WNYLaborToday News - Labor News From Washington, D.C.

National Nurses United 'Condemns The ICE Murder Of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo' In Houston As 'The Nation's Largest Nurses Union Reaffirms Its Calls For The Abolition Of ICE'

Wed, 15 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(SILVER SPRING, MARYLAND) - National Nurses United (NNU), the largest Union of Registered Nurses (RNs) in the United States, is condemning the murder of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Houston.

NNU maintains that the only way forward on this issue of fascist authoritarian violence is the abolition of ICE.

“ICE has continued to operate with deadly force and apparent complete impunity despite mass calls for their abolition,” NNU Executive Director Puneet Maharaj said. “Their ongoing campaign of lethal violence against everyday people is needlessly ending lives, causing harm, and endangering and terrifying the communities where we live, work and take care of patients.”

A GoFundMe has been established to support Araujo’s Family.

The Trump Administration continues to spread terror in our communities by targeting innocent People of Color and criminalizing dissent, Union Officials said.

From Federal charges against Anti-ICE protesters in Minnesota to sentencing protesters and activists in Texas to raiding the offices of non-profit organizations in Ohio, these coordinated attacks are aimed to undermine our Democracy and strip away our freedoms, NNU said.

Nurses are committed to building the solidarity needed to protect our patients and communities from these escalating attacks by officials under the Trump Administration, the Union said.

The NNU has consistently called for ICE’s abolition and Nurses have taken several actions to demand an end to this campaign of community harassment and endangerment.

The NNU represents more than 225,000 Nurses across the Nation and advocates for policies and legislation that improve the lives of Nurses and communities everywhere.

The NNU is the largest and fastest-growing Union and Professional Association of RNs in the United States with more than 225,000 Members nationwide.

NNU Affiliates include the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, the DC Nurses Association, the Michigan Nurses Association, the Minnesota Nurses Association, and the New York State Nurses Association.

To Directly Access This Labor News Story, Go To: National Nurses United condemns ICE murder of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo | National Nurses United

NNU Photo.

Unionized Workers 'Decry Trump's War On Wind'

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Michael Sainato at The Guardian reports President Donald Trump has blamed everything - from “national security” issues, the deaths of birds and whales, and cancer - in his decades-long campaign against wind farms. But as the Trump Administration continues to undermine the industry, what worries Workers most are their jobs. Since taking office for a second term, Trump has issued an Executive Order aiming to halt all wind-energy leases and permits, attempted to issue stop-work orders on wind projects under construction, and paid more than $2.6 billion in settlements to buy out wind energy leases. Hundreds of Workers have been affected. Trump’s Department of Interior has completed four deals so far to cancel wind project leases, paying energy corporations a sum of more than $2.6 billion, including paying $765 million to Invenergy to abandon four wind projects in California, New York and Maine and nearly $900 million to Bluepoint Wind and Garden State Wind to cancel off-shore wind leases in New York and California. “I think it’s a foolish policy the Trump Administration is engaging in trying to buy out these leases,” Rhode Island AFL-CIO President Pat Crowley told The Guardian. “These projects are not only helping to reduce our carbon emissions, they’re providing good-paying Union jobs for thousands.” Crowley said Workers would have had long-term job stability from working on these projects, noting the Trump administration had lost in Court in its attempts to issue stop-work orders on five wind projects in the Rhode Island area.

To Read This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: ‘Why take those jobs away?’: the unionized workers decrying Trump’s war on wind | Wind power | The Guardian

IUOE Local 17 Windmill Project File Photo.

Nurse Strikes 'Have Quadrupled Since 2017, Here's Why It Keeps Growing'

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Jay Wiley at Nurse.org reports that if it feels like Nurses are walking out more often than they used to, you are not imagining it. The numbers prove it and the pace is picking up. Nurse.org tracked 107 confirmed Registered Nurse (RN) walkouts from 2017 through 2026. In the three years before the Coronavirus Pandemic, the U.S. saw about four Nurse Strikes a year. In 2025, there were 19. And by the middle of 2026, there had already been 16. Two honest notes on that climb: Some of the recent increase comes from the same hospitals striking more than once, often several short walkouts during a single contract fight, which lifts the yearly count; and Strikes from the late 2010s are simply harder to document than today's, so the earliest years may be undercounted. Even allowing for both, the direction is unmistakable - and independent trackers see the same thing. Cornell University's Labor Action Tracker found Health Care Strikes rose 58% in 2025 over the year before, with the number of workers involved more than doubling. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports education and health services accounted for 64% of all Workers idled by major Strikes in 2025, more than any other sector. The jump follows the staffing crisis Nurses have lived with since 2020. When Nurse.org looked at the reasons behind every walkout, staffing levels were at the heart of 95 of the 107 strikes. Pay and patient safety come up too, but unsafe assignments and being stretched too thin are what push Nurses to the picket line.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Story, Go To: Nurse Strikes Have Quadrupled Since 2017. Here's Why It Keeps Growing | Nurse.Org

A New Analysis Finds The NLRB 'Is More Likely To Dismiss Worker & Union Charges Under Trump' - Report 'Points To Staffing Shortages, Procedural Changes & Lack Of A Board Quorum As Contributing Factors'

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Michael Sainato at The Guardian reports dismissals of Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Charges have surged at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) under Republican President Donald Trump, according to a new analysis. From January 2025 to April 2026, the NLRB dismissed 34.7% of all ULP Charges filed by Labor Unions, a 14.2 percentage-point increase from 2024. The NLRB dismissed 67.4% of ULP Charges filed by Workers, 10.7 points higher than 2024. The analysis of more than 40,000 cases conducted by the Center for American Progress cited several issues at the NLRB since Trump began his second term in office. The NLRB was left without a quorum required to issue decisions for 345 days after Trump fired Gwynne Wilcox, the first Black Woman to ever serve on the Board. Labor Lawyers have noted ULP Charge cases are being thrown out due to glitches or technicalities with the Board’s Docketing System. Bloomberg reported in February 2026 that NLRB Regional Offices are understaffed by 23%, but Congress has continued slashing the Board’s budget. About 150 Workers left the NLRB in 2025 and only eight workers were added, a loss of more than 10% of the NLRB’s workforce, leading to worsening backlogs of cases.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: US labor board more likely to dismiss worker and union charges under Trump, analysis finds | US unions | The Guardian

A Federal Judge 'Sides With AFSCME Workers To Protect' The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Members will continue to be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program after a Federal Judge blocked the Trump Administration’s effort to unfairly disqualify certain government and non-profit employers from the popular program. 

The Court’s ruling - in a lawsuit brought by AFSCME and others - ordered the U.S. Department of Education to abandon a rule change that would have allowed the Administration to exclude organizations for political reasons and denied their Workers access to The Student Debt Relief Program that makes college more affordable and attracts skilled Workers to Public Service careers. 

AFSCME President Lee Saunders called the ruling a major victory for Public Service Workers and the communities they serve: “We applaud the Court for blocking this illegal, partisan effort to strip Public Service Workers of critical debt relief. Countless Public Service jobs require Workers to get degrees, leaving many in crippling debt even as they do the work necessary to keep our communities running. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program is a promise that those who dedicate their careers to helping others will receive the backing they need.”

Saunders said the ruling ensures “the door remains open for the next generation to step into these critical roles with confidence that they will be able to provide for themselves and their families - a major victory for communities nationwide.” 

The ruling is yet another example of how AFSCME Members, in solidarity with allied groups, are fighting back against the Trump Administration’s Anti-Worker policies and supporting the Employees who deliver vital services that keep our communities running. 

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: Judge sides with AFSCME workers to protect Public Service Loan Forgiveness program - AFSCME. You can read the court’s opinion here and learn more about the case here. 

Unions Join With Civil Rights Groups 'To Fight Trump's SAVE Act Voter Suppression Bill'

Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Labor Unions and Civil Rights Groups are girding for another battle over a massive Republican Voter Suppression Bill, the so-called SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act.

Right-Wing House Republicans demanded the GOP attach the SAVE Act to the annual Military Authorization Bill, but their leaders said “no.”

The Right-Wingers then revolted, joining the Democrats to scuttle the Military Bill on a procedural vote just before the July 4th congressional recess.

So, House Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican-Louisiana) - to appease his radicals who are led by U.S. Representative Anna Paulina Luna (Republican-Florida) plans to insert it into yet another so-called “Reconciliation” Bill when Lawmakers return on July 11th.

Reconciliation Bills are immune from Senate filibusters - but they’re supposed to only deal with tax and spending limits, such as President Donald Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” did last July 4th.

