News

Liz Shuler Elected AFL-CIO President

The AFL-CIO Executive Council today elected Liz Shuler, a visionary leader and longtime trade unionist, to serve as president of the federation of 56 unions and 12.5 million members. Shuler is the first woman to hold the office in the history of the labor federation. The Executive Council also elected United Steelworkers (USW) International Vice President Fred Redmond to succeed Shuler as secretary-treasurer, the first African American to hold the number two office. Tefere Gebre will continue as executive vice president, rounding out the most diverse team of officers ever to lead the AFL-CIO.

In Memoriam: Richard L. Trumka (1949-2021)

Our brother and leader Richard Trumka passed away on August 5, 2021, at the age of 72.

Five Ways Unions Are Helping You Right Now…Even If You’re Not a Member

A workers’ rights case before the Supreme Court this week could have a dramatic impact on all of our lives. Janus v. AFSCME is a case that is designed to dramatically reduce dues and starve unions that are representing workers at the bargaining table. The Janus case is being pushed by some big corporations and CEOs as part of their well-funded attacks against collective bargaining.

Trump’s Infrastructure Plan Is to Spend Less on Infrastructure

When he finally unveiled his infrastructure plan on Monday, President Donald Trump offered cities and states negative $40 billion.

SAG-AFTRA Launches 'Four Pillars of Change' Sexual Harassment Initiative

At its recent bi-coastal meeting, the SAG-AFTRA National Board of Directors unanimously approved a Code of Conduct on Sexual Harassment to Advance Equity, which is part of a program to combat harassment and strive toward workplace equity called the Four Pillars of Change, according to an announcement.

“At its most basic, this code will — ultimately — help better define what harassment is and what members’ rights are in those situations,” SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris said in the release.

The Future of Organized Labor is in the Supreme Court's Hands

The U.S. Supreme Court soon will be the stage of one of the most consequential fights in the history of the American worker.

Anyone concerned with the future of middle-class jobs in our nation deserves to get the facts. Rather than sifting through the complexities of this legal battle, the goal of this article is to make clear to readers the real-life implications of this impending court decision.

German Union's Big Win Shows U.S. Labor the Path Forward

Last week the German metalworkers’ union, IG Metall, arguably one of the world’s most powerful unions, showed that unions have the power to shape their future workplaces.  

IG Metall negotiated a precedent-setting collective-bargaining agreement that privileges working conditions over wages. It won its key demand that workers have the right to reduce their working week from 35 to 28 hours for a period of up to two years in order to care for family members.

Labor Chiefs Make Their Pitch To CEOs Studying Connecticut's Competitiveness

Organized labor finally got its chance to be heard in the debate about how Connecticut can do a better job competing for business and improving its crisis-prone state finances.

On NAFTA Talks, Glimmers of Hope, But Sides Are Still Far Apart

President Trump's chief trade official Monday offered a modicum of optimism about the ongoing talks to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement, even as he shot down two key Canadian proposals and blasted a recent trade action by Canada as a "massive attack on all of our trade laws."

Tips Are More Important Than You Think

The Donald Trump Labor Department is proposing a rule change that would mean that restaurant servers and bartenders could lose a large portion of their earnings. The rule would overturn one put in place by the Barack Obama administration initiated, which prevents workers in tipped industries from having their tips taken by their employers. Under the new rule, business owners could pay their wait staff and bartenders as little as $7.25 per hour and keep all tips above that amount without having to tell customers what happened.