AFL-CIO Blog

  • Every Job Site Should Be Safe: In the States Roundup
    Every Job Site Should Be Safe: 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 AFL-CIO: Arizona AFL-CIO: California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO: Connecticut AFL-CIO: Florida AFL-CIO: Illinois AFL-CIO: Indiana State AFL-CIO: Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO: Maine AFL-CIO: Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO: Massachusetts AFL-CIO: Michigan State AFL-CIO: Minnesota AFL-CIO: Missouri AFL-CIO: Montana State AFL-CIO: Nevada State AFL-CIO: New Hampshire AFL-CIO: New Jersey State AFL-CIO: New York State AFL-CIO: North Carolina State AFL-CIO: Ohio AFL-CIO: Oklahoma State AFL-CIO: Oregon AFL-CIO: Pennsylvania AFL-CIO: Rhode Island AFL-CIO: Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council: Texas AFL-CIO: Virginia AFL-CIO: Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO: Wisconsin State AFL-CIO: Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 05/24/2022 - 12:20 — May 24
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Stella Kalaoram
    Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Stella Kalaoram For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Stella Kalaoram of UNITE HERE. When she’s not volunteering with the Culinary Union, Stella Kalaoram works within the Asian community, primarily with the Thai and Chinese communities. Kalaoram speaks Mandarin and Thai fluently. By word of mouth, people find her, and Kalaoram takes them to the Social Security, welfare or citizenship offices to help them translate and fill out paperwork. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 05/24/2022 - 10:00 — May 24
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Tragedy Turns to Solidarity for Members of UFCW Local 1 After Racially Motivated Mass Shooting
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Tragedy Turns to Solidarity for Members of UFCW Local 1 After Racially Motivated Mass Shooting 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 the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1 are channeling their grief by coming together in the wake of the recent mass shooting at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York. A young man adhering to a vile racist ideology targeted the Tops Friendly Markets store in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo. The supermarket, where dozens of Local 1 members earn a living, was the place where 10 people (all of whom were Black) were killed and another three were injured. Local 1 President and UFCW International Vice President Frank DeRiso announced that a special fund has been established to benefit the union members impacted by the attack. “The horror our members experienced from a racially charged terrorist is unthinkable,” DeRiso said. “This will be a long road to recovery for the victims of this tragedy and this is just one way UFCW Local One is helping our members that were targeted by hate.” The funds will be used to help members of Local 1 recover from this horrific tragedy and to give a donation to the family of Aaron Salter, a retired Buffalo policeman and Tops security officer who made the ultimate sacrifice and saved countless lives with his heroic actions. All union members and supporters are urged to donate to the fund by sending contributions to: Local One Relief Fund, 5911 Airport Road, Oriskany, NY 13424. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 05/24/2022 - 09:30 — May 24
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Dennis Chong
    Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Dennis Chong For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Dennis Chong of AFGE. Yunup Dennis Chong is the vice president of AFGE Local 3615, which serves Social Security employees in Falls Church, Virginia. He is the chair of AFGE's Asian American Pacific Islander constituency group APOWER (Asian Pacific Organized Workers Empowering Representation) and sits on the national executive board for the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance. One of his top priorities is to organize and mobilize more Asian American Pacific Islander brothers, sisters and siblings to join the labor movement. Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/23/2022 - 10:00 — May 23
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: AFSCME Local in Kansas City Secures Large Wage Increases
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: AFSCME Local in Kansas City Secures Large Wage Increases 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. Public service employees who work for Kansas City, Missouri, celebrated last week as their union, AFSCME Local 500, and city leaders signed a new contract. The collective bargaining agreement sets a citywide minimum wage of $16 an hour for seasonal and part-time workers, and $17 an hour for full-time workers. It also includes an average wage increase of 12.6%, plus a longevity pay bonus for workers with five or more years working at the city. “This is a step in the right direction,” Local 500 President Reginald Silvers told KSHB. “The goal is recruitment, retention and training, and we have solved some of those problems with these negotiations. Local 500 is grateful and appreciative.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/23/2022 - 09:30 — May 23