The SAVE Act is now Trump’s top priority and Johnson is scrounging for ways to enact it.

Johnson says key parts of the SAVE Act would virtually kill mail-in balloting and force voters to provide proof of citizenship every time they register to vote and/or go to the polls.

He also contends it would eliminate “fraud in Blue States.”

Johnson did not provide any proof of such fraud.

Neither did the measure’s top sponsor, Trump, who’s made it his #1 cause and who still lies about the 2020 Presidential Election being “stolen” from him.

But the SAVE Act “will guarantee the Mid-Terms” for the GOP, he declares, and ensure that Republicans won’t lose for “a hundred years.”

Former Trump Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem disclosed the real objective of the SAVE Act, though, four months ago.

It’s “to make sure we have the right people voting, that we have the right people to lead this country.”

In plain English: Right-Wing MAGA Republicans and a few others.

Estimates of how many people would lose the right to vote via the GOP’s Voter Suppression Bill start at 21 million, the number of Women whose last names on their original Voter Registrations do not match their current names.

Other numbers are higher.

The GOP plan has drawn the ire of the National AFL-CIO.: “We must defend rule by the people and the right to vote. We strongly oppose restrictive Voter ID Laws that disenfranchise segments of the population by disproportionately impacting Workers, Women, People with Disabilities and Communities of Color.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Story, Go To: Stop the SAVE: Unions, civil rights groups fight voter suppression bill – People's World

United Steelworkers File Graphic.

AFGE & NFFE-IAM Affiliates 'Sue' The U.S. Defense Department 'Over Illegal Termination Of Employees' Union Rights'

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) have sued the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) over the unlawful termination of hundreds of Union contracts.

The lawsuit alleges Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s April 9th memo canceling virtually all Civilian Workforce Collective Bargaining Agreements violates the Administrative Procedure Act.

AFGE National President Everett Kelley said: "The Department of Defense's termination of AFGE contracts, carried out under Pete Hegseth's unlawful directive, is an insult to the hard-working Men and Women who serve our military. I am proud to stand with AFGE's Affiliates fighting for their rights. In many cases, the Affiliates have had contracts in place for more than fifty years before they were unlawfully terminated. As we celebrate our Nation's (250th) anniversary, we should not be attacking those who help us protect our freedoms. In attacking DOD Civilian Employees, the Administration is attacking Veterans, Military Families and the workers our Warfighters rely on every day. This not only makes America less safe, it is antithetical to our values as a Nation."

NFFE National President Randy Erwin said: “For decades, workers at the Department of Defense have had the right to Unionize and employees exercising that right has never been detrimental to U.S. National Security. The Trump Administration unilaterally and illegally stripping Collective Bargaining Rights from DOD Workers only serves to weaken morale, harm recruitment and retention, and reduce accountability - jeopardizing our National Security and the critical mission of the Agency. NFFE Locals are proud to join their AFGE Brothers and Sisters in challenging the cancellation of their Collective Bargaining Agreements and we are confident the rule of law will prevail.”

For More On This Labor News Report, Go To: Unions sue DoD over termination of collective bargaining agreements | Federal News Network

Photograph Courtesy Of The National AFL-CIO.

The National AFL-CIO 'Details The Harm To Working People On The One-Year Anniversary Of The Passage Of Trump's Big Ugly Bill'

Mon, 06 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - One year ago, President Donald Trump signed the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, commemorating the July 4th Holiday by throwing millions off their health care and food assistance and cutting hundreds of thousands of health care jobs.

The National AFL-CIO is marking the anniversary by detailing the damage the law has done to Working Families, while the wealthiest few continue to cash in.

In a statement, National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said: It’s been one year since President Trump signed the worst job-killing bill in American History. It was made possible by every Senator and representative who voted to sell out Working People and pick their pockets to hand another payday to corporations and billionaires. Since the passing of the Big Ugly Bill, the U.S. economy has had one of the worst years of job growth in decades. Black Workers have been hit the hardest, with an unemployment rate now more than double the rate for White Workers. Millions of Americans have lost their health care and access to the food programs they rely on, all while dealing with higher costs on everything from gas and groceries to electricity. With even bigger cuts going into effect after the Mid-Term Elections, States’ budgets are getting blown up and local Lawmakers are planning devastating cuts to even more essential programs to cover their residents’ SNAP and Medicaid costs. Meanwhile, the people at the top are doing better than ever. This Bill handed billionaires, one trillionaire and the country’s wealthiest corporations massive tax giveaways paid for by The Social Programs Working Families depend on to survive. In 1776, Americans stood up against a powerful king who thought he could steal from us, trample on our rights and get away with it. We refused to be silenced. Two hundred and fifty years later, that same spirit is alive in American Workers who organize their jobsites, fight for policies that actually help Workers and show up at the ballot box to hold their Elected Representatives accountable. This Independence Day and every day, America’s Unions continue to fight the damage this Bill has caused and build an economy that actually works for Working People.”

One year later, the Big Ugly Bill has:

Contributed to one of the worst years for the job market in decades, with the U.S. economy experiencing almost zero job growth in 2025, and the gap between Black and White unemployment doubling.
Stripped food assistance from more than four million Americans through SNAP cuts, with participation dropping in every State and the steepest losses in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana and Oklahoma.
Forced about three million people off their health insurance and drove up costs for people who get their coverage through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. Premiums rose by 58% and deductibles reached a record high of nearly $3,800 a year.
Cut State Medicaid budgets by nearly $679 billion, with new bureaucratic red tape projected to strip coverage from up to 10 million more people by 2028 and put hundreds of hospitals at risk of closing.
Raised electricity bills by more than $110 a year after repealing clean energy investment incentives that created good Union energy jobs, all while Americans get slammed by inflation at a three-year high.
Gifted $1 trillion in tax breaks to the top 1% and raised taxes on Americans earning under $15,000 a year, while adding $3.4 trillion to the deficit.
Is still on track to throw 600,000 health Care Workers out of a job, along with threatening 1.75 million construction jobs and 840,000 energy jobs in the years to come.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: AFL-CIO Details Harms to Working People for One Year of Big Ugly Bill | AFL-CIO

Seventeen States & Localities 'Are Increasing Their Minimum Wage In July'

Sun, 05 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - On July 1st, the Minimum Wage rose in the States of Alaska, Oregon and in our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C. - lifting wages for more than 361,000 Workers and collectively raising their earnings by more than $221 million.

In addition to these two States and Washington, D.C. - 14 Cities and Counties also increased their Minimum Wage this Summer, including Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

These increases continue to be crucial for low-wage Workers as they contend with the affordability crisis.

The average increase in annual wages for a full-time, year-round Worker resulting from these Minimum-Wage hikes ranges from $573 in Oregon to $811 in Alaska.

These pay raises directly boost Workers’ incomes, giving them a leg-up in the race against rising prices - a straightforward example of how policymakers can often more easily tackle affordability challenges through policy decisions that boost wages, such as setting strong wage floors.

A higher Minimum Wage has a positive impact on more than just the Workers who currently earn the Minimum Wage - indirectly affected Workers will see their pay go up too as employers adjust their wage ladders to the new wage floor.

The Economic Policy Institute’s (EPI) analysis of the increases in Alaska, Oregon and Washington, D.C., accounts for these spillover effects and finds:

Women make up more than half (56.3%) of affected
The wage increases disproportionately benefit Black and Hispanic Workers. Black Workers make up 15.3% of affected Workers, despite making up 10.4% of the workforce across the three areas. Hispanic Workers make up a similar percentage of the workforce (12.4%) - but make up more than a fourth (26.0%) of affected
The vast majority (89.3%) of affected Workers are age 20 or older - and more than three in five Workers (62.1%) are 25 or older.
More than half (52.9%) of the affected Workers work full-time.
The increases will raise wages for those who need it the most. Half (50.5%) of affected Workers belong to households whose incomes are less than 200% of the poverty line.
More than one in five (23.6%) of affected Workers are parents.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Seventeen states and localities are increasing their minimum wage this July | Economic Policy Institute

The United Auto Workers 'Vote To Divest' From Israeli Bonds

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(DETROIT, MICHIGAN) - Members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) have voted to remove hundreds of thousands of dollars in the Union's investments in Israeli bonds because of the country's war in Gaza.

The vote to divest came at the just-held Union's 39th Constitutional Convention at Huntington Place in Downtown Detroit as one of the UAW's last orders of business.

