AFL-CIO Blog

  • Stand with Stop & Shop Workers: The Working People Weekly List
    Stand with Stop & Shop Workers: The Working People Weekly List AFL-CIO Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s the latest edition of the Working People Weekly List. Support Stop & Shop Workers: "Some 31,000 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) are on strike at Stop & Shop supermarkets across New England, walking off the job to fight back against slashed health care benefits. Stand with our brothers and sisters today and sign UFCW’s petition demanding that executives agree to a fair contract that reflects the true value of their workers." Protecting the Most Vulnerable: In the States Roundup: "It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states." Meet the First Woman President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO: "Elected the first woman president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, Stephanie Bloomingdale has more than two decades of experience in labor as an organizer, negotiator, trainer and activist. She served as secretary-treasurer of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO for eight years before her election as president in September 2018. Previously, she was director of public policy for the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, working on behalf of nurses and health care workers throughout the state. Bloomingdale has a statewide reputation as a tenacious fighter and tough negotiator, skills she says she had to develop to survive 20 years of arbitrations, grievance hearings and battles in the legislature." Rutgers Faculty Picket Board of Governors Meeting at University’s Newark Campus: "'An injury to one is an injury to all!' 'Rutgers is for education! We are not a corporation!' The chants of frustrated faculty members disrupted an otherwise quiet campus in Newark on Tuesday, as hundreds gathered outside of the Rutgers University Paul Robeson Center to picket the board of governors meeting." Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: American Postal Workers Union: "Next up in our series that will take a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the American Postal Workers Union (APWU)." Collective Voices Lead to Victory: Worker Wins: "Our latest roundup of worker wins begins with grocery store workers using their collective voices and includes numerous examples of working people organizing, bargaining and mobilizing for a better life." Economy Gains 196,000 Jobs in March; Unemployment Unchanged at 3.8%: "The U.S. economy gained 196,000 jobs in March, and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.8%, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Continued lower levels of job growth provide good reason for the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee to express caution in considering any interest rate hikes." Education Minnesota Is Gaining Strength One Conversation at a Time: "Just over 18 months ago, the leaders of Education Minnesota (an affiliate of both the AFT and the National Education Association) decided that something had to change. With the Janus v. AFSCME decision looming, and the 2018 midterm elections set to follow, the 90,000-member union knew that membership engagement had to be its top priority." ‘Anthem’ Voice Actor on Unionization, Struggles of Creation: "The refutation came as there is a growing push for more workers rights and unionization from many members of the gaming community, including the grassroots organization Gamer Workers Unite. Even the AFL-CIO, America’s largest labor organization, recently asked games industry employees to fight for adequate pay and sensible work hours. 'This is a moment for change,' said AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer Liz Shuler. 'It won’t come from CEOs. It won’t come from corporate boards. And, it won’t come from any one person. Change will happen when you gain leverage by joining together in a strong union. And, it will happen when you use your collective voice to bargain for a fair share of the wealth you create every day.'" Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 04/17/2019 - 10:14 — Apr 17
  • Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: BCTGM
