(KATHLEEN, GEORGIA) – Worried about being exposed to COVID-19, 50 Non-Union Chicken Plant Workers stormed out of a Perdue Plant in Georgia this week, citing what they described as extreme negligence by their employer. WMAZ-TV reports the Workers don’t feel safe working around people who have potentially been exposed to Coronavirus and want the more»

(NEW YORK CITY) – Front-line Health Care Workers across the country are facing an alarming shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and their respective Unions are calling on the Federal Government to lead a coordinated effort nationwide to manufacture and distribute facial masks, gloves and gowns. During a media call that took place earlier more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The uncertainty surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been deeply unsettling to nearly every industry and has prompted the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and its partners at the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) to sign an emergency agreement to help Construction Workers and contractors more»

Hundreds of thousands of seasonal Farmworkers, mostly Mexicans, enter the United States using H-2A Visas to make sure that there is enough food amid the threat brought by COVID-19, according to a recently published article. Hundreds of thousands of Mexican Farmworkers are arriving in the Mexican City of Monterrey to pick-up their H-2A Visas at the U.S. more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The President and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have issued a Coronavirus Guidance for America identifying Plumbers and other Tradespeople as "essential critical Infrastructure Workers" as the Nation responds to the threat of COVID-19. In a DHS memorandum issued by Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) Director more»

(FORT EDWARD, NEW YORK) - All over the country, rolls of toilet paper, paper towels and tissue paper are flying off the shelves as people respond to the global Coronavirus pandemic, but did you know that a lot of these products are made by United Steelworkers (USW)-represented Members in the United States and Canada? The USW represents tens of thousands of more»

(DETROIT, MICHIGAN) - In a historic but increasingly expected move, Detroit's Big Three Automakers are suspending production for the next two weeks following an outcry By Rank-and-File Workers concerned about the spreading Coronavirus. The shutdowns will hopefully work to limit the spread of the new virus, an unprecedented work stoppage that will affect more»

(NEW YORK CITY) - The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has negotiated paid leave for Verizon Employees - 30,000 Telephone Workers who are considered essential Workers, who can’t work during the Coronavirus outbreak, including: Paid Leave If Diagnosed With COVID-19 - CWA Members at Verizon diagnosed with COVID-19 will get a paid more»

Nurses across the United States are currently on the front lines of trying to mitigate the spread of the Novel Coronavirus, but the head of the country's largest Union for Registered Nurses (RNs) says they don't have the protection necessary for their job. Bonnie Castillo, the Executive Director for National Nurses United (NNU), expressed concerns that a more»

(DETROIT, MICHIGAN) - After several discussions and a joint call over the weekend, the United Auto Workers (UAW) Union and Detroit’s three car companies are forming a COVID-19/Coronavirus Task Force to provide more protection to Workers in the automakers’ warehouses and factories across the U.S. and Canada. “Workplace health and safety more»

(PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND) - Like Firefighters rushing towards a burning building or First Responders at the scene of a mass shooting, Public Service Workers are our communities’ first line of defense - and the public health emergency created by the spread of the Coronavirus in the United States is no different. As schools and universities shut down, more»

National AFL-CIO Editor’s Note: Information may change as the situation, recommendations made and resources offer evolve. Please check back frequently at www.aflcio.org. (WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The United States and the world are facing the very real threat of the widespread transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Federal Health Officials have more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - With the number of confirmed Coronavirus cases in the U.S. nearing 1,200 on Wednesday (March 11th), U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (Republican-Tennessee) stalled an attempt to expedite a Bill that would require employers to give Workers 14 days of Paid Sick Leave in case of a public-health emergency. Alexander, the Chair of the Health, more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Republican President Donald Trump’s 2021 budget cuts new ship construction by 20%, killing 10 new ships - some for this year - and putting thousands of shipyard jobs at risk, including many Workers represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), this is despite his promise only one year ago to increase more»

During the monthly Buffalo AFL-CIO Central Labor Council meeting that was held on Tuesday (March 11th), those Labor Leaders and Representatives in attendance were made aware of the National AFL-CIO’s efforts to secure the health and safety of Union Members across the country in the wake of the growing Coronavirus Pandemic. WNYLaborToday.com was made more»

(AINSWORTH, IOWA) - Franz Dunsworth said he was “hurting for work” when he began his third stint with Jet Services last Fall. The Ainsworth, Iowa, native worked about 50 hours before the home improvement company failed to issue paychecks to three Co-Workers - and later Dunsworth himself. He left the job after several days and excuses received more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – The American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) was founded in Wisconsin in 1932 to promote, defend and enhance that State’s Civil Service System, which was at risk of exploitation by politicians seeking to reward their supporters. Ninety years ago, in the Midwest, we knew this much: Any more»

