News

Tefere Gebre’s American journey: From refugee camp to labor leader

Gebre was still a boy when he was forced to flee Ethiopia, a country that suffered political turmoil and famine during the 1980s.

Trump’s Power to Fire Federal Workers Curtailed by Judge

A federal district judge in Washington struck down most of the key provisions of three executive orders that

Executive Paywatch: The Gap Between CEO and Worker Compensation Continues to Grow

CEO pay for major companies in the United States rose nearly 6% in the past year, as income inequality and the outsourcing of good-paying American jobs have increased. According to the new AFL-CIO Executive Paywatch, the average CEO of an S&P 500 Index company made $13.94 million in 2017—361 times more money than the average U.S. rank-and-file worker.

Progressive Marriott Union Contract Could Have Ripple Effects

A series of settlements hammered out over the past few weeks between Marriott and its striking workers in Boston and seven other cities are ushering in groundbreaking benefits that could set a precedent not just for the service industry but for workers nationwide.

The Boston agreement, reached after workers spent more than six weeks on the picket lines, marching and chanting in the wind and rain and snow, includes a roughly 20 percent increase in wages over 4½ years, a 37 percent increase in pension contributions, and six weeks of paid maternity leave, plus two weeks for spouses.

The Backlash to the GOP’s Union-Bashing Has Begun in Earnest

Has the Republican Party’s grand experiment in union-busting finally come to an end? Scott Walker, the Republican governor of Wisconsin, rose to national prominence in 2011 when he passed a landmark bill dealing a blow to unions in the state and across the country. With Act 10, Walker stripped public workers of their right to collectively bargain, gutting their salaries, health care, and pensions.

AFL-CIO President: How Working People Defined the Midterm Election

There was plenty of punditry plastered across cable news last week. But, as the dust settles, there is one story that has come to define this election: working people standing together to make a difference. The labor movement unleashed an unprecedented political program this year. Across the country, union members made the difference, fighting for our issues, for union candidates and for our proven allies.

AFL-CIO President 'Applauds' Trump on Trade, But Gives His Record a Thumbs Down

Richard Trumka, president of the U.S.’s largest labor group, AFL-CIO, appreciates President Donald Trump’s stance on trade. However, as it stands now, the president does not have a record that helps workers, according to Trumka.

Students Get Hands-On Experience In Building Trades During National Apprentice Week

Sponsored by the Milwaukee Building & Construction Trades Council and the AFL-CIO, National Apprenticeship Week celebrates leaders in business, labor, and education and allows them to demonstrate their support for apprenticeship programs.

“We are committed to making our students and community aware of the multiple career options available and hands-on events are an excellent way for this meaningful career exploration to take place,” said Gary Kiltz, Superintendent of Greendale Schools.

With Its Primary Opponents Voted Out, What's Next For Labor Unions?

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with the president of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, about union strategies following the midterm elections.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Trumka: Record Labor Voter Mobilization Emphasizes Pocketbook Issues

Organized labor’s record voter mobilization efforts this year, which started earlier than ever before for a mid-term election, emphasized pocketbook issues and – says AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka – will produce huge “momentum at the ballot box” on Nov. 6.

It also produced a record number of unionists running for everything from city council and county commissioner to Congress and governor, Trumka and Julie Greene, the federation’s mobilizing – and politics – director said in an Oct. 30 telephone press conference.

Working-Class People are Underrepresented in Politics. The Problem Isn’t Voters.

The president is the billionaire head of a global business empire, and his mostly millionaire Cabinet may be the richest in American history. His opponent in the 2016 election was a millionaire. Most Supreme Court Justices are millionaires. Most members of Congress are millionaires (and probably have been for several years).