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Speech

Trumka Outlines Global Apprach to Growth

… just this type of crisis, the OECD, and one of the world’s great philanthropic institutions, the Ford Foundation—to meet the intellectual challenge posed by this crisis to the conventional economic wisdom of the past 30 years -- what Pope Francis calls “the sacrilized workings of the … to second-class status in many of the world’s economies. In the end, any effort to put the global economy on the right track must deal with each of these issues, and must do so consistently. It is not possible to have inclusive growth …
Executive Council Statement

Block Granting Economic Security Programs

… In fact, the recently-passed welfare law (TANF) has already ended one of the original economic security programs, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, thus making it all the more important that we retain and strengthen the others: … poor and unemployed families; and food stamp assistance for the poor and unemployed. Further, TANF is silent with regard to whether welfare-to- work participants will receive at least the minimum wage or coverage under workers' compensation, health and safety, anti- …
Legislative Alert

Letter to Representatives Expressing Views on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016

… Dear Representative: On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I write to express our views on the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2016. Though the purpose of the year-end negotiation was to avoid a government shutdown, much of the controversy grew out of Republican demands for dozens of ideological riders that … some helpful funding increases and relief for America’s working families. The bill does, however, create a need for future work to strengthen H-2B protections for good jobs and to address the fiscal crisis in Puerto Rico. Sincerely, William Samuel, …
Statement

Letter to Secretary Scalia Urging Action to Protect Workers from COVID-19 Exposures and Infections

… this Workers Memorial Day, I am writing on behalf of the 12.5 million members of the AFL-CIO and all working women and men to call upon you and the U.S. Department of Labor to take immediate action to protect the safety and health of workers from … of our union brothers and sisters who have passed away from COVID-19, along with the 275 workers who pass away from other work-related injuries and illnesses each day. See Appendix A for a list of some of many union members who we are mourning. … who raise safety and health concerns are being disciplined, threatened and in some cases fired for exercising their right to ask for protections afforded by the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Workers also are being disciplined for …
Blog

New Jersey Labor Movement Leads Charge to Take Back House in the Midterm Elections

… most consequential election in recent U.S. history, union members across New Jersey celebrated Bob Menendez’s re-election to the U.S. Senate, as well as the election of all 12 labor-endorsed congressional candidates, eight state Senate and … these victories could not have come at a better time for working families in New Jersey. Ultimately, the results attest to the exceptional mobilization efforts of organized labor and the New Jersey State AFL-CIO’s political program, a program … New Jersey State AFL-CIO Labor Candidates Program notched its 1,000th candidate victory, a mark many thought impossible to reach when the program first began more than two decades ago. Thus far, Tuesday’s election has seen 50 victories achieved …
Blog

Pathway to Progress: The Pittston Coal Strike of 1989

… History has long been portrayed as a series of "great men" taking great action to shape the world we live in. In recent decades, however, social historians have focused more on looking at history "from … events where working people played a key role in the progress our country has made, including those who are making history right now. Today's topic is the Pittston Coal strike of 1989. … One of the most monumental strikes in U.S. mining history was … Mine Workers (UMWA), that they were taking away retirement and health benefits. Considering the relative dangers of mine work, the workers rejected the changes, which meant they couldn't support their families if they were injured while working.  …
Executive Council Statement

Without Fixes, We Must Oppose the New NAFTA

… without major changes. As we said in our March 2019 Executive Council statement, the labor movement will mobilize to defeat the new NAFTA if it is not changed to “meaningfully address what is wrong with the original NAFTA.” We urged the Trump administration to incorporate the changes we have insisted must be made to reverse a legacy of lost jobs in the United States and lower …
Speech

Shuler: CSEA Makes Our Communities Stronger

… remarks as prepared at the CSEA Virtual 111th Annual Delegates Meeting: Thank you Mary for your incredible leadership, and to Denise, Rich, Nicole and Ron, the region presidents and to all the delegates and activists. I’m so honored to be with you … fired—and that by sticking together, we can make life better and safer for working people and our communities where we work. So the question is, what happens next? We are going to take advantage of this moment, and build a bold, dynamic and … it’s overwhelmingly women, specifically women of color and immigrant women—have long been undervalued and underpaid. Right now, care workers are quitting, as one worker said recently: “The pay is absolute crap.” No one should have to …
Executive Council Statement

Retirement Security and Corporate Governance in the Wake of ENRON

… public questions about defined contribution pension plans. And it has focused attention on the threat posed by proposals to privatize Social Security, which would trade in the system's guaranteed benefits for individual accounts like those held … must enact new safeguards to prevent employer manipulation of employees' investment choices. Workers should have a broad right to sell company stock held in their defined contribution retirement accounts in favor of diversified investment options. This right should extend to their own contributions and to employer matching contributions to their 401(k) accounts and should …
Blog

Trump's State of the Union Not Reality for Most Americans

… Last night, President Donald Trump gave his first State of the Union address. Working people were quick to point out that most of us don't live in the reality described in the president's speech and when it comes to the issues we … of outsourcing jobs, his tax bill actually encourages corporations to do it. While he promises to put America back to work building infrastructure, he actually wants to spend more on a border wall than investing in all of America’s … used to rebuild our country. That is not what workers expect, not what they heard during the election, and it is not the right way to move forward. On jobs, raising wages and many other issues, workers are still waiting for the campaign rhetoric …