Featured Stories
Statement From SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Regarding Paramount/Warner Bros. Antitrust Settlement
LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 22 -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued the following news release:
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A Statement From SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Regarding Paramount/Warner Bros. Antitrust Settlement
September 21, 2026
SAG-AFTRA released the following statement today from President Sean Astin and National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland regarding the Paramount/Warner Bros. antitrust lawsuits:
"The settlement of the Attorneys
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LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 22 -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued the following news release:
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A Statement From SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland Regarding Paramount/Warner Bros. Antitrust Settlement
September 21, 2026
SAG-AFTRA released the following statement today from President Sean Astin and National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland regarding the Paramount/Warner Bros. antitrust lawsuits:
"The settlement of the AttorneysGeneral antitrust lawsuit, announced today, addresses some of our deep concerns about production levels and investment in U.S. production.
We thank California Attorney General Rob Bonta, New York Attorney General Letitia James and the other attorneys general for helping to ensure our members' interests were part of the conversation. Their advocacy is deeply appreciated.
We will continue to approach our relationship with Paramount with professionalism and the intention to work well together. We hope that the process of engaging with the attorneys general has impressed upon them the fact that in addition to collective bargaining, our members rely on the law to help protect our interests. These are the lowest standards that our employers must meet.
All of the companies have the opportunity to exceed their legal obligations and make additional efforts to ensure that our workplaces are healthy and that employers honor our dignity."
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About SAG-AFTRA
SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voiceover artists and other entertainment and media professionals. SAG-AFTRA members are the faces and voices that entertain and inform America and the world. A proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, SAG-AFTRA has national offices in Los Angeles and New York and local offices nationwide representing members working together to secure the strongest protections for entertainment and media artists into the 21st century and beyond. Visit SAG-AFTRA online at SAGAFTRA.org.
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Original text here: https://www.sagaftra.org/statement-sag-aftra-president-sean-astin-and-national-executive-director-chief-negotiator-duncan
[Category: Union]
Ascension St. Agnes nurses ratify first-ever union contract
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Sept. 19 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Ascension St. Agnes nurses ratify first-ever union contract
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Registered nurses at Ascension Saint Agnes in Baltimore, Md., voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a three-year contract on Saturday, winning their first-ever collective bargaining agreement in a watershed moment for nurses across Baltimore. RNs are the hospital are represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).
"After four years of aggressive struggle, we are delighted
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Sept. 19 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Ascension St. Agnes nurses ratify first-ever union contract
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Registered nurses at Ascension Saint Agnes in Baltimore, Md., voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a three-year contract on Saturday, winning their first-ever collective bargaining agreement in a watershed moment for nurses across Baltimore. RNs are the hospital are represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).
"After four years of aggressive struggle, we are delightedto ratify the first union contract for private-sector nurses in Baltimore," said Robin Buckner, RN in intravenous therapy. "The contract provides much-needed protections against unsafe floating, unfair discipline, and workplace violence. We won a grievance procedure, a pay scale, and much more. As nurses, we now have a voice to advocate for safe staffing so that our patients get the best care."
Highlights of the contract include:
* Safe staffing improvements, including an end to floating nurses to units outside their clinical competency, a Professional Practice Committee, a Staffing Issues Committee, and an end to mandatory overtime.
* Workplace violence prevention language, including the provision of security available to immediately assist nurses and protections against discipline for raising safety concerns.
* Fair processes: A grievance procedure including the right to arbitration, just cause and progressive discipline standards, and the right to union representation.
* Economic gains to help retain and recruit experienced nurses. The agreement includes a 5-6% pay increase over three years. Since unionizing in 2023, full-time and part-time Saint Agnes nurses have seen cumulative raises of up to 34% thanks to union nurse advocacy.
* No mass layoffs of per diem nurses, as originally proposed by Ascension.
* Successorship protections that protect the contract in the event the hospital ownership changes.
