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AFL-CIO Applauds Signing of AI Guardrails Legislation in California
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following news release:
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AFL-CIO Applauds Signing of AI Guardrails Legislation in California
September 30, 2026
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the first-in-the-nation legislation to protect working Californians and place essential guardrails on unregulated artificial intelligence (AI) technology:
"Today is a victory for working people in California and a testament to the power of the labor movement and its allies. One day after President Trump welcomed Big Tech CEOs to the White House
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 2 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following news release:
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AFL-CIO Applauds Signing of AI Guardrails Legislation in California
September 30, 2026
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler issued the following statement after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the first-in-the-nation legislation to protect working Californians and place essential guardrails on unregulated artificial intelligence (AI) technology:
"Today is a victory for working people in California and a testament to the power of the labor movement and its allies. One day after President Trump welcomed Big Tech CEOs to the White Houseand touted the administration's support for 'morally binding guardrails' and 'self-regulation,' Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed some of the strongest state legislation in the country to protect working people from the harms of unregulated, untested AI. These bills will now become law in spite of a massive corporate lobbying campaign and millions of dollars spent to defeat them. There is still a long way to go to ensure that workers have a say in how AI technology is developed and implemented in the workplace--both in California and nationwide--but these bills are an essential step forward. When working people stand together, we can take on Big Tech--and we can win."
The labor movement has long fought for state legislatures to rein in unregulated AI technology. This week, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler joined the co-chairs of the AFL-CIO State Federations Artificial Intelligence Taskforce, California Federation of Labor Unions President Lorena Gonzalez and Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Chrissy Lynch, in calling on Newsom to pass this legislation. In February, Shuler joined Gonzalez and labor leaders from across the country at the California State Capitol to highlight the existential risks that AI poses to workers and to call on elected officials to take action. The package of bills today also ensures policies become law that the labor movement demanded at its 30th AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention.
The AI legislation signed today by Newsom, supported by the California Federation of Labor Unions, includes:
* AB 1331, No Bosses in the Bathroom Act, authored by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary, bans bosses from using AI surveillance to spy on workers in the bathroom.
* AB 1883, The Stop AI Strip Searches Act, authored by Assemblymember Isaac G. Bryan, bans the use of invasive and exploitative AI surveillance tools in the workplace, including AI that performs emotional recognition.
* AB 1979, authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta, requires licensed health care professionals, not AI, to remain the decision-maker in health care clinical practice.
* SB 947, The No AI Bosses Act, authored by state Sen. Jerry McNerney, ensures AI cannot be used to fire or discipline workers without human oversight.
* SB 951, AI Job Killer Notice Act, authored by state Sen. Eloise Gomez Reyes, modernizes the WARN Act to provide workers additional information on layoffs caused by AI and direct the Employment Development Department to study the impact of AI on hiring and the workforce.
Contact: Steve Smith, 202-637-5018
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Original text here: https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-applauds-signing-ai-guardrails-legislation-california
[Category: Union]
Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as next labor secretary
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO National Association of Letter Carriers issued the following news:
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Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as next labor secretary
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Last night, in a party-line 47-41 vote, the Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as the next secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL). Sonderling has served as acting secretary since former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer left the agency in April. President Trump officially nominated Sonderling for the position in June.
Sonderling is an attorney who has served in several government positions. Before becoming acting
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO National Association of Letter Carriers issued the following news:
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Senate confirms Keith Sonderling as next labor secretary
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Last night, in a party-line 47-41 vote, the Senate confirmed Keith Sonderling as the next secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL). Sonderling has served as acting secretary since former Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer left the agency in April. President Trump officially nominated Sonderling for the position in June.
Sonderling is an attorney who has served in several government positions. Before becoming actingsecretary, Sonderling was confirmed as deputy secretary of labor in March 2025, overseeing the department's operations, strategic planning, budget, and more. From 2020 to 2024, he served as a commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, serving as vice chair of the commission from 2020 to 2021. Before that, from 2017 to 2020, he served as acting administrator and deputy administrator of the Wage and Hour Division at the DOL.
