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Service + Solidarity Spotlight: UFCW Prompts Largest Citation Over Coronavirus-Related Health and Safety Violations in California
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.
Following a comprehensive complaint filed by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 770, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has issued its largest coronavirus-related citation in the state, fining food processing company Overhill Farms and its staffing agency more than $200,000 for serious health and safety violations. “It should not be so dangerous to go to work every day. I commend the leadership of the workers at Overhill for speaking up in the face of atrocious safety violations at the plant and for creating an innovative safety committee at Overhill. Without their leadership, even more workers would be sick,” said John Grant, president of Local 770. “Now the state of California has weighed in with meaningful...
New COVID-19 Protections In Las Vegas: Worker Wins
Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with an important victory in the fight against COVID-19 for Las Vegas' workers and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
Las Vegas Unions Negotiate New COVID-19 Protections: Workers at MGM Resorts and Caesars hotels and casinos in Las Vegas represented by Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 successfully negotiated new protections in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new agreement will provide more than 36,000 workers with extended health benefits, paid time off for quarantines and other protections. “Behind every worker is a family, and we are proud to have partnered with MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment during this difficult time to ensure workers are protected during this pandemic and are not left behind when the economy recovers. These new historic agreements mean workers will have their family health benefits in place until next year, even if they are currently laid off, and that workers will be able to return to their jobs as business recovers...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: New Jersey State AFL-CIO Celebrates Legislative Victory on Workers’ Compensation
AFL-CIO
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 New Jersey State AFL-CIO, led by President Charles Wowkanech (IUOE), issued a statement Monday commending Gov. Phil Murphy for signing into law a bill that shifts the burden of proof from the employee to the employer in workers’ compensation claims for essential workers who interact with the general public and contract COVID-19 during the declared state of emergency. “Front-line essential workers who were required to come in and work during the stay-at-home order and continue to perform services that put themselves and their families at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 at their jobs deserve the benefits of workers’ compensation and peace of mind this law provides,” Wowkanech said. The presumption of infection at the workplace is rebuttable by the...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: IATSE Members Rally in Texas for Extended Unemployment Insurance
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.
Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) local unions in Texas are pushing to extend the $600 enhanced unemployment benefit to not only entertainment workers, but also to the 30 million families across a wide array of industries who continue to rely on these benefits to make ends meet during the pandemic. IATSE members rallied outside the state Capitol in Austin on Tuesday to demand passage of the HEROES Act, which remains stalled in the U.S. Senate.
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 09/16/2020 - 09:43
Tags:
COVID-19, Community Service
Labor and Faith Forge Partnership for Social, Racial and Economic Justice
Today, The Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and the AFL-CIO marked the 57th anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, where four girls were killed after white supremacists bombed the church on Sunday, Sept. 15, 1963, with a virtual candlelight vigil and commitment to a 10-point pledge for social, racial and economic justice.
At this moment in history, labor and faith must come together, stand together and act to stop the injustices that plague the nation—institutional racism and racist violence, the immoral response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the deepening economic crisis driven by division and greed.
Barber and Trumka called on the labor and faith communities to come together in the spirit of the four girls killed in the bombing to rededicate and recommit to rebuilding our powerful and historic coalition for social, racial and economic justice.
Here is the 10-point pledge:
We call on all of us here in the United States of America to reject death, whether by racism or economic...
No Friend of Working People: 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 State AFL-CIO:
Day 14 of Labor Month kicks off Education Week. Our union siblings @LIUNA Local 71 are working hard to ensure that the schools in the Anchorage School District are safe for students if and when they reopen.#alaskaunionstrong
Read Jordan Adams’ op-ed: https://t.co/AbW7E2z29x
— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) September 14, 2020
California Labor Federation:
"Don’t let corporate greed continue to rob students of a quality education and local residents of their public transportation, health, and safety." Say YES to putting our schools & communities first! Vote YES on Prop 15. Read more here: https://t.co/E7FYQgAHOQ #YESon15 @fglass57 pic.twitter.com/fWoEVKf3zj
— California Labor Federation (@CaliforniaLabor) September 14, 2020
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Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Vote. Your Life Depends On It
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.
Americans should vote on November 3 because our lives are literally depending on it. A teacher, a nurse, a pharmacy technician and a letter carrier have all experienced the trauma of working and living in a country deeply impacted by COVID-19. These essential workers have lived through the mismanagement of the pandemic and the bad decisions that have cost more than 184,000 American lives and destroyed the economy. It’s time to hold our legislators accountable. Vote on November 3 or, even better, mail in your ballot and stay safe. Find out more at: WorkersFirstVoteUnion.org.
Kenneth Quinnell
Tue, 09/15/2020 - 09:20
Tags:
Community Service, COVID-19
AFL-CIO Honors the Life and Legacy of the Rev. Jack O’Malley
The Rev. John “Jack” O’Malley, a lifelong champion of labor and civil rights, passed away on Friday at the age of 83. He served as the chaplain of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO and the Allegheny-Fayette Central Labor Council. O’Malley was an individual of deep religious faith who personified the Beatitudes and believed in taking the Gospel into the streets, said Joseph Delale of IUE-CWA Local 630, former AFL-CIO community service liaison with the Allegheny labor council. O’Malley provided spiritual guidance during numerous worker actions, including the Delano grape strike that began in California in the 1960s and spread to other cities, including Pittsburgh’s Strip District. At the time, he housed César Chávez and organizers for the United Farm Workers in his parish house.
In 2002, O’Malley joined the mining community of Acosta, Pennsylvania, as families were anxiously awaiting news of nine miners who were trapped underground in the Quecreek Mine. In the most trying circumstances, the families of the trapped miners kept their faith in God, he said at the time. “They are praying that...
Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: Mine Workers
Next up in our series that takes a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the Mine Workers.
Name of Union: United Mine Workers (UMWA)
Mission: To provide workers with a voice on the job and financial security at home, to fight for safe workplaces, good wages and benefits, and to provide strong representation for working families.
Current Leadership of Union: Cecil E. Roberts serves as international president of UMWA. Roberts is a sixth-generation coal miner from Kanawha County, West Virginia. He began his career at Carbon Fuels' No. 31 mine in Winifred, West Virginia. In 1982, he was elected international vice president of UMWA and was re-elected subsequently before first being elected president in 1995. He is currently serving his fifth full term as president.
Levi Allen serves as international secretary-treasurer. UMWA also has nine vice presidents: Chuck Knisell, Steve Earle, Gary Trout, Larry Spencer, Michael Dalpiaz, Rick Altman, James Gibbs, Don Barnett and Donnie Samms.
Members Work As: Coal miners, manufacturing workers, clean coal technicians, health care...
Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Relief Efforts Continue for Louisiana’s Labor Movement as the State’s Working Families Recover from Hurricane Laura
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 labor movement is continuing to lead recovery efforts in southwestern Louisiana, one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Laura. The Louisiana AFL-CIO, led by President Louis Reine (SMART), and its affiliates have been collecting bottled water, food and other essential items to distribute to union members and families affected by the storm. Over Labor Day weekend, items continued to be distributed from the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA) Local 198 union hall in Lake Charles. The hall is being used as a staging area for the labor movement’s relief efforts.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 09/14/2020 - 09:09
Tags:
COVID-19, Community Service