The measure was passed by a raised-hand vote of the thousand-or-so Delegates, amalgamated from UAW Locals across the United States.

As early as December 2023, the Union had criticized Israel's prosecution of the war, which started with an attack on Israel on October 7th, 2023, signing onto a petition advocating for a ceasefire.

At the time, the Union also formed a group to study the UAW's financial connections to Israel.

"From opposing fascism in World War (Two) to mobilizing against apartheid South Africa and the CONTRA war, the UAW has consistently stood for justice across the globe," Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla said in a news release back in 2023. "That is why I am proud that the UAW International is officially calling for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine."

To Read This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: UAW convention votes to divest from Israeli bonds

The National AFL-CIO 'Slams Supreme Court Ruling That Threatens To Give Trump Power Over The Federal Agencies That Protects Labor Rights'

Wed, 01 Jul 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Trump v. Slaughter, which allows the President to fire members of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The Labor Federation submitted an amicus brief in the case in November calling on the Supreme Court to uphold the independence of Federal Agencies:

The Supreme Court sided with President Trump in Trump v. Slaughter, giving the President the power to fire members of the FTC for any reason, or no reason at all - with presumably widespread consequences for many independent Federal Agencies, including potentially those that protect Workers’ Rights.

The Court’s ruling will further embolden big corporations that willingly break the law to trample our rights.

For 90 years, the independence of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been central to the Agency’s mission of protecting the fundamental rights of Workers to organize on the job free of political interference.

Along with the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) and National Mediation Board, the NLRB provides the legal avenue for Workers to fight back against bad bosses and violations of their rights in the workplace.

(This) ruling threatens their independence and ensures that every future member of these Boards will wonder whether the President is watching over their shoulders, ready to try to fire them for any ruling they disagree with.

Workers seeking to organize their workplace or file charges against an employer could ultimately face boards that answer to the President, not the law.

Giving Trump the power to hand-pick political loyalists to decide those cases - and carry out his own Anti-Worker agenda - corrupts the entire process.

The Labor Movement has been here before.

Decades of Worker organizing and Strikes forced Congress to act, creating a legal path to justice that didn’t exist before.

No Supreme Court decision can take away Workers’ will to organize or stop our fight for Workers’ Rights on the job.

To Directly Access This National AFL-CIO Statement, Go To: AFL-CIO Slams Ruling That Threatens to Give Trump Power Over the Federal Agencies That Protect Our Labor Rights | AFL-CIO

The National AFL-CIO's P.O.W.E.R. Program 'Is Recruiting 50,000 Election Protection Volunteers & Turning Out At Least Two Million More To Ensure Working People Have Their Voices Heard At The Ballot Box & Put Pro-Worker Candidates Into Office'

Mon, 29 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler has released the following statement regarding what must be done by Organized Labor prior to the November Mid-Term Election:

We have less than 130 days - that’s how long we have until Election Day to launch the biggest, most organized electoral campaign that our movement has ever created to elect lawmakers who will fight for us, not the unchecked billionaires running the White House.

Every hard-fought contract this Administration has shredded, every dollar it has taken from essential Social Services to cut taxes for the rich and every Working Person who has been targeted by campaigns of terror, all of it is why we need to show up like never before this November.

At our Convention earlier this month, the AFL-CIO launched its 2026 Mid-Term Political Campaign - The P.O.W.E.R. Program:

P: Protect the vote and ensure every Member can safely cast their ballot.

O: Organize new labor strongholds led by Workers.

W: Win crucial races that determine the future of Workers' Rights.

E: Engage our baseline through authentic, peer-to-peer contact.

R: Right Now: Mobilize Right Now. Action today creates victory tomorrow.

We’re recruiting 50,000 Election Protection Volunteers and turning out at least two million more new Members to ensure Working People have their voices heard at the ballot box and put Pro-Worker candidates into office.

We are in the fight of our lives.

What happens in November will directly impact our lives, our Unions and our communities.

Let’s get this done.

The National AFL-CIO 'Condemns' The Supreme Court's 'Decision To End Temporary Protected Status For Immigrant Workers'

Fri, 26 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement in response to the Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump Administration to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) protections:

Today’s decision is a devastating blow to Working Families and the stability of our economy.

We stand proudly with the valued members of our Unions and communities with TPS as we continue the long-term fight for justice.

By allowing the Trump Administration to disregard the law, the Court has put the lives and livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Workers at risk.

TPS holders from Haiti, Syria and other countries came here fleeing danger, instability and crisis.

They have built lives here, joined Unions, and become integral to our workplaces and economy.

Let’s be clear about who pays the price for this decision: Working People.

It’s not just wrong - it is a recipe for economic disaster that will create chaos in workplaces, disrupt key industries and make it easier for bad bosses to exploit fear and drive down workplace standards and conditions for everyone.

The Trump Administration’s Anti-Immigrant agenda seeks to pit Working People against each other - but the Labor Movement rejects that politics of fear.

Congress must act immediately to protect TPS holders and stabilize our workforce by creating a broad and swift pathway to citizenship for those whose labor helps our country to prosper.

We will keep fighting alongside Immigrant Workers and their families, because an injury to one is an injury to all.

To Directly Access This National AFL-CIO Statement, Go To: AFL-CIO Condemns Supreme Court Decision to End TPS for Immigrant Workers | AFL-CIO

New Trump Rule 'To Cost Workers $3.7 Billion - Yearly'

Thu, 25 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - In another Donald Trump regime slam at Workers, a proposed U.S. Labor Department (DOL) “Joint Employer” rule could cost at least 595,000 more Workers, already exploited by low pay, no benefits and bad conditions, at least $3.7 billion - yearly, the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) says. The yearly loss to individual Workers would range from “a minimum of $6,294 for Retail Sales Workers, under extremely conservative assumptions, to a minimum of $23,266 annually for Truck Drivers,” EPI calculates. And all that money would stay in corporate pockets, the Labor-backed Think Tank protested to Daniel Navarrete, the Regulations Director for the Trump DOL’s Wage and Hours Division. The only joint employers under the Trump DOL’s proposal would be those who directly control all aspects of the Worker’s job, from uniforms to hours scheduled to working conditions to delivery vehicles. Democratic President Joe Biden’s “Joint Employer” rule, which Trump would repeal - thus evading Congress, includes indirect control of the Worker and more factors the employer must meet to get away with not obeying Labor Laws. EPI President Heidi Shierholz, a former Chief Economist for the DOL, and two of her top Analysts urged Navarrete to dump the proposed rule and keep the Biden-era Worker Joint Employer Protections that Trump demands to erase.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: New Trump rule to cost workers $3.7 billion yearly – People's World

'Here's Why You Trust Your Nurse More Than Your Doctor'

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Anyone who’s spent time in a hospital knows that the heart of a patient’s Care Team is the Nurse, who shows up at any hour to adjust an IV, answer panicked questions or simply sit at the bedside while a patient tries to make sense of what’s happening to their body. That proximity - physical, emotional, and constant, turns into something powerful: Trust. “The Doctor is treating the disease,” says Marlo Robinson, who serves as Dean and Vice President of Purdue Global School of Nursing. “We’re the ones who are with the patients living with the disease.” That dynamic helps explain why Nurses have consistently ranked as America’s most trusted profession in Gallup’s annual Honesty and Ethics Poll - 25 times since 1999, with the lone exception of 2001, when Firefighters briefly took the top spot after the September 11 attacks. In the most recent poll, 75% of Americans rated Nurses’ honesty and ethical standards as “very high” or “high.” Doctors came in at 57%, a roughly 20-point drop from their Pandemic-era peak and among the lowest the profession has scored in nearly three decades. The trust gap isn’t new, but it’s widening. Experts say the reasons for it have to do with how American medicine is structured, taught, and paid for and because the people patients see most aren't always the ones making the decisions. Given these differing responsibilities, Nurses simply spend more time with patients than Doctors do. Doctors work in episodes, Robinson says: They pop in for morning rounds, an afternoon procedure, or a seven-minute consultation. Nurses, on the other hand, often work in 12-hour shifts that allow them to notice changes big or small. “We’re with patients moment to moment,” she says. American Nurses Association President Jennifer Mensik Kennedy adds: “We are physically and emotionally closer to patients than almost anyone in the system. We’re there during their fear and their pain and their uncertainty, not just the decision points.”

To Read This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: Why Americans Trust Nurses More Than Doctors, According to Experts

New York State Nurses Association File Photo.