(ALBANY, NEW YORK) - The Staff Professionals in the Civil Service Employees Association’s (CSEA) Occupational Safety and Health Department have been closely monitoring the constantly-evolving situation surrounding the current outbreak of COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus - and are urging people not to panic. While the threat to U.S. residents more»

(BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS) - The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 103 and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) of Greater Boston have officially entered into a new sports marketing partnership with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Boston Bruins. Now, while cheering on the Bruins at a TD Garden home game, more»

(TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA) - The Florida House is pushing forward with a Bill that its sponsor claims would make it easier for Public Sector Employees, including First Responders, to quit their Unions - but the Bill is facing significant opposition. Lawmakers were greeted by Public and Private Sector Union Members chanting "What's disgusting? Union busting!" more»

(NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA) - In October, the UCOMM Blog reported on the deadly building collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans. Nearly six months later, the bodies of the Workers who died in the collapse have still not been recovered. Many have assumed negligence on the part of the contractor, but a new investigation has revealed the negligence more»

(MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA) - Chanting “Let The Bosses Clean Their Toilets,” 4,000 Union-represented Commercial Janitors took part in an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike starting the second shift last week on the streets of Downtown Minneapolis. The Thursday evening (February 27th) Strike was followed by a protest that took place at more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The House Homeland Security Committee has voted to send a Bill that would provide full Title 5 rights to Employees of the Transportation Security Administration to the floor for consideration by the full House. When Congress created TSA following September 11th, 2001, it chose not to include its Employees in Title 5, citing the need more»

(CHICAGO, ILLINOIS) - Some labor struggles can feel like long, dramatic sagas - unexpected twists, broken hopes, valiant attempts to overcome unyielding giants. Michael Smith (pictured above) knows this tale well as a Member of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM). Smith lost his delivery job of 15 years more»

Kim Thomas felt drawn to being a Home Health Aide after caring for her own ailing mother. Human dignity, she says, can be simple, like a bath and a favorite snack. When Thomas first started visiting homes to care for patients, she made $7 an hour. That was in North Carolina about 16 years ago. Her pay inched up over time, to $10.50. To try to make ends more»

The American economy may be booming, but its Middle Class is struggling. The median male U.S. Worker now has to earn more than a year's salary to afford the annual expenses for a family of four, according to The Cost of Thriving Index - a report published by the Manhattan Institute, a Conservative Think Tank, and previously reported by The Washington Post. more»

(MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA) – Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 26 has announced that 4,000 Commercial Janitors will begin an Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) Strike - starting with the second shift on Thursday (February 27th). The Commercial Janitors are part of the 8,000 Members of SEIU Local 26 who are subcontracted to clean and more»

(PORTLAND, OREGON) - After two years of contract negotiations, it was only then that 32 Union Machinists and 10 Electricians employed at Mondelēz’ Portland Nabisco Bakery in Portland started preparing for a Strike after it became apparent their employer would not give them an acceptable offer. Now, Members of the International Association of more»

(DALLAS, TEXAS) – The Communications Workers of America (CWA) has announced it has reached tentative agreement with AT&T on a new four-year contract that covers 8,000 Southwest Mobility Employees, which - in the process, avoided an authorized Strike by Union Members. The CWA-AT&T Southwest Mobility contract covers Technicians, Call Center more»

(AMARILLO, TEXAS) - It’s a February evening in the Texas Panhandle and its cold as hell. Five men stand on the shoulder of Highway 136 northeast of Amarillo, huddled around a fire in a 55-gallon oil drum. Patches of snow linger from a morning flurry and barren fields cut none of the whipping wind. In the distance, a power plant and a copper refinery more»

It’s no secret that the balance of power in America’s workplaces has shifted from Employees to employers in recent decades. Among other things, business leaders and lawmakers have worked in tandem to weaken Unions, concentrate hiring power among fewer employers and keep wages low. But employers have put their thumbs on the scale in less more»

(CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA) - A Labor Union, working to boost compensation for low-paid Airline Catering Workers in Charlotte - a task in which it appears to have partially succeeded even as contract talks continue - staged a demonstration late last week at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Although orderly, the demonstration resulted in five more»

(RICHMOND, VIRGINIA) - In a huge victory for Public Service Workers in Virginia, a Bill giving the state’s Public Service Employees the freedom to collectively bargain has passed the Virginia House of Delegates. House Bill 582, sponsored by Delegate Elizabeth Guzman - an American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Member, more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The International Association of Machinists (IAM) Union is mobilizing to combat the Trump administration’s proposed cut to Federal Employees’ Retirement Benefits and a reported memo that threatens to remove collective bargaining for Department of Defense (DoD) Personnel. In late January, the Trump Administration more»