"Over the long road to secure this contract, we won a lot of victories, from equipment improvements to staffing improvements to raises, through organizing and putting pressure on the hospital," said Melissa LaRue, RN in the intensive care unit. "Now that we have a contract, we are empowered, ready to hold Ascension accountable to it, and ready to keep up the fight for a hospital that puts patients over profits."
The new pact covers the period September 2026 to September 2029. NNOC represents more than 600 nurses at Saint Agnes.
National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/ascension-st-agnes-nurses-ratify-first-ever-union-contract
New York State Nurses Association and National Nurses United co-endorse three New York congressional candidates
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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New York State Nurses Association and National Nurses United co-endorse three New York congressional candidates
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New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and National Nurses United (NNU) today announced a co-endorsement of Claire Valdez for New York's 7th, Brad Lander for New York's 10th, and Darializa Avila Chevalier for New York's 13th congressional districts. Together, these three candidates represent nurses' values of caring and compassion. They have solid track records
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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New York State Nurses Association and National Nurses United co-endorse three New York congressional candidates
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New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and National Nurses United (NNU) today announced a co-endorsement of Claire Valdez for New York's 7th, Brad Lander for New York's 10th, and Darializa Avila Chevalier for New York's 13th congressional districts. Together, these three candidates represent nurses' values of caring and compassion. They have solid track recordsof defending workers' rights and advocating for their communities here in New York. We are confident that if elected, they will fight to restore health care funding, protect New York's workers and most vulnerable patients, get ICE out of our hospitals and communities, and win Medicare for All and strong workplace organizing protections through the PRO Act.
"When New Yorkers work together, anything is possible. And that is why we are excited to endorse Claire Valdez, Brad Lander, and Darializa Avila Chevalier for Congress," said NYSNA and NNU President Nancy Hagans, RN. "These three have shown that a politics that centers dignity, respect, and human rights for everyone can defeat corporate power and win for working people everywhere. These three candidates are exactly why New York is leading the way in the renewed progressive movement that we're seeing across the country."
"As a nurse at a crucial public hospital in New York's Congressional District 7, I see daily how Washington, D.C. fails to address the needs of working people," said NYSNA First Vice President Judith Cutchin, DNP, RN, and NNU vice president. "We need Congressmembers who will put working people first, like Claire Valdez did in Albany by leading the fight to pay off New York's unemployment insurance debt and increase the state's maximum unemployment benefit. Union member Darializa Avila Chevalier knows firsthand what it means to harness worker power to win, and we know she will fight for an agenda that puts people over profits. When New York City's public hospital nurses fought for pay parity with private hospitals, Brad Lander was there with us every step of the way. We were proud to endorse him in the primary and know he will be an unwavering advocate for nurses and our patients in D.C."
"Nurses across this country work hard every day to keep us healthy and safe. And as they have faced everything from RFK Jr.'s assault on public health to hospital executives' bad faith negotiations, they have continued organizing for what they deserve," said State Representative Claire Valdez. "I'm proud to receive the New York State Nurses Association and National Nurses United's endorsement, and I look forward to fighting alongside them in Congress."
"I'm proud to have NNU and NYSNA's endorsement in this race," said Brad Lander. "Nurses showed up and saved lives during the pandemic, like they do every single day. I'll fight to support nurses from their picket lines to the halls of Congress for safe staffing and Medicare for All."
"Nurses are the ones holding our health care system together, often without the pay and resources they need," said Darializa Avila Chevalier. "I'm honored to have the endorsement of National Nurses United and the New York State Nurses Association, because when nurses fight for safe staffing ratios and fair contracts, they're fighting for every patient in this district. I was proud to picket alongside NYSNA members earlier this year, and in Congress, I'll continue standing with them."
NNU, the largest union of registered nurses in the nation, supports candidates who are committed to nurses' values, including safe patient staffing in all hospitals across the country, protecting the rights of workers to organize, guaranteeing comprehensive health care to everyone through Medicare for All, and the abolishment of ICE. In a recent Gallup poll, nurses were voted the most trusted profession in the United States for the 24th consecutive year. NNU looks forward to helping elect Valdez, Lander, and Avila Chevalier and working closely with them in Congress on the important issues that affect registered nurses, our patients, and our communities.