The DOL plays a key role in advancing economic opportunities and is crucial to ensuring the safety and well-being of letter carriers and all workers.
"As Secretary Sonderling officially takes on this critical role, NALC urges him to focus on workers by acting on some of NALC's top priorities with the agency," NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. "Resuming the rulemaking process for a national heat safety standard and improving the services administered through the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, which letter carriers injured on the job rely on, are essential for letter carriers' safety."
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Original text here: https://www.nalc.org/news/nalc-updates/senate-confirms-keith-sonderling-as-next-labor-secretary
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National Education Union General Secretary Kebede Responds to U.K. P.M. Burnham Address at Labour Party Conference
LONDON, England, Oct. 1 -- The National Education Union issued the following news release:
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Andy Burnham Speech
30/09/2026
Commenting on the Prime Minister's speech at Labour Party Conference, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"Andy Burnham is correct to say the country took a wrong turn in the 1980s. He is right to say the country needs a new economy and politics. He is also right to say things aren't working as they should for working people.
"If the hope and optimism that he talked about today is to become a reality then the Prime Minister will
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LONDON, England, Oct. 1 -- The National Education Union issued the following news release:
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Andy Burnham Speech
30/09/2026
Commenting on the Prime Minister's speech at Labour Party Conference, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"Andy Burnham is correct to say the country took a wrong turn in the 1980s. He is right to say the country needs a new economy and politics. He is also right to say things aren't working as they should for working people.
"If the hope and optimism that he talked about today is to become a reality then the Prime Minister willneed to tackle the vested interests of those at the top of society who have enriched themselves at the expense of the majority in the country.
"The Prime Minister's call for a comprehensive education system, with parity between the academic and the technical, is welcome. But to deliver it will necessitate a new assessment and accountability system. It will require an end to the ideology that pits schools in competition against each other. It demands an end to the lack of democratic oversight of academies, and an end to the profiteering and excessive CEO pay. Above all else, schools need a cash injection to end 16 years of real terms cuts that has left 74 per cent of schools worse off in real terms than in 2010.
"Taxing the big tech giants and reform of the tax system should be part of the solution to funding education and public services.
"The NEU will support the Prime Minister in his endeavours where he delivers for education and working people, but we will continue to press this government where they fail to deliver.
"People need to see change. They need to feel change. Parents need to know that not only will their lives improve but the lives of their children will be better."
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Original text here: https://neu.org.uk/latest/press-releases/andy-burnham-speech?_locale=en
[Category: Union]
NLRB Issues Unfair Labor Practice Complaint Against Casa Bonita; Sets Trial Date
NEW YORK, Oct. 1 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Actors Equity Association issued the following news release:
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NLRB Issues Unfair Labor Practice Complaint Against Casa Bonita; Sets Trial Date
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Los Angeles - The National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint against the management at Casa Bonita in Denver, accusing it of unfair labor practices. These charges include refusing to bargain with Actors' Equity Association in good faith, as well as discrimination against its staff that have unionized with Equity in the form of illegal firings, reduced hours and changes to working conditions.
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Oct. 1 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Actors Equity Association issued the following news release:
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NLRB Issues Unfair Labor Practice Complaint Against Casa Bonita; Sets Trial Date
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Los Angeles - The National Labor Relations Board has issued a complaint against the management at Casa Bonita in Denver, accusing it of unfair labor practices. These charges include refusing to bargain with Actors' Equity Association in good faith, as well as discrimination against its staff that have unionized with Equity in the form of illegal firings, reduced hours and changes to working conditions.The trial is set for December 7, where the NLRB will present its evidence against Casa Bonita.
"This complaint vindicates what the workers have been saying throughout 18 months of bargaining: Casa Bonita would rather play games with their livelihoods than seriously bargain for a fair contract," said Andrea Hoeschen, general counsel for Actors' Equity Association. "The NLRB's complaint should be a wakeup call for the employer, but whether or not they choose to do the right thing, we're in this for the long haul. We'll see them back at the bargaining table soon - and then we'll see them in court."