'More Money For ICE?' Unions 'Say They'll Remember In November'

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA) - James Early, a California Public Worker and a Member of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1000, had a blunt message for Federal Lawmakers, all Republicans, who just approved $70 billion more for President Donald Trump’s violent ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) Agents: We’ll remember in November. And it’s a good bet the rest of the National AFL-CIO will, too, especially since the Labor Federation just finished its convention in Minneapolis, an epicenter of Trump Administration violence against Migrants and Citizens -killing two, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Pretti, a VA Hospital Registered Nurse, was a Union Member. The SEIU picked up Early’s message and posted it on the International Union’s website after the House sent the so-called “Reconciliation” Bill, with the ICE money and with no strings attached to President Trump on June 9th. The party-line vote was 214-to-212. He signed it the next day. Said Early: “What happened in the House is frustrating for Working Families like mine, but it’s also getting us activated for November. We’ve been saying we want health care, relief from these high prices and respect. Their response has been to pour even more money into ICE to fund more hate. We’ll turn our frustration into action by organizing and sending a clear message at the ballot box. It’s time to put our country back on the right path by electing leaders that stand up for Working People, not billionaires.”

To Continue Reading This Labor News Story, Go To: More money for ICE? Unions say they’ll remember in November – People's World

File Photo Courtesy Of The Minnesota AFL-CIO's Facebook Page.

The National AFL-CIO Sports Council On The Federal Protect College Sports Act

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – Leadership at the National AFL-CIO Sports Council released the following statement on the Protect Sports Act (PCSA):

We are the AFL-CIO Sports Council, representing Athlete Workers across Professional Sports in the United States and Canada. We came together to build power across Professional Sports and fight for the rights of the Workers who put their bodies on the line to create the profit sports Leagues collect. All Workers deserve safe workplaces, equal pay, fair benefits and a share of revenue, freedom from harassment and discrimination, and a voice on the job - including Professional and College Athletes. While we appreciate the thoughtful engagement that has gone into improving Federal legislation to strengthen protections for College Athletes, we believe there needs to be more work done on the Protect College Sports Act (PCSA). As written, the Bill further silences College Athletes’ voices on the job, undermines their right to Collective Bargaining to improve their workplace conditions, jeopardizes fair compensation and stops States from passing laws that would protect and advance their rights.

The PCSA would:

Provide the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), NCAA Conferences and Schools with the ability to solely determine College Athletes’ compensation, including: Name, image and likeness rights; Working conditions, including health and safety issues and transfers; and Eligibility without any negotiations or Collective Bargaining.

Reverse progress that has been made toward ensuring that workplaces are free from harassment and discrimination by placing the burden on Athletes rather than creating meaningful oversight and accountability for Title IX violations.

Create an arbitrary cap on College Athletes’ compensation, limiting the share of the revenue they generate, while Schools, Conferences, broadcasters, sponsors and the NCAA itself capitalize on their labor by raking in billions of dollars.

Prohibit State Legislatures from passing laws that would advance College Athletes’ Worker rights, including workplace protections and fair name, image and likeness compensation.

The National AFL-CIO Sports Council was formed in 2022 to build power across Unions in Professional Sports, amplify the voices of athletes and shine a light on the challenges they face as Workers.

It also aligns the interests of Athletes in Professional Sports industries and beyond.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: AFL-CIO Sports Council on the Protect College Sports Act | AFL-CIO

SAG-AFTRA 'On The Threat Of AI In The Workplace' - "If Your Voice Can Be Copied, If Your Image Can Be Replicated, If Your Data Can Be Harvested, If Your Work Can Be Used To Train Systems That May One Day Replace Or Undercut You - This Is About You."

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

During the recently-held 30th National AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention in Minneapolis, Minneapolis - Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland led a presentation titled AI Should Work for Us for Union Delegates.

Following its opener, which asked attendees to offer their thoughts on the presence of AI in the workplace and showed real-world examples of generative tools, he went on to outline a multi-pronged strategy that centered on Collective Bargaining, public policy and Member and public engagement, and to explain how SAG-AFTRA has utilized this approach in its negotiations, at the State and Federal Legislative levels, and among its Members and the public.

“Laws alone are not enough if Workers do not understand the technology and do not have the power to enforce their rights,” Crabtree-Ireland said. “That is why we need an organized, educated, mobilized Labor Movement. If your voice can be copied, if your image can be replicated, if your data can be harvested, if your work can be used to train systems that may one day replace or undercut you - this is about you.”

At the AFL-CIO Convention, Union Delegates unanimously passed Resolution 28, calling on the Nationwide Labor Federation to support Federal legislation creating tax incentives for domestic film and television production.

SAG-AFTRA proposed the resolution, which was supported by a coalition of Entertainment and Media Unions.

SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and Crabtree-Ireland joined International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) President Matt Loeb, Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) Secretary-Treasurer Sasha Stewart, and American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 99 Secretary-Treasurer Mont Chris Hubbard in speaking in favor of the resolution.

SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President Linda Powell also spoke in support of the Nurture Originals, Foster Art and Keep Entertainment Safe, or NO FAKES, Act, which the National AFL-CIO Delegations reaffirmed.

SAG-AFTRA has been a leading advocate for the legislation's passing, which would establish a Federal right of publicity and create meaningful legal recourse for Performers and other Workers whose digital likenesses are exploited without consent.

The show of support underscored the National AFL-CIO’s commitment to protecting Workers from the unauthorized use of their voices and likenesses by AI Systems.

The NO FAKES Act is expected to be presented to a Senate Judiciary Committee vote later in June.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: SAG-AFTRA Gives Presentation on AI in the Workplace at the AFL-CIO Convention | SAG-AFTRA

U.S. Department Of Labor Announces $10.5 Million In Funding Availability 'To Support Mine Safety, Health Training For Nation's Miners'

Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has announced its Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) is making $10.5 million in grant funding available to help States provide Mine Safety Training for the Nation’s Miners.

Acting Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling said: “Through our ongoing commitment to safety training, we achieved a historically low all-injury rate for mining last year. This latest investment demonstrates we’re doubling down on our efforts to protect our Nation’s hard-working Miners. The (USDOL) will continue to put American Miners first by keeping them safe on the job.”

The MSHA will award these grants as part of its Fiscal Year 2026 State Grants Program to fund the delivery of Federally-mandated training and re-training for Miners who work at surface, underground coal and metal and non-metal mines throughout the U.S.

State, Tribal and Territorial Governments are eligible to apply.

The MSHA may fund up to 80% of the program costs under a State grant.

The grant recipient is required to provide at least 20% of the total program costs.

The MSHA recognizes State Training Programs are a key source of mine safety, health training and education.

The USDOL is encouraging State programs to use grant funds to prioritize training assistance for new and small mining operations, as well as to support a State’s broader Health and Safety Training Programs.

MSHA also recommends grantees develop or create Training Compliance Assistance Programs to assist operators who are extracting critical minerals, including coal, to support the Administration’s goal of increasing the discovery and mining of critical minerals.

The USDOL also emphasizes training on Miners’ Statutory Rights under the Mine Safety and Health Act.

Grant applications must be submitted by August 10th (2026) and will be awarded on or before September 30th (2026).

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: US Department of Labor announces $10.5M funding availability to support mine safety, health training for nation’s miners | U.S. Department of Labor

From The Economic Policy Institute: State Lawmakers 'Continue To Weaken Child Labor Protections In 2026 As Efforts To Strengthen Protections Have Stalled'

Sun, 14 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) reports that so far - this year, at least 13 States have introduced bills weakening Child Labor Protections, and four have enacted them. Meanwhile, only three States have introduced Bills to strengthen standards in 2026, compared with 15 in 2025. Industry-backed attacks on Child Labor Standards have followed four troubling trends: 1) Lowering minimum wages for Teen Workers; 2) Weaponizing “Youth Apprenticeships;” 3) Eliminating youth permits; and 4) Weakening safeguards for Teen Child Care Workers. The Trump Administration has undermined Federal enforcement of Child Labor Standards, even amid rising violations. Meanwhile, the State of Oregon enshrined current Federal Child Labor Standards into State law, offering a replicable model for States to hold the line against potential Federal rollbacks.

To Read This EPI Report In Its Entirety, Go To: State lawmakers continued to weaken child labor protections in 2026: Efforts to strengthen protections have stalled | Economic Policy Institute

The National AFL-CIO 'Sues' The Trump Administration 'Over Illegal' Reporting Requirements For Unions

Fri, 12 Jun 2026 11:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – National The AFL-CIO has sued the Trump Administration over a new U.S. Department of Labor rule that violates Federal law in an effort to drain Union resources away from organizing and representing Workers.