NYSNA believes our ability to strengthen our public health infrastructure and our social safety net, and to take action to support frontline workers depends on electing candidates who support nurses, health care professionals, and our communities. We endorse candidates who share our values of community and compassion and will fight for us, our patients, and working people everywhere.
The New York State Nurses Association represents approximately 45,000 members in New York State. We are New York's largest union and professional association for registered nurses. NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, the country's largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members nationwide.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/nysna-and-nnu-co-endorse-three-new-york-congressional-candidates
Mutual Benefit Association representative training
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO National Association of Letter Carriers issued the following news:
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Mutual Benefit Association representative training
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NALC Director of Life Insurance Jim Yates has announced a Mutual Benefit Association (MBA) representative training to be held on Sunday, Nov. 8. This is the third in the 2026 series of training sessions, and will be focused on the MBA's Retirement Savings Plans.
Branch presidents may begin registering their MBA representative for the training through the branch president's Members Only page. Each branch may register
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO National Association of Letter Carriers issued the following news:
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Mutual Benefit Association representative training
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NALC Director of Life Insurance Jim Yates has announced a Mutual Benefit Association (MBA) representative training to be held on Sunday, Nov. 8. This is the third in the 2026 series of training sessions, and will be focused on the MBA's Retirement Savings Plans.
Branch presidents may begin registering their MBA representative for the training through the branch president's Members Only page. Each branch may registerup to three people. The registration directions are below.
The class will begin at 2 p.m. Eastern time and is scheduled to be one and a half hours long, but usually finishes earlier.
NALC has developed the ability to create a registration and training gateway through the Members Only portal on the NALC website.
Registration
Once a meeting has been scheduled through the Members Only portal, branch presidents will need to register their members in order for them to attend. To access the registration option, branch presidents can go to the NALC website and log into the Members Only portal. Once logged in, choose the "Meetings Menu" from the menu on the left-hand side of the page and then select the "Meeting Registration by Officers" option. This will display a list of upcoming meetings. From there, presidents can register a member(s) by entering their last name in the "Search" box and selecting the correct member from the drop-down list. A member can also be removed from the "Registry" list by checking the box under the "Delete" column next to the corresponding member. Branch presidents will not be able to register more than the maximum number of attendees per branch or exceed the maximum number of attendees for that session. The maximum number of registrants per branch and for the session, as well as the registered-to-date counts, are displayed on the registration screen.
Training materials
Training materials and other pertinent information may be supplied for each session in the form of PDFs. These documents will be available to registrants on their Members Only page. The documents can be printed, copied and/or saved.
Accessing meeting information and/or joining the meeting
When a registered member wants to access training materials, view topics, or join a meeting, they can go to the NALC website and log into the Members Only portal. Once logged into the portal, the member will choose the "Meetings Menu" from the menu at the left-hand side of the page and select the "Join a Meeting" option, which will display a list of those meetings the member is registered to attend.
For each meeting, there will be three buttons: The "Documents" button will give the member access to the training materials; the "Topics" button will give the member access to a list of topics (if any); and the "Join" button. The "Join" button will appear 10 minutes prior to the start time on the day of the meeting. If you log into the Members Only portal sooner than 10 minutes prior to the start of the meeting, you will need to exit to the home page and re-enter to access the "Join" button.
Once you select the join button, you will be taken to a Webex window titled "Starting your meeting..." Scroll down to select "Join from your browser." When joining, the member will be prompted to enter their name and email address in order to attend the meeting. Proceed by selecting the "next" button followed by the "Join Meeting" button.
