“Reform challenger Shawn Fain has won the presidency of the United Auto Workers, the federal monitor announced today. Fain will be sworn in just in time to chair the UAW's bargaining convention, which begins Monday.”

“By the end of my first year, I turned to my fellow union organizers and nervously shared my fears, anxiety, and anger. There were no blank stares or “it will be fine” responses. Instead Zoom chats and screens lit up with heart emojis. Demonstrating solidarity with disabled people should not be exceptional, but the way the world should be is quite different from how the world actually is. I will never forget that moment. It was the moment I knew what authentic solidarity felt like.”

“In the early morning of April 12, members of International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 90 rallied in the parking lot of the United Parcel Service distribution hub in Des Moines, Iowa, to prepare for what could be the largest strike against a single company in US history later this summer. The sun was shining as the union distributed “hot dogs for breakfast” to a crowd that started small but quickly ballooned to over 100, workers said. People were standing on trucks giving speeches to their coworkers. “We had workers talking about working six days a week, talking about getting written up for calling in sick,” said Tanner Fischer, the 26-year-old president of the local, who has been working for UPS since he was 18.”

“The counting of remaining votes in the United Auto Workers election to determine its president for the next four years has been delayed until March 16 as the court-appointed monitor's office finishes resolving the eligibility of the members who cast the 1,608 challenged ballots. Of the ballots counted in the presidential race, Shawn Fain leads incumbent Ray Curry 50.2% to 49.8% or by 645 votes, according to unofficial results from the office of the monitor, New York attorney Neil Barofsky.”

“Few of us have a voice in the political systems we are embedded in; the decisions that shape our lives are mostly made behind closed doors in rooms we can’t access. In theory, one exception to this rule is collective bargaining—a right that only 10 percent of U.S. workers exercise.”

“A little over a year ago, when the Amazon Labor Union won its historic union election on Staten Island, I asked, with a healthy degree of skepticism, if this time really is different. If the long, slow, rearguard action of a declining American Labor Movement was maybe, just maybe, coming to an end. If there was a real resurgence, a real chance for the labor movement to blossom anew. In that year, we’ve seen Starbucks workers organize across the country. We’ve seen union election wins with “dictators holding sham election”-type numbers. We’ve seen the White House and the National Labor Relations Board support workers like they never have in my lifetime or probably yours. It’s been exciting and deeply satisfying…And now for the first time in my 27 years in the labor movement, so help me, I think I’m an optimist.”

“Thirty years before a quarter of a million civil rights supporters assembled on the National Mall for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August 1963 — ‘probably the biggest march of union members in American history up to that point’ — a far smaller contingent of young black leaders met in Amenia, New York.”

“How are UPSers making sense of their gains at the table? … Some were relieved they didn’t have to strike. Others had been excited for a strike—both to hit back at corporate management and to command respect from the supervisors who dish out daily abuse.”

“As Hawaii officials begin the recovery process in the aftermath of the deadly fires, the IAFF is on the ground delivering disaster relief assistance to the members in Maui. The number of Hawaiian Islands Local 1463 member homes lost to the fires has increased from 14 to 19.”

“Hospitals portray unions as opposed to the interests of patients. The opposite is true: health care unions have been the strongest advocates for safer conditions and patients who can’t pay debts.”

“Reform challenger Shawn Fain has won the presidency of the United Auto Workers, the federal monitor announced today. Fain will be sworn in just in time to chair the UAW's bargaining convention, which begins Monday.”

“In the early 1900s, Ford Motor Company commanded strong loyalty from Detroit’s black workers. But the United Auto Workers broke Ford’s stranglehold through patient organizing, cementing an alliance that would bear fruit for decades.”

“The Power At Work Blog is proud to present this Veterans Day blogcast. In this very special blogcast, Burnes Center Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by William Attig of the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council and Martin Helms of Helmets to Hardhats to discuss veterans in the labor movement. Learn about the role unions play in the lives of veterans, the role veterans play in unions, the best programs in the movement for veterans, and much more.”

