AFL-CIO Blog

  • Native American Heritage Month Profiles: Eric Moore
    Native American Heritage Month Profiles: Eric Moore Throughout Native American Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Native Americans have made to the labor movement and toward expanding the rights of working people. Today's profile features Eric Moore of IATSE. Eric Moore has been a Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 728 member for 25 years and is currently a rigging CLT on "Mayans M.C." He is half Hopi from Arizona and half Tewa from the Santa Clara Pueblo in New Mexico. “Being a member of Local 728 has been a wonderful career choice. The entertainment industry is filled with interesting projects and amazing people. It is an honor to work with members of my local and the other guilds and locals in our industry.” Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 11/17/2023 - 09:14 — Nov 17
  • Service & Solidarity Spotlight: President Shuler Calls Out Detroit Casino Ownership in Visit to ‘Strike City’ Picket Line
    Service & Solidarity Spotlight: President Shuler Calls Out Detroit Casino Ownership in Visit to ‘Strike City’ Picket Line Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler joined workers on the picket line at MotorCity Casino Hotel on Wednesday night for a rally as they continue their negotiations with management of the three casinos in Detroit. Unions participating in the strike include UNITE HERE Local 24, UAW Local 7777, Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 324, the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Teamsters Local 1038. The negotiations are reportedly boiling down to core issues, and hundreds of workers joined the rally.   “Union casino workers kept this industry alive during the pandemic,” Shuler told Michigan Advance. “But despite Detroit casino owners making record profits, they are refusing to take care of their workers. This is unjust, unfair and unethical. It is time to pay the workers who keep you in business a living wage, to provide health care that allows workers to care for themselves and their families and to guarantee the job security their employees have earned. We stand in solidarity with our union brothers and sisters on the strike line as they fight for the contract they deserve.”  This was Shuler’s fifth visit to Detroit since Labor Day. Local unions have dubbed the town as “Strike City,” given the number of large strikes that happened concurrently this fall and the collaborative strike actions that have been executed among the various unions. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 11/17/2023 - 09:07 — Nov 17
  • Native American Heritage Month Profiles: Russell Denny
    Native American Heritage Month Profiles: Russell Denny Throughout Native American Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Native Americans have made to the labor movement and toward expanding the rights of working people. Today's profile features Russell Denny of the United Steelworkers (USW). Russell Denny, an electrician and instrument technician at Elk Petroleum, serves as unit recording secretary of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 12-477. Denny and his fellow workers at Elk Petroleum attended the union’s first gathering of Indigenous members in the U.S., where activists from numerous tribes exchanged ideas on how unions can improve their responsiveness to issues important to Native American members, communities and peoples. Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 11/15/2023 - 10:30 — Nov 15
  • Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Cannabis Workers in Massachusetts Join UFCW
    Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Cannabis Workers in Massachusetts Join UFCW Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. Cannabis production workers at Holistic Industries in Monson, Massachusetts, voted to join United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1459. The win comes after months of organizing and after major layoffs left the workers short-staffed, which led to long hours and work well outside their job descriptions. The workers are also concerned about low pay and hazardous working conditions. “Before, I’d come into work every day and say to myself, ‘There’s room for improvement,’” said Jessica Bozenhard, packaging associate at Holistic Industries. “This victory means we can start making improvements. The union gives us a voice and the support we need to make change possible.” Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 11/15/2023 - 10:17 — Nov 15
  • Native American Heritage Month Profiles: Robert Gilson
    Native American Heritage Month Profiles: Robert Gilson Throughout Native American Heritage Month, the AFL-CIO will be profiling leaders and activists to spotlight the diverse contributions Native Americans have made to the labor movement and toward expanding the rights of working people. Today's profile features Robert Gilson of the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 7019 member Robert Gilson has worked for Lumen for more than 24 years, where he works as a broadband technician. He has been a proud union member the entire time. A descendant of the White Mountain Apache Tribe in Arizona, Gilson served seven years in the U.S. Army before going to work at U.S. West Communications (now Lumen). He encourages his workgroup to be active in the union so they will always have a voice at the table and because the union knows how to ensure equality for all. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 11/14/2023 - 10:11 — Nov 14