. In addition, 57 boxes of food were delivered to those who are housebound. Later this month, the labor-sponsored food bank in Iowa will be delivering free Christmas meals to members of the community.
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 12/11/2020 - 09:25
Tags:
Community Service, COVID-19
All Eyes on Georgia: 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.
Actors' Equity:
The pandemic has left thousands of theater professionals with no income and the very real threat of losing health insurance. The #HEROESAct will help provide coverage for COBRA premiums. Tell Senate to protect artists - https://t.co/SbTun1K7Z8 pic.twitter.com/NncYtLgLkl
— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) December 9, 2020
AFGE:
It is demeaning, dishonest and cruel for President Trump to support a pay freeze for feds months after he proposed a pay increase. Employees have been underpaid for years and deserve a raise, period. #1u https://t.co/R7EGLZ0RlZ
— AFGE (@AFGENational) December 9, 2020
AFSCME:
Front-line workers...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: ATU Calls on Governors to Prioritize Front-Line Transit Workers in Vaccine Distribution
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
With hundreds of transit workers killed, including 96 ATU members, from COVID-19, the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) has called on governors across the United States to prioritize front-line transit workers in the first rounds of COVID-19 vaccine distributions. ATU International President John Costa wrote a letter to every governor to inform them of the request and offer logistical support in vaccine distribution. “The recent promising news of multiple quality vaccines for the coronavirus has lifted the spirits of all Americans, including the hundreds of thousands of transportation workers who have been on the front lines working through this very dark period in our nation’s history,” Costa wrote in the letter to governors. “On behalf of the ATU, the labor...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: USW Members Help Energy Department Reach Cleanup Milestones
Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
United Steelworkers (USW) members at the cleanup sites of the former Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky, and Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio, helped the Department of Energy (DOE) reach two cleanup milestones this fall. The atomic workers’ conversion project reached a turning point last month when the Paducah site shipped the first load of depleted uranium oxide cylinders onto a specialized rail car bound for a federal waste facility in Andrews, Texas. The Piketon plant is in the planning stages of shipping its depleted uranium oxide to the Texas waste facility. Tom Lamerson, a USW Local 1-689 division 2 committee person at the Piketon plant, said, “You feel you’re doing a huge service to the community, the environment and the country. We are getting rid of it...
Economy Gains 245,000 Jobs in November; Unemployment Declines to 6.7%
The U.S. economy gained 245,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate declined to 6.7%, according to figures released Friday 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 November job numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs tweeted:
@BLS_gov reports payroll increased 245,000 in November while the unemployment rate edged down to 6.7% but that was because the labor force participation rate fell, so the share of people employed also edged down by 0.1% Big problem, rising share of long term unemployed. @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/BW0kzRCSbJ— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) December 4, 2020
The Black unemployment rate in November was 10.3% (still above the national unemployment rate for high school dropouts of 9.0%). A key reason the Black/white unemployment rate ratio stabilizes at around 2:1 is because of labor force participation rates changes. @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/8lQ0U7iaQf—...
On the Anniversary of the AFL-CIO Merger, Listen to How It All Began
On this day 65 years ago, the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations, the country’s two leading labor federations, joined together to consolidate working people’s goals and activism in pursuit of a better tomorrow. The AFL-CIO’s first president, George Meany, spoke to the new federation’s first convention in New York on Dec. 5, 1955.
As we look forward to another year of fighting on behalf of the hopes and aspirations of working people, let’s take some time to look back at how it began and keep in mind the many who came before us, those who built the foundation upon which we now stand.
Courtesy of the University of Maryland, we can listen to Meany’s speech at that first convention, presented in two parts:
Kenneth Quinnell
Fri, 12/04/2020 - 10:49
