Targeted News Service

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:

* * *

Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Georgia's Jasmine Clark for Election to U.S. House

*

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 ... Show Full Article

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:

* * *

Ventura County nurses and health care professionals to hold speak out to save Santa Paula Hospital

*

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

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:

* * *

OPM Implementing NFFE-Championed First Responder Fair RETIRE Act, Soliciting Comments

*

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

National Election Committee conducts lottery selection

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO National Association of Letter Carriers issued the following news:

* * *

National Election Committee conducts lottery selection

*

The National Election Committee, appointed at the Los Angeles convention to conduct the election of national officers for NALC, met on Aug. 17 to set the rules and procedures for the election. It also conducted a random drawing to determine the order in which candidates' names will be placed on the ballot for each contested national officer position. Candidates for national office will appear on the ballot in the ... Show Full Article

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:

* * *

AFGE Calls on Congress to Invest in Social Security as Program Marks 91 Years

*

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: * * * AFGE Calls on Congress to Invest in Social Security as Program Marks 91 Years * 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).

***

Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/08beec5958734778bba4d89c47f0bcb0.aspx

Actors' Equity Announces David Kolen as New Assistant Executive Director for the Central Region

NEW YORK, Aug. 15 -- Actors' Equity Association, a labor union that says it represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, issued the following news release:

* * *

Actors' Equity Announces David Kolen as New Assistant Executive Director for the Central Region

Chicago - Actors' Equity Association, the national union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, has named David Kolen as the new assistant executive director for the Central Region of the union, effective immediately.

"Through his time at Equity, David Kolen has shown ... Show Full Article NEW YORK, Aug. 15 -- Actors' Equity Association, a labor union that says it represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, issued the following news release: * * * Actors' Equity Announces David Kolen as New Assistant Executive Director for the Central Region Chicago - Actors' Equity Association, the national union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, has named David Kolen as the new assistant executive director for the Central Region of the union, effective immediately. "Through his time at Equity, David Kolen has showncountless times what it means to walk the walk," said Al Vincent, Jr., executive director for Actors' Equity Association. "No matter what this industry throws at him, he handles it with grace and deep knowledge. Members in the Central Region have long valued his leadership through his work on many agreements, including the Chicago Area Theatre Agreement, Second City and multiple dinner theatres. David was instrumental in getting our first contract over the finish line for Drunk Shakespeare, and has served our members at the bargaining table for everything from LORT to Casa Bonita. He is more than ready to take on this new role."

As the assistant executive director based in Chicago, Kolen will oversee the union's operations in 16 states, including collective bargaining, contract administration and staff management and development. As part of the executive team, Kolen will work alongside the executive director and assistant executive directors in the Eastern and Western regions to build a more equitable and effective union.

"I'm deeply honored for this opportunity and to build upon the work Equity is doing in the Central Region and across the country," said David Kolen, assistant executive director for the Central Region for Actors' Equity Association. "I believe fundamentally in the intersection of labor and the arts, and I know that the success of the American theatre in the face of unprecedented challenges is predicated on the prosperity of arts workers nationwide.

"I've witnessed firsthand the incredible advocacy and artistry of our members in the Central Region and across the country over my fifteen years at Equity - from New Orleans to Minneapolis, Oklahoma City to Cincinnati and everywhere in between. I am excited to continue to grow opportunities for Equity members, build stronger ties to our union siblings and leverage every opportunity to improve our members' workplaces in meaningful ways."

Kolen first joined Equity in 2011 as a contract associate, then served as a business representative and most recently, has been a senior business representative since 2019. Prior to Equity, he worked professionally in scenic construction and lighting design. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The Theatre School at DePaul University.

This change comes as the prior Central AED, Andrea F. Hoeschen, takes the helm of Equity's new legal department as full-time general counsel.

* * *

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

* * *

Original text here: https://actorsequity.org/news/PR/2026/08/14/actors-equity-announces-david-kolen-as-new-assistant-executive-director-for-the-central-region

[Category: Union]

AFL-CIO and Its Sports Council Stand in Solidarity With First Women's College Sports Union As Members Fight for Official Recognition

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following joint statement with the AFL-CIO Sports Council:

* * *

AFL-CIO and Its Sports Council Stand in Solidarity with First Women's College Sports Union As Members Fight for Official Recognition

The following statement was issued by the AFL-CIO and the AFL-CIO Sports Council, which represents athlete workers across professional sports leagues, in support of Oregon State University women's basketball players, who have organized with the United College Athletes Association (UCAA) and are seeking official legal recognition as the first union of women's ... Show Full Article WASHINGTON, Aug. 15 -- The AFL-CIO issued the following joint statement with the AFL-CIO Sports Council: * * * AFL-CIO and Its Sports Council Stand in Solidarity with First Women's College Sports Union As Members Fight for Official Recognition The following statement was issued by the AFL-CIO and the AFL-CIO Sports Council, which represents athlete workers across professional sports leagues, in support of Oregon State University women's basketball players, who have organized with the United College Athletes Association (UCAA) and are seeking official legal recognition as the first union of women'scollege athletes:

The AFL-CIO and its Sports Council stands in solidarity with the United College Athletes Association (UCAA), the athletes of the Oregon State University (OSU) women's basketball team and the more than 100 women's college basketball players across the country who have signed union authorization cards. After a three-year organizing campaign, the OSU workers filed for recognition of their union with the Oregon Employment Relations Board, marking the historic first-ever official union representation petition in women's college sports.

The NCAA is a multibillion-dollar business that would not exist without the labor of college athletes who generate that profit. Again and again, the NCAA has failed to protect and fought against its athlete workers while lobbying Congress for legislation that grants an antitrust exemption that undermines college athletes' rights and collective bargaining power, including the Protect College Sports Act under consideration in the U.S. Senate.

Collective bargaining guarantees the athletes have a true voice in decisions that impact their lives, families and futures. In every workplace, including professional sports leagues, businesses succeed because of collective bargaining, not in spite of it.

America's unions are proud to support the courageous members of UCAA who are demanding a path to a better future, as they fight for the contract they deserve.

* * *

Original text here: https://aflcio.org/press/releases/afl-cio-and-its-sports-council-stand-solidarity-first-womens-college-sports-union

[Category: Union]

Existing Customer Login

Unions

Featured Stories