    Get to Know AFL-CIO's Affiliates: BCTGM AFL-CIO Next up in our series that takes a deeper look at each of our affiliates is the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM).  Name of Union: Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM) Mission: The primary goal of the BCTGM has not changed in more than 130 years—to bring economic justice in the workplace to all workers in our jurisdiction and social justice to workers throughout the United States and Canada. Current Leadership of Union: David B. Durkee has served as BCTGM international president since September 2012. Prior to his election as international president, Durkee served as international secretary-treasurer, international executive vice president, international director of organization and international representative. Durkee began his life as a BCTGM activist in 1973 when he joined Local 280 (Evansville, Indiana) as a baker at Lewis Brothers Bakery. He was re-elected as international president by delegates to the BCTGM international constitutional conventions in 2014 and 2018. Members Work As: Manufacturing, production workers, maintenance and sanitation workers. Industries Represented: BCTGM represents working men and women at some of the most widely recognized companies in the baking, candy, snack food, dairy, tobacco and grain milling industries in North America. History: The Bakery and Confectionery Workers International Union of America, one of the pioneers of the North American labor movement, was organized in 1886. In 1957, the American Bakery and Confectionery Workers' International Union was formed. In 1969, the two organizations united. The Tobacco Workers International Union was founded in 1895 and was also in the forefront of the labor movement. As it and the Bakery and Confectionery Workers' International Union of America shared many common goals, both organizations came to realize those goals best could be achieved through a merger. That merger, creating the BC&T, took place in 1978. The American Federation of Grain Millers (AFGM) had roots stemming back to the late 1800s. In 1936, the National Council of Grain Processors was formed when federal grain milling unions agreed to unite as a national union under the American Federation of Labor (AFL). In 1941, the council was renamed the American Federation of Grain Processors and in 1948 was granted an international charter as the AFGM. Shared goals and industries caused the Jan. 1, 1999, merger between the BC&T and AFGM, resulting in the BCTGM. Current Campaigns: BCTGM's Check the Label campaign urges consumers to boycott Nabisco-Mondelēz products made in Mexico. BCTGM also is leading the fight to find a legislative solution to America’s growing pension crisis. Community Efforts: BCTGM partners with the United Way and provides scholarships for members and their children. Learn More: Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube. Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 04/15/2019 - 11:30 — Apr 15
  • Support Stop & Shop Workers
    Support Stop & Shop Workers AFL-CIO Some 31,000 members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) are on strike at Stop & Shop supermarkets across New England, walking off the job to fight back against slashed health care benefits. Stand with our brothers and sisters today and sign UFCW’s petition demanding that executives agree to a fair contract that reflects the true value of their workers. Thanks to the tireless labor of tens of thousands of working people, Stop & Shop is thriving. Its parent company, Ahold Delhaize, recorded profits of more than $2 billion last year. Over the past three years, its shareholders have pocketed $4 billion in stock buybacks. Yet, Stop & Shop executives want even more—and they’re targeting the same workers who built that immense wealth. Going nearly two months without a contract, UFCW members have faced threats to their wages, health care, retirement and overall livelihoods. Walking out of more than 240 stores throughout New England, working people are standing up for their most fundamental rights and dignities in the country’s largest private-sector work stoppage in years. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka sent a message to the Stop & Shop workers:
    The 31,000 striking @UFCW members at @StopandShop have the support of our 55 affiliates and 12.5 million members across the country. For those in the striking areas remember — don’t cross the picket line. #1u pic.twitter.com/AxRJZdGilb — Richard Trumka (@RichardTrumka) April 11, 2019
    Stand with them in this fight: Sign UFCW’s petition—and don’t cross a picket line! Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 04/12/2019 - 15:16     — Apr 12
  • Protecting the Most Vulnerable: In the States Roundup