(DETROIT, MICHIGAN) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Workers will receive $7,280 in profit-sharing checks this year, an increase from a year earlier. The company announced the payouts to about 44,000 United Auto Workers (UAW)-represented FCA Workers, on the same day it released its earnings for 2019. Payments should go out on March 13th. The more»

(PORTLAND, OREGON) - The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) wants a Federal Judge to throw out an Oregon Law that prohibits employers from disciplining Workers who refuse to attend mandatory meetings on politics, religious matters or Unions. The NLRB filed its complaint in U.S. District Court in Portland, saying Federal Law preempts the State Law. The more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Led by a wave of walkouts by fed-up Teachers, the last two years have seen more American Workers go out on Strike than any time since the 1980s, according to figures released by the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Tuesday (February 11th). The BLS reported 425,500 Workers were involved in 25 “major work more»

(THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA) - Christopher Arellano was one of the first Gig Workers to sign up for Lyft when it launched in San Francisco in 2012. Since then, he’s given more than 26,000 rides on the App, but he’s never been reimbursed for gas or the wear-and-tear on his car - and often, he earns less than San Francisco’s $15.59 an hour more»

Hiring remains vigorous in the U.S., with the government's latest job numbers highlighting the ongoing strength of the Labor Market more than a decade into a record-long economic expansion - yet, that Jobs Boom conceals a less cheery reality: Most of that work doesn't pay people much money. About 55% of the 225,000 Private Sector Jobs that employers added more»

(ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA) - More than 1,800 Nurses and other Medical Care Workers at HealthPartners have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a seven-day Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) Strike before the end of the month after they failed to reach a new contract agreement. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare Minnesota represents 1,800 Members more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The House on Thursday (February 6th) passed an ambitious Bill, 224-194, to expand Union Power, signaling to Midwestern Presidential Battleground States an emphatic re-commitment by Democrats to Organized Labor. The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act was endorsed by most of the top Democratic Presidential Candidates. Although more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - In 2016, Donald Trump vowed to champion forgotten Americans and take on the entrenched interests that he blamed for hollowing out the Middle Class. He categorically promised “no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid” and he said he would stop Wall Street from “getting away with murder,” end the more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - A new Center for Economic and Policy Research report shows Union Membership among African Americans declined faster than other demographics. Black people are the most heavily Unionized Group at 11.2%, but have been dealt the biggest loss of Union Membership. Black Americans lost 215,000 Union Members in 2019. “Given that the more»

(ORLANDO, FLORIDA) - The gap between the haves and have-nots in the United States grew last year to its highest level in more than 50 years of tracking Income Inequality, according to Census Bureau figures. Income Inequality in the United States expanded from 2017 to 2018, with several Heartland States among the leaders of the increase, even though several more»

(BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS) - Chipotle has been hit with a $1.3 million fine over more than 13,000 Child Labor Violations at its Massachusetts restaurants, announced State Attorney General Maura Healey, who ordered the largest Child Labor Penalty ever issued by the state against the Mexican restaurant chain after finding an estimated 13,253 Child Labor more»

(MIAMI, FLORIDA) - Football fans around the world aren’t likely to realize it, but in most years, Union Members represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) are as critical to their Super Bowl viewing experience as chicken wings and guacamole. Tonight (Sunday, February 2nd) marks the 29th time that IBEW professionals have more»

(SEATTLE, WASHINGTON) - Thousands of Unionized Nurses, Caregivers and Hospital Staff plan to be back on the job today (Friday, January 31st) following a three-day Strike outside seven Swedish-Providence Medical Facilities. Picketing began on Tuesday after nine months of negotiations failed to materialize in an agreement between hospital management and the more»

(HARRISBURG, NEW YORK) - Another Conservative Group has announced it’s coming to Pennsylvania to fight “Union Bullies.” During a short Capitol press conference, the Freedom Foundation – which is part of the Koch-funded State Policy Network, announced it would begin knocking on doors, phone banking and mass-texting Public Sector more»

(PARIS, FRANCE) - The Union Leader heading protests against France’s bitterly contested pension reforms has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of playing with fire and showing contempt for the country’s Workers. Philippe Martinez, head of the powerful CGT, said Macron and his government were “disconnected” from the real world more»

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Washington, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine has announced that Florida-based electrical contractor Power Design Incorporated will be mandated to pay $2.75 million in settlement to Workers and the District of Columbia as part of a Wage Theft and Worker Misclassification Case. The settlement is the result of a 2018 lawsuit alleging more»