AFL-CIO Blog

  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Flight Attendants Are Essential Workers
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Flight Attendants Are Essential Workers During the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story. Not only are flight attendants first responders in the air, they also face the risks associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. These women and men provide an essential service. The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) is raising awareness through the collecting and sharing of "mask selfies." If you are a flight attendant, send your mask selfie to [email protected] and check out this slideshow highlighting the importance of these front-line workers. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 06/25/2020 - 16:07 Tags: COVID-19, Community Service — Jun 25
  • Workers First: In the States Roundup
    Workers First: 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. Alaska State AFL-CIO: California Labor Federation: Colorado AFL-CIO: Connecticut AFL-CIO: Florida AFL-CIO: Georgia State AFL-CIO: Idaho State AFL-CIO: Indiana State AFL-CIO: Iowa Federation of Labor: Kansas AFL-CIO: Maine 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: Oregon AFL-CIO: Pennsylvania AFL-CIO: Rhode Island AFL-CIO: Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council: Texas AFL-CIO: Virginia AFL-CIO: Wisconsin State AFL-CIO: Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 06/25/2020 - 15:03 — Jun 25
  • The President Must Stop Scapegoating Immigrants
    The President Must Stop Scapegoating Immigrants This week, under the guise of protecting workers, President Trump issued a proclamation suspending immigration and a number of work visa programs through the end of the year.  We know what this is really about. We’ve seen it many times before. The president is trying to distract from his failure to lead us through this pandemic by returning to one of his favorite themes⁠—scapegoating immigrants. America’s unions have a clear list of steps the administration could take if it really wants to protect workers amidst this crisis and promote a just recovery. Suspending immigration isn’t one of them.   Working people have had enough of the divide and distract tactics⁠—we are rising up to demand real measures to enact our Five Economic Essentials and promote an inclusive pro-worker agenda for our country.   Unions have long called for reforms to our work visa programs to protect workers’ rights and prevent employers from pitting workers against each other to drive down standards. Those changes are needed now more than ever, but they require a thoughtful approach, not a blunt instrument like a ban.   The proclamation does little more than pause visa programs that harm America's workers and migrant workers alike. That is no substitute for real reform. These programs were broken before the onset of the pandemic and, absent congressional action, will remain broken when the economy fully reopens. As we have for more than a decade, the labor movement will continue our push to restructure work visa programs so they can only ever be used in cases of real need and so that all workers in affected industries are assured full rights, fair pay and equal treatment.   Working people know the difference between callous campaign stunts and real solutions. We will not be misled by proclamations that only serve to rob America of what truly makes us great: our diversity. Union members and our families come from every country in the world, and our labor movement has trade union partners around the globe. These connections are a source of strength and vitality for our country, our workforce and our movement. Each new travel and asylum ban imposed by this administration undermines our values, our competitiveness and our standing in the world—but it will never undermine our solidarity. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 06/25/2020 - 09:32 — Jun 25
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Needing Journalists Now More Than Ever
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Needing Journalists Now More Than Ever During the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story. Michael Hutton is a sports reporter for the Post-Tribune in Gary, Indiana, and a member of The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA) Local 34071. For Hutton and his co-workers, everything is now a COVID-19 story. He writes about students not finishing the season, tournaments being canceled and coaches dying. As a result of the pandemic, Hutton, and everyone at the Post-Tribune, has been furloughed for three weeks and is worried about losing his job in the fall. Learn more about how journalists and the whole journalism industry are being affected during these dangerous times. Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/24/2020 - 11:01 Tags: COVID-19, Community Service — Jun 24
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: During COVID-19 Pandemic, Oregon Workers Are Helping Workers
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: During COVID-19 Pandemic, Oregon Workers Are Helping Workers Oregon AFL-CIO During the COVID-19 pandemic and widespread protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities. In our new Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of those stories every day. Here's today's story. Working people in Portland, Oregon, have stepped up to fill community needs by hosting the Workers Helping Workers food drive and distribution program. The program is led by President Jeff Anderson (UFCW) of the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, Oregon AFL-CIO President Graham Trainor (IBEW) and Labor’s Community Service Agency. In response to layoffs, furloughs and record unemployment, the unions came together to distribute 1,000 food boxes in the first of at least three planned distributions. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/23/2020 - 14:20 Tags: COVID-19, Community Service — Jun 23