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Actors' Equity Association Announces Formation of Legal Department
NEW YORK, Aug. 13 -- 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 Announces Formation of Legal Department
Actors' Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, is establishing an in-house legal department.
The department will be led by Andrea F. Hoeschen, who has served as assistant executive director for Equity's Central Region as well as general counsel since 2020.
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Aug. 13 -- 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 Association Announces Formation of Legal Department
Actors' Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, is establishing an in-house legal department.
The department will be led by Andrea F. Hoeschen, who has served as assistant executive director for Equity's Central Region as well as general counsel since 2020.She is departing her role in the Central Region to provide legal services for the union full time. Serving under her is Afifa Samad as associate general counsel and director of human resources, as well as two full-time paralegals.
"Equity is prioritizing augmenting our legal resources, and we are incredibly fortunate to have Andrea Hoeschen to lead the way," said Al Vincent, Jr., executive director of Actors' Equity Association. "Andrea started at Equity just a couple months before the COVID shutdown began, and she has seen the union through incredibly difficult, but also transformative times.
"From enforcing protections for our members in the workplace to fighting threats on free expression nationwide, Andrea has taken on every challenge with incredible energy and a sharp legal mind. She is going to head an unstoppable team."
"The legal department is ready to charge full steam ahead," said Andrea Hoeschen, general counsel for Actors' Equity Association. "This is a dedicated, talented group and together we are going to be able to offer sound support to the union at a very quick speed. I'm excited to be leading this initiative and protecting performing artists at a time when we don't take any legal rights for granted."
With Hoeschen moving to a full-time legal position, Equity will announce a new assistant executive director for the Central Region shortly.
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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
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Original text here: https://actorsequity.org/news/PR/2026/08/12/actors-equity-association-announces-formation-of-legal-department
[Category: Union]
Actors' Equity Association Announces Formation of Legal Department
NEW YORK, Aug. 12 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Actors Equity Association issued the following news release:
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Actors' Equity Association Announces Formation of Legal Department
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New York \-Actors' Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, is establishing an in-house legal department.
The department will be led by Andrea F. Hoeschen, who has served as assistant executive director for Equity's Central Region as well as general counsel since 2020. She is departing her role in the Central Region to
... Show Full Article
NEW YORK, Aug. 12 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO Actors Equity Association issued the following news release:
* * *
Actors' Equity Association Announces Formation of Legal Department
*
New York \-Actors' Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, is establishing an in-house legal department.
The department will be led by Andrea F. Hoeschen, who has served as assistant executive director for Equity's Central Region as well as general counsel since 2020. She is departing her role in the Central Region toprovide legal services for the union full time. Serving under her is Afifa Samad as associate general counsel and director of human resources, as well as two full-time paralegals.
"Equity is prioritizing augmenting our legal resources, and we are incredibly fortunate to have Andrea Hoeschen to lead the way," said Al Vincent, Jr., executive director of Actors' Equity Association. "Andrea started at Equity just a couple months before the COVID shutdown began, and she has seen the union through incredibly difficult, but also transformative times.
"From enforcing protections for our members in the workplace to fighting threats on free expression nationwide, Andrea has taken on every challenge with incredible energy and a sharp legal mind. She is going to head an unstoppable team."
"The legal department is ready to charge full steam ahead," said Andrea Hoeschen, general counsel for Actors' Equity Association. "This is a dedicated, talented group and together we are going to be able to offer sound support to the union at a very quick speed. I'm excited to be leading this initiative and protecting performing artists at a time when we don't take any legal rights for granted."
With Hoeschen moving to a full-time legal position, Equity will announce a new assistant executive director for the Central Region shortly.