“After a 118-day strike, 160,000 SAG-AFTRA members are voting on whether to ratify a new agreement. AI has emerged as the key source of division, with some members unsatisfied that a ban wasn’t on the table.”

“Jenny Brown of Labor Notes discusses the Auto Workers, Teamsters, nurses, hotel workers and teachers who have been making waves this year. Listen on ‘Revolutions Per Minute,’ the podcast of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America.”

“There have been a lot of headline-grabbing strikes in the United States this year but at UPS, you won big with the threat of a strike alone. When you reflect on this year, not just for your union but for the entire US labor movement, how do you characterize it?”

“A conversation with the former president of the clerical workers union at the University of Minnesota.”

“The labor movement is rightfully celebrating recent contract victories by the United Auto Workers, Teamsters, SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America, which together cover nearly 650,000 workers. An essential thread uniting the campaigns is that the top union officers were all directly elected by the members, a basic democratic right denied to many union members in the United States. As other unions seek to learn lessons from these historic contract fights, a key takeaway is that a vibrant democratic process—“one member, one vote”—is crucial to a revitalized labor movement.”

“Last year the Teamsters and the UAW both won historic contract victories. Those wins were made possible by government anti-corruption efforts and, more importantly, by decades of organizing by members to make their unions more militant and democratic.”

“Chris Bohner’s recent essay in these pages, ‘Direct Elections for Labor Leaders Make for More Militant Unions,’ lays out an argument that at one level is so uncontroversial that it should be a platitude — unions should be democratic. No one who believes in organized labor in the United States (or anywhere in the world) can disagree with the sentiment. Nevertheless, Bohner is right to say it, because even seemingly obvious truths bear repeating.”

“Mary Kay Henry, the president of the Service Employees International Union, one of the nation’s largest and most politically powerful labor unions, announced Tuesday that she would step down after 14 years in her position. Ms. Henry was the first woman elected to lead the union, which represents nearly two million workers like janitors and home health aides in both the public and private sectors. Under her leadership, it launched a major initiative known as the Fight for $15, which sought to organize fast-food workers and push for a $15 minimum wage. Winning over skeptics in the ranks, Ms. Henry argued that the union could make gains through a broad-based campaign that targeted the industry as a whole rather than individual employers.”

“My new book, Union Divided: Black Musicians’ Fight for Labor Equality, documents and analyzes the history of segregation within the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) – a union founded in 1896 under the aegis of the AFL. Here the situation was quite different from that described above, however. There was no exclusionary policy by the Federation; instead, Black musicians themselves requested segregated locals, which the union authorized in about 50 cities, the majority of them not in the South. The Black locals, which competed directly with white locals in the same jurisdictions, arose primarily in the 1910s and 20s because Black musicians saw opportunities for significant benefits from having their own independent units.”

“A new election for top officers will be held in Machinists District Lodge 19 on May 3, after complaints about bad addresses and campaigning at polling locations during a close vote last year. The new vote for president and secretary-treasurer will establish who will set the union’s approach to the upcoming contract fight with the big freight rail carriers. Negotiations between the 13 rail unions and the carriers begin later this year. District Lodge 19 represents 8,000 machinists who repair locomotives and heavy equipment for carriers including CSX, BNSF, and Union Pacific.”

"During a period when union membership in the United States has continued its precipitous decline, Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 32BJ has been growing steadily, having successfully organized more than 100,000 workers since 1999.  The innovative strategies and tactics used by SEIU’s Justice for Janitors (JforJ) campaigns explain important aspects of this increase, but usually overlooked is the role that trigger mechanisms have played in this growth.  Triggers are an organizing tactic that help facilitate unionization by binding employers in a given labor market together via an agreement that ensures that the bulk of employers will go union at once, or not all."