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Original text here: https://www.nalc.org/news/nalc-updates/mutual-benefit-association-representative-training-110826
Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Minnesota's Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate and Matt Little for U.S. House
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Minnesota's Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate and Matt Little for U.S. House
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AFGE says both candidates will support federal employees and working families
EAGAN, Minn. -The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of Minnesota's Peggy Flanagan for election to the U.S. Senate and Matt Little for election to the U.S. House of Representatives representing the state's 2nd Congressional
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Minnesota's Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate and Matt Little for U.S. House
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AFGE says both candidates will support federal employees and working families
EAGAN, Minn. -The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of Minnesota's Peggy Flanagan for election to the U.S. Senate and Matt Little for election to the U.S. House of Representatives representing the state's 2nd CongressionalDistrict. The general election is Nov. 3.
Both candidates have pledged to support key AFGE priorities, including protecting federal employees' collective bargaining rights, retirement benefits, and pay; opposing harmful workforce cuts; and protecting federal work from privatization.
"Peggy Flanagan has spent her career fighting for workers and working families," AFGE District 8 National Vice President Ruark Hotopp said. "From her work training organizers and future leaders to her service in the Minnesota Legislature and as lieutenant governor, Peggy has consistently stood with working people. Federal employees need that same kind of fighter in the U.S. Senate. We know she will stand up for our collective bargaining rights, protect the retirement benefits federal workers have earned, and fight back against attacks on the federal workforce."
"Matt Little has a proven track record of fighting for public-sector workers and understands the issues federal employees face every day," Hotopp said. "His experience working for the National Association of Letter Carriers gives him firsthand knowledge of the challenges facing federal workers and union members. We know Matt will stand with AFGE members and working people in Congress."
AFGE also has endorsed Jake Johnson for election to Congress representing Minnesota's 1st Congressional District and three incumbents from the state for reelection: Kelly Morrison (CD-3), Betty McCollum (CD-4), and Ilhan Omar (CD-5).
More than 31,600 federal employees live in Minnesota, caring for veterans, supporting the military, protecting the traveling public, and ensuring Social Security recipients receive their earned benefits accurately and on time.
AFGE is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing more than 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers in all functions of government. AFGE represents more than 42,600 federal employees in District 8, which includes Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
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Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/0369871526e04323b4b28c6f2a2e0980.aspx
(TNSmlt)
Civil rights coalition files federal lawsuit challenging threatened use of ICE and federal law enforcement at polling locations
WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release:
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Civil rights coalition files federal lawsuit challenging threatened use of ICE and federal law enforcement at polling locations
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WASHINGTON-Nine organizations representing immigrants, communities of color, and workers -the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Mi Familia en Accion, OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, the National Urban League, Minnesota 8 (MN8), the Service Employees International Union, the American Federation of
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WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release:
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Civil rights coalition files federal lawsuit challenging threatened use of ICE and federal law enforcement at polling locations
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WASHINGTON-Nine organizations representing immigrants, communities of color, and workers -the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Mi Familia en Accion, OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, the National Urban League, Minnesota 8 (MN8), the Service Employees International Union, the American Federation ofTeachers (AFT), the International Union of Painters (IUPAT), and the United Food and Commercial Workers International (UFCW)-filed a federal lawsuit today challenging the administration's actions and statements that have put voters of color in reasonable fear that they will face federal interference when they go to vote, thereby chilling their participation in the upcoming midterm elections. The plaintiffs are represented by the Legal Defense Fund, Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF), Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, LatinoJustice PRLDEF, National Immigration Law Center (NILC), Protect Democracy, and Democracy Defenders Fund.
This lawsuit aims to protect and strengthen the freedom to vote, helping ensure that all communities can fully participate in our democracy with confidence.
The complaint documents how the federal government has asserted authority for armed agents to operate in the vicinity of voting locations, dismantled internal agency guardrails against election interference, and made unprecedented attempts to assert federal executive power over election administration. The result is predictable: voters across the country -especially Black, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander, immigrant, and naturalized citizen voters as well as voters from mixed-status families -fear questioning, arrest, detention, surveillance, or use of force by federal agents while casting their ballot on Election Day, conducting voter registration, or serving as an election official. Such harms violate Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, which prohibits intimidation, threats, and coercion of people for voting or attempting to vote, as well as people who encourage or assist others in voting.
