Featured Stories
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA: Statement on Study Showing Airline Crews Have Highest Mortality From Radiation Cancers
WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (TNSjou) -- The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA issued the following statement by President Sara Nelson:
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Statement on Study Showing Airline Crews Have Highest Mortality from Radiation Cancers
A study published Monday by JAMA Internal Medicine (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2852504) shows Flight Attendants and Pilots are at the highest risk of dying from radiation-related cancers. Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson, representing 55,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines, released the following statement:
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 20 (TNSjou) -- The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA issued the following statement by President Sara Nelson:
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Statement on Study Showing Airline Crews Have Highest Mortality from Radiation Cancers
A study published Monday by JAMA Internal Medicine (https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2852504) shows Flight Attendants and Pilots are at the highest risk of dying from radiation-related cancers. Association of Flight Attendants-CWA President Sara Nelson, representing 55,000 Flight Attendants at 20 airlines, released the following statement:
"This study further confirms radiation related cancers that cause mortality must be acknowledged as occupational deaths.
"The risk is known, but crew are not informed or trained. And, no one is taking responsibility. Unlike standards in Europe, the FAA still does not require airlines to monitor crew exposure to radiation.
"We're thankful to the reports' authors. This reinforces what our union has been saying for years: radiation exposure needs to be taken seriously. The industry and regulators must take steps to mitigate risk. Operators must provide care and benefits associated with occupational mortality."
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The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA is the Flight Attendant union. 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, working conditions, and public awareness about the role of aviation's first responders. Over 55,000 Flight Attendants come together to form AFA, part of the 500,000-member strong Communications Workers of America (CWA), AFL-CIO. Visit us at www.afacwa.org.
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Original text here: https://afacwa.org/study-flight-attendants-highest-mortality-radiation-cancers/
[Category: Union]
NFFE Local 466 Calls for Protection of Workers' Rights and Transparency Following ICE Operation
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 [Category: Union] -- The National Federation of Federal Employees issued the following news release:
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NFFE Local 466 Calls for Protection of Workers' Rights and Transparency Following ICE Operation
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Pisgah National Forest, NC - The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) Local 466 calls for the protection of workers' rights and transparency from USDA Forest Service leadership regarding the agency's cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This demand follows an immigration enforcement operation on Pisgah National Forest and the July 26,
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 [Category: Union] -- The National Federation of Federal Employees issued the following news release:
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NFFE Local 466 Calls for Protection of Workers' Rights and Transparency Following ICE Operation
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Pisgah National Forest, NC - The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) Local 466 calls for the protection of workers' rights and transparency from USDA Forest Service leadership regarding the agency's cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This demand follows an immigration enforcement operation on Pisgah National Forest and the July 26,2026 checkpoint at Wilson Creek, a popular recreation area on the Grandfather Ranger District, which reportedly resulted in the detention of 13 forest visitors. Reports indicate that the checkpoint was a joint operation of Forest Service Law Enforcement, ICE, and the Caldwell County Sheriff's Office.
This unprecedented operation does not reflect the values of bargaining unit employees represented by NFFE Local 466 and the National Forests in North Carolina we serve. In our view, our public lands should unite communities, not divide them. Every person should be able to enjoy these spaces without fear of being singled out because of their perceived national origin, ethnicity, or immigration status. When visitors fear that a family outing, hike, picnic, or fishing trip could become the site of an immigration enforcement operation, these actions discourage families and communities from enjoying their public lands and erode public trust in the workers responsible for managing them.
The union also recognizes the difficult position such operations can place frontline public employees in. Forest Service staff are already stretched thin, and operations like this pull focus from visitor safety, Hurricane Helene recovery, and other vital priorities. Workers responsible for assisting visitors, providing emergency services, maintaining recreation areas, and protecting natural resources should not be put in situations that undermine the public's confidence in the services they provide. Additionally, it is critical for worker safety that employees are notified of actions that affect their ability to safely do their jobs.
Local 466 calls on Forest Service leadership and management to:
* Provide a clear accounting of the process by which this operation was authorized.
* Commit to timely notification of affected staff of any law enforcement operations on Forest Service lands.
* Discourage the establishment of immigration checkpoints on national forests.
* Protect the rights and dignity of all individuals during law enforcement activities.
NFFE Local 466 employees routinely work closely with our law enforcement colleagues on issues that affect visitor safety and resource protection, and we commend their dedication and professionalism in those areas. Our mission is caring for the land and serving people, and our employees deserve and have a right to a safe workplace.
