Kenneth Quinnell

This year, for Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Calvin Brooks of SMART.

Teachers and educators play an important role during Black History Month. While lesson plans need to recognize and celebrate the contributions of Black people throughout our shared history, teachers also have the opportunity to explain to students the diversity of our society and provide inspiration and examples of how students can step up and make their own contributions to Black history. The American Federation of Teachers’ (AFT’s) Share My Lesson website provides teachers with the tools they need to make their Black History Month lessons as good as possible.

This year, for Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently active making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the people working to improve not only their community, but also to improve conditions for working people across the country. Today's profile is Annie Anderson of AFSCME.

AFGE is seeking an 8.7% pay increase for federal workers in 2024. The raise is part of the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act recently re-introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly (Va.) and Sen. Brian Schatz (Hawaii). AFGE applauded the legislation, which National President Everett Kelley said was needed to close the double-digit pay gap between federal employees and their private sector counterparts. 

International unions, led by IndustriALL Global Union, are calling for justice for 42 miners who were killed in October in Turkey’s Amasra district. The deaths were a result of an explosion at the mine and four mine workers are still in the hospital, two in intensive care. IndustriALL Global Union Assistant General Secretary Kemal Özkan (pictured above, third from left) and IndustriAll Europe General Secretary Luc Triangle (second from left) visited the mine and met with local officials, mine employees and family members of the killed miners.