    Protecting the Most Vulnerable: In the States Roundup AFL-CIO It's time once again to take a look at the ways working people are making progress in the states. Click on any of the links to follow the state federations on Twitter. Alabama AFL-CIO:
    11th annual "Road Kill BBQ" is getting off to a great start. #1U pic.twitter.com/Cm9BXBUSX0— Alabama AFL-CIO (@AlabamaAFLCIO) April 3, 2019
    Alaska AFL-CIO:
    Thank you, @AKHouseMajority for protecting Alaska's most vulnerable. #akleg https://t.co/UTA3jaTd8r— Alaska AFL-CIO (@AKAFLCIO) April 7, 2019
    Arizona AFL-CIO:
    Proposal to lower minimum wage for young workers dead https://t.co/aGJRsWeL9N— Arizona AFL-CIO (@ArizonaAFLCIO) April 8, 2019
    Arkansas AFL-CIO:
    The official vote for HB1955. Thank the 52 members who voted to keep in place the very limited protections for injured workers & surviving families. #arpx #arleg501-682-6211 pic.twitter.com/KKQkGV37BN— Arkansas AFL-CIO (@ArkansasAFLCIO) April 5, 2019
    California Labor Federation:
    "Side hustles are not simply a new version of working as a “wage slave” so that we can do what we love...Instead, far more often, people take on 2nd or 3rd side hustles because of wage stagnation or low pay at their full-time jobs." #AB5 #DisruptInequality https://t.co/MnX5AqDUUa— California Labor Federation (@CaliforniaLabor) April 8, 2019
    Connecticut AFL-CIO:
    There’s only one way for these workers to push back against the way they’re exploited while franchises like Call of Duty churn out money for those at the very top: unionization. https://t.co/sX5DrSm9z2— Connecticut AFL-CIO (@ConnAFLCIO) April 9, 2019
    Florida AFL-CIO:
    “This is not about protecting the constitution,” @rtemplin. “This is about protecting the status quo.”https://t.co/7LgAMq2xta— Florida AFL-CIO (@FLAFLCIO) April 9, 2019
    Georgia AFL-CIO:
    Union member and State Senator @SenNanOrrock pumping up the crowd at the @AFLCIO Southern District meetings! #1u pic.twitter.com/X7MoAumY7S— AFL-CIO Georgia (@AFLCIOGeorgia) April 4, 2019
    Idaho State AFL-CIO:
    Thanks @GovernorLittle https://t.co/CeuPtH161n— Idaho State AFL-CIO (@IdahoAFLCIO) April 5, 2019
    Indiana State AFL-CIO:
    Sending solidarity to @UniteHerelocal1 workers who have been on strike for 7 months at @CambriaMagMile in Chicago✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏿 #1u https://t.co/Bgulzz3ZUF— Indiana AFL-CIO (@INAFLCIO) April 8, 2019
    Iowa Federation of Labor:
    Submit 2019 Hall of Fame Nominations https://t.co/VTyaL6CbDC— Iowa AFL-CIO (@IowaAFLCIO) April 9, 2019
    Kansas State AFL-CIO:
    Working people everywhere thanks you Governor Kelly for the veto of SB 22. pic.twitter.com/ZEDqMXlbc6— Kansas AFL-CIO (@KansasAFLCIO) March 25, 2019
    Kentucky State AFL-CIO:
    From Insider Louisville: “City worker unions reject mayor’s request for pay freeze”“Ron Richmond of AFSCME Council 962 — representing city workers at the Louisville Free... https://t.co/CRhvRAFA1i— Kentucky AFL-CIO (@aflcioky) April 8, 2019
    Maine AFL-CIO:
    Sherry Nadeau delivering powerful testimony about how unfairly the workers comp system has treated her husband, who was disabled 13 years ago after his employer accidentally ran him over #mepolitics— Maine AFL-CIO (@MEAFLCIO) April 8, 2019
    Massachusetts AFL-CIO:
    Proud to honor workers and leaders at the annual Jewish Labor Committee's #LaborSeder @StevenATolman @UNITEHERE26 @Usw04 pic.twitter.com/BU1063o6pB— Massachusetts AFLCIO (@massaflcio) April 8, 2019
    Metro Washington (D.C.) Council AFL-CIO:
    Teachers circulate petition to fully fund DC schools https://t.co/de6xcOreP3— MetroDCLaborCouncil (@DCLabor) April 5, 2019
    Michigan AFL-CIO:
    This is an important victory for working people who were denied the opportunity to seek justice after being wrongfully accused of committing fraud by the Snyder Administrationttps://fox17online.com/2019/04/05/mi-supreme-court-rules-victims-in-uia-cases-can-sue-the-state/— Michigan AFL-CIO (@MIAFLCIO) April 5, 2019
    Minnesota AFL-CIO:
    Scapegoating Unions for the Postal Service’s Phony Crisis https://t.co/8ywhIzI2aW #1u @NALC_National @APWUnational pic.twitter.com/KoQ6qpF50f— Minnesota AFL-CIO (@MNAFLCIO) April 8, 2019
    Missouri AFL-CIO:
    IBEW Local 1’s Tom George honored with 2019 Kortkamp Humanitarian Award. Way to go Tom! https://t.co/6dorl1uGAK pic.twitter.com/tBZpetSPoI— Missouri AFL-CIO (@MOAFLCIO) April 9, 2019
    Montana AFL-CIO:
    When public workers are shifted into private compensation programs it weakens their access to benefits and their negotiating power. 👇#mtpol #mtleg19 https://t.co/lIn1dbUECZ— Montana AFL-CIO (@MTaflcio) April 5, 2019