The rule adds excessive, burdensome financial reporting requirements on Unions in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act and other laws, the Labor Federation said.

The policy, known as the LM-2 Long Form, is designed to drown Unions in paperwork and drain them of resources needed to organize, collectively bargain and advocate for their Members - especially for smaller Unions that are particularly challenged to take on the additional administrative burden.

Meanwhile, wealthy corporations continue to go under-scrutinized, allowed to get away with minimal reporting requirements compared to the Unions who represent the Workers that create their profit.

National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said: “The Trump Administration is hellbent on making it harder for Working People to come together in a Union and take collective action and this new policy is just the latest example. Whether they’re stripping one million Federal Workers of their Collective Bargaining Rights or illegally springing unnecessary reporting requirements on Unions, they’re using every tool in the toolbox to come after Workers. But the Labor Movement doesn’t back down and will fight every one of these attacks. We’ll see the Administration in Court.”

The National AFL-CIO submitted comments condemning a version of this rule when the Trump Administration first proposed it back in 2020.

That proposal was later withdrawn in 2021.

Now the Administration has performed a bait-and-switch on Workers and their representatives: First releasing a manageable, legally founded LM-2 rule in 2025 - which the National AFL-CIO supported - only to swap it out with this new version, without the required public comment period.

The National AFL-CIO lawsuit asks the Court to immediately halt the implementation of the new rule while litigation continues.

To Directly Access This Labor News Story, Go To: AFL-CIO Sues Trump Administration Over Illegal Reporting Requirements for Unions | AFL-CIO

House Republicans 'Buck Leadership, Join Democrats To Pass Pro-Labor' Faster Labor Contract Act

Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Dave Jamieson at The Huffington Post reports 20 Republicans joined House Democrats to pass a Bill aimed at making it easier for workers to secure Union contracts, a rare showing of bipartisan support in Washington, D.C. for rebuilding Organized Labor. The Faster Labor Contracts Act would require employers to start bargaining with a new Union within 10 days. If they don’t reach an agreement in three months, the two sides would go before a mediator to help broker a deal. If that fails, the dispute would head to binding arbitration. The legislation is being pushed by the Teamsters and Democratic U.S. Representative Donald Norcross of New Jersey, who serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Labor Caucus. But it would not have gone anywhere without the help of more moderate Republicans willing to buck the Republican Party’s employer-friendly line. The bipartisan coalition used a maneuver known as a discharge petition to force the vote over the objections of Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson. It ended up passing 230 to 193. However, the legislation isn’t going anywhere while Republicans still hold the Senate and President Donald Trump wields veto power, but the Teamsters celebrated the House vote as a sign Republicans were willing to work with Democrats to strengthen Unions.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: House Republicans buck leadership, join Democrats to pass pro-labor bill

The National AFL-CIO 'Lays Out Its Most Ambitious Union Organizing Targets - Ever'

Wed, 10 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA) - The National AFL-CIO’s new organizing resolution is supposed to help Workers win - with a goal now of two million new organized Workers by 2031.

Organizing the unorganized is one of the biggest, if not the biggest question facing the Union Movement - and it’s no secret that Union Density in the U.S. is bottoming out.

So, it is rightfully on everybody’s minds here, from the Rank-and-File Workers in attendance, to Worker and Staff Organizers, to the Union Affiliates and their leadership.

The organizing resolution, called We are the Organized Power of Working People, encourages the Labor Federation to coordinate multi-Union Campaigns, align bargaining dates across sectors, launch a mass training program for Rank-and-File Organizers, draw a hard line on political endorsements - no candidate gets Labor’s support unless they’re willing to fight for Collective Bargaining Rights - and even organize outside the traditional National Labor Relations Board process.

The one million new organized Workers the National AFL-CIO is citing reflects growth in sectors such as auto, health care, public service, as well as newer ones like Video Game Developers, Tech Workers, Baristas and other Service Industries.

But, as previously mentioned, Union Density in the U.S. still sits at just 10% of the workforce - which is barely up from the historic lows of the last decade, albeit a sign the bleeding has stopped for now.

Questions about whether the National AFL-CIO’s new goal is achievable, whether it is ambitious enough, and what the nuts-and-bolts and resource allocation will actually look like were central to discussions among Delegates in the halls and bars outside the convention hall this week.

To Read This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: AFL-CIO lays out most ambitious union organizing targets ever – People's World

Photo Courtesy Of The National AFL-CIO’s Facebook Page.

The National AFL-CIO 'Condemns' President Trump's Executive Order To 'Replace Federal Workers With Political Loyalists'

Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler released the following statement in response to President Donald Trump’s Executive Order instating Schedule P/C that would allow his Administration to fire thousands of career Federal Workers and replace them with political loyalists:

President Trump's Executive Order betrays a foundational American value: Our Government works for the people, not for one man’s political agenda. Schedule P/C is the next phase in Trump’s Anti-Worker agenda to replace Government Workers with political loyalists who answer only to him. As we’ve seen from his first day in office, the President is determined to tear down the architecture of our Federal Government and replace it with a system of corruption to benefit powerful CEOs and billionaire Union-Busters. Hundreds of thousands of Federal Workers were fired or pushed out of their jobs and a million were robbed of their Collective Bargaining Rights and had their Union contracts ripped up. The Workers who run our country’s essential services have already suffered enough at the hands of this Administration. When the Administration tried to implement Schedule P/C earlier this year, we sued alongside our Affiliate Unions and Partner Organizations. Now Trump is trying again - but the Labor Movement will continue to stand in the way. The AFL-CIO is staying in this fight because we know the Federal Workers who serve America deserve better.

To Directly Access This National AFL-CIO Statement, Go To: AFL-CIO Condemns Executive Order to Replace Federal Workers with Political Loyalists | AFL-CIO

And For More On This Labor News Story, Go To: Federal unions battle Trump’s attempt to muzzle federal workers – People's World

Liz Shuler & Fred Redmond Re-Elected As President & Secretary-Treasurer Of The National AFL-CIO - Under Shuler-Redmond's Leadership, The AFL-CIO 'Grew The Federation To 65 Unions & 15 Million Workers In Their First Full Term'

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA) - Convention Delegates from across the Nation’s largest Labor Federation have re-elected Liz Shuler and Fred Redmond to lead the National AFL-CIO as President and Secretary-Treasurer, respectively.

When elected to their first full terms in 2022, the team made history: Shuler as the first elected Woman President of the AFL-CIO and Redmond as the highest-ever ranking Black Labor Leader.

During their time in office, they have grown the AFL-CIO from 57 to 65 Affiliated Unions, including the affiliation of the two million Service and Care Workers of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and supported new organizing to bring the collective Membership of the Federation to 15 million Workers and growing.

Said Shuler: “Serving as President of the AFL-CIO has been the honor of a lifetime and I am deeply moved to be re-elected for a second term. My Union story is like so many others, growing up in a Working-Class Family that scraped to get by from paycheck to paycheck until our lives were changed by an IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) Apprenticeship. Our family lived the ‘Union difference.’ Financial stability overnight, a career with skill and dignity for my Dad, and a passion for organizing - that turned into a lifelong mission - for me. I am extraordinarily grateful for the trust that this Movement has placed in me and I will continue to lead our Federation in delivering that ‘Union difference’ and changing lives for Working Families across this country just like mine.”

Said Redmond: “In just two generations, my family went from Mississippi sharecroppers to living in poverty on the South Side of Chicago to me becoming the highest-ranking African American in the history of the American Labor Movement - and it’s all because my Dad got a union job at an aluminum mill and became a member of United Steelworkers Local (3911). When I joined my Dad at the mill, I also joined a movement and a legacy of Trade Unionists who sacrificed and fought to make our jobs safer, our workplaces more equitable and our society more just. At this unprecedented moment, with attacks on Worker and Civil Rights from the most Anti-Labor Administration in history and the wealthy and well-connected consolidating power and profit, we will be led by that history and continue their fight. I’m honored to be able to do that alongside my partner President Shuler and my Union Brothers and Sisters.”

In their second term, President Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Redmond are committed to: Mobilizing to put more Pro-Worker candidates into office; Organizing to ensure Working People can make their voices heard and have their votes at the ballot box count, without fear or intimidation; Continue to grow Union Power in every workplace, organizing millions more Members and building an economy for Working People; and Fighting back against corporate greed and pushing forward the AFL-CIO’s Workers First AI Agenda, so Workers are empowered with a seat at the table and a say in Artificial Intelligence (AI) development and implementation on the jobsite, training and upskilling, and protections for their Civil Rights and basic right to organize.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Liz Shuler and Fred Redmond Reelected as President and Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO | AFL-CIO

Photo Courtesy Of The National AFL-CIO.