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
August 12, 2026
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Original text here: https://www.actorsequity.org/news/PR/2026/08/12/actors-equity-association-announces-formation-of-legal-department
NABTU, BlackRock, and AI Infrastructure Partnership Launch Strategic Collaboration to Support America's Infrastructure Workforce
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The AFL-CIO North America's Building Trades Unions issued the following news release:
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NABTU, BlackRock, and AI Infrastructure Partnership Launch Strategic Collaboration to Support America's Infrastructure Workforce
North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), BlackRock, and the AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the growth of domestic infrastructure, expand workforce participation opportunities, strengthen supply chain resilience, and foster long-term economic development associated with AI and energy
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 -- The AFL-CIO North America's Building Trades Unions issued the following news release:
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NABTU, BlackRock, and AI Infrastructure Partnership Launch Strategic Collaboration to Support America's Infrastructure Workforce
North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), BlackRock, and the AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the growth of domestic infrastructure, expand workforce participation opportunities, strengthen supply chain resilience, and foster long-term economic development associated with AI and energyinfrastructure investment.
Through the MOU, AIP's anticipated project pipeline will provide visibility to improve planning for future workforce needs. The parties will also explore opportunities that expand apprenticeship utilization, strengthen workforce training, build more recruitment initiatives, and better ensure viable long-term, family-sustaining career pathways.
As data consumption accelerates, the corresponding growth in data centers, power generation, and related infrastructure investment is expected to create hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs for skilled American workers. Developing the workforce needed to meet that demand requires dialogue among investors, labor organizations, policymakers, companies, and other industry participants. The collaboration between NABTU, BlackRock, and AIP will expand the long-term pipeline of skilled workers and strengthen project execution at data centers and other infrastructure being developed by AIP portfolio companies.
"NABTU is proud to partner with BlackRock and AIP to help build the skilled workforce that will power America's data revolution," said Sean McGarvey, President of NABTU. "As we've said, there is no shortage of men and women ready to build America's future; what is needed is the workforce planning, industry partnerships, and sustained investment required to connect people with world-class training and family-sustaining careers."
"As technology and data become increasingly important to U.S. economic growth, the infrastructure buildout required to drive innovation is creating a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in American workers," said Larry Fink, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BlackRock. "For America to continue to prosper, the men and women building the infrastructure of the future must also benefit from this growth. This collaboration reflects a shared belief that investing in critical infrastructure can strengthen America's competitiveness while creating jobs, expanding economic opportunity and, ultimately, help more Americans experience financial well-being."
"Strategic access to NABTU's highly trained workforce is a competitive advantage," added Will Brilliant, Chief Executive Officer of AIP and Global Head of Digital Infrastructure at Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), a part of BlackRock. "This relationship will bolster AIP and our companies' ability to deliver mission-critical infrastructure projects with the scale, speed, and quality needed to generate strong outcomes for our clients. It will also help more Americans, and their families, benefit from the historic investments in American infrastructure."
In addition, the MOU acknowledges that skilled contractors operating under a Responsible Contractor Program can contribute to greater execution certainty, better workplace safety, and improved operational reliability and that having a project labor agreement may be appropriate for certain projects.
Today's announcement builds on BlackRock's commitment to strengthening America's skilled labor pipeline, which is critical to both the nation's infrastructure buildout and to expanding economic opportunity. In March, BlackRock launched BlackRock Future Builders, a $100 million philanthropic initiative funded by The BlackRock Foundation to help train 50,000 Americans for careers in the skilled trades. The firm also joined Carhartt, Ford Motor Company, and Google in launching the Alliance for America's Skilled Trades, a new initiative bringing together like-minded companies to expand access to skilled trades training and help meet the nation's growing workforce needs.
BlackRock and AIP will apply the principles laid out in the nonbinding MOU in a manner that is consistent with their fiduciary duty to clients.
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About NABTU
North America's Building Trades Unions is an alliance of 14 national and international unions in the building and construction industry collectively representing over 3.2 million skilled craft professionals in the United States and Canada. Each year, our unions and signatory contractor partners invest in excess of $3 billion in private-sector money to fund and operate over 1,900 apprenticeship training and education facilities across North America that produce the safest, most highly trained, and most productive, skilled craft workers anywhere in the world. NABTU is dedicated to creating economic security and employment opportunities for its construction workers by safeguarding wage and benefits standards, promoting responsible private capital investments, investing in renowned apprenticeship and training, and creating more construction career pathways to the middle class for women, communities of color, Indigenous people, veterans, and the justice-involved. For more information, please visit nabtu.org.
