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'Right to Work' Designed to Keep Black Workers Poor

… past discriminatory practices in organized labor’s history as reason for implementing our state’s currently pending "right to work" law, along with other anti-worker measures such as ending prevailing wage and minimum wage requirements. … To claim …
Speech

AFL-CIO 2017 Convention: Working People Need a Bill of Rights

… been rigged against us for so long… when we keep working harder for less... when corporations and politicians continue to chip away at our health care and retirement… when forming a union feels like climbing a mountain... it can be hard to know the next right step.  I think it’s time to get back to basics.  The policy agenda and political accountability measures passed this … richest country in the world at its richest point in history. And so we demand rights that ensure we are able, through our work, to lead better lives. Let me know turn it over to Liz Shuler.  Liz Shuler, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer: Thank you, …
Report

The Double Standard at Work: European Corporate Investment and Workers' Rights in the American South

… interfered with freedom of association, launched aggressive campaigns against employees’ organizing attempts and failed to bargain in good faith when workers choose union representation. This report examines European companies’ choices on … investing in the American South generally respect workers’ organizing and bargaining rights. They commit themselves to International Labor Organization core labor standards, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development Guidelines, … Compact, and other international norms on freedom of association and collective bargaining. But they do not always live up to these global standards in their Southern U.S. operations. Two different scenarios may explain the contradiction between …
Legislative Alert

Letter to Representatives to Oppose Legislation to Make It Easier for Franchise Companies to Undermine the Rights of Working People

… and international unions representing more than 12 million working men and women across the United States, I am writing to urge you to oppose H.R. 3459, the “Protecting Local Business Opportunity Act.” H.R. 3459 overturns the National Labor Relations … in Browning-Ferris Industries (August 27, 2015) and substitutes a confusing and restrictive test for finding two employers to be “joint employers” under the National Labor Relations Act. The legislation is misguided and will undermine the ability …
Executive Council Statement

Fairness in Radio: A Performance Right for Sound Recordings

… Fairness in Radio: A Performance Right for Sound Recordings Recorded music made in the United States has both great cultural significance and enormous … recording artists whose names appear on the recording or the session artists whose “background” performances are integral to its style and quality—work hard to create recordings that have artistic merit and commercial value. Yet these talented and hardworking performers …
Executive Council Statement

Protecting the Bargaining Rights of FAA Workers

… American workers are suffering in an era when their bargaining rights are under assault at every turn.  While we have come to expect irresponsible conduct from anti-worker corporate giants like Wal-Mart, American workers should not have to endure … safety.  The FAA’s mismanagement of the looming staffing crisis means fewer controllers have to manage more airplanes and work longer hours, creating a dangerous situation for the planes they steward.  Furthermore, despite its own calls for … workers.  For federal employees, especially those who are entrusted with ensuring the safety of the flying public, the right to a fair process is not too much to ask.   The Obama and Kelly-Costello legislation is a simple, reasonable remedy to …
Executive Council Statement

Collective Bargaining Rights for Maryland State Employees

… of an Executive Order issued by Governor Parris Glendening in May 1996. However, this Executive Order could not apply to all state employees, nor could it establish provisions that require legislation--such as agency shop. Governor Glendening … a bill to provide for comprehensive collective bargaining rights for Maryland state workers, SB 129. This extends the right to organize to thousands of additional workers and includes a provision for negotiation of agency shop so that all … numerous unions gave him extraordinary assistance in his recent re-election campaign. The AFL-CIO urges its affiliates to work for the passage of this extension of bargaining rights by educating union members in Maryland on this important issue, …
Executive Council Statement

Building Power for Workers without Bargaining Rights

… In today’s economy, millions of workers technically fall outside the protections of laws establishing the right to bargain collectively.  Others are deprived of their bargaining rights because their employers misclassify them, or because … many of these workers are economically dependent on a particular employer or government agency for their livelihood. All work has dignity.  All workers deserve respect.  All workers deserve the right to form organizations to have a voice on the …
Speech

Trumka: Fight Climate Change the Right Way

… President Richard Trumka delivered the following remarks at the Global Climate Action Summit :  Good morning and thank you to Governor (Jerry) Brown for inviting me here to say a few words on behalf of the 12.5 million working women and men who … is a tough issue for us. But, in the labor movement, we’re used to tough issues and hard choices. We’re prepared to do the right thing for our people and our planet. And we know that this fight can–and must–be about investing in a better, more … demanding that plants, industries and projects be stopped or shut down, with no plan for the people who are put out of work...no call for shared sacrifice...and no dialogue or solidarity with those whose lives and communities are dependent on …
Blog

A Workers' Bill of Rights Passed at the AFL-CIO 2017 Convention

… people need a bill of rights. A collective bargaining agreement for America. This will serve as a platform for our members to rally around. It will give prospective members a clear statement of our values. And it will provide political candidates … richest country in the world at its richest point in history. And so we demand rights that ensure we are able, through our work, to lead better lives. Here's what working people said should be in a Workers' Bill of Rights: … Here are the key components of the Workers' Bill of Rights: A Good Job with Fair Wages: Everyone who wants to work has the right to a good job where we earn a fair return on our work and receive a wage that allows us to support ourselves and our …