"With You" - The National AFL-CIO's 30 Constitutional Convention Kicks Off Today In Minneapolis, Minnesota - "Our Solidarity Is Critical. Our Labor Built America And Our Unions Have Kept It Strong And Will Continue Pushing It Forward."

Sun, 07 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA) – Today (Sunday, June 7th), Union Delegates from across the country are gathering in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the National AFL-CIO’s 30th Constitutional Convention.

This quadrennial convening is an essential part of maintaining the Labor Movement’s foundational Democracy, Union Officials said.

National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said: “Our Federation’s strength is rooted in the diverse coalition of Working People who are a part of it. All (65) Affiliated Unions and every single one of our Members are part of our fight for a stronger economy and brighter future.”

In the three days following the start of convention, an array of workers, leaders and allies will address Union Delegates, who will also take part in panel discussions and training on crucial issues like Artificial Intelligence, Immigration, Organizing, Worker Safety and much more.

National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said: “We’re assembling as our country sits at a crossroads and the location of this year’s event holds an especially meaningful weight. We’ll do the work to define a Labor Movement agenda that empowers Working People, changes lives and builds an America that works for all of us. We’ll talk about what’s happening in Minnesota and how Labor and allies have come together to fight injustice and oppression, and to stand up for Working People. Our Union Siblings in Minneapolis and across Minnesota have been at the forefront of a nationwide fight against attacks on our communities. Their bravery and willingness to fight for what is right, even in the face of violence, represent what our Movement has always been about. We can’t do this work alone. That’s why the theme of our convention is ‘With You.’ Our solidarity is critical. We know the power Unions have to change lives. Our labor built America and our Unions have kept it strong and will continue pushing it forward.”

The National AFL-CIO Convention will be streamed on aflcio.tv on:

Sunday, June 7th: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. CT

Monday, June 8th: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT

Tuesday, June 9th: 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. CT

Wednesday, June 10th: 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CT

Writers Guild 'Blasts' CBS News For Pelley Firing & 'Cruel' Layoffs

Fri, 05 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Sanjana Karanth at The Huffington Post reports the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), which represents Unionized Employees at both CBS News and CBS News Digital, slammed the network's new Right-Wing leadership for enacting "cruel and needless layoffs" and recently firing major 60 Minutes Correspondents like Scott Pelley. In a letter to Members, which include HuffPost's Union, WGAE President Tom Fontana said it's clear "CBS brass is engaged in a near-constant level of editorial interference that would have previously been unthinkable" - and that the decision to fire Pelley for calling out such behavior shows management is "apparently too thin-skinned to handle the honest scrutiny of their own Journalists." "Thousands of your Union Brothers, Sisters and Siblings have your backs," Fontana told the Network's Employees, calling the shakeup "more than a mere ideological interference with the news" - but rather a display of "profound contempt for the Journalism Profession, for our Members who have dedicated their lives to informing the public about the world and for the ethics that underpin true Journalism." Neither Paramount nor CBS News appear to have yet commented on the Labor Leader's message.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Writers Guild blasts CBS News for Pelley firing and 'cruel' layoffs

Trump 'Formalizes Move Of Career Federal Workers Into At Will' Roles - AFGE Says: "This Is A Blatant Attempt To Corrupt The Federal Government By Eliminating Employees' Due Process Rights So They Can Be Fired For Political Reasons"

Thu, 04 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Rebecca Beitsch at The Hill reports President Donald Trump has formally moved to implement his plan to make it easier to fire Federal Workers in policy roles, signing an Executive Order (EO) moving them into a new class that critics say will be akin to that of political Employees. Schedule Policy/Career, or Schedule P/C, an effort pushed under the first Trump Administration as Schedule F, allows some 8,000 Federal Workers to be hired and fired like current political appointees, stripping workplace protections they would otherwise enjoy under the Civil Service Reform Act. The EO seeks to move those Workers into the new class, saying they would be “exempted from the adverse action procedures that make removals for poor performance or misconduct so difficult.” Those positions are among the highest-ranking positions in Government, with some 97% of these “reclassified” Federal Workers in so-called GS-15 roles, the top level on the government’s pay scale. Federal Worker Unions called it a clear attack on Employees and an attempt to intimidate Federal Workers who will now risk their jobs in reporting any malfeasance. AFGE President Everett Kelly said: “This is a blatant attempt to corrupt the Federal Government by eliminating Employees’ due process rights so they can be fired for political reasons. Thousands of Employees who were hired under the non-partisan, professional civil service will be converted to a new hiring schedule where they can be fired ‘at will’ by political appointees or other overseers with essentially no procedural or appeal safeguards that have long protected the integrity of Government operations.”

For More On This Labor News Report, Go To: Trump formalizes move of career federal workers into 'at will' roles

New National Nurses United Fact Sheet 'Shows There Is A Nurse Retention Crisis, Not A Nurse Shortage'

Wed, 03 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

New data analysis by National Nurses United (NNU) shows nearly 1.15 million Registered Nurses (RNs) with active licenses are not currently working as Nurses - which shows this serves as compelling evidence that there isn’t a labor shortage in the field, but rather there is a widespread retention crisis. NNU developed its fact sheet with data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and peer-reviewed medical journals. When taken with the personal stories and lived experiences of Nurses, the numbers paint a troubling picture of how hospitals’ failure to invest in safe staffing levels is pushing qualified Nurses out of the field. “The data is clear that the U.S. Nursing profession has a retention crisis, not a Nurse shortage,” NNU President Jamie Brown said. “We want the public to know our working conditions are so unsafe and unsustainable that they are driving new and experienced Nurses away from hospitals, both large and small. Hospital employers have the power to immediately address the retention crisis by taking concrete steps to improve patient care conditions, including improving RN-to-patient ratios and providing appropriate support to Caregivers.”

To Read The NNU Fact Sheet, Go To: Copy of 2026_0515 Nurse shortage / BLS data fact sheet

From The Economic Policy Institute: 'Setting High Standards For A Federal' Minimum Wage - 'Raising The Wage To Two-Thirds Of The National Median Wage Would Lift Pay For Nearly 40 Million Workers'

Tue, 02 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The Federal Minimum Wage, frozen at $7.25 since 2009, is now at its lowest real value in 77 years and a major driver of the affordability crisis facing low-wage workers.

For over a decade, the senior Democrats on the House and Senate’s Labor Committees have consistently introduced and championed the Raise the Wage Act, which would significantly raise the federal level (most recently, to $17 an hour in 2030) and index it to median wage growth going forward.

But Congress as a whole has failed to take action on the legislation.

In the absence of federal movement, states have moved on their own, thanks in large part to the Fight for $15 Campaign, 21 States and the District of Columbia - home to half of all U.S. wage earners, will have a minimum wage of at least $15 by 2028.

But that patchwork still leaves 20 States - home to about 55 million Workers - at $7.25, and updating the Federal floor to a modern benchmark is the only way to reach these Workers.

Raising the Federal Minimum Wage to two-thirds of the national median wage would lift pay for nearly 40 million Workers - about a quarter of the workforce.

Two-thirds of the median - equivalent to roughly $17.70 today, a projected $20 in 2030 and a projected $25 in 2038, matches the benchmarks used in other high-income countries and tracks the direction of recent minimum wage research.

Indexing to median wage growth thereafter would keep the floor from losing ground to inflation or falling behind the broader economy.

A Federal minimum at two-thirds of the national median would eliminate poverty wages and move the floor meaningfully toward a living wage in much of the country: A single adult working full time could cover modest expenses in half of U.S. Counties under the Economic Policy Institute’s (EPI) Family Budget Calculator thresholds; Maintaining the two-thirds minimum-to-median ratio would lock in those gains, improving affordability for U.S. Workers and their families; and It would also durably narrow the gap between low-wage Workers and the typical Worker, with Black workers and women seeing the largest benefits.

The two-thirds benchmark is also well-supported by economic research.

Decades of studies of State and Federal Minimum Wages find higher floors raise pay for low-wage Workers with little to no effect on employment, and a smaller but growing body of work on minimum wages approaching two-thirds of the median reaches the same conclusion.