    Nebraska AFL-CIO:
    https://t.co/oX6u0IqQB1— NE State AFL-CIO (@NEAFLCIO) March 28, 2019
    Nevada State AFL-CIO:
    Apprenticeship Day 2019 at the #NVLeg happens on April 23 from 10a-3p. Apprenticeship programs are a key piece of the future of Nevada's workforce. Stop by and learn more! https://t.co/RUyUvSs9ux— Nevada State AFL-CIO (@NVAFLCIO) April 8, 2019
    New Hampshire AFL-CIO:
    Thanks to the Portsmouth Herald & Foster's Daily Democrat for running Pres. Glenn Brackett's op-ed: ""Now is the time to remember those who kept our towns safe, educated our children, and managed our roads and parks." https://t.co/5vToZ0Zjq6— NewHampshire AFL-CIO (@NHAFLCIO) March 27, 2019
    New Mexico Federation of Labor:
    We are supporting our Brothers and Sisters who are fighting for their right to bargain and gather in union!#RedforFeds #Solidarity #1u pic.twitter.com/es7sEgD8mb— NMFL (@NMFLaflcio) April 4, 2019
    New York State AFL-CIO:
    Wearing 🔴 RED 🔴 today to support our @AFGENational sisters and brothers. #1u #UnionStrong #Solidarity pic.twitter.com/16gtpcxnnU— NYSAFLCIO (@NYSAFLCIO) April 4, 2019
    North Carolina State AFL-CIO:
    #TogetherWeWin! Will you say #CountMeIn to win even more victories for NC working families in 2019? https://t.co/S1Esw1Klo0 #1u #ncpol #OrganizeTheSouth— NC State AFL-CIO (@NCStateAFLCIO) March 26, 2019
    North Dakota AFL-CIO:
    Here in North Dakota, women are paid on average $0.79 for every $1 paid to male counterparts. All women deserve to be paid equally & recognized for their contribution to the economy and our communities.https://t.co/Oqrju3Ff7s #EqualPayDay pic.twitter.com/CmnAtkCLDK— North Dakota AFL-CIO (@NDAFLCIO) April 2, 2019
    Ohio AFL-CIO:
    Usually we turn on the news and are divided. We need to hear and see more stories like this showing the goodness of people and celebrating our differences! pic.twitter.com/0ZLQCbwI9T— Ohio AFL-CIO (@ohioaflcio) April 7, 2019
    Oklahoma State AFL-CIO:
    Did you know that the average 1st year apprentice in OK makes $16.52 an hour?Check out the 2019 OK Apprenticeship Book and Report which goes into detail on all the union construction apprenticeship programs in OK and how to apply. Check it out here - https://t.co/0cRhuarw8r— Oklahoma AFL-CIO (@OK_AFL_CIO) April 8, 2019
    Oregon AFL-CIO:
    https://t.co/xNPo2BZfxJ— Oregon AFL-CIO (@OregonAFLCIO) April 8, 2019
    Pennsylvania AFL-CIO:
    ICYMI: PA Workers were winning all over the Commonwealth! https://t.co/akNQZI4tF2— PA AFL-CIO (@PaAFL_CIO) April 5, 2019
    Rhode Island AFL-CIO:
    #NationalBeerDay #1U https://t.co/haS2qriFWq— Rhode Island AFL-CIO (@riaflcio) April 8, 2019
    South Carolina AFL-CIO:
    Please keep our Brothers family and friends in your thoughts and prayers. https://t.co/xXbSSAEGeH— SC AFL-CIO (@SCAFLCIO) April 7, 2019
    Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council:
    This practice is disturbingly common in many states, including Tennessee. "In all, these copycat bills amount to the nation’s largest, unreported special-interest campaign, driving agendas in every statehouse and touching nearly every area of... https://t.co/QxtZryu4op— Tennessee AFL-CIO (@tnaflcio) April 9, 2019
    Texas AFL-CIO:
    Texas AFL-CIO Launches Union Candidate Training https://t.co/RaXkXsXwxZ— Texas AFL-CIO (@TexasAFLCIO) April 8, 2019
    Virginia AFL-CIO:
    The Gender Wage Gap Is Robbing Women Of Billions | WUNC https://t.co/YNf6T8iRUg— Virginia AFL-CIO (@Virginia_AFLCIO) April 4, 2019
    Washington State Labor Council:
    Contact your WA State Senators and tell then NO on the amended SB 5313! #waleg https://t.co/bORxW4RO9d— WA State AFL-CIO (@WAAFLCIO) April 5, 2019
    West Virginia AFL-CIO:
    Working WVians, who struggle to have their voices heard above special interests, cannot compete w/political donations of wealthy residents & out-of-state corporations. WV needs more transparency of political spending, not more money flooding into our state’s elections! pic.twitter.com/G2oxgX2A28— West Virginia AFLCIO (@WestVirginiaAFL) March 21, 2019
    Wisconsin State AFL-CIO:
    Get the WI AFL-CIO Union Families Budget Breakdown:https://t.co/Jq5YuB86UT— WI AFL-CIO (@wisaflcio) April 6, 2019
    Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 04/11/2019 - 15:34     — Apr 11
  • Meet the First Woman President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO
