Featured Stories
Missouri National Education Association: Book Study - The Education Wars - A Citizen's Guide and Defense Manual
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, June 18 -- The Missouri National Education Association issued the following statement:
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Book Study: The Education Wars: A Citizen's Guide and Defense Manual
Registration for the PAC Sustainer Exclusive Book Study is officially open!
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We invite you to join us as we dive into "The Education Wars: A Citizen's Guide and Defense Manual" by Jennifer C. Berkshire and Jack Schneider.
This virtual book study will run from July 6 through August 17, hosted asynchronously on MNEA Learns with five optional synchronous Zoom sessions to connect, debrief, and dive deeper
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JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri, June 18 -- The Missouri National Education Association issued the following statement:
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Book Study: The Education Wars: A Citizen's Guide and Defense Manual
Registration for the PAC Sustainer Exclusive Book Study is officially open!
-
We invite you to join us as we dive into "The Education Wars: A Citizen's Guide and Defense Manual" by Jennifer C. Berkshire and Jack Schneider.
This virtual book study will run from July 6 through August 17, hosted asynchronously on MNEA Learns with five optional synchronous Zoom sessions to connect, debrief, and dive deeperinto the readings and podcast episodes.
This hard-hitting guide analyzes the current culture wars engulfing public education--including book banning, school vouchers, and "parents' rights" movements--and breaks down the core issues threatening our school systems today. It is the perfect opportunity to explore a roadmap and guide to action for defending and ensuring the survival of our public schools.
Must be a PAC Sustainer to participate
As a thank you for your continued support as an MNEA PAC Sustainer, this book study is completely FREE for you to attend. Furthermore, upon successful completion of the workshop, you will have the option to earn one (1) Graduate Credit from Augustana University for just $50.
We will email you details on how to participate. Until then, secure yourself a copy of the book and start reading! Can't wait to dive in.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out to MNEA Director of Professional Practice Samantha Hayes at samantha.hayes@mnea.org.
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Original text here: https://www.mnea.org/news/book-study-education-wars-citizens-guide-and-defense-manual
[Category: Union]
Thousands Sign SAG-AFTRA Letter Urging Congress to Pass NO FAKES Act
LOS ANGELES, California, June 17 -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued the following news release:
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Thousands Sign SAG-AFTRA Letter Urging Congress to Pass NO FAKES Act
As of today, over 14,000 people have signed SAG-AFTRA's open letter urging Congress to pass the NO FAKES Act, a landmark piece of federal legislation that would establish the first-ever federal, individual property right over one's own voice and likeness -- a much-needed protection in the age of AI digital clones. The open letter, which can be found here, comes
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LOS ANGELES, California, June 17 -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued the following news release:
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Thousands Sign SAG-AFTRA Letter Urging Congress to Pass NO FAKES Act
As of today, over 14,000 people have signed SAG-AFTRA's open letter urging Congress to pass the NO FAKES Act, a landmark piece of federal legislation that would establish the first-ever federal, individual property right over one's own voice and likeness -- a much-needed protection in the age of AI digital clones. The open letter, which can be found here, comesas the Senate Judiciary Committee has placed the bill on its meeting agenda signaling a critical window for passage.
The signatories span performers, creators, students, parents and everyday Americans united by a single message to Congress that the moment to act is now.
"Unchecked A.I. can ruin lives. Americans are demanding that the Federal Government take sensible action. The NO FAKES Act would establish a fundamental protection to control their own voice and likeness," said SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin.
"Rarely does legislation earn this kind of cross-sector support. The NO FAKES Act represents common sense, long-overdue federal protection, and Congress now has both the opportunity and the obligation to pass it," said SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland.
The NO FAKES Act carries bipartisan support and is backed by both labor and key industry stakeholders. Supporters include the AFL-CIO, Google/YouTube, IBM, the Motion Picture Association, the Recording Industry Association of America, the Recording Academy, the National Association of Broadcasters, OpenAI and more. This coalition reflects rare, cross-industry alignment on a defining issue of the AI era.
The bill builds on the foundation established by the TAKE IT DOWN Act, signed into law last year, which established mechanisms for removing deep fake pornography and non-consensual intimate images from online platforms. The NO FAKES Act expands those protections to address the full scope of AI exploitation, including fraud, commercial misappropriation and unauthorized performance replacement.