Setting the Federal floor at two-thirds of the median, and updating it annually, would raise incomes at the bottom and prevent the kind of decades-long slide that has left the current minimum at its lowest real value in 77 years.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Setting high standards for a federal minimum wage: Raising the wage to two-thirds of the national median wage would lift pay for nearly 40 million workers | Economic Policy Institute

Union Coalition Brings 'Billionaires Tax' Proposal To Illinois

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Mark Gruenberg at People’s World reports from Chicago that the Billionaires Tax idea, which has been gaining support in several States - including Washington State, where it’s now law - has come to Illinois, courtesy of several Chicago-area Unions. Busloads of Members from the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Illinois, Cook County College Teachers Union Local 1600, SEIU Local 73, the Illinois Federation of Teachers, Warehouse Workers for Justice and assorted progressive Chicago-area Community Groups descended on the State Capital of Springfield. There, as the Illinois Revenue Alliance, they staged a mass rally in front of the Capitol Building before fanning out to lobby lawmakers to make the State’s tax code more progressive by raising taxes on corporations and the rich. A parade of sympathetic lawmakers lent their support. Whether they’ll succeed or not is the $4 billion question. That’s how much they want to garner. “When we say tax the uber-wealthy, that’s what we’re talking about,” CTU Vice President Jackson Potter said. “How do you close the (State) deficit? Tax the rich.” The heavily Democratic State Legislature faced an end-of-May deadline to approve a State budget, and that came first on its agenda. But lawmakers in the Land of Lincoln have been known in past years to “stop the clock” when budget talks go down to the wire. The tax the rich idea has been gathering momentum in various States, especially as lawmakers are wrestling with cuts in Federal Social Welfare Programs, notably Medicaid and Food Stamps, mandated by the Right-Wing GOP Donald Trump regime, its pliant Republican-majority Congress, and their so-called Big Beautiful Bill that was passed last year.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Union coalition brings ‘billionaires tax’ proposal to Illinois – People's World

The U.S. Department Of Labor 'Finalizes Rule Protecting Union' Workers

Sun, 31 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) has announced a final rule that increases financial transparency for Unions regulated by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) of 1959 and enhances Union Worker protections.

Issued by the USDOL’s Office of Labor-Management Standards, the final rule modernizes the reporting requirements of the Form LM-2, an annual financial disclosure form which larger Labor Organizations use to report their financial conditions and operations under the Act.

The final rule also creates an enhanced Form LM-2 Long Form for the Nation’s largest Labor Organizations and increases filing thresholds for Forms LM-2, LM-3, and LM-4 to alleviate the burden on smaller Labor Organizations.

The final rule increases transparency for America’s Union Members by making practical reporting adjustments to reflect the growth and expansion of Labor Organizations’ financial operations since the passage of the LMRDA.

The Office of Labor-Management Standards last substantially revised the Form LM-2 in 2003 and has not updated reporting thresholds for Forms LM-3 and LM-4 since 1992.

“Modern Unions are financially complex organizations,” Office of Labor-Management Standards Director Elisabeth Messenger said. “The final rule fine tunes reporting requirements for larger Labor Organizations - many of which report tens of millions of dollars in assets each year - and adjusts thresholds for smaller Labor Organizations to increase transparency for America's Union Members and ensure reporting requirements keep pace as Labor Organizations evolve.”

Additionally, the rule allows Union Members to stay better informed of their Union’s financial conditions and operations by making it easier to see how their Union Dues are spent.

The reforms also serve as a deterrent to fraud and embezzlement - and aid in their detection.

Click Here To Read the final rule on Form LM-2, Labor Organization Annual Financial Reports.

And To Directly Access This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: US Department of Labor finalizes rule protecting union workers | U.S. Department of Labor

The Absentee Mail Voter Protection Act: The National Association Of Letter Carriers 'Launches A Campaign To Protect Vote-By-Mail'

Fri, 29 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Letter Carriers and their allies in the U.S. Senate have launched a campaign for legislation to permanently halt President Donald Trump’s attempts to disrupt mail-in voting.

The Absentee Mail Voter Protection Act, introduced on May 22nd by U.S. Senator Gary Peters (Democrat-Michigan), the top Democrat on the Senate panel that writes Postal Legislation, would overturn Trump’s March 31st Executive Order mandating the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) become involved in determining which mail-in ballots are legitimate.

The Constitution says, deliberately, that States run elections, without manipulation by the President or interference by the USPS.

NALC and the Senators want to keep it that way.

Trump doesn’t.

The measure, co-sponsored by Senator Alex Padilla (Democrat-California) and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (Democrat-Illinois) would also ban such Executive Orders in the future.

And the Union convinced the three lawmakers to get 34 Democratic Senators, including themselves, to sign a letter urging the USPS Board to reject any and all mail-in voting bans.

“NALC appreciates Senators Peters, Padilla and Durbin’s leadership in fighting to protect Americans’ access to mail-in ballots,” NALC President Brian Renfroe said. “Voting by mail is safe, secure and makes it easier for tens of millions of Americans to participate in our Democracy. As this Executive Order is considered in the Courts, NALC supports this legislation that focuses on protecting Americans’ right to vote by mail.”

Trump has long tried to end mail-in balloting even though, ironically, he uses it himself when voting from the White House in Florida elections.

One of his conspiracy-theory lies revolves around mail-in ballots.

He lies by calling mail-in ballots a route to vote fraud, especially in cities with majorities of People of Color.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Story, Go To: Letter Carriers, allies launch campaign to protect vote-by-mail – People's World

The AFGE 'Blasts' The Trump Administration's 'Proposed NDA Rule As Yet Another Attack On Non-Partisan' Federal Employees - Rule 'Would Require Employees At Participating Agencies To Sign Non-Disclosure Agreements As Condition Of Employment'

Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) National President Everett Kelley has issued the following statement in response to a proposed rule by the Trump Administration’s Office of Personnel Management (OPM), to be published in the Federal Register, that would require current and prospective Employees at participating agencies to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) as a condition of employment:

OPM continues its efforts to silence Federal Employees.

This proposed NDA is another attempt by the Administration to purge the civil service of non-partisan career Employees and replace them with loyalists who won’t speak out against waste, fraud and abuse.

Federal Employees do not surrender their First Amendment rights when they accept Federal employment and the public has a right to know about this Administration’s abuses.

OPM claims the form will be ‘optional’ for agencies to use and merely restates existing law.

We know that will not be true.

OPM will pressure agencies to make the NDA mandatory and then fire Employees who refuse to sign it.

Moreover, Federal Agencies already have extensive policies and procedures in place for preventing the unauthorized release of classified or privileged information.

This proposed rule sweeps in an extraordinarily broad category of information, extending restrictions to the very material the public relies on to learn when an Administration is causing harm.

The AFGE will submit comments on the proposed rule and urges OPM to withdraw it.

The AFGE is the largest Federal Employee Union, representing 820,000 Workers employed in the Federal Government and the Government of the District of Columbia.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: AFGE | AFGE Blasts Administration’s Proposed NDA Rule as Yet Another Attack on Non-Partisan Federal Employees

And For More, Go To: White House proposes NDAs for federal workers to crack down on leaks to journalists | Trump administration | The Guardian

From The National AFL-CIO: Pope Leo XIV's 'First Encyclical' On Artificial Intelligence 'Echoes the Fears & Realities Of Working People'

Wed, 27 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – National AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler has issued the following statement on Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, which focuses on the moral and practical danger of unregulated Artificial Intelligence (AI):

Pope Leo’s choice to issue his first encyclical on the threat of unregulated AI is a testament to the urgency of this issue for Working People. Workers are being surveilled, fired, hurt and have even died in workplaces that recklessly use AI without guardrails and Worker input. It’s clear if we don’t harness it properly, AI is the single biggest threat to Working People of our lifetime. This is what Pope Leo recognizes, echoing the same things I hear from Working People around the U.S. and globally. He names the ‘culture of power’ driving the AI arms race, the corporate greed that puts profit over people, and the dehumanization that working people feel every time they are told to trust untested AI technology over their own experience and skill - even when lives are on the line. The guardrails he calls for - ’responsible planning, the assessment of human and social impact, the inclusion of the most vulnerable’ - are the same principles for which the Labor Movement has advocated. Pope Leo writes: ‘Solidarity, then, is the concrete recognition that the future of each individual is connected to the future of all.’ The AFL-CIO and our 65 Affiliated Unions have and will continue to answer his call to defend the dignity of Working People.