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Original text here: https://www.nffe.org/press-release/national-federation-of-federal-employees-local-466-calls-for-protection-of-workers-rights-and-transparency-following-ice-operation/
Teamsters, Allies Release Report on Amazon Violations of New York WARN Act
WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 [Category: Union] (TNSrep) -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Teamsters, Allies Release Report on Amazon Violations of New York WARN Act
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Press Contact: Matt McQuaid Phone: (771) 241-0015 Email: mmcquaid@teamster.org
(NEW YORK) - Today, Teamsters were joined by the National Employment Law Project (NELP), the Action Lab, and the Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN) in releasing a report exposing Amazon as the leading violator of the New York State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (NY WARN) Act.
The union
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 [Category: Union] (TNSrep) -- The International Brotherhood of Teamsters posted the following news release:
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Teamsters, Allies Release Report on Amazon Violations of New York WARN Act
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Press Contact: Matt McQuaid Phone: (771) 241-0015 Email: mmcquaid@teamster.org
(NEW YORK) - Today, Teamsters were joined by the National Employment Law Project (NELP), the Action Lab, and the Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN) in releasing a report exposing Amazon as the leading violator of the New York State Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (NY WARN) Act.
The unionsimultaneously filed a complaint with the New York Department of Labor over Amazon's WARN Act violations, demanding that the Office of the Commissioner of Labor investigate Amazon's control of its third-party contractors, or Delivery Service Partners (DSPs), and the company's failure to follow the law. Amazon uses DSPs as shell corporations to shield itself from the legal responsibility the company owes to its workforce.
"This is yet another reason why Amazon is a parasitic white-collar crime syndicate," said Randy Korgan, Director of the Teamsters Amazon Division. "Jeff Bezos, Andy Jassy, and the rest of the crooks who run this company can't find a labor law that they don't want to violate, but the Teamsters have bad news for Amazon: the law has a way of catching up with you."
Most DSPs have Amazon as their only "customer," so when Amazon terminates a contract, the entire DSP shuts down. The NY WARN Act requires private employers with more than 50 workers in the state to either provide severance or give workers at least 90 days advance written notice before mass layoffs affecting 25 people or more.
"Amazon sells itself to communities as a 'job creator,' but today's revelations should dispel that notion completely," said Tom Gesualdi, President of Teamsters Joint Council 16. "In reality, Amazon has killed more jobs in the logistics industry than any other company in New York. The Teamsters and our allies will not allow Amazon to continue harming its workers or our communities with its illegal actions."
The report (https://teamster.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Amazon-NY-WARN-Act-Study.pdf) demonstrates that since 2018, Amazon has closed 35 DSPs in the state, resulting in the loss of over 3,500 jobs. Amazon's job-killing makes up an outsized percentage of layoffs across New York's entire transportation and warehousing industry. A full 25 percent of all workers laid off in the industry since 2023 have been Amazon drivers. A majority of Amazon drivers never received the advance notice required by law, and Amazon may owe as much as $11 million in back wages.
"I worked for two DSPs that Amazon closed without enough notice or severance, leaving me and my family stranded," said Maria Degante, who worked at Amazon's DBK4 location in Queens. "But we aren't going away quietly. My co-workers and I are organizing to demand that Amazon pay us what we are owed and pass the Delivery Protection Act at the New York City Council, so this never happens to another driver."
The Delivery Protection Act, which Teamsters and their allies are campaigning to pass in New York City, which would end Amazon's subcontracting shell game and force the company to directly hire its drivers.
"This report, which shows frequent mass layoffs and WARN Act violations at Amazon's captive DSPs, highlights that they are not bona fide independent businesses but pawns of a giant corporation that needs to be held accountable for their operations," said Paul Sonn, State Policy Program Director at NELP. "New York City's proposed Delivery Protection Act would do just that -and the city council should act swiftly to approve it."
"Amazon uses and abuses workers, then throws them away. And guess what: the DSPs Amazon claims to protect are no less vulnerable," said Daisy Chung, ALIGN Campaigns Director. "Today's report adds to the pile of evidence that Amazon will put profit over people every time, even if they have to kill jobs, hurt workers, and destroy communities to do it. We need the Delivery Protection Act now to demand justice for Amazon workers and force a trillion-dollar company to answer for their harms."
"This new data shows that Amazon is disproportionately behind sudden, permanent closures in the transportation and warehousing sector in New York -and it's happening again and again," said Irene Tung, Director of Program and Policy at the Action Lab. "The company is using a shell game to lay off delivery drivers without giving them notice as required under the law, then leaving them to fight for backpay they're often never able to collect. The Delivery Protection Act is urgently needed to make Amazon directly accountable to the drivers whose livelihoods it controls. New York must investigate this pattern, and the City Council must move swiftly to pass this common-sense reform."
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
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Original text here: https://teamster.org/2026/08/teamsters-allies-release-report-on-amazon-violations-of-new-york-warn-act/
Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Georgia's Jasmine Clark for Election to U.S. House
WASHINGTON, Aug. 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 Georgia's Jasmine Clark for Election to U.S. House
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AFGE says Clark will be a fierce advocate for working families in Congress
RIVERDALE, Ga. -The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of Jasmine Clark for election to the U.S. House representing Georgia's 13th Congressional District. Clark won the statewide Democratic primary in May. The general election is Nov. 3.