    Meet the First Woman President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO Wisconsin AFL-CIO Elected the first woman president of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO, Stephanie Bloomingdale has more than two decades of experience in labor as an organizer, negotiator, trainer and activist. She served as secretary-treasurer of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO for eight years before her election as president in September 2018. Previously, she was director of public policy for the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, working on behalf of nurses and health care workers throughout the state. Bloomingdale has a statewide reputation as a tenacious fighter and tough negotiator, skills she says she had to develop to survive 20 years of arbitrations, grievance hearings and battles in the legislature. What is the state AFL-CIO? What is its role? The Wisconsin AFL-CIO is a federation of many different labor unions from many different sectors, public and private, service workers, manufacturing, building trades, retail, health care, transportation...people doing all types of work come together in the AFL-CIO to maximize our collective power. You have the honor of being the first woman elected president of the state AFL-CIO, so can you talk to us about that? My hope is that we’ll soon reach a time when this is no longer notable, a time when it’s simply accepted that the president, man or woman, was elected based on the qualities and skills that he or she brings to the job. I do believe that my election is a step in that direction. As I travel around the state, so many of the women union members I meet are very excited, not only for me but also for themselves and their daughters. They see that they also can raise their hands and say, “why not me?” as they move into leadership roles. That’s why I think this is significant for all of us in the state of Wisconsin. Some people have said, “Well, Stephanie, isn’t this a good ol’ boys club?” and I can honestly say that has not been my experience. The men and women I work with value effective leadership and dedication. I think what’s important to them is that they can trust my commitment to building our collective power through the union movement. We understand that your family is also involved in the labor movement in Wisconsin. Can you talk about that, as well as what inspires you personally to do this work? The reason I do this work is because I do believe that unions are the only way that working people can truly get ahead. Now, if you’re fortunate enough to be born to billionaire parents with connections that will never allow you to fail and will always provide you with a golden parachute, that’s great. But for everyone else that has to get up every day and go to work for someone else, there has to be a way to protect and expand the opportunity to do better. The best way to do that is to have strong unions. As for my family, my husband, Doug Savage, is an AFT [American Federation of Teachers] member and he has been very supportive of my work in the union movement since day one. Lots of women carry full loads. Our work, our families, taking care of the kids, being involved in the community, involved in the PTOs, and for me, I believe that I’ve been fortunate in that my kids really have grown up in the labor movement. They’ve been helping out with the union since they were very little. I think that not only helped them to solidify their beliefs and attitudes and opened up new opportunities for them, but it also helped me to be able to do my job, because it was a family affair. I’ll never have to tell my children to vote; they’ve been coming with me whenever I’ve gone to vote, and they’ve learned that it’s their responsibility in this country to be a part of the solution. If they see something that’s wrong, it’s up to them to make it right. That is something we believe very strongly in our family. When the kids were very little, I would bring them to the union office (the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals), I would give them little jobs to do, like paying them five cents a table for each one they cleaned, and after a while, my oldest son, Nicholas, said, “This is not enough money. This five cents a table is not enough.” So he called my Aunt Audrey, and he had her help him negotiate a better rate. It cost me more than double to get the tables washed after that, but Nicholas learned how to get what he needed and he didn’t even have to go on strike! Not only did they do that, but they grew up going door-to-door with me, candidate after candidate, learning about the issues and the tools we use to make