Unions have a public perception problem. Though opinion polls show the strongest favorability ratings for unions in years, those ratings – at least among those polled – have bounced up and down for decades. Worse, more than 60 years of millions of dollars spent on corporate propaganda, plus union-bashing, hysterical linkages to radicals, rampant Red-baiting, […]
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Reflections on National Apprenticeship Week
As another National Apprenticeship Week comes to a close, it’s a good time to reflect upon the importance high road apprenticeship programs have on the future of the American worker. The role of the Labor Movement has been essential in the creation and continuation of this highly important institution. Established five years ago by the […]
Read MoreCalifornia Unions Vow to Defeat Gig Corporations’ Measure to Strip Workers of Fundamental Protections
Instead of providing drivers with a real living wage and job protections that all workers deserve, massive gig corporations plan to spend more than $100 million to avoid complying with the law. This measure is another brazen attempt by some of the richest corporations in California to avoid playing by the same rules as all […]
Read MoreCalifornia’s Unions Lead to Pass New Pro-Worker Laws for 2020
California’s unions led the way in passing a host of new pro-worker bills that go into effect on Jan. 1, 2020. These new laws, signed by Gov. Newsom, cement California’s status as the nation’s leader on workers’ rights. As with every year, many of the bills unions fought to pass directly support all working people, […]
Read MoreLarry Itliong: Filipino-American Labor Leader and Civil Rights Activist
The United Farm Workers movement is one of the most important demonstrations of worker power in American history. While the Delano Grape Strike is often cited as one of the most prominent labor actions of the 20th century, we rarely hear the story of the Filipino activists and workers that played a critical part in […]
Read MoreSB 17 Data Shows How Out-of-Control Pharma Companies Are Gouging California Families
A recent local news story headline read “Rising Prescription Drug Prices Are Costing Some Patients Their Lives.” It detailed, as we’ve heard before, that Americans pay more for prescription drugs than consumers in any other country. This article also detailed the toll that drug prices take on patients, workers and families. The man in the […]
Read MoreLuisa Moreno: Guatemalan Immigrant, Civil Rights Activist and Labor Leader
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, we honor the Latino unionists who have been monumental figures in progressing workers’ rights. Among them was Luisa Moreno, a Guatemalan-born organizer and activist who would later become one of the most impactful labor leaders of the 20th century. Luisa Moreno was born on August 30, 1906 in Guatemala […]
Read MoreIn Monumental Victory for Workers, Gov. Newsom Signs AB 5 into Law
Today’s signing of AB 5 is one of the most significant victories for workers in a generation. For far too long, big corporations skirted their responsibility to provide basic protections to workers by calling them independent contractors instead of recognizing them as employees. With his signature on AB 5, Gov. Newsom sends a clear message […]
Read MoreAB 5 Approval a Historic Win for California Workers
By approving AB 5, the California legislature solidified our state’s position as the national leader on workplace rights, setting the standard for the rest of the country to follow. The misclassification of workers creates a corrosive effect that ripples through our entire economy, undermining our laws to protect and support working people. AB 5 is […]
Read MoreThe Future Is Union Strong
This Labor Day one thing is for certain, our economy is changing. And unfortunately, those changes are bringing more hardship to working people. But as California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer Art Pulaski writes in a new op-ed for CalMatters, it doesn’t have to be this way. We can provide a future in which working people […]
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