An Atlanta
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 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 Georgia's Jasmine Clark for Election to U.S. House
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AFGE says Clark will be a fierce advocate for working families in Congress
RIVERDALE, Ga. -The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of Jasmine Clark for election to the U.S. House representing Georgia's 13th Congressional District. Clark won the statewide Democratic primary in May. The general election is Nov. 3.
An Atlantanative, Clark has served in the Georgia House of Representatives since January 2019.
"AFGE is proud to endorse Jasmine Clark for Congress," AFGE District 5 National Vice President Tatishka Thomas said. "Throughout her career, she has never backed down from using data, truth, and transparency to hold public systems accountable. Jasmine will be a fierce advocate in Washington, having the determination, experience, and clear vision to safeguard our federal workers and their rights."
Nearly 106,500 federal employees live in Georgia - caring for veterans, supporting the military, and getting Social Security recipients their 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 110,000 federal employees in District 5, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/f33302046b0d4ca88bdb999c371f7d23.aspx
Ventura County nurses and health care professionals to hold speak out to save Santa Paula Hospital
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Aug. 17 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Ventura County nurses and health care professionals to hold speak out to save Santa Paula Hospital
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Registered nurses and healthcare professionals at Santa Paula Hospital (SPH) in Santa Paula, Calif. and Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) in Ventura, Calif., will hold a speak out at Ventura County's Board of Supervisors hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 18, to protest changes in services and possible closure of SPH proposed by Ventura County Healthcare Agency Administration and County
... Show Full Article
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Aug. 17 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Ventura County nurses and health care professionals to hold speak out to save Santa Paula Hospital
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Registered nurses and healthcare professionals at Santa Paula Hospital (SPH) in Santa Paula, Calif. and Ventura County Medical Center (VCMC) in Ventura, Calif., will hold a speak out at Ventura County's Board of Supervisors hearing on Tuesday, Aug. 18, to protest changes in services and possible closure of SPH proposed by Ventura County Healthcare Agency Administration and CountyBoard of Supervisors. Nurses and health care workers at SPH and VCMC are represented by California Nurses Association (CNA), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the country's largest nurses union.
On Friday, Aug. 7, SPH and VCMC nurses and health care professionals attended the "Future of Santa Paula Hospital" townhall in Santa Paula, which was organized by the county's health care agency and barely publicized, to discuss what the county announced as options for the future of Santa Paula Hospital. The Board of Supervisors will possibly vote on the changes in services and possible closure impacts at the Board of Supervisors hearing on Aug. 18 at 10:30 am.
The nurses and health care professionals will attend this meeting to urge the Ventura County Health Care Agency Administration and Board of Supervisors to invest in nursing staff and the public health of the Santa Paula community and surrounding rural areas.
"The life span expectancy of those living in the Santa Clara Valley is already an average of ten years less than the rest of the Ventura County's residents," said Tiffany Leon, a registered nurse who works at SPH and VCMC and lives in Santa Paula. "There is no good reason why my community does not deserve a fully functioning hospital with access to lifesaving care. Nurses will continue to advocate for our patients because it is our oath."
Who: Nurses and healthcare professionals at SPH and VCMC in the County of Ventura
What: Save Santa Paula Hospital from changes in services and possible closure Speak Out
When: Tuesday, Aug. 18, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Where: The Ventura County Government center - Hall of Administration - Board room (800 S. Victoria Ave. Ventura, CA 93009)
The county proposes removing SPH's emergency room, medica/surgical, telemetry, in-patient observation, and operating room services for rural residents of Ventura, Saticoy, Lake Piru, Santa Paula, Camarillo, Fillmore, Ojai Valley, and Santa Clara Valley, leaving thousands of community members without lifesaving services. Lives will be lost.
VCMC and SPH are under one hospital licensure, but patient safety is at risk by having no emergent and basic hospital services in Santa Paula. The patients will be expected to use the facilities at Ventura County Medical center, which is about 15 miles away from SPH. Lifesaving care can be jeopardized during transport.
If Ventura County's Board of Supervisors approves changes in service or closure of SPH, marginalized immigrant and low-socio economic communities who work in the county's agricultural industry and farm fields will be left without access to general hospital care services. CNA union nurses and health care professionals are taking a stand to ensure equal care and access is maintained.
In total, CNA represents over 900 health care professionals, including RNs, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psych techs, and licensed vocational nurses who work at two hospitals, ambulatory and specialty clinics, public health departments, and behavioral health clinics.