politics work for working people. In the November 2018 election, my younger son Spencer and I were going door-to-door for Tony Evers and Mandela Barnes. Once we got out there, I realized that he knows how to do all this on his own. He wanted to knock on the doors and talk to the voters himself about why Evers and Barnes were the best candidates for working people. I was very proud of him. Can you tell us about Scott Walker’s attempts to bust the power of labor unions in the state of Wisconsin through Act 10 and “Right to Work,” and how labor has responded? Scott Walker made it his mission to try to destroy the middle class each and every way he could while he was in office. He started with Act 10, which sought to destroy the collective bargaining rights of teachers and public-sector workers. His plan was to divide and conquer; we know that for a fact because he was caught on tape talking to Diane Hendricks [the conservative billionaire owner of ABC Supply who contributed $500,000 to Walker’s 2012 campaign to defeat a recall effort] when she asked him what he was going to do about the unions, and he said he would start with the public-sector unions and then use divide and conquer and go after the private-sector unions. One thing he didn’t count on was our solidarity as union men and women. I think we demonstrated very clearly that “an injury to one is an injury to all” is more than just a labor movement platitude. Public- and private-sector unions stuck together throughout these attacks, beginning with Act 10 and on through Right to Work, attacks on prevailing wage and all the other anti-worker policies. Speaking of that, “Right to Work” is really a misnomer. It may sound good to some, but it’s just another attack on labor unions that amounts to the right to work for less. We like to say it’s a so-called right to work, because what it actually is meant to do is weaken unions. Truly, attacks on working people happened throughout Walker’s entire tenure as governor. By any standard, Wisconsin workers have suffered some of the nation’s most serious attacks on our ability to have a voice in our workplace through a strong union. Scott Walker prided himself on being the union-buster-in-chief. So, was it difficult? Yes. Did we suffer a lot of hard knocks over those eight years? Sure, but we’ve taken those punches and we’ve always come back swinging. We know no matter how long the odds, the only time we’re sure to lose is if we leave the ring. Even though we had a governor and state legislature stacked against us, we never gave up, we never stopped fighting, because we knew we were on the right side—and no governor, no politician anywhere has the right to take away the ability of workers to organize ourselves into unions. And in retrospect, these attacks had a silver lining. More people today know about unions and their importance in the economy, and more people understand that you can’t have a fair society, democracy or economy if workers don’t have the ability to come together as a team to advocate for ourselves; the way they accomplish this is through a union. Speaking at the Italian equivalent of the AFL-CIO recently, Pope Francis actually said that without strong unions there can be no strong society. Because of these fights, many people, union or non-union, became energized and activated around these issues for the first time in their lives. Our issues were elevated to the forefront more than they had been in many decades. We’ve seen the effects of this not only in Wisconsin but also nationwide; we see this reflected in polling, which shows that unions are more popular now than they have been in decades, and in particular with millenials. They see unions in a positive light, because they sense opportunity and a chance for a decent life slipping away from their generation. Unions represent an opportunity to get that back. Speaking of millennials, can you talk about the current labor movement and the young people now joining the workforce? Millennials rightly have a lot of angst about the future. There’s a lot to worry about, starting with the basic question of how to make ends meet. We know we have an economic situation where we have a great deal of wealth in this country, but it’s very sharply divided between a few at the very top and the rest of working people. We want millennials to know exactly what a union is and does and why they’re so important. Without strong unions, there is simply no possibility of having a healthy middle class, and a strong middle class has always been the foundation of our economy. A