AFL-CIO Blog

  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: AFT Settles Student Debt Lawsuit, Wins Big Gains for Borrowers
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: AFT Settles Student Debt Lawsuit, Wins Big Gains for Borrowers 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 American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFT President Randi Weingarten and eight individual AFT member plaintiffs reached a landmark settlement last week with the U.S. Department of Education in the case Weingarten v. DeVos, and, as a result, tens of thousands of student loan borrowers can expect imminent relief from their student debt. Under the historic agreement, all Public Service Loan Forgiveness applicants who were denied relief will have an opportunity for their cases to be reviewed, setting public employees across the country, including teachers, nurses and firefighters, on a path to a life-changing reduction or elimination of their crushing student debt burden. “Congress pledged relief to those who dedicated their lives to serving the public, but 98% got a debt sentence instead,” said Weingarten. “Today is a day of vindication for the millions of borrowers who took the government at its word but were cruelly denied through no fault of their own.” Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 10/19/2021 - 09:32 — Oct 19
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Tennessee AFL-CIO Joins BCTGM Members on Strike Against Kellogg
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Tennessee AFL-CIO Joins BCTGM Members on Strike Against Kellogg 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. Some 1,400 members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) at the Kellogg Co. are taking a stand on the future of their workforce by going on strike at four different cereal plants. One of these plants is in Memphis, Tennessee, where members of BCTGM Local 252G have been on strike since Oct. 5. Members of the Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council joined striking Kellogg workers Wednesday on the picket line. “I’ve been in the labor movement for a long time, and what I saw earlier this week was truly something special. The energy and solidarity on the picket line in Memphis is powerful,” said AJ Starling (ATU), secretary-treasurer of the Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council. “It truly feels like one big family that’s gathered to support one another. Community leaders, elected officials, and countless union members have all stopped by to show their support for BCTGM Local 252G and all Kellogg’s workers who are on strike across the country. At a time when the company is making record profits, management’s ongoing attempt to enact a two-tier wage system and divide the workforce is inexcusable. These hard-working employees deserve to be treated with dignity, respect and fairness on the job. As I said on Wednesday, all 60,000-plus members of the Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council are standing in solidarity with BCTGM Local 252G and will continue to do so for the duration of the strike.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 10/18/2021 - 09:30 Tags: Strikes — Oct 18
  • National Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Camila Turrieta
    National Hispanic Heritage Month Profiles: Camila Turrieta Throughout National Hispanic Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling labor leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Hispanics and Latinos have made to our movement. Today's profile features Camila Turrieta. First Officer Camila Turrieta is committed to helping others overcome barriers and obstacles to achieve their dreams of flying through her work as chair of ALPA’s President’s Committee for Diversity & Inclusion. When she’s not out flying the line for JetBlue, Turrieta advocates for diversity, equity and inclusion on the flight deck, with a particular focus on reaching out to communities and those with backgrounds historically underrepresented within the piloting profession and the larger aviation industry. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 10/15/2021 - 10:00 — Oct 15
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Redmond Promotes BIT Construction Project Putting Union Members to Work
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Redmond Promotes BIT Construction Project Putting Union Members to Work 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. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond went to Chicago on Wednesday to meet with union members and leaders. He toured Wolf Point South, a groundbreaking new construction project in the heart of the city that’s putting hundreds of union members in the building trades to work. Like all other AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust (BIT) projects, Wolf Point South is 100% union-made. The BIT invested in all three phases of the development, which, when complete, will have generated more than 6 million hours of work for union construction trades on the site. “The work of the AFL-CIO BIT, supporting projects like Wolf Point and others across the nation, is personal to me. I want every worker to have the same chance as my family, the chance to join a union, to work on projects like Wolf Point, and to succeed in achieving all their dreams. I want every working family to feel the power of the labor movement as a change agent for prosperity,” Redmond said. “Wolf Point South, along with the other BIT construction projects, is a testament to what we can achieve together as a movement.” Click here to read more about the event. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 10/15/2021 - 09:31 — Oct 15
  • #Striketober: In the States Roundup
    #Striketober: In the States Roundup 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. Alaska AFL-CIO: Arizona AFL-CIO: California Labor Federation: Connecticut AFL-CIO: Florida AFL-CIO: Georgia AFL-CIO: Indiana State AFL-CIO: Iowa Federation of Labor: Kentucky State AFL-CIO: Maine AFL-CIO: Massachusetts AFL-CIO: Michigan AFL-CIO: Minnesota AFL-CIO: Missouri AFL-CIO: Montana AFL-CIO: Nebraska AFL-CIO: Nevada State AFL-CIO: New Hampshire AFL-CIO: New Jersey State AFL-CIO: New Mexico Federation of Labor: New York State AFL-CIO: North Carolina State AFL-CIO: North Dakota AFL-CIO: Ohio AFL-CIO: Oregon AFL-CIO: Pennsylvania AFL-CIO: Rhode Island AFL-CIO: Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council: Texas AFL-CIO: Virginia AFL-CIO: Washington State Labor Council: Wisconsin State AFL-CIO: Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 10/14/2021 - 13:35 Tags: Strikes — Oct 14