AFL-CIO Blog

  • Coping with Coronavirus: Labor Podcast and Radio Roundup
    Coping with Coronavirus: Labor Podcast and Radio Roundup In addition to the AFL-CIO's own "State of the Unions," there are a lot of other podcasts out there that have their own approach to discussing labor issues and the rights of working people. Here are the latest podcasts from across the labor movement in the United States. The Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO, and Chris Garlock have launched a new show, the Labor Radio/Podcast Weekly, which includes clips from various radio shows and podcasts that talk about labor, unions and working people's issues. If you are interested in getting your clips onto the show, contact [email protected] for more details. Building Bridges: "Nurses Blast Government and Hospital Readiness for Coronavirus," with Deborah Burger, practicing nurse, co-president of National Nurses United (NNU) and president of the California Nurses Association.  CTU Speaks!: Co-hosts Andrea Parker and Jim Staros speak with Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) officers, President Jesse Sharkey and Vice President Stacy Davis Gates, about the COVID-19 pandemic and its far-reaching impact on schools, the union, the city and the world. Then they interview Emily Hecht, the CTU delegate at Vaughn Occupational High School about how the school community is responding to the urgent needs of students and parents. Heartland Labor Forum: Talking with members of the League of Women Voters about their 10 recommendations for assuring that tax giveaways actually serve the public good, not private greed. Labor History Today: Talking to Kurt Stand about his last days of work before the COVID-19 shutdown, Carl Goldman about the 1913 textile strike in Haldeon, New Jersey, and Jessica Pauszek about Tough Annie, a wealthy woman who supported working women in London during the struggle for women's suffrage. Union City Radio: Union City Radio is aired seven days a week during the COVID-19 crisis. Recent episodes have interviewed teachers, transit workers, firefighters and hotel workers. Union Strong: A day in history that changed workplace safety. Willamette Wake-Up: Talking about labor and the Green New Deal with Mike Ellison and Marty Hart-Landsberg.  Workers Beat: The show airs 9 a.m. every Saturday morning on KNON 89.3 FM in Dallas. Hosted by Gene Lantz. Your Rights At Work: Helping D.C. workers cope with COVID-19 and discussing whether or not the stimulus bill is good news for America's workers. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 03/31/2020 - 10:48 Tags: Podcast — Mar 31
  • Women's History Month Profiles: Roxanne Brown
    Women's History Month Profiles: Roxanne Brown AFL-CIO For Women's History Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various women who were, and some who still are, leaders and activists working at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today, we are looking at Roxanne Brown. Roxanne Brown currently serves as international vice president at large for the United Steelworkers (USW). She has served USW's membership for more than two decades. During her career, she has helped advance legislation to strengthen U.S. defense procurement laws and shape environmental policies to benefit USW members with jobs. She helped build bridges between USW members and the Environmental Protection Agency to achieve mutually beneficial goals. She worked to rally 20,000 people to protect the steel industry from foreign dumping. She was born in Kingston, Jamaica, and raised in New York. Through the And Still I Rise program, Brown wrote about her work. Here are some key excerpts. On the challenges of moving to clean energy:
    Much of the work that we’re trying to do is to help design good, sensible and reasonable clean energy policies that take my members into account on the industrial side, and in the building and construction trades. We want to ensure that all of us play a role in this new, emerging economy.
    On the gender wage gap:
    We have to create that equality across the board. Every wage gap that exists is money that’s leaving the pockets of women all over the country. I grew up in a single-family household. My mom was a single mom. Every penny counts when you’re a single mom. The labor movement understands that. This is why wage equality has been one of its biggest fights.
    On how she got into union work:
    I grew up around unions, but didn’t know what they were. I’m from Jamaica. My family settled in New York. The women in my family worked in healthcare and food services. An aunt who worked for the county hospital was a member of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA). She would take me to union picnics and union parties, but I had no idea what CSEA was. I just thought it was the hospital party. That was my very first experience with unions. I started with the Steelworkers when I was 19 years old. 