union enables workers to stand together to maximize our power, negotiate for better wages and better safety conditions. The financial security a union job provides allows workers to truly participate in their communities. It’s hard to coach Little League or organize a neighborhood food drive if you have to work three jobs. So unions not only benefit our members, but the community as a whole. If we want to talk about how that happens, it’s part of the basic human condition of people wanting to support each other and deliver mutual aid to one another, and this is the way that families support one another, and workers support each other in the workplace. There are some studies that predict millennials may not be as prosperous as their parents’ generation, despite their generally being better educated through college, training and so forth than any previous generation. How does the labor movement feel about this? Are there reasons for optimism? I think we are at a real turning point. I think many people now are coming to understand that we can’t just rely on politicians to make sure that workplaces are safe, and workers are paid fair wages. More and more, working people are realizing that we have to take action ourselves to protect our rights to these things. Unions allow us to act together. So if there’s any group of workers that need help, we’re all going to be there for them. The American myth about the rugged individual really falls apart in the modern workplace. Did you ever notice the people telling workers to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps are the same people making it hard for us to buy boots? I believe that people, especially millennials, are waking up to this and coming to understand that the only way to make sure to have a decent life— not living on a hamster wheel of long hours, low pay and no time for anything else—is to stand together and organize. Again, this is exactly where an organized labor union comes into the picture. As for our nation’s millennials, more now than ever before, with our gig-economy, people will have to stick together and make sure they don’t get the short end of the stick when it comes to having a fair share of the economic pie and their employer’s profits. How do you, as president of the state AFL-CIO, feel about things in Wisconsin now, after the election of Gov. Evers and Lt. Gov. Barnes? The voters made it very clear they were sick of Walker and the direction in which he was taking our state as governor. We’re very excited about Tony Evers and Mandela Barnes; already, we’re seeing positive changes since they took office. The budget that Gov. Evers has proposed is very good for working people; it repeals the so-called Right to Work, and it reinstates prevailing wage for construction jobs and project-labor agreements. It doesn’t do everything that we want, but it absolutely is moving us in the right direction. But we’re also not naïve. We can do the math in the state Legislature. Because of the gerrymandered electoral maps, anti-worker Republican politicians are still in control. But there’s enormous value in having a governor and lieutenant governor willing to serve as a check on the worst abuses of power and set a new agenda that invests in our roads and other infrastructure, gets rid of the lead in our water pipes and make sure all of our drinking water is safe, makes sure we take the Medicaid expansion and making sure we invest in our kids by putting much-needed dollars into education at all levels. At the same time, the labor movement knows there is never a political ‘savior’, right? Yes. We’re well aware that, ultimately, we can’t rely only on our elected officials to ensure workers’ rights. We need to rely on ourselves and on each other to remain very active in our communities and unions. From the earliest days of the union movement, we’ve always been our own best champions. We’ll continue to support our political allies, but we’re well aware that it’s ultimately up to all of us working together for the common good and exercising what really is democracy in the workplace. You soon learn in the labor movement that we’re in a race without a finish line. The secret to success is to stay united. Keep one eye on the horizon and keep putting one foot in front of the other. If we do that, unions will stay strong, our middle class will prosper, and the American Dream will be there for generations to come. This post originally appeared in the Shepherd Express. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 04/11/2019 - 09:43 — Apr 11