AFL-CIO Blog

  • Never Quit: What Working People Are Doing This Week
    Never Quit: What Working People Are Doing This Week Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week. Actors' Equity: AFGE: AFSCME: Alliance for Retired Americans: Amalgamated Transit Union: American Federation of Musicians: American Federation of Teachers: American Postal Workers Union: Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA: Boilermakers: Bricklayers: Coalition of Black Trade Unionists: Communications Workers of America: Department for Professional Employees: Electrical Workers: Fire Fighters: Heat and Frost Insulators: International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers: International Labor Communications Association: Ironworkers: Jobs With Justice: Labor Council for Latin American Advancement: Laborers: Machinists: Metal Trades Department: Mine Workers: Musical Artists: National Air Traffic Controllers Association: National Association of Letter Carriers: National Domestic Workers Alliance: National Federation of Federal Employees: National Nurses United: NWSL Players Association: NFL Players Association: North America's Building Trades Unions: Office and Professional Employees: Painters and Allied Trades: Plasterers and Cement Masons: Pride At Work: Professional Aviation Safety Specialists: Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union: Roofers and Waterproofers: SAG-AFTRA: Seafarers: Solidarity Center: The NewsGuild-CWA: Theatrical Stage Employees: Transport Workers Union: Transportation Trades Department: UAW: Union Label and Service Trades Department: UNITE HERE: United Food and Commercial Workers: United Steelworkers: United Students Against Sweatshops: Utility Workers: Working America: Writers Guild of America, East: Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 05/20/2022 - 11:52 — May 20
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Leimomi Martin
    Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Leimomi Martin For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Leimomi Martin of AFSCME. Leimomi Martin works as an office assistant for the state of Alaska's Department of Health and Social Services. First hired by the state in 1997, she has served as a Juneau chapter steward and later as the chapter's chief steward for several years. Martin comes from generations of union members and organizers, including her Japanese grandfather who was a cook and camp representative at an internment camp during World War II. Her mother was a union steward at commercial fisheries in southeastern Alaska. Her native heritage includes Tlingit roots. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 05/20/2022 - 10:00 — May 20
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Union-Backed Candidates Triumph in New York State’s School Board Races
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Union-Backed Candidates Triumph in New York State’s School Board Races Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. Pro-public school candidates overwhelmingly won their elections to serve New York state’s suburban and rural school districts on Tuesday. Sixty members of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA), were elected to school boards in every corner of the state. The large majority of candidates who ran on manufactured outrage around far-right cultural issues handily lost in Monroe County and the Capital Region school districts. NYSUT also reported that 99% of school budgets were approved. “Under the banner Public Schools Unite Us, we saw a wave of pro-public education school board members elected Tuesday who we know will put students first at every board meeting,” said NYSUT President Andy Pallotta (AFT). “We’re proud to see how many educators stepped up this year to support candidates or run for office themselves.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 05/20/2022 - 09:42 — May 20
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Folafolaga Avei
    Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Folafolaga Avei For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Folafolaga Avei of the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA-CWA). Folafolaga Avei has been a flight attendant with Hawaiian Airlines for nine years, where he also has served as the master executive council chairperson for the airline's human rights committee. As a representative, Avei has been at the forefront of educating members about issues related to the Asian American Pacific Islander community. Through these efforts, he has rallied the community to demand an end to anti-Asian hate, marched for racial equality and justice, and campaigned to protect children and women against human trafficking. Avei has also worked to reduce poverty and homelessness. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/19/2022 - 10:00 — May 19
  • 8 Things You Need to Know from EPI's New Report on State Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity
    8 Things You Need to Know from EPI's New Report on State Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity Two years after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the labor market is approaching 2020 levels. But a new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) shows that disparities remain in terms of race and ethnicity. Here are eight important things from the EPI report you should know.
    1. The overall unemployment rate of 3.8% is currently the same level it was at the beginning of 2020. The majority of states have an unemployment rate within 1% of what they had in 2020.
    2. The lowest unemployment rates are in Nebraska and Utah (both at 2.1%). The highest rates are Washington, D.C. (6.1%) and New Mexico (5.6%).
    3. The unemployment rate for White workers is the same in 2022 (3%) as it was pre-pandemic.
    4. The unemployment rate for Black workers remains higher (6.5%) than before the pandemic (6.2%). 
    5. No state saw Black unemployment below 5%. The states with the lowest rates were Georgia (5%) and Florida (5.3%). The highest rates were in D.C. (12.5%) and Illinois (12.2%).
    6. Hispanic workers have an unemployment rate (4.6%) slightly below their 2020 rate (4.8%).
    7. The states with the lowest Hispanic unemployment are Georgia (2%) and North Carolina (2.5%). Those with the highest rates are Massachusetts (7.5%) and New York (6.3%).
    8. For Asian workers, the current unemployment rate is higher (3.4%) than it was before the pandemic (3.1%).
    Read the full report. Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 05/18/2022 - 10:32     — May 18