“Workers at the Cleveland Cliffs Butler Works steel mill in Butler, PA, are speaking out about a proposed Department of Energy rule that threatens good union jobs at the mill. In a new video, UAW Local 3303 members describe the fight to save jobs for the 1,100 workers at the plant who produce grain-oriented electrical steel (GOES) used for electric vehicles and EV chargers.”

“If you wanted to join the Boilermakers union in 1893, you had to be a 'white, freeborn male, citizen of some civilized country.' The language of the organization’s constitution at the time was clear—and it wasn’t unusual. To say that times have changed is, thankfully, an understatement. Today, men and women from all races, religions and manner of makeup are members of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers, AFL-CIO.”

“Since taking over as President in October 2012, Taylor oversaw the Union’s organizing of 140,000 people from over 1,000 new workplaces, with more than half coming out of Right-to-Work states. Taylor also leaves behind a legacy defined by the rallying call that “One Job Should Be Enough”—taking his experience building UNITE HERE’s Culinary Union in Nevada to expanded geographies, while pioneering victories at the bargaining table and the ballot box.”

"‘On a gray October evening, half a dozen insurgents huddle around a table in an upscale diner across the street from Sea-Tac airport, considering their battle plans.”

“The 2023 membership and financial data for individual U.S. unions are now available from the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). Which unions gained membership, and which unions lost membership? What are the long-term trends for each union since 2010? What is the relationship between membership growth (or decline) and the balance sheet of America’s largest unions? How much money do union headquarters have to invest in strikes and organizing? I’ll try to tell the story with a collection of charts and tables, but first, let’s look at the data from a bird’s eye view.”

“In 2023, the share of US workers who were members of a union continued to hover at 10 percent. The union membership rate in the public sector (32.5 percent) was more than five times the rate in the private sector (6.0 percent). However, these summary membership statistics conceal substantial geographic variation in US union membership density. As workers around the world celebrate May Day this week, it is worth reflecting on how the labor movement is performing in different parts of the US.”

“Michael Göbel, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, stepped down from his post today, according to a video message that workers were shown. Göbel had groused in an April captive-audience meeting about a worker’s claim that Mercedes had come for the “Alabama discount”: low wages. His departure is another win for Mercedes-Benz workers, who already scored pay bumps and an end to wage tiers—and they haven’t even voted on the union yet. The company and Alabama politicians are ramping up their anti-union campaign as an election draws near. The 5,200 Mercedes workers at a factory complex and electric battery plant outside Tuscaloosa will vote May 13-16 on whether to join the United Auto Workers, with a vote count May 17.”

“They’ve really stepped in it. The incumbent Unity Caucus that runs the huge teachers union in New York City is facing a challenge from the Retiree Advocate slate who hope to take leadership of the powerful 70,000-person retiree chapter within the union. Ballots were mailed May 10 and will be counted June 14. The rallying issue has been the United Federation of Teachers’ collusion with the city to put municipal retirees, including retired teachers, into a for-profit Medicare Advantage plan run by Aetna. The plan would replace their traditional Medicare, which is provided premium-free along with a cost-free wraparound.”

“The Amazon Labor Union and the Teamsters have signed an affiliation agreement. ‘Today is an historical day for labor in America as we now combine forces with one of the most powerful unions to take on Amazon together,’ wrote ALU President Chris Smalls on Twitter, now called X. ‘We’re putting Amazon on notice that we are coming!’ Smalls and Teamsters President Sean O’Brien signed the agreement on June 3, according to a copy obtained by Labor Notes. The affiliation agreement charters a new local known as Amazon Labor Union No. 1, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (ALU-IBT Local 1) for the five boroughs of New York City. That may signal that Amazon workers will not be integrated into existing locals with other Teamster crafts.”

“In this video from Power At Work’s partners at the International Association of Machinists (IAM), two local union leaders share their experiences participating in a bargaining session for a new national agreement with UPS. IAM Local 701 Shop Steward Bernard Horbrook and IAM Local 10 Shop Steward Travis Smith traveled to Chicago to represent their membership and share local perspectives on the contract with national leaders and business representatives. We found the video compelling and appreciated how it approached an important issue in union communications and governance.”