The entertainers, who include cliff divers, magicians, puppeteers and actors, are represented by Actors' Equity Association, the union that also represents more than 51,000 professional performers and stage managers working in live theatre across the country. Casa Bonita is a Mexican theme restaurant that has become a venerable Denver institution, which recently underwent a $40 million renovation bankrolled by billionaire owners Trey Parker and Matt Stone of South Park fame.
Equity and Casa Bonita management have been in negotiations since April 2025. The performers unanimously voted to unionize in November 2024, and unanimously reaffirmed their commitment to the union with their labor peace vote on August 14, 2025. In September of last year, the union filed an Unfair Labor Practices charge against Casa Bonita when the restaurant illegally cut more than 1,000 hours from the workers without engaging in bargaining. Last year, the entertainment staff went on a three-day strike over Halloween weekend.
The trial will begin on Monday, December 7, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. MT, in a hearing room at the Byron Rogers Federal Office Building (1961 Stout Street, Suite 13-103, Denver, Colorado).
For additional information, please follow Casa Bonita United (@casabonitaunited) and Actors' Equity Association (@actorsequity) on Instagram.
ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org #EquityWorks
October 1, 2026
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Original text here: https://www.actorsequity.org/news/PR/2026/10/01/nlrb-issues-unfair-labor-practice-complaint-against-casa-bonita--sets-trial-date
International President John Costa names Local 128-Asheville, NC, President/Business Agent Steve Sprague as International Organizer
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Oct. 1 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Amalgamated Transit Union issued the following news release:
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International President John Costa names Local 128-Asheville, NC, President/Business Agent Steve Sprague as International Organizer
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Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International President John Costa has named Local 128-Asheville, NC, President/Business Agent Steve Sprague as a new Organizer in the International Campaigns Department.
"We welcome and congratulate Steve on his new role as an ATU International Organizer," said Costa. "A next-generation leader,
... Show Full Article
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Oct. 1 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Amalgamated Transit Union issued the following news release:
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International President John Costa names Local 128-Asheville, NC, President/Business Agent Steve Sprague as International Organizer
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Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) International President John Costa has named Local 128-Asheville, NC, President/Business Agent Steve Sprague as a new Organizer in the International Campaigns Department.
"We welcome and congratulate Steve on his new role as an ATU International Organizer," said Costa. "A next-generation leader,Steve has a passion for the ATU, our members, and the labor movement. We're fortunate to have him on board at the International to play an important role in ensuring our Locals are prepared for battle when it comes to organizing, contracts, political action, and community campaigns."
Almost 8 years ago, Steve Sprague took a job at Asheville Transit upon the recommendation of his neighbor who worked in the maintenance department for Asheville Transit. After a few years in the job, Steve became curious about the contract he was working under and reached out to the Local 128 leadership and negotiating committee, who encouraged him to join the union and get involved. He did and helped to rewrite about 80% of the contract and secured big wins for the maintenance workers, including 4-day work weeks and better uniform options including prescription safety glasses and cold weather gear.
Steve then decided to become a Shop Steward and served as the Local's Financial Secretary-Treasurer temporarily. At the next election, Steve ran for and was elected as President/Business Agent. The Monday after being elected, Steve attended his first Central Labor Council meeting where he was nominated and elected to the Executive Board. Under his leadership, Steve negotiated two strong contracts and organized Asheville Transit Dispatchers and Customer Service Employees.
"Thank you, International President Costa, for the opportunity to serve the ATU in this role," said Sprague. "Your leadership and vision have set the standard in the labor movement. I look forward to working with in the Campaigns Department to help ATU members everywhere build the power they need to fight for change."
