News

30 years of the Family and Medical Leave Act: much to celebrate, much more to do

In January 1993, Joann Mapp shared a powerful message on a conference call with newly elected President Bill Clinton.

It’s Up to Us: Labor Carrying the King Legacy Forward

The following is adapted from remarks delivered by President Saunders at the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor’s Martin Luther King Day Breakfast on January 14, 2023.

AFSCME supports bill that would further expand and improve loan forgiveness program

Thanks to efforts by the Biden administration and AFSCME, many public service workers, 

A Decade Later: Four Ways Working People Are Still Paying for the 2008 Financial Crisis

It was 10 years ago this month that the 2008 financial crisis kicked into high gear. When storied Wall Street bank Lehman Brothers shut down, bankers walking out of the building carrying cardboard boxes of their possessions made the perfect image for TV cameras.

Don’t Like Wealth Inequality? Join a Union

We Are AFSCME

No politician running for office today would openly advocate for more wealth inequality in our country, where the richest 1 percent of the population owns 40 percent of the wealth. Even candidate Donald Trump in 2016 promised to stand up for the “forgotten men and women of our country,” who feel betrayed by a rigged economic system that benefits a small minority at their expense. Yet every single day, President Trump and congressional leaders seem determined to do more to increase wealth inequality than to alleviate it; do more for corporations and the wealthy than for single parents working two or three jobs to make ends meet.

Brett Kavanaugh: No R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Women’s and Workers’ Rights

Like others around the world, I mourned the death last week of Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul set a new standard for enduring classic songs with both artistic and political impact, like her mega-hit “Respect,” which became an anthem for both the civil rights and women’s movements.

And that song is on my mind as we embark on a week of action dedicated to shining light on the stakes for women in the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court.

A Seat at the Table for EMS Workers in Prescott, Arizona

Empty table with copies of Local 2960's final contract

Photo Credit: Local 2960

For Working Women, This is Not a Close Call

The Janus case was an attempt to deliver a knockout blow to millions of working people and their families who looked to the Supreme Court as an independent institution that advances equal rights and fundamental freedoms for all.

‘We Wouldn’t Have Anything If It Weren’t for Our Union’

When he first took a job at the Centralia Correctional Center in Illinois, Keith Kracht knew that a career in public service wouldn’t make him a millionaire. But then again, that’s not why he went into public service.

AFSCME to Trump: Federal Workers Deserve Respect

AFSCME President Lee Saunders lashed out at the Trump administration after President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders to make it easier to fire federal workers and weaken their unions.

Scam Alert: State Policy Network

Don't fall for the scam.