Latest News

• Jan 18 Drawing Inspiration from Lincoln, King on the Eve of President Obama's Second Inauguration Lee Saunders, Huffington Post It is time for all of us to pull together and fight for the enduring ideals of justice, equality and the rights of working men and women.
• Aug 31 Labor Day and the Future of America Lee Saunders, Huffington Post We must do more to insure that future Americans live in a country where their voices can be heard and their freedom is secure. This Labor Day, and throughout the crucial next two months, we must show that we are equal to the task.
• Jul 08 Newsmakers with Lee Saunders C-SPAN AFSCME’s president discusses his plans for the union, the upcoming presidential election and related issues.
• Jul 03 Economic Pressures On Local Governments Diane Rehm Show, NPR Kerry Korpi discusses economic pressures on local governments and the push to privatize public services.
• Apr 04 They stood their ground for respect Local 1733 Exec. Dir. Chad Johnson, Sec.-Treas. Lee Saunders, Commercial Appeal The Memphis sanitation workers' strike and its aftermath continue to inspire AFSCME today.
• Mar 30 Ai-jen Poo and Sarita Gupta on Workers’ Rights (video) Bill Moyers Bill Moyers talks with Ai-jen Poo and Sarita Gupta about activism dedicated to restoring workers’ rights — rights they say have been stripped away by corporations. Domestic workers in particular, says Poo, are a “huge and growing part of the 99 percent.”
• Jan 16 Martin Luther King Jr., the labor movement and the American dream Lee A. Saunders, The Grio Dr. King often spoke of the links between the struggle for workers' rights and the cause of civil rights.
• Jan 16 Economic Justice Key Part of Dream Lee A. Saunders , Albuquerque Journal Dr. King recognized that civil rights and workers’ rights are intertwined.
• Dec 25 Fairness for Home Care Aides Editorial, New York Times Proposed changes to Labor Department rules grant home care workers needed protections.
• Dec 14 Don't blame government workers' pensions Gerald W. McEntee, USA Today The big players on Wall Street have devastated our economy and our retirement savings.
• Nov 18 How Progressives Won the Labor Rights Showdown in Ohio Amy Dean, Truthout To understand how progressives pulled off this remarkable win, I spoke with Paul Booth, one of the chief strategists behind the campaign to repeal SB5.
• Nov 15 Labor's turning point? Glenn Thrush, Politico Ohio victory has revived labor movement to level not seen in years.
• Nov 11 What the Ohio vote means Gerald W. McEntee, Reuters Voters will not tolerate unnecessary cuts to vital programs and attacks on working families.
• Nov 08 Ohio Vote: We Won't Be Misled, Fooled or Led Astray Lee A. Saunders, The Root Senate Bill 5 is the right wing's attack on public-sector workers and public services.
• Nov 07 Ohio's Issue 2 hurts African-Americans most Lee A. Saunders, theGrio In Ohio and around the country, one-fifth of all public-sector employees are African-American.
• Aug 03 The ALEC Cabal: How Influence Peddlers Undermine Democracy Gerald W. McEntee, Firedoglake Corporate lobbyists work secretly with right-wing state legislators to draft far-reaching legislation.
• Jul 10 Idled Minn. public employees holding on -- for now Associated Press Nation’s longest state government shutdown in a decade poses challenges for 22,000 public workers.
• Jun 22 Memphis saves jobs of union championed by King Associated Press Sanitation workers score a victory as city council passes budget without privatizing solid waste collection.
• Jun 21 Scott Walker finds making bumper stickers is easier than creating jobs Dana Milbank, Washington Post Where are the jobs, Gov. Walker? He hasn't created many.
• Jun 21 Rules would speed up union elections Sam Hananel, Associated Press NLRB rules drop roadblocks to organizing new members, cut time for anti-union campaigns.
• Jun 20 Financial Manager Repeal Effort Begins in Michigan FOX 2 Detroit Opponents of law giving financial managers broad powers over local governments step up efforts to get repeal on the ballot.
• Jun 18 Cuomo and Pensions: A View From a Union Leader Gerald W. McEntee, New York Times Pension costs grew due to the financial crisis, not because benefit levels are too high.
• Jun 17 Anti-union Republicans seize their moment Melissa Maynard, Stateline The pace and magnitude of change for the state’s public employees have been startling.
• Jun 17 SB5 repeal effort exceeds 700,000 signatures Jim Siegel, Columbus Dispatch We Are Ohio has collected triple the number needed to get on the November ballot.
• Jun 03 Ordinary workers took extraordinary stand, made history Hilda L. Solis, Secretary of Labor, Memphis Commercial Appeal Memphis sanitation strike an important turning point in the fight for civil rights, workplace equality
• May 31 The short-sighted attack on collective bargaining David Weil, Boston Globe Attacks on collective bargaining and workers rights are likely to backfire in the long run, by making relations with public employees less predictable - and more costly.
• May 26 Judge strikes down Walker's collective bargaining law Mary Spicuzza, Wisconsin State Journal A judge has struck down Gov. Scott Walker's controversial new collective bargaining law.
• May 25 Election officials wary as Walker signs voter ID bill into law Clay Barbour, Wisconsin State Journal Controversial Wisconsin law includes a measure requiring voters to use photo IDs.
• May 25 Unions File Unfair Labor Practice Against Montana Legislature Kacey Drescher, KFBB News Channel 5 Legislature rejected a deal with state employee unions already negotiated with Gov. Brian Schweitzer.
• May 23 Historical civil rights figures weigh in on pension debate Karina Rusk, ABC-7 News Video: Participants in the Memphis sanitation strike speak out in San Jose, Calif.
• May 23 Middle class jobs focus of event in Kent Kyle McDonald, Record Courier Small business owners, public and private employees united to show support for the middle-class workforce.
• May 20 GOP Govs' Popularity Plummets John Avlon, The Daily Beast Over-reach by Republican governors leads to voter backlash from Ohio to Florida to Wisconsin.
• May 18 California Protesters Refuse to Become 'Wisconsin of the West' Allison Kilkenny, The Nation Hundreds of San Jose city workers gathered at City Hall to oppose proposed budget cuts.
• May 18 Poll shows Ohio Senate Bill 5 will be repealed Darrel Rowland, Columbus Dispatch Senate Bill 5 would easily be repealed by voters if the referendum were held now, a new poll today shows.
• May 17 Scott Walker Quietly Consolidating Power In Wisconsin Amanda Terkel, Huffington Post Secretary of State Doug La Follette: "It's a power grab. He wants to control everything."
• May 13 Connecticut Unions Agree to $1.6 Billion in Givebacks Peter Applebome, New York Times Representatives for 45,000 unionized state employees agreed Friday to $1.6 billion in concessions over two years to help balance the budget.
• May 09 Efforts by GOP lawmakers to curtail private-union powers faltering in most state capitols Associated Press Of the 14 states where 'right-to-work' bills were considered, only NH has passed the legislation.
• May 05 Unions refocus political activity Fredreka Schouten, USA Today Larry Scanlon, AFSCME's political director, said, "People have woken up to the fact that they have to be more aggressive in electoral politics in the states."
• May 03 Threat to Blacks in the Public Sector Lee A. Saunders, The Root Radical conservative politicians want to slash city, county and state jobs — and undercut economic security.