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About BlackRock
BlackRock's purpose is to help more and more people experience financial well-being. As a fiduciary to investors and a leading provider of financial technology, we help millions of people build savings that serve them throughout their lives by making investing easier and more affordable. For additional information on BlackRock, please visit www.blackrock.com/corporate | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock
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About AIP
The AI Infrastructure Partnership (AIP) was established to accelerate investment in next-generation AI infrastructure and advance the innovation needed to power the future of AI. AIP aims to mobilize $30 billion of equity capital from investors, asset owners, and corporations, with the potential to reach $100 billion including debt financing.
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Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, including with respect to AIP's future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as "trend," "potential," "opportunity," "pipeline," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "current," "intention," "estimate," "position," "assume," "outlook," "continue," "remain," "maintain," "sustain," "seek," "achieve," and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," "may" and similar expressions.
Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which change over time and may contain information that is not purely historical in nature. Such information may include, among other things, projections and forecasts. There is no guarantee that any projections or forecasts made will come to pass. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and BlackRock assumes no duty to and does not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements and future results could differ materially from historical performance.
BlackRock has previously disclosed risk factors in its Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") reports. These risk factors and those identified elsewhere in this release, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from forward-looking statements or historical performance. BlackRock's Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and subsequent filings with the SEC, accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov and on BlackRock's website, discuss certain of these factors in more detail and identify additional factors that can affect forward-looking statements. The information contained on BlackRock's website is not a part of this press release, and therefore, is not incorporated herein by reference.
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Original text here: https://nabtu.org/press_releases/blackrockpartnershipaip/
[Category: Union]
Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Alaska's Mary Peltola and Bill Hill for Election to Congress
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Alaska's Mary Peltola and Bill Hill for Election to Congress
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AFGE says Peltola and Hill are labor champions who will fight for Alaskans
AURORA, Colo. - The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of Mary Peltola for election to the U.S. Senate and Bill Hill for election to U.S. House representing Alaska in the 2026 elections. The statewide primary is Aug. 18, and the general election
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Government Employees issued the following news release:
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Largest Federal Employee Union Endorses Alaska's Mary Peltola and Bill Hill for Election to Congress
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AFGE says Peltola and Hill are labor champions who will fight for Alaskans
AURORA, Colo. - The American Federation of Government Employees today announced its endorsement of Mary Peltola for election to the U.S. Senate and Bill Hill for election to U.S. House representing Alaska in the 2026 elections. The statewide primary is Aug. 18, and the general electionis Nov. 3.
"Alaska has the third-highest percentage of labor union membership and one of the highest percentages of federal employees in the USA," AFGE District 11 National Vice President Tim Snyder said. "We are proud to endorse two labor champions who know firsthand the concerns of workers in Alaska. Mary and Bill have reached out to our local leaders to get to know them and their concerns and have earned this endorsement."
Mary Peltola, U.S. Senate
Mary Peltola is a lifelong Alaskan, a mother of seven, and a proven champion for all Alaska workers and families. She began fishing with her father at age six before becoming a fishing boat captain at age 14. She also worked as a herring and salmon technician for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game during college. After being elected to the state legislature at the age of 24, Peltola chaired the bipartisan Bush Caucus, which helped lower energy prices and improve public safety for rural Alaskans.
Peltola has fought for Alaska by leading the coalition to secure the Willow Oil Project - the largest development of Alaska oil in recent history and a source of stable, well-paying union jobs; launching the fight against factory trawlers in 2022 and fighting for first-of-its-kind legislation to ban bottom trawling; and organizing town halls across the state and rallying Alaskans to successfully stop the Kroger-Albertson's merger that would have raised grocery prices and hurt workers.