    On why she loves her fellow union members:
    My very first day with the Steelworkers, I met a group of legislative interns who were members. That is when I fell in love with my union, because I fell in love with our members. They were nontraditional and diverse. They were from all walks of life. We’re the largest union in the paper sector; the oil sector; chemicals and rubber; and the auto industry. We actually have more people working in the auto industry than the United Auto Workers because our members make the components for automobiles—steel, aluminum, seats, glass and tires—literally everything.
    On diversity in the labor movement:
    It is very helpful for the future and growth of our union for our members to be more comfortable with diversity, particularly as more and more public sector workers are organized and we get more nurses, bus drivers, and cab drivers in the fold. For our union to fully move into the 21st century, it needs to be inclusive. I’m part of us moving in that direction.
    On the purpose of unions:
    I want young people, people of color, immigrants, and women to know that unions are about power. They are about economic power. They are about educational power—because those wages allow people to send their kids to school. They are about financial power for the future, because a lot of these union jobs have very strong retirement benefits associated with them.
    Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 03/30/2020 - 11:03     — Mar 30
  • Fighting the Coronavirus: Making Ventilators
    Fighting the Coronavirus: Making Ventilators Trevar Smedal is a member of Machinists (IAM) Local 1406 employed at General Electric's Datex-Ohmeda in Madison, Wisconsin. He and his co-workers are in a race against the clock to produce ventilators needed in the worldwide fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the video to hear Trevar's story. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 03/27/2020 - 14:37 Tags: COVID-19 — Mar 27
  • Put Workers First: In the States Roundup
    Put Workers First: 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. Find state-by-state COVID19-related resources here. Alaska AFL-CIO: Arizona AFL-CIO: Arkansas AFL-CIO: California Labor Federation: Colorado AFL-CIO: Connecticut AFL-CIO: Florida AFL-CIO: Georgia AFL-CIO: Indiana State AFL-CIO: Maine AFL-CIO: Massachusetts AFL-CIO: Metropolitan Washington (D.C.) Council, AFL-CIO: Michigan AFL-CIO: Minnesota AFL-CIO: Missouri AFL-CIO: Montana AFL-CIO: Nebraska State AFL-CIO: New Jersey State AFL-CIO: 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: Texas AFL-CIO: Virginia AFL-CIO: Washington State Labor Council: West Virginia AFL-CIO: Wisconsin State AFL-CIO: Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 03/26/2020 - 09:03 — Mar 26
  • Women's History Month Profiles: Jessie Lopez de la Cruz
    Women's History Month Profiles: Jessie Lopez de la Cruz AFL-CIO For Women's History Month, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various women who were, and some who still are, leaders and activists working at the intersection of civil and labor rights. Today, we are looking at Jessie Lopez de la Cruz. In 1919, Jessie Lopez was born in Anaheim, California. Her family was poor enough that she began working in fruit and vegetable fields at five. Her family soon began working as migrant farmworkers, and they were hit hard by the Great Depression.  While working in San Juan Capistrano in 1932, Jessie was asked to help translate during a strike of Mexican workers, as she had the best English of the workers, who were mostly Mexican. In 1938, she married another farmworker, Arnold de la Cruz, and they went on to have six children. She continued as a farmworker for decades before becoming inspired to start organizing workers. She wouldn't become an organizer until she was in her 40s. Her husband, Arnold, began working with César Chávez and the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) in 1965. Meetings were held in the couple's home, and soon Jessie began to volunteer as well. After the NFWA became the United Farm Workers (UFW), Jessie became the top recruiter in the union. She led or participated in a variety of actions, such as picketing stores, to advocate for the safety of Mexican American workers and against employer corruption and abuse.  UFW established its first hiring hall in 1968 and Jessie became the manager. Her tireless efforts led her to even more exposure and activity in organizations like the Fresno County Economic Opportunity Commission, Central California Action Associates, California's Commission on the Status of Women. Jessie worked to improve UFW as well. Her advocacy led the union to expand opportunities for women in leadership positions, despite strong opposition. She retired from UFW in 1993 and spent her retirement working with California Rural Legal Assistance and her local Catholic charity. After she died in 2013, her biography was adapted into a television miniseries. Watch a video with more about the story of Jessie Lopez de la Cruz: Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 03/25/2020 - 11:03 — Mar 25

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