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Original text here: https://www.atu.org/media/press/2026/international-president-john-costa-names-local-128-asheville-nc-presidentbusiness-agent-steve-sprague-as-international-organizer
Actors' Equity Association Endorses Rebecca Bennett for United States Congress
NEW YORK, Oct. 1 -- Actors' Equity Association, a labor union that says it represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, issued the following news release:
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Actors' Equity Association Endorses Rebecca Bennett for United States Congress
New York- Actors' Equity Association's National Council has voted to endorse Rebecca Bennett's campaign for the United States House of Representatives (NJ7), on behalf of more than 51,000 actors and stage managers working in live entertainment.
"Rebecca Bennett is deeply qualified to serve the people of New Jersey in the House" said
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Oct. 1 -- Actors' Equity Association, a labor union that says it represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, issued the following news release:
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Actors' Equity Association Endorses Rebecca Bennett for United States Congress
New York- Actors' Equity Association's National Council has voted to endorse Rebecca Bennett's campaign for the United States House of Representatives (NJ7), on behalf of more than 51,000 actors and stage managers working in live entertainment.
"Rebecca Bennett is deeply qualified to serve the people of New Jersey in the House" saidAl Vincent Jr., executive director of Actors' Equity Association. "And crucially, she is a supporter of workers' rights. It's time to deliver this district into the hands of a pro-labor candidate, and we at Equity are excited to partner with her in this work."
Equity's public policy priorities include defending and protecting the right to collectively bargain, stronger federal and state arts funding, a prevailing wage in the arts, a strong minimum wage, universal federal health care, tax fairness, racial justice, gun violence prevention and LGBTQ non-discrimination protections.
Equity's ongoing list of 2026 candidate endorsements can be found here (https://actorsequity.org/news/endorsements).
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ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org
#EquityWorks
September 30, 2026
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Original text here: https://actorsequity.org/news/PR/2026/09/30/actors-equity-association-endorses-rebecca-bennett-for-united-states-congress
[Category: Union]
Actors' Equity Association Endorses Juliana Stratton for United States Senate
NEW YORK, Oct. 1 -- Actors' Equity Association, a labor union that says it represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, issued the following news release:
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Actors' Equity Association Endorses Juliana Stratton for United States Senate
Chicago - Actors' Equity Association's National Council has voted to endorse Juliana Stratton's campaign for United States Senate on behalf of the more than 51,000 actors and stage managers working in live entertainment.
"Over the last several years, Illinois has made huge strides in boosting its live arts sector, leveling up public
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Oct. 1 -- Actors' Equity Association, a labor union that says it represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, issued the following news release:
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Actors' Equity Association Endorses Juliana Stratton for United States Senate
Chicago - Actors' Equity Association's National Council has voted to endorse Juliana Stratton's campaign for United States Senate on behalf of the more than 51,000 actors and stage managers working in live entertainment.
"Over the last several years, Illinois has made huge strides in boosting its live arts sector, leveling up publicsupport for what was already a national center for the entertainment industry," said Al Vincent Jr., executive director of Actors' Equity Association. "Juliana Stratton has spent years serving the people of Illinois, and now she can take that Illinois approach to public arts funding and bring it to a national platform. We look forward to working with her in the Senate."
Juliana Stratton said:
"In Illinois, we are proud supporters of the arts and proud supporters of organized labor. Live theatre is made possible by the incredible performers and crew members who put their heart into each and every production, and they deserve our support. I am honored to have the endorsement of Actors' Equity Association, and look forward to collaborating with them to advance the priorities of working people -- from affordable healthcare to fair compensation and protecting collective bargaining rights."
Equity's public policy priorities include defending and protecting the right to collectively bargain, stronger federal and state arts funding, a prevailing wage in the arts, a strong minimum wage, universal federal health care, tax fairness, racial justice, gun violence prevention and LGBTQ non-discrimination protections.
Equity's ongoing list of 2026 candidate endorsements can be found here (https://actorsequity.org/news/endorsements).
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ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org #EquityWorks
September 29, 2026
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Original text here: https://actorsequity.org/news/PR/2026/09/29/actors-equity-association-endorses-juliana-stratton-for-united-states-senate
[Category: Union]