To Directly Access This Labor News Story, Go To: AFL-CIO: Pope’s First Encyclical on AI Echoes the Fears and Realities of Working People | AFL-CIO

Pennsylvanians Who Voted For The President Last Time Around 'Revisited' - 'Is The Working Class Finally Turning On Trump?'

Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Eyal Press at The New Yorker reports in a recent exchange with reporters, Donald Trump insisted his policies to fight inflation are working “incredibly” and that America is on the cusp of a “golden age.” This sunny appraisal is not widely shared. Trump’s tariffs are broadly unpopular. So is his decision to go to war with Iran, particularly as the ripple effects of Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted global shipping and caused the price of oil to soar above a hundred dollars a barrel, have spread to American shores. In an NPR/PBS News/Marist poll published in early May, 81% of respondents said higher gas prices were straining their household budgets; with 63% of those feeling the strain blamed the problem on Trump. In another recent poll, carried out by CNN, three-fourths of Americans - including a majority of Republicans, said Trump’s policies have increased the cost of living in their communities. Such surveys have alarmed some Republican strategists, but they do not appear to be troubling Trump, who, when asked recently how much thought he gives to Americans’ financial situations when negotiating with Iran, replied: “Not even a little bit” - a comment consistent with his view of the affordability crisis, which he dismissed last year as a Democratic “con job” and a “hoax.” These are the words of a President whose populist rhetoric has long been at odds with the substance of his policies and the concentration of billionaires in his Cabinet. They are also a reminder of how confident Trump remains that his supporters will stay loyal to him regardless of what he does, an assumption that until recently seemed warranted. During his first term, Trump passed tax cuts for the rich and appointed Anti-Union, management-side attorneys to run the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Labor Relations Board. Union Leaders decried these developments, but many Rank-and-File Workers were more forgiving, continuing to place Trump signs on their lawns and to show up at his rallies wearing MAGA hats.

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Is the Working Class Finally Turning on Trump? | The New Yorker

In Washington, Union Protesters Gather On Capitol Hill To Tell Lawmakers "No More Business As Usual"

Sat, 23 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Declaring Government is broken and responds now to the rich, but not Working People, a group of several dozen protesters - many from the National Education Association (NEA) - gathered on Capitol Hill to urge massive structural reforms. Their point and their command: “No more business as usual.” No more half-measures, no more filibusters, no more rigged elections by Plutocrats or the Republican Donald Trump regime, no more bans on a Woman’s right to govern her own body, and no more gerrymandering, preventing it by law. Change the U.S. Supreme Court, one speaker said. And, especially, no more massive assaults on voting rights. Those assaults, in Southern and/or Deep Red States, would take the U.S. back to the days of Jim Crow, speakers warned. The protest came as Southern States continued their Trump-ordered assaults on Congressional Districts represented by People of Color. The latest battle erupted in South Carolina, where the GOP-run State House again approved a redistricting plan to eliminate the seat of influential Democratic U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn, the only African-American and Democrat in the State’s seven-member delegation. Other Southern States have already redistricted Black Lawmakers out of their chairs by abolishing their Districts, leading to protests and lawsuits region-wide. Trump ordered the destruction, which began in Texas, to preserve the slim and overall Republican U.S. House majority. But redistricting is only one facet of a much wider net of repression, speakers said. “Educators feel” the impact of racism and oppression by the wealthy and well-connected - and their destruction of the safety net that helps the rest of us “every day,” said Noel Candelaria, an El Paso, Texas Special Ed Teacher and Secretary-Treasurer of the NEA, the Nation’s largest Union. “They feel it when students come to school hungry, when Teachers have to hold two or three more jobs to make ends meet, when billionaires get what they want. When the political system fails, it’s part of a larger story of who gets heard in America. And no one should be silenced because of who they love versus how much money they have.”

To Continue Reading This Labor News Story, Go To: Union protesters to lawmakers: ‘No more business as usual’ – People's World

Teamsters 'Celebrate Bipartisan Push to Advance' The Faster Labor Contracts Act - Discharge Petition 'Secures 218 Signatures Needed To Force Vote In U.S. House'

Thu, 21 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The U.S. House of Representatives has reached the 218 signatures needed on a discharge petition to advance the Faster Labor Contracts Act.

The petition, filed by U.S. Representative Donald Norcross (Democrat-New Jersey), will force a vote on the Bill in the coming weeks.

“Securing the support needed to move the Faster Labor Contracts Act forward is a significant milestone for millions of Teamsters and Workers across this country,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said. “This is one of the most consequential Labor Bills to come before Congress in generations. It has the potential to hold Corporate America accountable for endlessly dragging out negotiations and denying workers the first Union contracts they deserve. The Teamsters Union thanks every Democrat and Republican who signed the discharge petition and made the choice to stand with Workers.”

The Faster Labor Contracts Act would amend the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to require employers to bargain with newly organized Workers within 10 days of voting to form their Union.

The Senate version of the Bill, introduced last year by U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (Republican-Missouri) and U.S. Senator Cory Booker (Democrat-New Jersey), continues to gain bipartisan and bicameral support.

The Teamsters applauded House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (Democrat-New York), Representative Donald Norcross, Representative Bobby Scott (Democrat-Virginia) and House Democrats for supporting the Teamsters and Working People across America.

The Teamsters represents over 1.3 million Members in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: Teamsters Celebrate Bipartisan Push to Advance Faster Labor Contracts Act - International Brotherhood of Teamsters

The AFGE National VA Council 'Celebrates Appeals Court Decision Upholding Reinstatement Of Its Union Contract' - Court 'Denies' VA's 'Request To Reinstate Termination Of AFGE NVAC Contract Pending Appeal'

Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The American Federation of Government Employees National Veterans Affairs Council (AFGE/NVAC), the largest Union representing more than 320,000 Employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs, is celebrating the unanimous decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to uphold the reinstatement of the largest Collective Bargaining Agreement of VA employees.

The VA filed a motion for an emergency stay with the First Circuit following a March 13th preliminary injunction that ordered the VA to reinstate AFGE/NVAC’s master Collective Bargaining Agreement pending resolution of a lawsuit filed by AFGE/NVAC challenging its retaliatory termination by VA Secretary Doug Collins on August 6th, 2025. 

The VA argued that it was likely to prevail on the merits of AFGE/NVAC’s Constitutional and statutory claims, and further, that it would suffer “irreparable harm” by having to comply with the Union contract while its appeal was adjudicated by the First Circuit.

In their decision denying the VA’s emergency motion to stay the preliminary injunction, the three-Judge panel stated: The defendants have not shown that the preliminary injunction likely was issued in error. Accordingly, we must separately account for the public's interest in the CBA - which is provided for and governed by Federal law - being kept in place as a binding agreement until lawfully terminated. The defendants have not made the requisite ‘strong showing’ in their stay motion that they are likely to succeed in challenging the preliminary injunction in their pending appeal. Nor have they shown that staying that injunction in the interim would not cause substantial injury to the plaintiffs or the public.

To Read Statements Issued By AFGE National VA Council President MJ Burke And AFGE National President Everett Kelley, Go To: AFGE | AFGE National VA Council Celebrates Appeals Court Decision Upholding Reinstatement of Its Union Contract

AFGE File Photo.

IUPAT Rep 'Concerned About Safety Of Workers Repainting' D.C.'s Reflecting Pool: "The Chemicals Are Hazardous. My Concern Is Usually the Level Of Risk When It's Rushed. Are Workers Taking The Rightful Steps To Protect Themselves?"

Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 -0400

Robert Tait at The Guardian reports a Union Representative is concerned about the safety of Workers who are rushing to repaint Washington, D.C.’s Reflecting Pool blue for President Donald Trump’s 250th celebration of the United States. International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) Business Development Director Herbert Zaldivar, who has visited the site as an observer, voiced his concern for the safety of the Non-Union Workers on the project, none of whom had been willing to talk to him: “They are afraid to touch the subject, although I will continue to come and try to have conversations with Workers. With this project, they are trying to rush on a timescale that is most likely to leave some liability with the contractor. The chemicals are hazardous. My concern is usually the level of risk when it’s rushed. Are Workers taking the rightful steps to protect themselves?” Zaldivar also told The Guardian he had questions about the no-bid contract that was given out by the Trump Administration as well: “This didn’t go through the right processes, I’m here to verify if the company is in compliance and following the right guidelines. It’s very rare that a job like this, which is a publicly funded contract, doesn’t go to a competitive bid.”

To Continue Reading This Labor News Report, Go To: Workers racing to turn reflecting pool blue for Trump may be at risk, union warns | Washington DC | The Guardian