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Puerto Rico: Those Unforgettable Days
Gonzalo Salvador
There are days in our lives that are unforgettable. They are entrenched in our minds. They follow us like perennial shadows. Six months ago, I spent five days in Puerto Rico—two weeks after Hurricane Maria devastated this Caribbean island. As I look back into this short trip, I see images and situations that have stayed with me. Memories that are a constant reminder of how much remains to be done to lift up all working families who were affected by this disaster. Here are some of these moments:
Saturday, Oct. 7—Luis Muñoz Marin Airport, Carolina, Puerto Rico
Families with small children, elderly people. All of them desperately trying to leave the island. A feeling of guilt invaded me as I stepped onto my United Airlines flight to Newark, New Jersey. Nearly 300 volunteers from different unions stayed in Puerto Rico for another two weeks, providing critical relief to people who were affected by Hurricane Maria. In the previous four days, they became my brothers and sisters.
Wednesday, Oct. 2—Baseball Stadium, San Juan, Puerto Rico
It is 4 o’clock in...
Trumka: The Politicians Screaming About a Trade War Are Beholden to Wall Street
Wall Street’s hair is on fire about steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by President Trump, because closing mills and factories in the United States and moving them overseas is how investors enrich themselves.
And those wealthy investors reap even fatter profits when offshore mills and factories violate trade laws. Wall Street doesn’t care about the social and economic costs of unfair trade, because working people and our communities pay the price.
We care about working people and our jobs, and we care about holding bad actors accountable. That’s why the AFL-CIO has consistently made the case for the use of tariffs to crack down on trade law violations. In the case of steel and aluminum, it’s not just about unfair trade practices, it’s also about national security.
This isn’t about Trump. And it certainly isn’t about partisan politics. Many in both parties have failed working people on the issue of trade. The politicians who are screaming about a trade war have one thing in common: They are beholden to Wall Street.
The real trade war is being...
FDA asks for input on limiting cigars, chewing tobacco, and e-cigarettes, too
Potential injuries were not immediately known and the St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that the incident was 'contained.'
About 74 million people were under winter storm watches and warnings from the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee through Maine, forecasters warned.
About 74 million people were under winter storm watches and warnings from the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee through Maine, forecasters warned.
It's About Dignity and Humanity: Worker Wins
CWA
Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with a group of production assistants voting unanimously for a voice on the job and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
New York Parking Production Assistants Unanimously Vote to Join CWA: Nearly 600 parking production assistants who secure parking in the New York City area for film and television productions voted unanimously to be represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA). The PPAs usually arrive 12–24 hours prior to production and work to secure parking spaces for production vehicles and equipment, usually working long hours alone, overnight, in conditions that are potentially dangerous. "This vote was about dignity, about humanity," said Lanere Rollins, one of the PPAs who voted to join CWA. "Film and TV productions couldn't happen without us, but PPAs have been on the bottom rung of the entertainment industry for a long time. Not one PPA in the city voted 'no' for the union, because we're stepping up to demand the respect and fair treatment that...
Residents are shocked by four bombings scattered around the city and are worried about what's next.
Residents are shocked by four bombings scattered around the city and are worried about what's next.
Men who took it gained weight