The lawsuit comes amid repeated assertions from federal officials across the administration about potentially deploying federal law enforcement in the vicinity of polling locations during the 2026 midterm elections. In the past year, the federal government has also repeatedly circumvented, or disregarded the law in carrying out arrests, investigations, and immigration enforcement actions.
Against that backdrop, the federal government's statements threatening the presence of immigration agents and other law enforcement at polling locations undermine public confidence and deters eligible voters from participating in our democracy. The lawsuit calls on the courts to definitively prohibit the federal government's threatened use of law enforcement at or around polling places.
Co-Counsel Statements
"All American voters have the sacred right to have a voice in our democracy, and should be able to exercise that right freely and without fear," said Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund. "Using federal law enforcement as a scare tactic to target and intimidate Black communities is illegal and antithetical to the promise of a multiracial democracy that was enshrined in the Voting Rights Act. Neither Black, Latino, Asian, or any other voters nor any other communities should ever again face the threats of terror and intimidation at the ballot box that defined the Jim Crow era."
"When the federal government puts fear between people and the ballot box, that is voter intimidation-plain and simple," said Bethany Li, Executive Director of the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund. "We are experiencing a level of voter intimidation like we haven't seen since the civil rights era, when local governments and the KKK openly intimidated Black voters. This time, it is the federal government ordering ICE and other federal law enforcement to intimidate naturalized citizen voters and immigrant communities. In 2026, voters should not have to choose between their safety and their right to vote."
"Election season political games are nothing new, but this administration has crossed a dangerous line undertaking a series of actions designed to target and terrify Latino voters," said Lourdes M. Rosado, President and General Counsel, LatinoJustice PRLDEF. "Our community will not stand for lies about non-citizens voting in any substantial number, threats to deploy ICE at sensitive election locations, violent immigration enforcement tactics, and absence of safeguards against targeting naturalized and other American citizens. Congress prohibited voter intimidation in the Voting Rights Act at a time when the KKK terrorized Black voters, and it is shameful that today these protections are needed to stop our own federal government's reign of terror."
"Threatening, suggesting, or even hinting that ICE and other armed federal agents will be deployed to polling locations, contrary to federal law, is voter intimidation, plain and simple," said Kica Matos, President of the National Immigration Law Center. "We will not be intimidated. When our right to vote is under attack, it is up to all of us to defend it. Let us make our voices heard at the ballot box and remind President Trump that voters pick our leaders and decide our future - not the other way around."
"Instilling fear around voting is part of a broader strategy from the authoritarian playbook this Administration uses to disrupt our democracy," said Hayden Johnson, Counsel at Protect Democracy. "We've seen communities join peacefully together to defend their rights over the last year and a half in the face of incursions from federal agents, and November will be no different."
"Our laws prohibit intimidation or threats against any person exercising their right to vote. Deploying federal agents to polling places is unlawful and part of a broad scheme to deter eligible voters from making their voices heard," said Amb. Norm Eisen (ret.), Executive Chair and Co-Founder of Democracy Defenders Fund. "This is a dangerous tactic in a long list of them by this administration intended to pre-determine the outcome of our elections."
"The Trump administration has been waging a campaign to undermine American elections, and their insinuations that federal law enforcement agents might be at the polls this November are part of that effort," said Jasleen Singh, Senior Counsel and Manager in the Brennan Center's Democracy Program. "We're bringing this lawsuit so that voters are protected against intimidation and can have their voices heard."
Plaintiff Quotes
"We reject this administration's attempt to desecrate our polling sites by converting them into militarized zones through the unlawful deployment of ICE or any other federal agent," said Kristen Clarke, NAACP General Counsel. "The Voting Rights Act prohibits intimidation tactics that stand to deny and deter voters from exercising their voice and their rights. As a nation, we have no need for armed presence at polling locations -our elections are safe and transparent, which has been the hallmark of our democracy. Turning the fundamental right of exercising our vote into a high-stakes encounter with the militarized strong arm of the current administration isn't protection and it isn't oversight; it's disenfranchisement, period. The NAACP calls on the court to reject this blatant attempt by federal officials to obstruct our elections through tactics pulled straight from the Jim Crow playbook."