“Unions and bosses have different outlooks on safety. Employers say illnesses and injuries are caused by worker carelessness: he didn’t look where he was going; she wasn’t using correct lifting technique. That’s the way the boss wants you to think, too. But the union realizes that it’s the hazards themselves that cause injuries, and that it’s the boss who sets up the workplace, either designing in hazards or failing to design them out. Blind corners and high shelving make it hard to avoid collisions; overloaded boxes on low shelves forces awkward bending. Emphasize these different outlooks with workers.”

“United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain is under investigation by the union’s federal corruption watchdog, posing a serious threat to a union celebrity who has taken on some of the world’s largest corporations and forged a close relationship with the Biden administration. The court-appointed monitor, Neil Barofsky of Jenner & Block LLP, said in a Monday filing he is investigating allegations that Fain retaliated against another union officer. The 36-page report describes claims of increased stonewalling and non-cooperation by the union, as well as delayed access to documents required under a sweeping consent decree that avoided a full-fledged government takeover in 2020. The monitor’s report, submitted to the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, poses a liability to Fain, who narrowly won the presidency last year by pledging to eschew top-down leadership and backroom deals that plagued his predecessors.”

“The leading union for U.S. hotel workers has elected its first woman president ever, a big moment for a labor group that represents thousands of housekeepers across the country. Gwen Mills’ rise to the top of Unite Here caps a long career inside the union, from her early years as an organizer battling Yale University in Connecticut to a more recent stint running Unite Here’s political ground game against Donald Trump in the swing state of Nevada. The union’s delegates tapped Mills to lead them in a vote held Friday in New York City at its quinquennial constitutional convention. She acknowledged her election was a landmark for a powerful union that happens to be made up primarily of women, many of them immigrants.”

“Sean O’Brien, the president of the Teamsters union, will speak at the Republican national convention in Milwaukee next month, a move that could spell trouble for Joe Biden’s support among blue-collar workers ahead of the November election. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, announced on Friday on his Truth Social platform that O’Brien had accepted his invitation to speak at the convention and that he was looking forward to seeing him represent the Teamsters.”

“The Sun-Times Guild and the SAG-AFTRA units at WBEZ and Vocalo have held votes of no confidence in Matt Moog as Chicago Public Media CEO, Chicago Sun-Times president and a Chicago Sun-Times Media board member. The combined units overwhelmingly voted no confidence in Mr. Moog over the weekend: 86% of members took part in the vote, and 96% of those members – or 114 – voted no confidence.”

“Members seeking to transform the United Food and Commercial Workers have added a new weapon to their arsenal: legal action. Grocery workers Kyong Barry (Local 3000 in Washington) and Iris Scott (Local 1459 in Massachusetts) sued the UFCW April 19 over the undemocratic representation of members at the UFCW Convention, which takes place every five years.”

“Civilian employees in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, including automotive technicians and fleet specialists, voted to dissolve their union in May, becoming the first employees in Florida to do so following the adoption of a sweeping anti-union law last year that has already caused over 50,000 public employees to lose their union representation.”

“Mason Plumlee was elected today as the Secretary-Treasurer of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) by the NBPA Board of Player Representatives. Plumlee, a longtime Player Representative, replaces Harrison Barnes, who served as Secretary-Treasurer on the NBPA Executive Committee since 2021. Plumlee will begin his three-year term immediately.”

“Major labor unions that had been staunch President Biden backers are jumping to declare their support for Vice President Harris as the Democratic presidential nominee. The AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest federation of labor unions, representing about 12.5 million members, announced they are endorsing Harris on Monday night.”

“The dissident Retiree Advocate caucus in the giant New York City teachers union won a decisive victory over the incumbents in the retiree chapter election June 14, winning 63 percent of the 27,000 votes cast. Turnout jumped compared to previous elections.”