As Alaksa's representative in the U.S. House from 2022 to 2025, Peltola cosponsored the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would enshrine Alaska workers' right to collectively bargain, and the Social Security Fairness Act, which would ensure all workers receive the full measure of their hard-earned benefits. She is committed to protecting federal employees from shortsighted political decisions in D.C. Peltola will continue to fight for the rights of federal workers to collectively bargain and will fight to restore that right to our federal employees, including those in the Department of Defense who have lost their contracts.
Bill Hill, U.S. House
Bill Hill grew up in a small village in Bristol Bay, Alaska. A commercial fisherman who has also worked in construction, Hill joined his dad on the family fishing boat when he was 12 and has been fishing every fishing season in Bristol Bay since. A son of two teachers, Hill spent nearly 25 years working as a teacher, principal, and superintendent and was named Alaska Superintendent of the Year in 2023.
He's a proud union member, having been a member of both the Laborers' Union and the NEA. Hill wants to be the No. 1 champion in Congress for the PRO Act and he will fight to defend public employees' rights to organize, believing that all workers should have those important rights.
More than 15,000 federal employees live in Alaska - caring for veterans, supporting the military, ensuring the safety of our air and water, 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 more than 68,500 federal employees in District 11, which includes Alaska, Colorado, Guam, Idaho, Montana, Okinawa, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
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Original text here: https://www.afge.org/link/9e313e9fc19e4993826a594ecbe1bde2.aspx
Election committee appointed
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO National Association of Letter Carriers issued the following news:
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Election committee appointed
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In accordance with Article 6, Section 7 of the NALC Constitution, on Aug. 6, NALC President Brian L. Renfroe appointed a National Election Committee to oversee the conduct of the 2026 election of national officers.
The members of the National Election Committee are Lamanda Bradshaw, Modesto, CA Br. 1291; Mike Hansen, Salt Lake City, UT Br. 111; Brian Wiggins, Seattle, WA Br. 79; Veronica Ramirez, Arlington Heights, IL Br. 2810; Kathy Walter,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO National Association of Letter Carriers issued the following news:
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Election committee appointed
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In accordance with Article 6, Section 7 of the NALC Constitution, on Aug. 6, NALC President Brian L. Renfroe appointed a National Election Committee to oversee the conduct of the 2026 election of national officers.
The members of the National Election Committee are Lamanda Bradshaw, Modesto, CA Br. 1291; Mike Hansen, Salt Lake City, UT Br. 111; Brian Wiggins, Seattle, WA Br. 79; Veronica Ramirez, Arlington Heights, IL Br. 2810; Kathy Walter,Tucson, AZ Br. 704; Morgan Harrington, Southwest Michigan Br. 246; Linda Johnson, Duluth, MN Br. 114; Sylvin Stevens, Charlotte, NC Br. 545; Juan Munoz, Corpus Christi, TX Br. 1259; Monique Mate, Rochester, NY Br. 210; Michele Galda, Camden, NJ Merged Branch 540; Melissia Johnson, Rockville, MD Br. 3825; Joseph Stearns, Massachusetts Northeast Merged Br. 25; Eric Lomax, Jamaica, NY Br. 562; and Mike O'Neill, New Jersey Merged Branch 38.
Brian Wiggins was elected by the committee to be chairperson. Candidates may contact Wiggins at NALCElections2026@Outlook.com.
On Monday, Aug. 17, members of the National Election Committee will convene at NALC Headquarters in Washington, DC, to conduct a lottery selection to determine the order in which the listing of the names of the nominees for all national offices will be placed on the ballot. The lottery selection will be livestreamed. Candidates for office who wish to observe the lottery selection in person should contact Chairman Wiggins. Once the lottery selection is completed, the National Election Committee will announce on the NALC website the order in which the listing of the names will be placed on the ballots. Additionally, the committee will also provide information on election-related timelines.