SAG-AFTRA is urging Americans to continue signing and sharing the letter as the bill moves forward. Names can be added at sagaftra.org/nofakes.
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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/thousands-sign-sag-aftra-letter-urging-congress-pass-no-fakes-act
[Category: Union]
National Park Service Employees Vote to Unionize
WASHINGTON, June 17 [Category: Union] -- The National Treasury Employees Union issued the following news release:
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National Park Service Employees Vote to Unionize
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WASHINGTON - Employees of the National Park Service (NPS), Intermountain Region (IMR), will be represented by the National Treasury Employees Union following the results of an election announced this week.
The employees voted 317-11 for NTEU to be their exclusive representative, according to election results collected by the Federal Labor Relations Authority.
"This is a historic day for these NPS employees, who have chosen
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 17 [Category: Union] -- The National Treasury Employees Union issued the following news release:
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National Park Service Employees Vote to Unionize
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WASHINGTON - Employees of the National Park Service (NPS), Intermountain Region (IMR), will be represented by the National Treasury Employees Union following the results of an election announced this week.
The employees voted 317-11 for NTEU to be their exclusive representative, according to election results collected by the Federal Labor Relations Authority.
"This is a historic day for these NPS employees, who have chosento stand together in solidarity and have a meaningful voice in their workplace," said NTEU National President Doreen Greenwald. "We congratulate them on joining colleagues at NPS and across government who are empowered through their union to bring positive change to the agencies and advocate for the tools and resources they need to serve the American people."
The new NTEU Chapter 347 will include approximately 650 employees from within the IMR, which spans from the northern peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the southern Chihuahuan Desert. Employees of the NPS Intermountain Region oversee 87 park units within eight states of the American West: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona, and Montana. Positions include park rangers, scientists and administrative staff who work together to preserve natural and cultural resources, ensure visitor safety, and maintain park infrastructure.
The new chapter will join NTEU's other two NPS Chapters 296 (NPS HQ) and 336 (NPS National Capital Region).
"NPS IMR employees protect our national heritage and some of our most cherished national treasures," Greenwald said. "NTEU is honored to help them exercise their collective bargaining rights and improve their work lives."
NTEU represents employees in 38 different federal agencies and departments.
Contact: NTEU-PR@nteu.org, 202-572-5500
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Original text here: https://www.nteu.org/media-center/News Releases/2026/06/17/NPSElection
NEA: Students With Disabilities Need Education Experts - Not HHS
WASHINGTON, June 17 -- The National Education Association issued the following news release:
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Students with disabilities need education experts--Not HHS
Pringle: Keep IDEA where it belongs, restore staffing cuts, and fully fund the services students deserve
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The Trump administration has moved the $15 billion Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) program, which supports students with disabilities, out of the Department of Education as part of its effort to dismantle the agency. As part of this restructuring, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS),
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WASHINGTON, June 17 -- The National Education Association issued the following news release:
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Students with disabilities need education experts--Not HHS
Pringle: Keep IDEA where it belongs, restore staffing cuts, and fully fund the services students deserve
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The Trump administration has moved the $15 billion Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) program, which supports students with disabilities, out of the Department of Education as part of its effort to dismantle the agency. As part of this restructuring, the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS),which provides federal leadership and oversight for IDEA implementation, has also been affected by sweeping staff reductions and the transfer of IDEA responsibilities to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The administration has also transferred the Office for Civil Rights (OCR), which enforces students' disability, education, and civil rights protections, to the Department of Justice, raising concerns about the future coordination and enforcement of federal protections for students with disabilities.
The following statement can be attributed to NEA President Becky Pringle:
"Fifty years ago, with the passage of IDEA, America made a promise to students with disabilities and their families: that they would have full access to education and every opportunity to reach their full potential. Unprecedented upheaval to this program will be costly, chaotic, and put students at risk of falling through the cracks.
"Moving IDEA out of the Department of Education is not an administrative adjustment--it is an attack on the educational and civil rights foundation of the law. It would drag us backward by treating disability as a medical issue instead of an educational right and by unraveling decades of progress. The Department of Education is the only federal agency with the expertise, infrastructure, and specialists needed to protect students' rights and ensure they receive the services they are guaranteed. Relocating the Office for Civil Rights to the Department of Justice as part of this scheme would further erode federal oversight and endanger disability-rights enforcement nationwide.
