AFL-CIO Blog

  • Pride Month Profiles: Keturah Johnson
    Pride Month Profiles: Keturah Johnson For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Keturah Johnson. Keturah Johnson has been a flight attendant at Piedmont Airlines for four years, previously working on the ramp. Now, she leads the fight for a new contract at Piedmont, where flight attendants have gone far too long without a raise. Johnson currently serves as president of Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) Local 61. Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/23/2021 - 09:24 — Jun 23
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: New Jersey AFL-CIO Launches Virtual Picket Line in Support of Metropolitan Opera Workers
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: New Jersey AFL-CIO Launches Virtual Picket Line in Support of Metropolitan Opera Workers 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. The New Jersey State AFL-CIO, led by President Charles Wowkanech (IUOE), has launched a first-of-its-kind virtual picket line in support of workers at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, who are locked out by management. In December, the workers, members of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), rejected a demand from management that all workers take a 30% pay cut. Management also imposed work-rule changes unrelated to the pandemic. Other unions also were locked out as well, and singers, stagehands, set builders and lighting and sound techs, and more found themselves without a job during a global pandemic. The labor movement, from New York and beyond, has shown our solidarity with the Met Opera workers. New Jersey, for instance, launched a virtual picket line, where anyone can participate and show support. All you have to do is take a photo of yourself with a pro-IATSE sign (download signs from the virtual picket line website) and then submit the photo. Once the picture is processed, it will appear on the digital picket line screen in front of the Metropolitan Opera building. Join the virtual picket line today! Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 06/23/2021 - 08:29 Tags: COVID-19, Community Service — Jun 23
  • Pride Month Profiles: Stan Kiino
    Pride Month Profiles: Stan Kiino For Pride Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ Americans who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today's Pride Month profile is Stan Kiino. Stan Kiino originally began his career as a flight attendant at Pan Am and then joined United Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) in 1986. Kiino fought for domestic partner benefits in San Francisco while at United in the '90s. He continues his advocacy today through AFA-CWA, Pride At Work, the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and various labor councils. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/22/2021 - 09:32 — Jun 22
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council Rallies for Union Organizer/Teacher
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council Rallies for Union Organizer/Teacher 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. The San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council recently organized a rally in support of Jared Hutchins (CTA), a teacher and union organizer who was fired by High Tech High. In late April, some 400 educators at the High Tech High charter school network filed for union recognition with the California Public Employment Relations Board as High Tech Education Collective (HTEC), becoming the newest members of the California Teachers Association family. With 16 schools on four campuses and more than 6,000 K–12 students, High Tech High is the largest operator of charter schools in San Diego County. A virtual rally on Zoom garnered nearly 50 supporters for Jared Hutchins. Hutchins said, “I fought and was fighting for teachers to have an equal voice at the table. It was because I was unapologetic about my purpose of bringing anti-racist practices into our schools.” The California Teachers Association filed an unfair labor practice charge against the High Tech High charter school network for firing Hutchins, who has been helping to organize a union throughout the network. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 06/22/2021 - 08:32 Tags: COVID-19, Community Service — Jun 22
  • Working People Across the Country Celebrate Junteenth
    Working People Across the Country Celebrate Junteenth It was a long time coming, but President Joe Biden signed the document that finally made Juneteenth a federal holiday. The newly-recognized holiday honors Black joy, Black resilience and Black power and reminds us that the struggle for equality that so many have fought and died for is an ongoing movement and much work remains to be done. Working people across the country came together to celebrate Juneteenth and declare proudly that Black Lives Matter. Here are the words, events and actions from those honoring Juneteenth in it's first year as an official federal holiday: AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka: AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler: A. Philip Randolph Institute: Coalition of Black Trade Unionists: Actor's Equity: AFSCME: AFSCME Council 4: AFGE: Amalgamated Transit Union: American Federation of Musicians: American Federation of Teachers (AFT): AFT President Randi Weingarten: American Postal Workers Union: Association of Flight Attendants-CWA: BCTGM: Communications Workers of America: Fire Fighters: International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers: Ironworkers: Laborers: Machinists: Mine Workers: Musical Artists: National Air Traffic Controllers Association: National Nurses United: NFL Players: Painters and Allied Trades: Plasterers and Cement Masons: UAW: UNITE HERE: United Food and Commercial Workers: Utility Workers: California Labor Federation: Gulf Coast (Texas) AFL-CIO: Iowa AFL-CIO: Minnesota AFL-CIO: Alliance for Retired Americans: Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance: Coalition of Labor Union Women: Jobs With Justice: Labor Council for Latin American Advancement: North America's Building Trades Unions: Union Veterans Council: Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 06/21/2021 - 16:30 Tags: bla — Jun 21