IBEW 1245 member Nick Pepper was enjoying a day off from work when something serendipitous happened.
Read MoreMy family was undocumented
We’ve been holding our breath all of June, waiting for yet another Supreme Court decision that could change the lives of millions of Californians. Heartbroken, disappointed, but not surprised, this Court denied our dream of opportunities for the millions of immigrant workers who are at risk every day. At risk of getting separated from their families, at risk of employer exploitation, at risk of returning to a country they hardly remember, at risk of losing their children.
Read MoreThe Invisible Silicon Valley
by Maria Noel Fernandez
Invisible. That’s how Nahima Aguiniga feels at work. She works as a cashier in the cafeteria run by food service company Eurest at Intel, one of the world’s most visible tech brands. She rings up free food for the “blue badges” – direct employees of the company, many earning six figures – and collects payment from the other “green badges” – the subcontracted workers like her.
Read MoreCan You Feel the Heat In Sacramento?
This week, temperatures have reached over 110 degrees in Inland Southern California. Thousands of workers are toiling in steel shipping containers across Southern California delivering goods to all of us from companies like Amazon, Walmart and Target. These workers, like millions of other workers in California, have no protections from the heat under the law. Employers do not have to have a plan to deal with indoor heat, even as these workers make millions of dollars for massive multinational corporations that employ them
Read MoreEveryone wants transparency…except Big Pharma
Senate Bill 1010 (Hernandez) will likely be up for a vote next week in the California State Assembly Health Committee before heading to the floor for a vote. The bill has already passed the CA State Senate, and everyone – except Big Pharma – seems to be coming out in favor of this commonsense, pro-transparency bill.
Read MoreA Day for Dad
A step-by-step guide to a union-made Father's Day
By Michael Messina
Our dads have done a lot for us over the years; from carrying us on his shoulders when we were small to guiding us through life’s lessons as we became adults. Once a year we give a little back to Dad on Father’s Day, and Labor 411 has put together a union-made day that will put a smile on his face.
Read MoreWorking People of the AFL-CIO Endorse Hillary Clinton for President
Working people in the AFL-CIO's affiliate unions have chosen to endorse Hillary Clinton for president of the United States. The endorsement reflects a comprehensive, democratic process initiated one year ago to capture the interests of the 12.5 million working people the federation represents.
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Strengthening the State of Women
by Liz Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer of AFL-CIO
In 2016, women are rising to the top in every field and industry, and breaking down boundaries that held former generations back.
Read More16 Million Kids Experience the Indignity of Hunger in America
Speaker Ryan’s Proposal to Block The School Meal Program will Make that Worse!
By Jessica Bartholow
This year, Congress has been considering the reauthorization of the Nation’s Child Nutrition programs. With insight from the Congressional debate during the reauthorization of the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the federal Agricultural Act of 2014, we knew this debate would be meager, not include the voices of families experiencing hunger and, in the end, fall far too short to offer a meaningful response to the crisis of millions of Americans, 16 Million of them children, experiencing hunger.
Read MorePride Month: Why Working People in Unions Are Fighting LGBTQ Discrimination in the Workplace
by Jerame Davis
The strongest protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer working people are found in a union contract. Working people in unions have fought hard to make sure that employers cannot discriminate against people. This includes helping pass laws that protect LGBTQ working people, especially transgender people.
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