AFL-CIO Blog

  • New BLS Data: Union Membership Grows by More than 200,000 in 2022
    New BLS Data: Union Membership Grows by More than 200,000 in 2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics data released today showed union membership in the United States grew by more than 273,000 in 2022, despite fierce and often illegal corporate union-busting. While the data also showed a slight dip in nationwide union density, the real story is that hundreds of thousands of workers overcame the odds to join a union last year in a system rigged against them. Corporate giants such as Amazon and Starbucks are spending millions of dollars to thwart collective action in the workplace, harassing, intimidating and even illegally firing workers trying to form unions to improve their lives. Still, many workers found a way to have a voice on the job.  Despite broken labor laws and rampant union-busting, working people are undeterred in their pursuit of a union. The year 2022 saw a reinvigorated labor movement, one led by young workers and workers of color, who organized at a clip not seen in years.  Last year there was a 53% rise in union elections, including groundbreaking wins at corporations that were once viewed as impossible to organize.  Unions are more popular with the public now than at any point in the past five decades because working people are fed up with low pay, unsafe working conditions and shoddy treatment on the job. This momentum won't wane; in fact, workers are doubling down on standing together.  “In 2022, we saw working people rising up despite often illegal opposition from companies that would rather pay union-busting firms millions than give workers a seat at the table,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. “The momentum of the moment we are in is clear. Organizing victories are happening in every industry, public and private, and every sector of our economy all across the country. The wave of organizing will continue to gather steam in 2023 and beyond despite broken labor laws that rig the system against workers.”  This year, the labor movement is going all in on an organizing agenda that will ensure every worker who wants a union has the chance to join or form one. Now’s the time for elected leaders to fix what’s broken by reforming our outdated labor laws that for far too long have stacked the deck against working people.  Rhetoric in support of working people isn’t enough. We need leaders who will fight to pass laws like the PRO Act and Public Sector Freedom to Negotiate Act that level the playing field and give workers a real chance to better our lives, strengthen our communities and create a more equitable economy.  If last year taught us anything, it’s that you should never bet against the American worker. Despite the odds, we’ll organize until we win.   Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 01/19/2023 - 12:25 — Jan 19
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Equity Celebrates 8th Annual Swing Day
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Equity Celebrates 8th Annual Swing Day Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. Today, Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) celebrated its eighth annual Swing Day, honoring the “swing” members of a theatrical musical’s cast. Swing members learn multiple parts and are on standby to fill in for other performers who can’t participate on a particular day. Swing members may learn they’re going on stage only moments before a performance begins, and they may have to play multiple parts in the same show, including characters that are different genders, races or ages. “Swings exemplify the best of the chorus and have kept the curtain up time and time again,” said Al Bundonis, Equity’s second vice president. “We are excited to spend the day celebrating and uplifting swings by acknowledging all the work you do.” Throughout the day, Equity shared various content from swings and their supporters on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter using the hashtags #EquityTeamSwing and #SwingDay2023. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 01/19/2023 - 09:51 — Jan 19
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Study: Prevailing Wage Repeal Shrinks Pay, Increases Dangers and Leads to More Workers on Public Assistance
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: Study: Prevailing Wage Repeal Shrinks Pay, Increases Dangers and Leads to More Workers on Public Assistance Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. According to a new study from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, repealing prevailing wage laws leaves workers with less earnings, less productive, more likely to rely on public assistance and at an enhanced risk of dying on the job. The bipartisan infrastructure bill passed last year designated billions of dollars for construction projects across the nation. Contractors in states that have repealed prevailing wage laws are facing problems staffing up that are likely to increase. Six states repealed their prevailing wage laws between 2015–2018: Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The three states with full prevailing wage repeals saw hourly wages decline at the same time prevailing wage states saw an average wage growth of more than 12%. “What prevailing wage does, it kind of standardizes and stabilizes the industry of a local market,” said researcher Larissa Petrucci. “When you repeal that, what you have is contractors who are able to undercut wages and pay workers far below the training that they have developed to get these kinds of jobs. Naturally, you’re gonna see wages decrease.” In repeal states, worker productivity and hours worked grew at a much slower rate than states that kept prevailing wage laws in place. Similarly, repeal states saw an increase in the on-the-job fatality rate. Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 01/18/2023 - 09:09 — Jan 18
  • Service + Solidarity Spotlight: IAFF Members Work to Pass New Protections for Federal Firefighters
    Service + Solidarity Spotlight: IAFF Members Work to Pass New Protections for Federal Firefighters Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service + Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. The Fire Fighters (IAFF) union is celebrating a provision in the recently passed National Defense Authorization Act that extends protections for the firefighters who protect our public lands and military installations. As many as 100 federal firefighters file cancer-related workers’ compensation claims each year, but more than 80% of those are typically rejected. The new law would require that certain cancers be presumed to be occupational, which ensures that federal firefighters will receive workers’ compensation benefits. The new rule applies not only to active federal firefighters, but also those who have retired in the past 10 years. The move is a major victory for firefighters, as it is estimated that nearly 75% of job-related firefighter deaths are attributable to cancer. IAFF District 16 worked with Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Tom Carper (Del.) to pass the measure. IAFF Local 123 President Kyle Moser said that firefighters have been working to secure this protection for more than 30 years, and Maine became the 48th state to adopt the cancer presumption protection. “Before this bill, a shipyard firefighter would be fighting fires in local towns beside municipal firefighters, but if they both got occupational cancer, only the local firefighter would have a presumption for workers’ compensation benefits,” Moser said. “We want to thank Senator Collins, Senator Maggie Hassan and the rest of the Maine and New Hampshire Congressional delegations for supporting this critical measure.” Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 01/17/2023 - 09:50 — Jan 17
  • Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
    Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This weekend, we are celebrating the great civil rights leader and our union brother. And we remember the lesson he always emphasized: The fight for civil rights and worker rights are intertwined.  In our time, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is celebrated as a civil rights icon. During his time, he faced fierce and violent backlash. Because he spoke the truth about racism in white America. Because he spoke the truth about poverty and the struggles of working people. We must remember him and his words truthfully—far beyond the often-repeated and misused line about skin color and character. Most people know Dr. King only as a civil rights leader. But we must remember him as a labor leader who was assassinated while supporting 1,300 Black men in their fight against neglect and abuse at the sanitation strike in Memphis, Tennessee. Dr. King is associated with “peaceful protest.” But we must remember his sermon “When Peace Becomes Obnoxious”:  “If peace means a willingness to be exploited economically, dominated politically, humiliated and segregated, I don’t want peace. So in a passive, non-violent manner, we must revolt against this peace.” Dr. King’s words about skin color and character are often twisted to say we should not see or talk about race. But racial justice is not the absence of race. Dr. King spoke extensively about many issues: the oppression of Black people, the suffering of Vietnamese people during the Vietnam War and white poverty. So this weekend, we remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a civil rights leader and a staunch trade unionist until the day he was assassinated. And we vow to remember his lessons truthfully as we continue his fight against racism and economic inequality Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 01/16/2023 - 10:30 — Jan 16