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Press Release

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka on the State of the Union Address

… wages through collective bargaining, better paying jobs, a fairer tax code, fair overtime rules, and expanded access to education and earned leave sent the right message at the right time. So did his embrace of union apprentices and immigrants who want to achieve the American Dream. The President has …
Press Release

Moral Monday Goes National in North Carolina

… today in North Carolina. The labor movement is spearheading one of the last Moral Mondays of the 2014 legislative session to focus on workers’ rights. Along with the Forward Together Moral Movement, demands for lawmakers to protect the rights of working men and women are being amplified nationwide. “North Carolina has quickly become a shining … AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “When the labor movement and the entire community band together to stand up for what is right, everyone wins. The working people in Raleigh are inspiring action at state capitals around America.” At its convention …
Legislative Alert

Letter Supporting Nomination of Vanita Gupta as Associate Attorney General

… Dear Senator: On behalf of the AFL-CIO, I urge swift confirmation of Vanita Gupta to be the next Associate Attorney General in the Department of Justice. With deep experience in a broad range of complex … as Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the Department of Justice. This position followed her work as an advocate for civil rights and racial justice at the American Civil Liberties Union and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Ms. Gupta’s record leaves no doubt that she is a skilled problem-solver with the requisite background to bring a sorely needed fresh perspective to the Associate Attorney General’s oversight responsibilities. Her nomination …
Press Release

Failure of the ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Bill in Senate a Win for America’s Communities

… Cities’ bill Today’s Senate rejection of the so-called ‘Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act’ was the right thing to do. This bill was another attempt to scapegoat hardworking immigrants, enrich for-profit detention facilities, and promote hate, instead of unity. Punitive …
Press Release

AFL-CIO Statement on Jeff Sessions’ Confirmation

… Trumka on the confirmation of Jeff Sessions as Attorney General: The AFL-CIO opposed the nomination of Jeff Sessions to be Attorney General because of the nominee's long record of working to undermine the rights the Attorney General must uphold. The very process by which he was confirmed—the silencing of Senator … Senator Sessions has the chance to show us wrong—to uphold the law and protect the Constitution, to protect all citizens' right to vote, and to guard the rights and dignity of those whom he has in the past sought to hold down. The stakes for our …
Executive Council Statement

Wei Jingsheng

… stage of Chinese history with his now famous wall poster, "The Fifth Modernization," demanding democracy as a matter of right of the Chinese people. His words exposed the dark side of government reforms, namely that Deng Xiaoping’s economic reforms would in no way be accompanied by political reforms respecting basic human rights. Wei Jingsheng came to such views during the years he spent as an electrician at the Beijing Zoo. His experience as a worker gave him a deep … Wei’s words so threatened the communist party leadership that Deng Xiaoping himself ordered his arrest. Wei was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Despite years of solitary confinement and physical abuse, Wei continued to speak out in defense of …
Executive Council Statement

Senate Rules Cannot Be Used to Block a Workers First Agenda

… won through the darkness of 2020. But we know that the American Rescue Plan is only law because senators used a loophole to overcome the roadblock of a threatened filibuster—and we saw how small that loophole was when Congress tried to raise the … an hour. The Workers First Agenda is simply too big and too important to fit through that loophole. At stake is the urgent work of investing in our country, defending our democracy against those who would take the right to vote away from working people and, most of all—righting the balance of power in our country through the Protecting …
Speech

Trumka to 2017 AFL-CIO Convention: Attack on Unions a Threat to Democracy

… brothers and sisters. I hope you got some rest. We have a busy day ahead of us. And a canvass this afternoon! I’d like to begin with a video. … As you can see, the attacks against us are relentless. And they are taking a toll. Listen to this: A … economy is rigged Millennials have never lived in an America where wages are growing, or worked in an economy where hard work and productivity blazed a trail into the middle class. They have never experienced an economy where more than 1 in 10 … Strategically. As one united movement. That is the primary focus of today’s session. We are going to fight back against right to work, here in Missouri and across the country. We are going to fight back against attacks on our wages, benefits and …
Executive Council Statement

Pass the Employee Free Choice Act Now!

… Pass the Employee Free Choice Act Now!  November 14, 2006 Washington, D.C. The top priority for the AFL-CIO continues to be promoting collective bargaining and organizing rights for all American workers.  The preamble of the National Labor Relations Act states that its purpose is to promote collective bargaining, not dismantle or restrict collective bargaining rights. Yet for more than 50 years, most … the focus of our December 8-10 Organizing Summit celebrating International Human Rights Day.  We call on all our allies to work with us in support of the Employee Free Choice Act and to demonstrate that the decline of collective bargaining in the …
Press Release

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Vote by American Airlines and US Airways Workers

… will build successful workplaces.   “It should not be lost on the pundits that most of the nearly 14,500 new union members work in southern states. The right to a voice at work doesn’t have a geographic predisposition, and this victory will energize ongoing organizing efforts in the …