Featured Stories
National Education Union: EU to Ban Social Media for Under 13
LONDON, England, Sept. 19 -- The National Education Union issued the following news release:
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EU to ban social media for under 13
18/09/2026
Commenting on the decision by the EU to ban social media for children under 13 and no child under 15 to hold a personal account, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said;
"The European Union's announcement is another sign that governments across the world are waking up to the harm social media is causing children and young people. The debate is no longer about whether action is needed, but how quickly politicians are
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LONDON, England, Sept. 19 -- The National Education Union issued the following news release:
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EU to ban social media for under 13
18/09/2026
Commenting on the decision by the EU to ban social media for children under 13 and no child under 15 to hold a personal account, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said;
"The European Union's announcement is another sign that governments across the world are waking up to the harm social media is causing children and young people. The debate is no longer about whether action is needed, but how quickly politicians areprepared to act.
"Social media platforms have shown time and time again that safety is not a priority, and their algorithms are designed to keep children scrolling, regardless of the consequences. Regulation and strict measures are the only way to protect our children from the unchecked power of Big Tech.
"The measures proposed in Europe are an important step, but the UK has an opportunity to go further by delivering o plans to raise the age of social media access to 16. Our own evidence has shown that children can be exposed to harmful content within minutes of creating an account. Delaying action means more children being exposed to risks that can have lasting consequences.
"The Government must now show leadership and move quickly to implement its plans. Children cannot afford further delays, and ministers must not allow Big Tech lobbying to water down the protections that parents, teachers and the public are increasingly calling for."
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Original text here: https://neu.org.uk/latest/press-releases/eu-ban-social-media-under-13?_locale=en
[Category: Union]
UAW Statement on Michigan Proposals 1 and 2 on Ballot in November Election
DETROIT, Michigan, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- The United Automobile Workers posted the following news:
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UAW Statement on Michigan Proposals 1 and 2 on Ballot in November Election
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In addition to a slate of endorsed candidates up and down the ticket, the UAW is weighing in on two proposals on the ballot in November as the Union reboots its member-led political program across the state of Michigan.
The UAW is encouraging members and union households to vote No on Proposal 1 to protect the state's constitution from billionaire and corporate influence that could undermine hard fought
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DETROIT, Michigan, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- The United Automobile Workers posted the following news:
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UAW Statement on Michigan Proposals 1 and 2 on Ballot in November Election
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In addition to a slate of endorsed candidates up and down the ticket, the UAW is weighing in on two proposals on the ballot in November as the Union reboots its member-led political program across the state of Michigan.
The UAW is encouraging members and union households to vote No on Proposal 1 to protect the state's constitution from billionaire and corporate influence that could undermine hard foughtvictories in recent years like voting rights, fair redistricting, and reproductive freedom.
The UAW is also encouraging union voters to vote Yes on Proposal 2, the initiative that would ban monopoly utility companies like DTE Energy and other corporations from flooding money into Michigan politics.
"Nothing has shaped the current corrupt state of our government like the rise of corporate money and influence," said UAW President Shawn Fain on the Union's endorsement of Proposal 2. "Billionaires and corporations are pouring billions of dollars into our elections in America this year alone. They do it to rig the system in their favor, and working-class families pay the price. We're done with a system that allows corporate greed to dictate our politics. That's why the UAW endorses a Yes vote on Proposal 2, Michigan Money Out of Politics. This initiative would at least stop a monopoly utility company like DTE from owning elected officials in Lansing, so our elected officials are accountable to the people, not a corporate checkbook."
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Original text here: https://uaw.org/uaw-statement-on-michigan-proposals-1-and-2-on-ballot-in-november-election/
SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP Reach Tentative Agreement on Animation Contracts
LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 18 -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued the following news release:
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SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP Reach Tentative Agreement on Animation Contracts
September 17, 2026
SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement on successor agreements to the 2023 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Television Animation Agreement and the 2023 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Basic Cable Agreement for Animated Motion Pictures.
Full details
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LOS ANGELES, California, Sept. 18 -- The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) issued the following news release:
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SAG-AFTRA and AMPTP Reach Tentative Agreement on Animation Contracts
September 17, 2026
SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP have reached a tentative agreement on successor agreements to the 2023 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Television Animation Agreement and the 2023 Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists Basic Cable Agreement for Animated Motion Pictures.
Full detailsof the agreement will not be provided until after the tentative agreement has been reviewed by SAG-AFTRA's National Board in the coming weeks.
The tentative agreement will be sent to the affected SAG-AFTRA membership for ratification upon Board approval.
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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/sag-aftra-and-amptp-reach-tentative-agreement-animation-contracts-0
[Category: Union]
National Education Union: Teacher Pay Rise Not at Expense of Support Staff
LONDON, England, Sept. 18 -- The National Education Union issued the following news release:
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Teacher pay rise not at expense of support staff
17/09/2026
Commenting on the press release issued today by the GMB union claiming support staff pensions have been raided to fund a teacher pay rise, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"It's disappointing that GMB are misinforming support staff who are rightly concerned about their pensions.
"Not one support staff pension has been cut - this is a fall in what employers pay in, set independently by actuaries
... Show Full Article
LONDON, England, Sept. 18 -- The National Education Union issued the following news release:
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Teacher pay rise not at expense of support staff
17/09/2026
Commenting on the press release issued today by the GMB union claiming support staff pensions have been raided to fund a teacher pay rise, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"It's disappointing that GMB are misinforming support staff who are rightly concerned about their pensions.
"Not one support staff pension has been cut - this is a fall in what employers pay in, set independently by actuariesbecause these funds are healthier than expected.
Our fight from day one was for a fully funded pay rise for the whole school workforce, and this is a win on exactly those terms: support staff were most of the 8,300 jobs we warned were at risk from an unfunded award, and it's the NEU's campaign and the threat of strike action which has now ensured this money stays in the school system."
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Original text here: https://neu.org.uk/latest/press-releases/teacher-pay-rise-not-expense-support-staff?_locale=en
[Category: Union]
Maine nurses condemn Prime Healthcare's illegal firings and suspensions at Central Maine Medical Center
SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Maine nurses condemn Prime Healthcare's illegal firings and suspensions at Central Maine Medical Center
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Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC), an affiliate for National Nurses United (NNU), released the following statement today in response to illegal discipline against nurses by Prime Healthcare:
Central Maine Medical Center management has illegally fired 14 nurses. Six more nurses have been illegally suspended, bringing the total
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SILVER SPRING, Maryland, Sept. 18 [Category: Union] -- National Nurses United issued the following news release:
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Maine nurses condemn Prime Healthcare's illegal firings and suspensions at Central Maine Medical Center
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Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC), an affiliate for National Nurses United (NNU), released the following statement today in response to illegal discipline against nurses by Prime Healthcare:
Central Maine Medical Center management has illegally fired 14 nurses. Six more nurses have been illegally suspended, bringing the totalfacing illegal discipline from Prime Healthcare to 20.
These numbers continue to rapidly grow as Prime Healthcare is illegally and sweepingly targeting nurses at CMMC for advocating for their patients, patient care, and improvements at their hospital. This is part of a larger pattern of Prime targeting nurses for patient advocacy at hospitals across the country.
Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC) will be filing federal charges against Prime for these illegal actions against nurses.
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Original text here: https://www.nationalnursesunited.org/press/maine-nurses-condemn-prime-healthcares-illegal-firings-and-suspensions-at-central-maine
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/