“In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Cindy Estrada, the strategic advisor to the president for the Center for Transformational Organizing at the AFL-CIO. Watch now to hear about Cindy's career, the CTO, her strategies to further the labor movement, and much more.”

“Workers at Amazon’s only unionized warehouse in the U.S. elected new union leaders, according to a vote count completed Tuesday, marking the first major change for the labor group since it established an alliance with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. A slate of candidates headed up by a former Amazon worker named Connor Spence received the most votes cast by employees from the warehouse located in the New York City borough of Staten Island. Although turnout was very low, Spence received enough support to lead the Amazon Labor Union as it aims to secure a contract with a company that has resisted those efforts for years.”

"In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Jaz Brisack, one of the original Starbucks union organizers, and the co-founder of the Inside Organizer School. Listen now to hear an inside perspective on union organizing, Jaz's origins in organizing, the successes in unionizing at Starbucks, and how those successes can lead to further improvements with other companies and in other industries."

“Leading U.S. labor unions on Tuesday joined environmentalists, reproductive rights campaigners, progressive lawmakers, and others in applauding Democratic nominee Kamala Harris' selection of Tim Walz as her running mate for the November election, citing his pro-worker record as a congressman and Minnesota's governor. The AFL-CIO, the nation's largest federation of unions, noted in a statement that Walz "delivered on a comprehensive, pro-union legislative package and created the gold standard for state governments aiming to do right by workers." The Guardian's Steven Greenhouse described the measure, which Walz signed into law last year, as ‘one of the most pro-worker packages of legislation that any U.S. state has passed in decades.’”

“In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Andrew Spar, the President of the Florida Education Association (FEA), the union of Florida's teachers, and Emilio Azoy, the President of AFSCME Local 121, which represents over 1,800 Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department workers. Watch now to learn about Governor Ron Desantis' attack on public sector unions in Florida and how unions in the state are combatting his legislation.”

Washington – Following Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, the AFL-CIO announced its enthusiastic support for the Harris–Walz ticket. Other unions quickly followed suit. “By selecting Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Kamala Harris chose a principled fighter and Labor champion  who will stand up for working people and strengthen this historic ticket,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.

“The process of union certification is a critical area of labor rights, acting as a precursor to collective bargaining. One method, card check, simplifies this process by allowing workers to express their desire for union representation through majority sign-up. Because it reduces opportunities for employer interference and expedites union certification, card check has come under significant fire from those who oppose unions.”

“Continuing a decades long tradition, union members and staffers stepped up to volunteer for the National Council of Jewish Women’s (NCJW) 24th annual Back to School! Store, which this year served more than 2,100 children. On July 30, the union helpers unloaded trailers of brand new backpacks, school supplies, books, coats, hats, gloves, socks, shoes, and personal care items and other essentials for underserved elementary school children throughout the St. Louis Greater Metropolitan area needed to start the school year with confidence and self-esteem. Other volunteers then created a comprehensive backpack of the various materials.”

“A strong majority of Americans continue to view labor unions in a positive light, according to a new Gallup survey released Wednesday. Seventy percent of respondents said they hold a favorable view of unions, up slightly from 67% in 2023. Only 23% said they disapprove of unions.”

“Labor journalist and historian Jeff Schuhrke’s first book, Blue-Collar Empire: The Untold Story of US Labor’s Global Anticommunist Crusade, dives into American labor unions’ role in Cold War-era interventions across Asia, Latin America, and Africa, and their lasting impacts today. Out September 24 from Verso Books, Blue-Collar Empire examines this history, and draws lessons for the present day.”

“The biennial IAFF Convention kicked off in Boston today with a focus on union leadership and reform. In a keynote address during the Opening Ceremony, General President Edward Kelly shared his personal connection to the city. “This is where I grew up,” he said. “My mother’s father was on the job here in the late ’30s and early ’40s. My love for being a fire fighter comes from my father’s love for being a fire fighter.””

