House Committee Passes Unfair NMB Voting Rule Amendment

Thu. February 17, 2011

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee approved legislation that would repeal a recently updated National Mediation Board (NMB) voting rule for air and rail workers. The language included in the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011 would restore the unfair advantage carriers have enjoyed in union representation elections for more than 75 years.

Trumka: Walker ‘Can’t Have Our Freedom’

by Mike Hall, Feb 18, 2011

Huge cheers and applause are echoing across the Capitol plaza in Madison as AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka fires up those in the crowd, many of whom have been there for all the weeklong demonstrations.

“Incomes have stalled…now leaders like Walker want to take away our basic freedoms – like to have voice on the job.” #StateSOS #WIunion

“Gov. Walker, that’s too much to ask. You can’t have our freedom!” -Trumka #NotMyWI #WIunion #StateSOS #1u

New Yorkers: Solidarity with Cheeseheads

by Tula Connell, Feb 18, 2011

New Yorkers looked particularily festive in their bright yellow swiss cheese hats today, as hundreds became honorary Cheeseheads while marching in solidarity with embattled workers in Wisconsin.

Bob Fertik writes about the event at the Jobs Party blog:

In just 24 hours, NYC supporters of Wisconsin workers organized a spirited Cheesehead Rally in Manhattan to launch the Cheddar Revolution nationwide….

BREAKING: Wis. Republican Lawmakers Give Up Until Tuesday

by Donna Jablonski, Feb 18, 2011

Wisconsin’s Republican legislators have put off a vote on a bill that would undermine good, middle-class jobs and take collective bargaining rights away from some 200,000 public employees, according to JSOnline and other news reports.

AFL-CIO Blog Archives for January 2011

Read the AFL-CIO blog for January 2011.

AFL-CIO Blog Archives for December 2010

Read the AFL-CIO blogs for Decembeer 2010.

Buy Union for the Holidays, and All Year Long

by James Parks, Dec 12, 2010
This holiday season, union families can use their power to help keep good union jobs in the community by purchasing union-made goods and services. The AFL-CIO Union Label & Service Trades Department (UL&STD) has compiled a list of union-made products you can buy and another list of products and services that the AFL-CIO has approved for boycott.
Start your shopping list with a visit to the Union Label website, www.unionlabel.org, and click on Search for Union Products to see if a product is union made and what union produces it. If you can’t find what you’re looking for there, move on to the websites of individual unions that show up as links on the page.

Join Online Day of Solidarity with the Jobless Dec. 7

by Mike Hall, Dec 3, 2010

Republican lawmakers continue to hold hostage vital unemployment insurance survival help for millions of jobless workers, vowing to keep the Senate gridlocked until the nation’s wealthy are guaranteed continued tax breaks.

More than 900,000 workers already have lost their unemployment insurance since Republicans pulled the plug Nov. 30. Every day another 38,000 job-seekers lose their unemployment insurance.

So please join us Tuesday, Dec. 7 for an online day of solidarity with the jobless via Facebook and Twitter. It’s simple.

Union Plus Helping Prepare Next Generation of Union Leaders

by James Parks, Dec 4, 2010

The future of the union movement will be in the hands of a very diverse group of up-and-coming young union members. Union Plus, part of Union Privilege, the consumer benefits arm of the AFL-CIO, is making sure the next generation of union leaders is well prepared.

For the the past four years, Union Plus has given annual Union Leaders of the Future Awards to young women and people of color. Honorees are paired with experienced leaders from the union movement who make a year-long commitment to provide advice, guidance and encouragement. Since 2007, more than $130,000 has been committed to the program.

Vote for Who ‘Scrooged’ Workers the Most in JwJ’s Scrooge of the Year Contest

by Mike Hall, Dec 5, 2010

The nominations are in and there are seven great—let’s rephrase that—mean, nasty, heartless candidates for the dishonor of winning Jobs with Justice’s (JwJ) Scrooge of the Year contest.

Now in its11th year, the contest highlights the CEO, corporation or politician who has done the most to “scrooge” workers in the spirit of Ebenezer Scrooge before three ghosts scared the you-know-what out of him and he saw the error of his ways. But such a transformation is not likely from these Scrooge nominees.

Take a look at a short description of each, then click here for more details on their dastardly deeds and to vote for your Scrooge.