California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/ventura-county-nurses-and-health-care-professionals-to-hold-speak-out-to-save-santa-paula
OPM Implementing NFFE-Championed First Responder Fair RETIRE Act, Soliciting Comments
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 [Category: Union] -- The National Federation of Federal Employees issued the following news release:
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OPM Implementing NFFE-Championed First Responder Fair RETIRE Act, Soliciting Comments
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The First Responder Fair RETIRE Act amends the law so that certain federal first responders who are unable to continue in their covered arduous duty position because of an on-duty injury or illness can move into another federal position without losing the accelerated 6(c) retirement status they had earned. The law also prevents first responders from losing previous retirement contributions
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 [Category: Union] -- The National Federation of Federal Employees issued the following news release:
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OPM Implementing NFFE-Championed First Responder Fair RETIRE Act, Soliciting Comments
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The First Responder Fair RETIRE Act amends the law so that certain federal first responders who are unable to continue in their covered arduous duty position because of an on-duty injury or illness can move into another federal position without losing the accelerated 6(c) retirement status they had earned. The law also prevents first responders from losing previous retirement contributionspaid by the employee at a higher than standard rate under the 6(c) retirement system.
NFFE championed this legislation for many years and after strategic lobbying campaigns by both NFFE staff and union members - spanning several Congressional sessions - the bill was signed into law in historic fashion. The House passed the bill in a vote of 417 to zero, followed by the Senate providing unanimous consent to send it to President Biden's desk. The law was signed on December 9, 2022 and applies to first responders who suffered injuries or illness on or after December 9, 2024.
We invite federal first responders to please share your feedback on OPM's proposed regulations using this link.
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Original text here: https://www.nffe.org/nffe_news/opm-implementing-nffe-championed-first-responder-fair-retire-act-soliciting-comments/
AFGE Calls on Congress to Invest in Social Security as Program Marks 91 Years
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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AFGE Calls on Congress to Invest in Social Security as Program Marks 91 Years
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SSA is facing historic staffing shortages resulting in service delays to nation's retirees
WASHINGTON - Ninety-one years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into the law the landmark Social Security Act, the American Federation of Government Employees is calling on Congress to protect the benefits Americans have earned and take immediate action to rebuild the Social
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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AFGE Calls on Congress to Invest in Social Security as Program Marks 91 Years
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SSA is facing historic staffing shortages resulting in service delays to nation's retirees
WASHINGTON - Ninety-one years after President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into the law the landmark Social Security Act, the American Federation of Government Employees is calling on Congress to protect the benefits Americans have earned and take immediate action to rebuild the SocialSecurity Administration, which is facing a historic staffing and service crisis.
SSA employees are the frontline workers responsible for processing claims, answering calls, assisting beneficiaries, and delivering the program Americans rely on throughout their lives. Yet the agency has fallen to a 59-year staffing low, lost thousands of employees, and seen service delays and backlogs grow as its workforce is stretched beyond capacity. AFGE urges Congress to provide sustained funding for aggressive hiring, training, and retention; restore workplace flexibility that helps recruit and retain experienced employees; and ensure that technology and automation support, not replace, a skilled human workforce.
"Social Security has been a promise to working Americans for 91 years, and the people who administer that promise deserve the resources and support necessary to deliver it," AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. "Congress should not allow staffing cuts, inadequate funding, office closures, or poorly implemented automation to undermine a program that millions of Americans depend on. Our members are proud to serve the public, but they cannot do more with less forever. Congress must invest in the SSA workforce, protect local field offices, demand transparency in the agency's service data, and ensure that artificial intelligence and automated adjudication are subject to meaningful oversight."
AFGE also calls on Congress to strengthen Social Security's finances by asking the nation's highest earners to pay their fair share rather than cutting benefits or raising the retirement age. The Social Security trust fund faces a financing challenge, not a reason to dismantle or weaken the program, and Congress can address that challenge while protecting working families. On this 91st anniversary, AFGE urges lawmakers to act on both sides of the equation: protect the benefits Americans have earned and fund the workforce needed to deliver them. Social Security's future depends on a strong program, a strong agency, and the dedicated public servants who make both possible.
"The 25,000 workers represented by AFGE Council 220 are the frontline of a 91-year-old Social Security mission, delivering the earned benefits Americans depend on every day - and we demand the staffing, flexibility, dignity, and respect necessary to do that job," AFGE Council 220 President Jessica LaPointe said. "We will not stand by while chronic understaffing is used to drive experienced workers out, privatize our public mission, or replace dedicated federal employees with AI. Lawmakers must act now to protect Social Security, its workforce, and the income and retirement security Americans have earned."
AFGE represents about 40,000 SSA employees nationwide through a General Committee comprised of AFGE Councils 220 (field offices), 215 (hearings and appeals), 109 (payment centers), and 224 (quality review) and AFGE Locals 1923 (headquarters) and 2809 (operations center).
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Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/08beec5958734778bba4d89c47f0bcb0.aspx