The National Election Committee has retained the services of the American Arbitration Association (AAA) to assist in the preparation, distribution, collection, and tabulation of the ballots.
Further information will be mailed to the candidates. If they wish to receive information electronically, they may contact Wiggins at his email address.
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Original text here: https://www.nalc.org/news/nalc-updates/election-committee-appointed-2026
Community Members and Civil Rights Advocates to Host Rally Before Court Hearing on Unlawful Immigration Arrests
KEENE, California, Aug. 11 [Category: Union] -- The United Farm Workers issued the following news release:
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Community Members and Civil Rights Advocates to Host Rally Before Court Hearing on Unlawful Immigration Arrests
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**Press conference on Thurs., 8/13, at 9 a.m. outside federal courthouse on 350 W. 1st St.**
LOS ANGELES -On Thursday, plaintiffs in Vasquez Perdomo v. Mullin -a case challenging the Trump administration's immigration raids in Southern California -will host a rally and press conference before a federal court hears arguments on their request to block unlawful, warrantless
... Show Full Article
KEENE, California, Aug. 11 [Category: Union] -- The United Farm Workers issued the following news release:
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Community Members and Civil Rights Advocates to Host Rally Before Court Hearing on Unlawful Immigration Arrests
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**Press conference on Thurs., 8/13, at 9 a.m. outside federal courthouse on 350 W. 1st St.**
LOS ANGELES -On Thursday, plaintiffs in Vasquez Perdomo v. Mullin -a case challenging the Trump administration's immigration raids in Southern California -will host a rally and press conference before a federal court hears arguments on their request to block unlawful, warrantlessarrests for alleged immigration violations.
Since the administration began its raids in Los Angeles last year, federal agents have routinely arrested people without obtaining a warrant and without conducting a determination of escape risk before a warrant can be obtained for their arrest as required by federal law. Citing government records, a review of 113 arrest records found that nearly 80 percent either contained no assessment of escape risk or relied on largely boilerplate language, suggesting a lack of necessary, individualized assessment.
Thursday's hearing is distinct from a related challenge brought by plaintiffs related to racial profiling and suspicionless stops, which will be heard at a later date.
Following the hearing, attorneys and plaintiffs in the case will be available for comment.
Read the motion for preliminary injunction on warrantless arrests: https://www.aclusocal.org/cases/vasquez-perdomo-v-noem/?document=Notice-of-Motion-and-Motion-for-Preliminary-Injuction-
WHAT: Rally and press conference before arguments in Vasquez Perdomo v. Mullin concerning warrantless arrests by federal immigration agents
WHO: SoCal residents impacted by ongoing federal raids and plaintiffs and advocates involved in the case:
* Chandra Bhatnagar, executive director, ACLU Foundation of Southern California (ACLU SoCal)
* Armando Gudino, executive director, Los Angeles Worker Center Network (LAWCN), plaintiff
* Mayra Morales, spouse of car wash worker who was detained by federal agents
* Teresa Romero, president, United Farm Workers (UFW), plaintiff
* Jeannette Zanipatin, director of policy and advocacy, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), plaintiff
* Additional speakers to be announced.
WHEN: Thursday, August 13, at 9 a.m. PT
* Rally and press conference at 9 a.m.
* Court hearing in Vasquez Perdomo v. Mullin at 10 a.m. (Note: Hearing will not be livestreamed or recorded and will begin promptly.)
WHERE: In front of Western Division Courthouse of the Central District of California at 350 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
The lawsuit was originally brought by five individual Latino workers and three membership organizations-CHIRLA, LAWCN and UFW-as well as Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef), a legal services provider.
The plaintiffs are represented by the ACLU SoCal; Public Counsel; Law Offices of Stacy Tolchin; UC Irvine School of Law Immigrant and Racial Justice Solidarity Clinic; NDLON; Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP; ACLU Foundations of Northern California and San Diego & Imperial Counties; Hecker Fink LLP; Martinez Aguilasocho Law, Inc; CHIRLA and ImmDef.
