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Executive Council Statement

Job Loss and Joblessness During the Bush Administration: A Dismal Record Unparalleled in the Past Half-Century

… Chicago, Ill. No measure of the American economy matters more to working families than the jobs it creates and sustains. An economy that hums along with good and plentiful jobs soundly extends hope and opportunity to all while one that limps and staggers denies families the resources they need today, robs them of optimism about the … children and, equally bad, they have no realistic, fair and effective plan to fix the economy and put America back to work. The nation has lost jobs in 25 of the 31 months that President Bush has been in office, making for the worst jobs …
Blog

President of IBEW Local 1253 Joins Sit-In to Fight ‘Dead-Wrong’ Tax Bill

… ultimately were arrested Monday at Sen. Susan Collins’ (R) office in Bangor, Maine. … "This bill gives massive tax cuts to the rich on the backs of working people. It was written by the rich and powerful for the rich and powerful," said Nick Paquet, an electrician in his second term as president of IBEW Local 1253 in Augusta, Maine. "Sen. Collins knows right from wrong, and this bill is dead wrong for Maine." Collins has bucked the GOP party line on occasion, and Paquet thought she might do it again. As a father of four children ages nine to 19, he certainly hoped so. "To be honest, I really thought she wouldn’t vote for it, especially because of who she …
Blog

Mexican Farm Workers Win Historic FLOC-Backed Strike

… Kentucky farmers who hire migrant workers aren’t always happy to see Stephen Bartlett. … So the Farm Labor Organizing Committee’s Bluegrass State organizer enjoys telling a story about a … to the state FLOC organizer. The farm workers stayed put and went on strike Oct. 11. Bartlett said they hope to return to work on other farms next spring. They also said they would help him organize other immigrant workers. Bartlett said most farmers treat their H-2A workers fairly and obey the law. "I tell them that FLOC has no gripe with farmers who do right by their workers. Our dispute is with the large corporations that squeeze the farmers and their laborers." Bartlett …
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The Battle of Cripple Creek

… That's when the mine owners pounced. In January 1894, they proclaimed that the working day would increase from eight hours to nine and 10—with no increase in pay. However, the owners did offer an alternative. Workers could keep the eight-hour … solidarity is all about. The miners who were still going down in the working mines assessed themselves 10% of their wages to support the strikers, and the union set up soup kitchens. There had been plenty of labor battles in the West, but this one differed in several ways. The mine owners failed to get the military or police force they demanded to suppress the strikers. The Populist governor of Colorado, David Waite, …
Blog

25 Things You Need to Know from the 2023 Death on the Job Report

… workers from job injuries, illnesses and deaths. The progress has become more challenging as employers’ opposition to workers’ rights and protections has grown, and attacks on unions have intensified. Big corporations and many Republicans … launched an aggressive assault on worker protections. … Here are 25 things from the 2023 Death on the Job report you need to know: There were 343 workers who died each day from hazardous working conditions. There were 5,190 workers who were killed … Latino workers continue to be at greater risk of dying on the job than all workers. Employers reported nearly 3.2 million work-related injuries and illnesses. The true impact of COVID-19 infections due to workplace exposures is unknown. Limited …
Blog

Senior Power: On Trumpcare II, Kentucky Activist, Breast Cancer Survivor Echoes Joe Hill: 'Don't Mourn, Organize!'

… vote for Comer or Donald Trump. Since the election, she’s been bird-dogging Comer, a Tompkinsville freshman, showing up to pose questions at his town halls in the westerly reaches of the 35-county 1st Congressional District. The territory … ACA is personal as well as political. She’s a breast cancer survivor who says quality, affordable health care is a human right, not a privilege. McColgin is sorry she can't make the next town hall, which is set for Wednesday in Benton. She’ll be … show up at the town halls if you can. This will signal the Senate they better not go down this road. “Then get to work on the Senate side of this. But don't let up on the House!” She's also emailing suggested questions that don’t pull …
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Sidney Hillman

… Sidney Hillman, the founder of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America (now UNITE!) and its president from 1914 to 1946, invented trade unionism as we know it today. He sought "constructive cooperation" between the union and garment firms to ensure the economic health of the industry and raise the standards of workers within it and pioneered dispute resolution … the 1910 strike, Hillman also met his future wife, Bessie Abramowitz. Abramowitz was an important labor leader in her own right, having been one of the original leaders of the 1910 strike, and she remained active in the labor movement after their …
Press Release

Working-Class Latinos in Orlando More Motivated to Vote Because of Trump

… studied how Donald Trump’s rhetoric has affected working-class communities across America. As part of our ongoing effort to counter the hard-right agenda he espouses, we wanted to gain a sense of how Latino voters are perceiving his candidacy in swing-state Florida. … reported a heightened level of threat and discrimination stemming from the anti-immigrant vitriol unleashed by the rise of right-wing rhetoric. While our method differed from traditional public opinion polling and the sample was not representative, …
Blog

Economy Gains 128,000 Jobs in October; Unemployment Up Slightly to 3.6%

… The U.S. economy gained 128,000 jobs in October, and the unemployment rate increased slightly to 3.6%,  according to figures released this morning  by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.  … In response to the October … is that lower than average wage industries (the bottom half of the graph) are showing much greater job gains (the farther right on the graph) than higher wage industries: Why state minimum wage increases are pushing up wages. #Fightfor15 @AFLCIO … growth the last 3 months, the broadest measure of labor market slack (including those who are part-time but want full-time work and discouraged workers) has been essentially flat. @AFLCIO   #JobsReport pic.twitter.com/Se0UyzMiiS — William E. …
Blog

From LA with Love: The Time When Justice Trumped Business

… city, where a trajectory of unbridled capitalism, as well as contemporary expectations of how the economy should work, did not point to success in implementing what became one of the most impactful minimum wage and wage-enforcement ordinances across the … fines levied against businesses, elements of a lien system, permit revocation, protections against retaliation and private right of action. It was quite a package! Once we passed the minimum wage and wage-enforcement ordinances in the city of Los …