“Industrial Sector Operations members met in Las Vegas July 30 through Aug. 5 for the annual ISO Conference. This year’s ISO Conference focused on the need for every member to organize. Breakout sessions taught lodge leaders essentials, including organizing, mental health, lodge finances, industry caucuses, steward training, contract negotiations, filing LM and 990 reports and much more.”

“On Tuesday, August 27, President Liz Shuler delivered her second State of the Unions address to a packed house of enthusiastic trade unionists and friends at AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, D.C. It was obvious to us that this was a speech Power At Work's audience would want to hear. We are proud and pleased to be able to present it to you in its entirety. We expect you will enjoy it.”

“It may come as little surprise to most Power At Work readers that, over the last two and a half years, workers have petitioned for and secured more union representation elections administered by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) than they did during 2020 and 2021 – years in which much of the country was focused on surviving the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying economic downturn.”

“Brooke Shields has taken over America’s stage actors’ union at a moment of crisis. While show-goers have flocked back to concerts and sporting events, live theater attendance still lags pre-pandemic times, sidelining the industry longer than others shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic.”

“When members of the Chicago Teachers Union showed up to march at the Democratic National Convention last week, many expressed two distinct frustrations. The first was over the war in Gaza, which they blamed for chewing up billions of dollars in aid to Israel that they said could be better spent on students, in addition to a staggering loss of life. The second was disappointment with their parent union, the American Federation of Teachers, which they felt should go further in pressuring the Biden administration to rein in Israel’s military campaign…But labor’s divide over Gaza also reflects a deeper, more existential debate: Is the future of organized labor with its left-leaning activists, who have become increasingly outspoken on various issues inside and outside the workplace? Or is it with establishment leaders whose politics are more pragmatic?”

“North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) was proud to stand with President Biden today to witness today’s signing of the Good Jobs Executive Order. This signing marks another major milestone by the Biden-Harris Administration in their fight for higher labor standards across federal government funded programs. This Executive Order solidifies the Administration’s ongoing efforts to embed worker protections for our nation’s workforce, ensuring federal funding prioritizes projects that adopt fair wages, safe working conditions, and respect for workers’ rights.”

“In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Amy Chin-Lai, the president of the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU), and Hannah Stephens, a Vice President for Organizing with the NPEU. Watch now to learn about the NPEU and their successes organizing in the nonprofit sector. Also learn about the differences between organizing in the for-profit world versus the nonprofit world, criticisms of nonprofit organizing, and the future of organizing with not-for-profit organizations.”

“Union workers make up 1 in 5 voters in swing states, according to the AFL-CIO. And the 2024 presidential race is so close that their votes could make a real difference in the outcome. While the unions themselves historically support Democrats, many of their rank-and-file members do not. NPR's Andrea Hsu explains.”

“FLINT — With Michigan at the heart of U.S. manufacturing and the fight for good union jobs, the UAW will host a rally and canvass kick-off with U.S. Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin in Flint, Michigan on Saturday, September 28. The event will promote the UAW’s endorsement of Slotkin and highlight the large field program Michigan UAW members are running to elect her as their next senator.”

“The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross’ Hurricane Helene Relief fund on Wednesday. The union, which made headlines this week for its port strike across the U.S. East and Gulf coasts, said in an emailed news release that it is encouraging its locals to join the fundraising campaign.”

“A year after the United Auto Workers’ Stand-Up Strike, the union caucus that helped make it possible is setting out to transform locals still stuck in the mud. Their first step is to fight a new onslaught of layoffs, broken promises, and retaliation from CEOs. The reform caucus Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) held its first convention last weekend outside Detroit, with 150 UAW members, mostly auto workers but also from higher ed, legal services, and heavy equipment manufacturing.”

“Even though the vast majority of US labor unions have endorsed Kamala Harris, many union members support Donald Trump, and with the race so close, unions have stepped up efforts to convince those workers that Trump is no friend of unions or workers.”