*RSVP to communications@aclusocal.org
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Original text here: https://ufw.org/community-members-and-civil-rights-advocates-to-host-rally-before-court-hearing-on-unlawful-immigration-arrests/
'We Are Professionals': Coalition of Unions Sue to Block New Student Loan Rule that Will Hurt Patient Care and Worsen Staffing Crises
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release:
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'We Are Professionals': Coalition of Unions Sue to Block New Student Loan Rule that Will Hurt Patient Care and Worsen Staffing Crises
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WASHINGTON-A coalition of unions representing hundreds of thousands of public service and healthcare workers filed a lawsuit this week challenging the Department of Education's new Reimagining and Improving Student Education rule. The rule sets draconian new limits on the amount of federal student loans students can borrow for graduate
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 11 [Category: Union] -- The AFL-CIO American Federation of Teachers issued the following news release:
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'We Are Professionals': Coalition of Unions Sue to Block New Student Loan Rule that Will Hurt Patient Care and Worsen Staffing Crises
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WASHINGTON-A coalition of unions representing hundreds of thousands of public service and healthcare workers filed a lawsuit this week challenging the Department of Education's new Reimagining and Improving Student Education rule. The rule sets draconian new limits on the amount of federal student loans students can borrow for graduateeducation in some of our nation's most critical and understaffed professions. And it lawlessly compounds the problem by making many professional workers ineligible for the higher caps it sets for "professional" students. This will severely affect degrees in advanced practice nursing, public health, social work, library sciences and more by deeming these degrees to be "non-professional." That designation will limit federal student loan support, exacerbating the staffing crisis in these public service professions.
The lawsuit argues that the Education Department's new rule illegally narrowed Congress' definition of a "professional degree." This definition excludes essential public service professions under a regulation that has been in place for decades and was codified by Congress just last year. The administration is making the path to professional public service jobs unaffordable, thereby hurting communities that rely on these workers for critical care and services.
The union coalition filing the suit includes the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the AFT, National Nurses United and the AFL-CIO.
"One of the most cynical, cruel components of the Trump tax bill was the cuts to the higher education student loan program," said AFT President Randi Weingarten. "Now the effect is clear: By 'de-professionalizing' nursing, architecture, social work, teaching and countless other careers, the Trump administration is eviscerating education access for poor and working-class students and their families and dismantling pathways to the middle class. The court must strike down this administration's unlawful attack on college affordability. It tells students they aren't valued and crushes their dreams. And it harms communities across the country who rely on the services these students would provide."
"The same administration that cut healthcare to give billionaires more tax cuts is now trying to make it impossible for advanced practice nurses, social workers, public health professionals and others to afford the education they need to care for our communities," said AFSCME President Lee Saunders. "We are already facing staffing crises in too many public service professions, and this rule threatens to make the situation even more dire. The court must strike down this illegal rule to protect quality patient care, social services and public health, and ensure that workers aren't priced out of these critical public service professions."
"This decision to exclude graduate nursing students from professional loans is an attack on the nursing profession. The rule change affects nurses pursuing a graduate degree to be a nurse practitioner, nurse midwife or certified nurse anesthetist," said NNU President Jamie Brown, RN. "Graduate students pursuing a professional degree are eligible for more than twice as much funding for each academic year and twice as much total funding than graduate nursing students. It is an insult to our profession."
"This rule shuts out the next generation of nurses, social workers and public health professionals before they even get started," said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler. "The Department of Education may have decided these degrees don't count as 'professional,' but communities that rely on these essential services know that this couldn't be further from the truth. After kicking millions of working families off their healthcare, firing federal workers and gutting federal agencies, the administration is making it harder for working people to enter these careers and forcing hospitals, clinics and state and local agencies to do even more with less. The AFL-CIO is in this fight because no worker who dedicates their life to public service should be priced out of it."
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Original text here: https://www.aft.org/press-release/we-are-professionals-coalition-unions-sue-block-new-student-loan-rule-will-hurt