"Communities of color and immigrant communities have the right to vote, organize, and participate in our democracy without federal government intimidation," said Thu Nguyen, Executive Director of OCA -Asian Pacific American Advocates. "The right to vote is the right to have a voice in the country we call home. Our communities should not have to fear that participating in our democracy could lead to baseless investigations, intimidation, or violence. We are asking the courts to give our communities the certainty they deserve that they will be able to safely exercise their right to vote on Election Day."
"Voter intimidation is illegal, whether it comes from a mob outside the polling place or from the federal government itself," said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. "Threatening to station ICE agents or other federal law enforcement near voting locations is a transparent attempt to sow fear, suppress participation, and silence communities whose voices are essential to a healthy democracy. Black Americans know the painful history of efforts to intimidate voters and deny equal access to the ballot. We will not allow those tactics to be repackaged for a new era. The National Urban League is proud to stand with our partners in defense of every American's right to vote freely, safely, and without intimidation."
"Latino voters have the same fundamental right as every American to cast their ballots freely and without intimidation. The presence of federal law enforcement at or near polling places risks creating fear and confusion, particularly in Latino and immigrant communities," said Hector Sanchez Barba, President and CEO of Mi Familia en Accion. "Our message to Latino voters is clear: do not be intimidated. Know your rights, make a plan to vote, and make your voice heard. Mi Familia Vota will be on the ground in our communities working to protect access to the ballot and ensure every eligible Latino voter can exercise their right to vote safely and confidently."
"Deploying federal agents to strike the fear of god into voters at polling places is a tactic straight out of the authoritarian playbook," said AFT President Randi Weingarten. "It's intimidation pure and simple and has no place in a true democracy. No matter your politics, American citizens need to be able to exercise their basic democratic right without running the gauntlet of an armed, masked militia. Our goal in this lawsuit is to ensure all those eligible to vote, particularly those covered by our Civil Rights laws, can access the ballot box free from coercion and interference. These midterms, we are doing everything we can to reassure Americans voting is safe and secure. And that when they turn out, hopefully in overwhelming numbers, the will of the people cannot be denied."
"Minnesota 8 stands in steadfast solidarity with our national partners in this fight against voter intimidation," said Dieu Do, Director of Programs at Minnesota 8. "As a Southeast Asian immigrant rights organization that bore witness to Operation Metro Surge, Minnesotans understand firsthand that this lawsuit represents our collective resistance to a federal government that is threatening our democracy's future by attacking our constitutional right to vote, separating and deporting our immigrant families, and destabilizing our local communities. Our organizations will use every tool available to challenge this administration's attempts to strip our humanity."
"SEIU members are well aware of the threat of federal law enforcement at the ballot box later this fall. Our hard-working care and service workers, and the family and neighbors they'll be voting alongside, won't allow for intimidation when it comes to casting their votes," said SEIU Executive Vice President Joseph Bryant. "No eligible voter should be afraid to make their voice heard. Voting is about accountability-about building a better future for our families. When that future and our rights are threatened, our members will throw down to stop such disenfranchisement. We hope that the court will protect our workers and communities around the country."
"Over the last 18 months, the strategic deployment of federal agents has caused major disruptions for workers simply trying to provide for their families and support their communities," said UFCW International President Milton Jones. "As we approach Election Day, these illegal intimidation tactics pose another hurdle for working people trying to make their voices heard at the ballot box. Everyone deserves to be able to cast their vote free from fear."
"This is election interference pure and simple," said IUPAT General President, Jimmy Williams, Jr. "We are a democratic union and have an obligation to stand up for democratic principles whenever they are attacked. Deploying federal agents to polling sites has no place in this country, it is authoritarian fearmongering and a blatant attempt to influence our elections. Our polling sites shouldn't look like armed camps. American citizens have the right to engage in our democracy without having masked federal agents trying to deter them. Free and fair elections are a hallmark of our democracy and we cannot sit on the sidelines while this administration again attempts to game the system because they are worried about the results."
