AFL-CIO

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on GAO Report on the Accuracy of Workplace Injury and Illness Data

November 16, 2009 -- The GAO report released today confirms that employer policies and practices that discourage the reporting of workplace injuries and illnesses are widespread and undermining the safety and health of America's workers.    » read more »

November 13, 2009 -- AFL-CIO President Robert Haynes, on behalf of the AFL-CIO members, thanked Congressman Michael E. Capuano for his historic vote in favor of the Affordable Health Care for America Act (H.R. 3962) in a letter dated November 10, 2009.

The letter states, "you and the other nine members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation who took a stand... are showing the rest of our nation how to lead on this important moral and economic issue." It goes on to say, "...working families will remember who fulfilled the promises they were elected to keep."    » read more »

October 15, 2009 -- America's workers appreciate Chairman Frank's efforts yesterday to strengthen the Over-the-Counter Derivatives Markets Act of 2009. However, the final bill that goes to the House floor needs to go further to protect taxpayers and our economy from a repeat of what happened at AIG.

The final bill should:

· Require all standardized derivatives be traded on exchanges that are transparent and require capital to back up risk;

· Have no exceptions for overseas trades or foreign currency trades;

· Prevent regulatory arbitrage by having the SEC regulate derivatives tied to securities and the CFTC regulate derivatives tied to commodities; and    » read more »

October 07, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today formally issued a final rule rescinding the Social Security “no match” rule. The “no match” rule, which was never implemented, would have forced employers to fire workers based on discrepancies in their Social Security records. DHS first announced its plan to rescind the rule in July, and with today’s publication of a final rule in the Federal Register, the rescission will go into effect in 30 days.    » read more »

October 02, 2009 -- The economy shed another 263,000 jobs in September and unemployment rose to 9.8 percent. These numbers are worse than previously forecast and represent the highest unemployment rate in 26 years. There are now six job seekers for each available job and over one-third of the 15 million unemployed workers have now been without a job for over 27 weeks.

The only factor that kept the unemployment rate from rising even more is that 571,000 workers dropped out of the labor force last month.    » read more »

September 16, 2009 -- Despite months of painful negotiations, the Senate Finance Committee proposal released today absolutely fails to meet the most basic health care needs of working families and it fails to meet the expectations we have set for our nation.

It fails to put pressure on private insurers to control health care costs. There is no history or logic behind the claim that health care co-ops would provide real competition for the giant private insurers that have a stranglehold on health coverage today.    » read more »

Response by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney to the insurance industry's 'Chicken Little' letter on the public health insurance option

June 23, 2009 -- For far too long, Americans have struggled under a broken health care system dominated by insurance companies who care about one thing – their own profits. Passing health care reform that includes a quality public health insurance option is crucial to America's workers because it will provide a competitive impetus for companies to reduce overhead expenses and lower costs.    » read more »

More than half in huge survey say they cannot get the health care they need at a price they can afford

June 23, 2009 -- (Washington, DC) –Over half of the 23,460 people who responded online to a health care survey sponsored by the AFL-CIO and Working America say they cannot get the health care they need at a price they can afford, and the problem is even more acute among people who buy their own insurance, Hispanics and young adults. A third of respondents report that they forgo basic medical care because of costs, including skipping doctor recommended tests and treatments and not visiting a doctor when they are sick.    » read more »

Statement by AFL-CIO President John Sweeney on the current crisis in iran

June 23, 2009 -- The AFL-CIO, representing over 11 million working women and men in the United States, expresses its deep concern over the immediate situation in Iran, following the contested election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Several people have been killed and many more wounded and injured by Iranian government forces attempting to repress massive demonstrations demanding either an annulment of the elections or a vote recount.    » read more »

June 16, 2009 -- PITTSBURGH – The United Steelworkers (USW) International Executive Board has unanimously endorsed Richard Trumka as the next president of the AFL-CIO.

Trumka, the federation’s current secretary-treasurer, is looking to succeed retiring AFL-CIO President John Sweeney at its convention in Pittsburgh this September. Trumka was first elected AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer in 1995.

“Not only does Richard have the experience and the intellectual capacity to do the job, he brings great heart and passion to the fight for issues that matter to America’s working families,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard.    » read more »

June 16, 2009 -- The International Executive Board of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) today unanimously endorsed Richard L. Trumka for President of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

The International Executive Board of the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) today unanimously endorsed Richard L. Trumka for President of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

"We are extremely proud to make this endorsement," UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts said. "And not just because Rich is a former president of our union, but more importantly, because he is the right leader for America's workers at this critical time in our nation's history.    » read more »

Following Governor’s Intervention, GLOBALFOUNDRIES and the Greater Capital District Building and Construction Trades Council AFL-CIO Agree to Project Labor Agreement

June 3, 2009 -- New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced that an agreement on a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) has been reached between GLOBALFOUNDRIES and local labor, allowing construction to move forward on one of the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the world and one of the largest private sector industrial investments in New York State. The PLA between the Greater Capital District Building and Construction Trades Council AFL-CIO and M+W Zander – the firm working on the Fab 2 project – will be signed this week to finalize the labor peace agreement.    » read more »

Study analyzed public sector in four states over six year period

May 27, 2009 -- Majority sign up does not cause union or employer intimidation, according to a new report released by departments at University of Illinois, Rutgers University, Cornell University, and University of Oregon. Participants analyzed data from public sector workers in New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Oregon for six years and found that out of more than 34,000 people who joined unions through majority sign up, a process sometimes referred to as “card check,” there was not “a hint” of union or employer intimidation.

The report states:    » read more »

May 26, 2009 -- America’s workers applaud the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the United States Supreme Court. She is a brilliant jurist and in her distinguished career has worked at almost every level of our judicial system - as a prosecutor, litigator, trial court and appellate judge – and would bring more federal judicial experience to the Supreme Court than any justice in 100 years.

Judge Sotomayor will also bring to the Supreme Court a direct and personal understanding of the struggles America’s workers endure every day. She grew up in public housing in the Bronx, the daughter of a factory worker, and understands the real world consequences of the decisions she makes from the bench.    » read more »

Rise in Firings, Intimidation Show Need for Employee Free Choice Act

May 20, 2009 -- (Washington, DC) — A new study by renowned labor expert and Cornell University professor Kate Bronfenbrenner reveals that private sector employer opposition to workers’ efforts to form unions has intensified and become more punitive than in the past. Employers are more than twice as likely to use 10 or more tactics – including threats of and actual firings – in their campaigns to thwart workers’ organizing efforts.

Today’s anti-union activities include a greater focus than in the past on more coercive and punitive tactics designed to intensely monitor and punish union activity.    » read more »