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Rhode Island AFL-CIO Helps Coordinate Distance Learning
Rhode Island AFL-CIO
With American students learning from home, teachers, school staffers and their unions are stepping up in a variety of ways to create innovative solutions to meet the educational needs of young people during the coronavirus pandemic.
In Rhode Island, the AFT and the National Education Association (NEA) are working closely with Gov. Gina Raimondo, and the Rhode Island AFL-CIO is helping coordinate their efforts.
After Raimondo decided to close all of Rhode Island’s schools on March 23, one of the first things she did was reach out to the leaders of AFT and NEA to ask for their help with developing distance learning programs so students would continue to receive a quality education. The unions together represent about 12,000 teachers and school support staff across Rhode Island.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be perfect, but it’s been phenomenal so far,” said Pat Crowley (NEA), the newly elected secretary-treasurer of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO. “Teachers are going above and beyond the call of duty, improvising as they go along and getting...
Service and Solidarity: Kennita Jones
Kennita Jones is a roll mixer and has been working at Schmidt Baking Co. for 19 years. She is a member of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 68 in Baltimore. Like so many of America’s workers deemed essential, Jones still leaves her family nearly every day and goes to work—despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the risk to her own health and that of her family's, she's proud to be doing important work during a crisis.
Kenneth Quinnell
Wed, 04/08/2020 - 14:50
Tags:
COVID-19
Protect Essential Workers Now: 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.
Find state-by-state COVID-19-related resources here.
California Labor Federation:
|￣￣￣￣￣￣ |
| HAZARD PAY |
| PPE & PAID |
| SICK LEAVE |
| FOR ALL |
| ESSENTIAL |
| WORKERS |
|＿＿＿＿＿___ |
(\__/) ||
(•ㅅ•) ||
/ づ
— California Labor Federation (@CaliforniaLabor) April 6, 2020
Colorado AFL-CIO:
#COVID19Colorado #COVID19 #UnEmploymentClaims pic.twitter.com/ya90TRNHay
— Colorado AFL-CIO (@AFLCIOCO) April 2, 2020
Connecticut AFL-CIO:
At least 3 @UFCW members in CT have contracted #COVID19. These workers are tired and scared. Please remember to keep 6 feet from these workers and other customers and when possible, send only one family member to the store at a time. https://t.co/TlC21YBBzT
— Connecticut AFL-CIO (@...
Fighting the Coronavirus: Service and Solidarity
Meet Shekina Givens. She is an AFGE member and lead transportation security officer for the Transportation Security Administration and works at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport. She and her co-workers are in constant danger of getting COVID-19, but they show up for work to protect the traveling public every day. Learn more about her and other TSA workers during these dangerous times.
Kenneth Quinnell
Mon, 04/06/2020 - 09:08
Tags:
COVID-19
Economy Loses 701,000 Jobs in March; Unemployment Jumps to 4.4%
The U.S. economy lost 701,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate jumped by nearly a point to 4.4%, according to figures released Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
In response to the March job numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs said:
Though the recent spikes in unemployment claims were not captured in the March report, we experienced our steepest monthly decline in payrolls in this report since March 2009. Especially hard hit were the lowest wage sectors of the economy: leisure and hospitality and brick and mortar sections of the retail industry. Going forward, based on the unemployment claim numbers, things will get worse.
He also tweeted:
Bad news, @BLS_gov reports drop of 701,000 in March (for the week that ended before the increase in crowd reduction orders) boosting the unemployment rate to 4.4%. The household survey reported 1.048 million increase in temporary layoff versus a smaller 172,000 permanent job loss— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) April 3, 2020 The average hourly earnings gain of 3.1%...
Big Win on Back Pay: Worker Wins
Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with a victory on back pay for NABET-CWA workers at CNN and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life.
NABET-CWA Workers Win $76 Million in Back Pay from CNN: Locals 11 and 31 of NABET-CWA have negotiated one of the largest back pay settlements in the history of the NLRB. CNN is required to bay $76 million to hundreds of broadcast technicians who were fired when CNN terminated a subcontract with Team Video Services. NABET-CWA President Charlie Braico said: “After more than 15 years, this settlement agreement finally delivers justice for workers who experienced serious hardship in their lives due to CNN’s union-busting practices. This incredible settlement in workers’ favor should send a very clear message to CNN and to other employers that union-busting is illegal and has consequences.”
University of California-Santa Cruz Trades Workers End Strike with New Contract: Dozens of carpenters, plumbers, electricians and other trades workers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, ended a strike with...
In Memoriam: Union Members Lost in COVID-19 Pandemic
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the United States, our sisters, brothers and friends in the labor movement are among the first casualties. It is important for us to work together during this crisis to prevent further deaths. It is important to thank those who are doing the work to keep us safe and fed. It is important to remember those who we lost because of the coronavirus.
This list includes those deaths we have currently learned of. If you aware of additional union members we should include on this list, please send details to kquinnell@aflcio.org and we will add them to the list.
Mark Blum of New York, SAG-AFTRA: "Though he was perhaps best known for the 1985 film 'Desperately Seeking Susan,' in which he starred alongside Madonna and Rosanna Arquette, he most recently appeared in supporting TV roles on the HBO series 'Succession,' the Netflix drama 'You' and Amazon's 'Mozart in the Jungle.' He was a staple in the New York theater community, frequently appearing on Broadway, including the revival of 'Twelve Angry Men,' though he...
On the Front Lines: 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:
We are proud to do our part in support of the actors & stage managers out of work due to COVID-19, and have established the #CurtainUpFund. We hope that anyone who is able to support @TheActorsFund's vital social services and financial aid will join us - https://t.co/dbAvIoWxUM pic.twitter.com/6qfBHH7WIg
— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) March 24, 2020
AFGE:
We've been requesting better protection for TSA officers since January.
We urge all agencies to follow TSA's example and take the necessary steps to protect front-line workers. #COVID19 #1u via @hugomartin @latimes https://t.co/vSuCmZrpjy
— AFGE...
The New Front-Line Workers: 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 New Front-Line Coronavirus Workers: Grocery Clerks, Delivery Drivers: "Much of the American workplace has shut down, sending millions of employees home to wait out the coronavirus pandemic. Among those still on the job are grocery-store clerks, prison guards and delivery drivers. 'Who would have ever thought that we would be on the front lines?' said Joyce Babineau, a 67-year-old supermarket supervisor in Dartmouth, Mass., a coastal village 60 miles south of Boston."
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka Discusses the Labor Movement’s Respose to the Coronavirus Pandemic: "AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka joined Bloomberg TV this morning to talk about the labor movement's response to the coronavirus pandemic and why we need to invoke the Defense Production Act."
What Grocery Store Workers Need: "As of this writing, supermarket workers in Denver, Oregon and...
Coping with Coronavirus: Labor Podcast and Radio Roundup
In addition to the AFL-CIO's own "State of the Unions," there are a lot of other podcasts out there that have their own approach to discussing labor issues and the rights of working people. Here are the latest podcasts from across the labor movement in the United States.
The Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO, and Chris Garlock have launched a new show, the Labor Radio/Podcast Weekly, which includes clips from various radio shows and podcasts that talk about labor, unions and working people's issues. If you are interested in getting your clips onto the show, contact cgarlock@dclabor.org for more details.
Building Bridges: "Nurses Blast Government and Hospital Readiness for Coronavirus," with Deborah Burger, practicing nurse, co-president of National Nurses United (NNU) and president of the California Nurses Association.
CTU Speaks!: Co-hosts Andrea Parker and Jim Staros speak with Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) officers, President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates, about the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-...