“Women make up roughly half of U.S. labor union membership, but representation in top level union leadership positions has lagged, even in female-dominated industries and particularly for women of color. But Black and Latina women are starting to gain ground, landing top positions at some of the biggest unions in the U.S. That has translated into wins at the bargaining table that focus more attention on family-friendly benefits like parental leave and health care coverage, as well as protections against sexual harassment.”

“Ryan Sanders is the kind of voter whose support may ultimately decide the presidential race. A resident of Erie County in Pennsylvania, Sanders describes himself as “middle of the road”: He leans conservative, but he also said he tends to oscillate between either side of the center. In his early 40s, he’s young, like many swing voters. And above all, he said he wants a presidential candidate who is “honest” — a trait consistently prized by those who remain undecided.”

“AFGE Local 4060 representing 4,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) employees are working with the agency to make sure employees stay safe in the face of misinformation and threats against FEMA employees helping with the hurricane relief efforts. In a letter to bargaining unit employees, Local 4060 assured members that the union and FEMA leadership are united in their efforts to protect employees.”

“Federal workers will continue to do their jobs regardless of who sits in the White House as they’re sworn to uphold the law and the Constitution. As the union representing more than 800,000 federal and D.C. government workers, AFGE will continue to represent our members and advocate for the programs and services that government employees deliver for the American people.”

“A unique support effort to provide yet another level of security for members of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 655 has been approved by an overwhelming vote of the union’s membership, President David Cook announced.”

“DETROIT – The United Auto Workers issued the following statement today calling on the Michigan legislature to deliver for working class people in the upcoming lame duck session. The UAW is the state’s largest union, with over 300,000 active and retired members in Michigan.”

“In May 2020, as the United States was reckoning with the COVID-19 pandemic, George Floyd was murdered by police. That summer, a majority of American adults acknowledged racism as a problem. Between six and 10 percent reported participating in protests against racialized police violence, which made Black Lives Matter (BLM) the largest social movement in U.S. history. Teachers — alongside their unions — confronted urgent calls to address racism and discrimination in communities, schools, and classrooms, just as they were concluding a chaotic, exhausting school year. While studies have examined teachers unions’ impact on achievement gaps and learning modality amidst COVID-19, little research has examined how they grappled with what was often described as the “other” pandemic: racism.”

“Buying union-made is an important act of solidarity that helps support good union jobs in America. Working people value the hard work and craftsmanship that goes into the products and services we make and provide. That’s true during this holiday season and every day of the year. That’s why we’re pleased to share our annual Union-Made Holiday Gift Guide. No matter what you celebrate or how, we want to help you find the perfect gift for your friends and family that you can also feel good about buying. The gifts listed in our guide are made by workers who stood together for family-supporting wages and good benefits.”

“Destructive wildfires in Southern California have destroyed the homes of at least three of our members. At least 30 Guild members have been directly impacted in evacuation zones along with 220 other CWA members. Members and leaders at the Media Guild of the West and CWA District 9 are working to launch efforts to help our members. Members impacted by natural disasters can get support through the CWA Members’ Relief Fund, our strike fund. Please contact your stewards or local officers if you need assistance.”

“The IAFF remains on the ground in Los Angeles as members work to contain the wildfires which have now burned an area bigger than San Francisco and killed at least 24 people. To date, the IAFF has received and is processing twelve disaster relief applications from members who have lost their homes to the fires. More are anticipated. Meanwhile, peer support counseling and other services are being made available to members in need.”

“J.D. Vance's ascent from Silicon Valley venture capitalist to the second-highest office in the nation lends new urgency to examining his narrow portrayal of Appalachia's working-class history. Few people serious about Appalachian Studies have much use for J. D. Vance. Hillbilly Elegy, Vance’s self-admiring 2016 memoir, updated two-hundred year-old tropes bemoaning Appalachians’ shiftless character and poor behavior. It sits on a shaky foundation of, to be generous, anecdotal evidence.”