AFL-CIO Blog

  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Oregon AFL-CIO Thanks Allies for Postcard Signing Event
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Oregon AFL-CIO Thanks Allies for Postcard Signing Event 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. Members of Causa Oregon, a Latinx immigrant rights organization, joined with the Oregon AFL-CIO to take part in the state federation’s postcard writing campaign for the PRO Act. Oregon AFL-CIO President Graham Trainor (IBEW) explained: “Oregon's unions and community partners are hosting PRO Act postcard signing parties around the state during this national week of action. Members and staff of Causa, Oregon's immigrant rights organization, gathered on Monday morning to thank Sens. [Jeff] Merkley and [Ron] Wyden for co-sponsoring this historic legislation and to collect postcards to distribute to their families and friends. Immigrant rights are workers’ rights, and we are honored to have Causa as a key partner in this campaign and countless other fights for worker justice over many years. We thank them for their leadership and support in the fight to pass the PRO Act, to repeal racist labor laws of the past, and for everything they do for Oregon’s workers.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 07/23/2021 - 09:49 Tags: COVID-19, Community Service — Jul 23
  • Your Rights as an American: Pass the PRO Act
    Your Rights as an American: Pass the PRO Act Mary Kate O’Sullivan is a registered nurse at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. She and her co-workers fought for the right to organize with National Nurses United for eight months, during which time management bullied and harassed them. Hospital management even hired a union-busting firm and forced the nurses to participate in mandatory anti-union meetings. This would not have happened if the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act was law. Because of their solidarity and determination, the nurses at Maine Medical Center overcame management’s intimidation and won their union organizing campaign.  Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 07/22/2021 - 16:10 Tags: PRO Act — Jul 22
  • Protect Workers and Democracy: In the States Roundup
    Protect Workers and Democracy: 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. Alabama AFL-CIO: Alaska AFL-CIO: Arizona AFL-CIO: California Labor Federation: Florida AFL-CIO: Georgia AFL-CIO: Indiana State AFL-CIO: Iowa Federation of Labor: Maine AFL-CIO: Massachusetts AFL-CIO: Michigan AFL-CIO: Minnesota AFL-CIO: Missouri AFL-CIO: Montana AFL-CIO: Nevada State AFL-CIO: New Jersey State AFL-CIO: New York State AFL-CIO: North Carolina State AFL-CIO: Ohio AFL-CIO: Oregon AFL-CIO: Rhode Island AFL-CIO: Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council: Texas AFL-CIO: Virginia AFL-CIO: Washington State Labor Council: West Virginia AFL-CIO: Wisconsin State AFL-CIO: Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 07/22/2021 - 14:00 — Jul 22
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Partners Host Vaccine Clinic in Harrisburg
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Pennsylvania AFL-CIO, Partners Host Vaccine Clinic in Harrisburg 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 Pennsylvania AFL-CIO and the Harrisburg Region Central Labor Council partnered with the NAACP and Rite Aid to host a COVID-19 vaccine clinic at the Camp Curtin YMCA in Harrisburg on July 8. The clinic provided free shots to all interested parties who still sought the vaccine, including students, and union member volunteers helped staff the event. Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Rick Bloomingdale (AFSCME) said every shot matters because it gets our community one step closer to immunity. “It’s so important right now with the state opening up, getting back to work. We want everybody to be safe, vaccinated and healthy,” Bloomingdale said. The AFL-CIO plans to keep organizing vaccine clinics, so people have a convenient opportunity to get their shots, said Bloomingdale. “The more people that get it, the safer that we’ll all be. With the Delta variant going around, we’ve just got to make sure that people are safe and healthy.” Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 07/22/2021 - 09:39 Tags: COVID-19, Community Service — Jul 22
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Labor-Sponsored Scholarships from Texas to Hawaii
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Labor-Sponsored Scholarships from Texas to Hawaii 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. Our labor movement consistently goes beyond the bargaining table to serve our community. In Texas, the Tarrant County Central Labor Council hosted its Annual Jim Wright Memorial Invitational golf tournament July 5 with more than 22 foursomes. The council raised funds to provide scholarships to high school seniors of affiliated union families. Event participants also heard about the need for labor law reform and filled out more than 125 postcards asking U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn to vote for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 277 and American Income Life sponsored the tournament. The Hawaii State AFL-CIO, led by President Randy Perreira (AFSCME) also is helping to raise scholarship funds through a golf tournament—specifically, for the Hawaii Government Employees Association’s (HGEA/AFSCME) Charles R. Kendall Scholarship. Kendall dedicated his life to improving the working conditions of public employees throughout Hawaii. To honor his memory, the HGEA in 1966 established the Charles R. Kendall Scholarship and Education Fund, which provides educational benefits to members and their immediate families. Fundraising events such as the golf tournament are held year-round to fund the scholarships. Through these efforts, the Kendall Fund has been able to give out more than 2,000 awards to deserving individuals. Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 07/21/2021 - 10:09 Tags: COVID-19, Community Service — Jul 21