August 18, 2022 New, AFSCME-supported public safety laws focus on TBI, PTSD and mental health Two new public-safety laws – that have strong AFSCME support – will keep our communities safer and benefit first responders and their families. Read More
July 19, 2022 Suicide prevention helpline has a new, shorter number – 988 The new 988 hotline will make it easier for people to connect with help when they’re having suicidal thoughts or experiencing other mental health distress Read More
May 17, 2022 Persistence nets new contract for hundreds of NY law enforcement members Hundreds of New York law enforcement officers fought for years for a fair contract – and finally got one this month. Read More
January 18, 2022 Running toward danger, 20 years later Discover what keeps our latest Never Quit Service Award winner, EMT Christopher Obsorne, motivated two decades into his career. Read More
December 13, 2021 OCSEA members at Toledo Correctional Institution protest unsafe working conditions Working conditions are so unsafe at a Toledo, Ohio, prison, that OCSEA members working there held a picket to draw attention to the issue. Read More
December 09, 2021 Law enforcement trailblazer retires from Alaska State Troopers Alaska’s first Native woman to serve as a state trooper retires, capping a lengthy law enforcement career. Read More
November 19, 2021 AFSCME mourns on-the-job death of Pennsylvania corrections officer AFSCME members mourn the death of Sister Rhonda Russell, a Pennsylvania correctional officer who died in the line of duty. Read More
October 05, 2021 EMS locals overwhelmingly ratify 49-month contract EMS workers in NY are getting the raises they deserve so much for all their sacrifices during the coronavirus pandemic. Read More
August 02, 2021 AFSCME applauds officers who defended Capitol on Jan. 6 for their testimony AFSCME applauds the four police officers who testified before a House committee about the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Read More
July 29, 2021 In a victory for AFSCME, New Mexico’s private prison population to be cut in half Learn how AFSCME’s campaign to return prison prisons to public hands is paying off in New Mexico. Read More
July 16, 2021 Museum reopens after shutting down following apparent chemical exposure It took collective action to temporarily close The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore after some workers were sickened by a chemical exposure. Read More
June 04, 2021 Iowa corrections package is good but not good enough The Iowa legislative package for increased corrections funding – coming two months after the Anamosa State Penitentiary killings of AFSCME members – is a good start but isn’t good enough. Read More
June 03, 2021 King Conservation District staff union unanimously ratifies first contract Discover the many reasons why King County conservation workers in Washington state formed a union Read More
May 13, 2021 Promoting solidarity during Asian Pacific American Heritage Month AFSCME welcomed the National Employment Law Project’s Han Lu for a discussion of Asian American solidarity during Asian Pacific Heritage Month. Read More
April 09, 2021 Iowa prison worker deaths prompt urgent call for reforms Two AFSCME prison workers in Iowa were killed on the job. This could’ve been avoided if there had been adequate staffing, Council 61 argues. Read More
March 11, 2021 Texas legislature urged to fix crumbling prisons, boost corrections staffing and pensions AFSCME members ask the Texas legislature to fix crumbling prisons, increase corrections staffing and shore up the pensions they were promised. Read More
March 03, 2021 Puerto Rico’s Mona Island security officers file complaints with the state Council 95 members who work on Mona Island have filed a complaint citing unsafe and inhumane working conditions. Read More
February 04, 2021 Connecticut AFSCME members use collective action to get vaccines to state prisons When the State of Connecticut failed to come up with a vaccination plan for prison staff, AFSCME correction officers joined hands and took action – and reaped success. Read More
October 06, 2020 It’s been a year like no other, but don’t tell that to this Oregon emergency manager Erik Rau is an emergency management planner for the state of Oregon who has helped battle fires, floods and a pandemic – all in a single year. Read More
August 17, 2020 AFSCME commits to landmark policing and criminal justice reforms AFSCME has adopted a landmark resolution on policing and criminal justice reform. Read More
June 24, 2020 ‘The anger is blinding’ DC 37 member and New York paramedic discusses fighting the coronavirus pandemic in a powerful first-person account published by the Washington Post. Read More
May 21, 2020 All EMS Workers Should be Eligible for Federal Benefits Program The Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program shouldn’t exclude EMS workers based on whom they work for. Read More
May 18, 2020 During National EMS Week, Thank First Responders with More Than Words This year, National EMS Week comes amid a national emergency of nearly unprecedented proportions. Just as EMS professionals across the country are rising to the challenge, so must the U.S. Senate. Read More
May 11, 2020 Honoring AFSCME Public Safety Members During Law Enforcement Week Law Enforcement Week is a time to honor the work done by and the sacrifices made by all public safety professionals, especially those who die in the line of duty. Read More
April 15, 2020 911 Operators: ‘The First of the First Responders’ This week is a moment to honor and celebrate the work of 911 operators across the country. Read More
March 31, 2020 A Fragile Balance, Broken At a California hospital for sexually violent offenders, staff fear a coronavirus outbreak will wreak havoc on their patients. Read More
March 25, 2020 NY Paramedic: ‘Our Most Immediate Concern is a Shortage of Equipment’ Getting protective equipment is the top priority for a New York paramedic fighting the coronavirus. Read More
March 25, 2020 Corrections, EMS Workers Stress Need for Resources in COVID-19 Fight Corrections and EMS workers demand help from the federal government. Read More
March 20, 2020 AFSCME Calls for More Aid to States, Localities in ‘Phase 3’ Coronavirus Package AFSCME calls for more aid to state and local governments in Phase 3 coronavirus package. Read More
March 19, 2020 Fighting the COVID-19 Pandemic in Prisons Learn how AFSCME members who work in prisons are confronting the coronavirus pandemic. Read More