"Handing IDEA to HHS--an agency without deep experience in education or civil rights enforcement--puts students' protections at serious risk and abandons families who rely on federal experts to navigate a complex system. HHS has no history of safeguarding the rights of students with disabilities or addressing their educational needs. Moving IDEA would leave families and students with fewer answers, fewer resources, and fewer avenues for justice.
"In the 50 years since IDEA's passage, we have not yet made good on our promise to students and their families, but we have made incredible progress--progress that is now at risk.
"No one should be forced to fight these battles alone. Keep IDEA where it belongs, reverse the staffing cuts, and fully fund the services students need and deserve."
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The National Education Association is the nation's largest labor union, representing nearly 3 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators, students preparing to become teachers, healthcare workers, and public employees. Learn more at www.nea.org.
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Original text here: https://www.nea.org/about-nea/media-center/press-releases/students-disabilities-need-education-experts-not-hhs
[Category: Union]
Chicago nurses at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital vote overwhelmingly to join NNOC/NNU
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, June 17 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Chicago nurses at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital vote overwhelmingly to join NNOC/NNU
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Registered nurses at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago voted overwhelmingly to join National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the nation's largest and fastest-growing nurses union. In an election held Wednesday, June 17, nurses voted 96% yes to forming a union.
"Today is a great day to be a union nurse in Chicago," said Anna Bilanicz,
... Show Full Article
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, June 17 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Chicago nurses at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital vote overwhelmingly to join NNOC/NNU
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Registered nurses at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago voted overwhelmingly to join National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the nation's largest and fastest-growing nurses union. In an election held Wednesday, June 17, nurses voted 96% yes to forming a union.
"Today is a great day to be a union nurse in Chicago," said Anna Bilanicz,RN in the intensive care unit at the hospital. "We're so excited to join NNOC because we know we'll be able to win the kind of contract that will be a gamechanger for our patients and for us as nurses."
Nurses at the facility in Chicago's Ukrainian Village held a historic strike last week to protest the illegal firings of six co-workers who were unlawfully terminated for union organizing. Despite these retaliatory tactics from Prime Healthcare, the hospital's owner, nurses demonstrated their clear unity and solidarity that carried them to this massive win.
"Prime Healthcare thought they could scare us into silence," said Chris Williams, RN on the 14th floor. "But now that we're part of the country's largest nurses union, our voice is louder than ever, and we're still turning the volume up. We're ready for a contract that makes sure our patients get the care they deserve, not the shortcuts Prime has been taking."
With their election victory, nurses will continue to demand the reinstatement of their co-workers and, moving forward, good faith bargaining on a first union contract. Nurses at the hospital will now begin to select their nurse bargaining team members in order to begin negotiations on their first collective bargaining agreement with Prime Healthcare. Saint Mary's nurses will continue to provide a bold example to Prime nurses across the country, as many more now see the power that will come from forming their own unions.
NNOC/NNU now represents nearly 500 nurses in the bargaining unit at Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital. Nurses from Saint Mary of Nazareth join many over 3,000 health care workers in the Prime system already represented by NNOC/NNU at hospitals nationwide, more than 1,800 of whom are already in active contract negotiations.
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/chicago-nurses-at-saint-mary-of-nazareth-hospital-vote-overwhelmingly-to-join-nnoc-nnu
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA: Horizon Flight Attendants at Alaska Air Group Vote 99.8% to Authorize a Strike
WASHINGTON, June 17 -- The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA issued the following news release:
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Horizon Flight Attendants at Alaska Air Group Vote 99.8% to Authorize a Strike
Horizon Air Flight Attendants , represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), voted 99.8% to authorize a strike at the wholly-owned Alaska Air Group regional airline. The vote is the result of seriously delayed bargaining and months of outrageously low economic proposals from Horizon management.
"Our 99.8% vote shows Horizon and Alaska management that we will do whatever it takes to get the
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, June 17 -- The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA issued the following news release:
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Horizon Flight Attendants at Alaska Air Group Vote 99.8% to Authorize a Strike
Horizon Air Flight Attendants , represented by the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA), voted 99.8% to authorize a strike at the wholly-owned Alaska Air Group regional airline. The vote is the result of seriously delayed bargaining and months of outrageously low economic proposals from Horizon management.