The full complaint can be read here.
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Original text here: https://www.aft.org/press-release/civil-rights-coalition-files-federal-lawsuit-challenging-threatened-use-ice-and
'Women Build This Union Every Day!' IAM Union Celebrates 30th Founding Anniversary of Historic Women's Department
UPPER MARLBORO, Maryland, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers issued the following news release:
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'Women Build This Union Every Day!' IAM Union Celebrates 30th Founding Anniversary of Historic Women's Department
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Three decades after founding, IAM Union women return to city where their department was born
CHICAGO - Today, the IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of its historic Women's Department in the city where it was originally founded, Chicago.
"Three
... Show Full Article
UPPER MARLBORO, Maryland, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers issued the following news release:
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'Women Build This Union Every Day!' IAM Union Celebrates 30th Founding Anniversary of Historic Women's Department
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Three decades after founding, IAM Union women return to city where their department was born
CHICAGO - Today, the IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of its historic Women's Department in the city where it was originally founded, Chicago.
"Threedecades ago, IAM Union leaders became one of the first North American trade unions to found an International Union department centered fully on the advancement of justice and opportunity for its female membership," said Dee Colbert, Director of IAM Union's Women's and Young Workers Department. "This week, as our union convenes for a Women's and Young Workers conference in Chicago, the birthplace of our union's Women's Department, we celebrate the professional excellence, advocacy, and leadership of tens of thousands of IAM women whose contributions have shaped our union, and the hundreds of industries we represent."
"I stood in Chicago as a delegate 30 years ago and voted for the addition of a Women's Department then," said Dora Cervantes, IAM Union General Secretary-Treasurer and the first woman to ever hold the No. 2 position in the International Union. "To see it come to fruition, and to go on to become the highest-ranking female leader ever in our union, speaks volumes about who our union is and what we believe in. When I think back to the 1996 Convention and this resolution, I am overcome with emotion. I was a young worker before we were acknowledged, and a woman fighting for recognition before we had it. My own trajectory, and the rising leadership of so many other IAM women, is direct proof of how amazing the IAM is. We have come a long way, and we are not stopping.
"The reality is that women build this union every day," continued Cervantes. "IAM Union women break glass ceilings every day in our workplaces, smashing the narrative about what women can achieve in traditionally male-dominated industries like aerospace, airlines, defense and manufacturing. We are proud to advance inclusivity and gender equity in every workplace we represent, and 30 years after the founding of our Women's Department, our message to women everywhere remains the same: Your place is in your union."
Collective bargaining agreements are one of the most effective tools available to eliminate the gender pay gap in the workplace and safeguard against gender based discrimination.
Over the past 30 years, one of the most consequential initiatives led by IAM Union's Women's Department has been the founding of its groundbreaking Leadership Excellence Assembly of Dedicated Sisters mentorship program, or LEADS. The LEADS project intentionally recruits and trains women members for leadership positions within the union and has served as a transformative pipeline into greater activism and elected union office for generations of IAM Union women. The marquee program pairs established female leaders with new and emerging activists, providing gender-specific mentorship within a formal education and development curriculum that has paid dividends in changing the face of leadership within the union.
Speakers in Chicago this week celebrating the 30th anniversary of the IAM Union Women's Department in addition to Secretary-Treasurer Cervantes and Director Colbert include Allison Beck, IAM Union's first woman General Counsel; Diane Babineaux, IAM Union's first woman General Vice President; Lorie Wilson, IAM Union's first woman Chief of Staff in the Eastern Territory; and other trailblazing visionaries whose leadership has forever changed IAM.
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Original text here: https://www.goiam.org/news/women-build-this-union-every-day-iam-union-celebrates-30th-founding-anniversary-of-historic-womens-department/
