AFL-CIO Blog

  • Pass the American Rescue Plan: What Working People Are Doing This Week
    Pass the American Rescue Plan: 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: AFGE: AFSCME: Alliance for Retired Americans: Amalgamated Transit Union: American Federation of Musicians: American Federation of Teachers: American Postal Workers Union: Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA: Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers: Boilermakers: Bricklayers: Coalition of Black Trade Unionists: Coalition of Labor Union Women: Communications Workers of America: Department for Professional Employees: Electrical Workers: Fire Fighters: Heat and Frost Insulators: International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers: Ironworkers: IUE-CWA: Jobs With Justice: Labor Council for Latin American Advancement: Laborers: Machinists: Metal Trades Department: Mine Workers: Musical Artists: National Air Traffic Controllers Association: National Association of Letter Carriers: National Day Laborer Organizing Network: National Domestic Workers Alliance: National Federation of Federal Employees: National Nurses United: National Taxi Workers Alliance: NFL Players Association: North America's Building Trades Unions: Office and Professional Employees: Painters and Allied Trades: Plasterers and Cement Masons: Professional Aviation Safety Specialists: Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union: SAG-AFTRA: School Administrators: Seafarers: Solidarity Center: The NewsGuild-CWA: Theatrical Stage Employees: Transport Workers Union: Transportation Trades Department: UAW: Union Veterans Council: UNITE HERE: United Food and Commercial Workers: United Steelworkers: United Students Against Sweatshops: Utility Workers: Working America: Writers Guild of America, East: Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 02/26/2021 - 15:53 — Feb 26
  • Black History Month Profiles: A.J. Starling
    Black History Month Profiles: A.J. Starling This year, for Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is  A.J. Starling. A respected pillar of Tennessee's labor community for nearly five decades, A.J. Starling has become synonymous with the fight for economic and racial equality. As both an advocate for and friend to working families throughout the state, his commitment to ensuring that everyone is treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve is second to none. His contributions to both the labor and faith communities and desire to leave things better than he found them will be felt for decades to come. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 02/26/2021 - 09:30 Tags: Black History Month — Feb 26
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: New Hampshire AFL-CIO Provides PPE to State Lawmakers
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: New Hampshire AFL-CIO Provides PPE to State Lawmakers 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. After the U.S. District Court in Concord, New Hampshire, failed to provide remote access for at-risk legislators at the state House of Representatives, New Hampshire AFL-CIO President Glenn Brackett (IBEW) said union members handed out personal protective equipment (PPE) to lawmakers ahead of Wednesday’s House session at the NH Sportsplex. “Last week, the New Hampshire AFL-CIO strongly urged our state representatives to provide remote accommodations for lawmakers who have special vulnerability to COVID-19, as defined by the [Americans with Disabilities Act] and Rehabilitation Act,” said Brackett. “Unfortunately, a federal judge ruled Monday that the House can proceed with in-person sessions this week without providing remote access to medically vulnerable lawmakers. We didn’t want it to come to this. No one should fear going to work. However, distributing personal protective equipment is the least we can do to keep our lawmakers safe.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 02/26/2021 - 08:30 — Feb 26
  • Black History Month Profiles: Darrell Copeland
    Black History Month Profiles: Darrell Copeland This year, for Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Darrell Copeland. Darrell Copeland hails from Atlanta and he puts his heart and soul into growing the labor movement and bringing the dignity of union representation to nonunion workers. Copeland is a humble, capable and dynamic union leader with high expectations and a positive attitude while embracing change. Open-minded and motivated to serve, he played an important role in the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' (BCTGM's) campaign to win the U.S. Senate runoff elections in Georgia. He was also important in the recent BCTGM organizing victory in Memphis, Tennessee, at the Blue City Brewery, and he continues to build experience as a passionate and effective union organizer throughout the South. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 02/25/2021 - 09:27 Tags: Black History Month — Feb 25
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: National Nurses United Leads Coalition to Urge CDC to Acknowledge COVID-19 Aerosol Transmission
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: National Nurses United Leads Coalition to Urge CDC to Acknowledge COVID-19 Aerosol Transmission 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. National Nurses United (NNU) is leading a group of 44 allied unions and organizations, including the AFL-CIO—representing more than 13 million members and their communities—to urge the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to update its COVID-19 guidance to fully reflect the latest scientific evidence regarding coronavirus transmission through aerosols that infected people emit when they breathe, speak, cough, sneeze or sing. Today, NNU’s coalition delivered a petition with over 10,000 signatures, including scientific experts, urging the CDC to recognize COVID-19 aerosol transmission. “Since the start of the pandemic, the nation’s nurses have demanded that the CDC’s guidelines be based on scientific evidence,” said Bonnie Castillo, RN, executive director of NNU. “Nurses know that to effectively battle this virus, we all need to get on the same page about how it spreads….We urge the Biden administration to honor its commitment to listen to experts in the battle against COVID-19, which includes having CDC and other federal agencies explicitly recognize aerosol transmission.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 02/25/2021 - 08:30 Tags: Community Service, COVID-19 — Feb 25