"Our 99.8% vote shows Horizon and Alaska management that we will do whatever it takes to get thecontract we have earned," said Lisa Davis Warren, president of the Horizon chapter of AFA-CWA representing 650 Horizon Air Flight Attendants. "We have dedicated our lives to Horizon and the communities that we serve. We are simply asking for the pay, benefits, and improvements we have earned. But Horizon management seems uninterested in resolving this dispute or showing the slightest concern for frontline workers who can't afford rent or other basic life necessities.'
Horizon Flight Attendants filed for federal mediation in January 2025. They have common industry demands: living wage pay increases, increased pay for time at work including while boarding the plane, better benefits, and work rule improvements.
"Flight Attendants at Horizon and other regional airlines across the industry fly the same routes and provide the same service as mainline Flight Attendants. It's time they are recognized for their critical contributions to Alaska-Hawaiian," said Sara Nelson, International President of AFA-CWA representing 55,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines. "There is no reason these negotiations should take a minute longer. Flight Attendants deserve a living wage contract now."
AFA has a trademarked strike strategy known as CHAOS(TM) or Create Havoc Around Our System(TM). With CHAOS, a strike could affect the entire system or a single flight. The union decides when, where and how to strike without notice to management or passengers. The right to strike is triggered when the National Mediation Board (NMB) declares that negotiations are deadlocked and releases both parties into a 30-day "cooling off" period leading to a strike deadline.
Horizon Air is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group operating daily flights to nearly 50 destinations.
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The Association of Flight Attendants is the Flight Attendant union. Focused 100 percent on Flight Attendant issues, AFA has been the leader in advancing the Flight Attendant profession for over 80 years. Serving as the voice for Flight Attendants in the workplace, in the aviation industry, in the media and on Capitol Hill, AFA has transformed the Flight Attendant profession by raising wages, benefits and working conditions. 55,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 700,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at afacwa.org.
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Original text here: https://afacwa.org/hzn-strike-vote/
[Category: Union]
AFGE President Calls for Withdrawal of Trump's FLRA General Counsel Nominee Following Bombshell NOTUS Article Revealing Past Racist Conduct and Rhetoric
WASHINGTON, June 17 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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AFGE President Calls for Withdrawal of Trump's FLRA General Counsel Nominee Following Bombshell NOTUS Article Revealing Past Racist Conduct and Rhetoric
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Largest federal employee union sounds alarm on Charlton Allen's nomination, calls for new nominee who can be trusted to make fair, non-discriminatory decisions
WASHINGTON - The American Federation of Government Employees is calling for President Trump's nominee for general counsel of the Federal Labor
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WASHINGTON, June 17 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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AFGE President Calls for Withdrawal of Trump's FLRA General Counsel Nominee Following Bombshell NOTUS Article Revealing Past Racist Conduct and Rhetoric
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Largest federal employee union sounds alarm on Charlton Allen's nomination, calls for new nominee who can be trusted to make fair, non-discriminatory decisions
WASHINGTON - The American Federation of Government Employees is calling for President Trump's nominee for general counsel of the Federal LaborRelations Authority, Charlton Allen, to withdraw from consideration in the wake of a deeply troubling new article just published from NOTUS revealing a history of racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic views. Allen's confirmation hearing was held today.
NOTUS' reporting uncovered Charlton Allen's concerning record of racist and bigoted conduct and rhetoric, both as an individual and through his role founding and serving as publisher of the Carolina Review while he was a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Under Allen's leadership, the Carolina Review ran covers caricaturizing Black Americans as monkeys and painting Jewish students as the devil, amongst dozens of other instances of bigoted articles and think pieces.
National President Everett Kelley issued the following statement in response:
"Charlton Allen's appalling history of bigoted and racist remarks and conduct is inexcusable, disqualifying, and simply put, should be a red line for all of us.
"Allen's complete lack of relevant experience and clear anti-worker record was already concerning enough, but this is beyond the pale. With his history, Allen cannot be trusted to be impartial in his investigations of unfair labor practices and treat complaints from the Black, LGBTQ+, and Jewish communities without bias.
"The Trump administration must withdraw its nomination of Allen for General Counsel of the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) immediately and put forth a nominee that the American people can trust to be fair, just, and non-discriminatory. That's the bare minimum."
Charlton Allen's nomination to be general counsel of the Federal Labor Relations Authority was scheduled for a confirmation hearing today before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
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Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/5e13a8ffeae6417ea33086ff902181b8.aspx
