March 14, 2019 We Support Bill to Renew Mental Health and Addiction Services Called the “Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act,” it seeks to expand past efforts by the federal government to respond to the increasing demand for mental health and substance use disorder services across the country. Read More
March 12, 2019 AFSCME President Calls Trump Budget “An Attack on Working People” Trump seeks deep cuts to federal programs that help low-income families and the elderly, including $845 billion in cuts to Medicare; $241 billion in cuts to Medicaid; $220 billion in cuts to SNAP; and $207 billion in cuts to federal student loan programs. Read More
March 08, 2019 AFSCME Supports Bill to Strengthen Voting Rights The bill would, among other things, make it easier for people to vote and strengthen our democracy. Read More
March 07, 2019 The ‘Gig’ Economy Isn’t As Big As You May Think Despite conventional wisdom that we’re seeing a rise of “gig” workers and independent contractors, a new analysis by the Economic Policy Institute and the Center for Economic and Policy Research shows that the trend is more hype than real. Read More
March 05, 2019 Clean Drinking Water for All Should be Top Priority for Congress Congress hasn’t invested enough in water infrastructure and some lawmakers make matters worse by supporting dangerous ideas like privatizing drinking-water systems. Read More
February 28, 2019 Women’s History Month: Celebrating Labor Leaders Today marks the beginning of Women’s History Month, and we begin AFSCME’s celebrations by honoring four female labor leaders. Read More
February 28, 2019 Strong Unions Mean Strong African-American Communities AFSCME President Lee Saunders explains how labor unions were instrumental in improving the lives of African-Americans. Read More
February 27, 2019 AFSCME Next Wave Launches #NoFilter Podcast AFSCME is launching a new podcast, #NoFilter, to spark a conversation about activism, social justice and union organizing among young union members. Read More
February 26, 2019 AFSCME Supports Bill to Ensure Permanent Funding for 9/11 Responders AFSCME is urging Congress to pass legislation to ensure permanent funding of the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. Read More
February 21, 2019 AFSCME Florida Members Renew Push for a Fair Budget AFSCME Florida members are pushing for an across-the-board pay increase for workers employed by the State of Florida to cover rising costs. Read More
February 21, 2019 Paid Parental Leave – Negotiated by Workers For Workers Through Their Unions Union jobs gave Amanda and Justin Aurelius something priceless last year: Time off together with their new baby and toddler son. Read More
February 15, 2019 Child Care Workers Stand Together for Better Early Education “Having a union means the state agencies can’t just do whatever they want. We are part of an organization that knows the rules and helps providers." Read More
February 15, 2019 AFSCME President Calls Trump’s Emergency Declaration ‘An Abuse of Power’ President Donald Trump’s emergency declaration is an “abuse of power,” according to AFSCME President Lee Saunders. Read More
February 13, 2019 NJ Minimum Wage Will Rise to $15/Hour By 2024 New Jersey becomes the fourth jurisdiction in the country to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour. Read More
February 12, 2019 More Proof of a Rigged System As U.S. banks enjoy a massive tax windfall, they continue to slash jobs, proving that the deck remains stacked toward corporations and against workers. Read More
February 07, 2019 NAACP President: Labor Rights Are Civil Rights The head of the NAACP, Derrick Johnson, made a strong case for a future in which the fights for labor rights and civil rights are one and the same. Read More
February 06, 2019 SOTU Response: Invest in Our Communities and Public Services to Strengthen the Nation Read AFSCME President Lee Saunders’ response to the State of the Union address. Read More
February 05, 2019 AFSCME Supports Bill to Rebuild America’s Schools The Rebuild America’s Schools Act would invest $100 billion to create over 1.9 million jobs by addressing critical physical and digital infrastructure needs in schools. Read More
January 29, 2019 Unions Aren’t Going Anywhere It turns out our opponents wildly underestimated the loyalty and resolve of AFSCME members, their desire to stick with their union. Read More
January 25, 2019 Wanted: A Permanent End to the Government Shutdown A three-week end to the government shutdown isn’t enough. What America needs is a permanent end, AFSCME president says. Read More
January 25, 2019 AFSCME Supports Push for $15/Hour Federal Minimum Wage Bill Earlier this month, progressive leaders in Congress introduced a bill to more than double the minimum wage by 2024. Read More
January 23, 2019 The Real Story of the Shutdown Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are just days away from missing their second paycheck in a row. Read More
January 24, 2019 President Saunders: Labor’s Future is Bright. AFSCME President Lee Saunders discusses the future of the labor movement and more in this podcast. Read More
January 22, 2019 The Affordable Care Act Is Not Jenga. It’s Not a Game. Period. The country will suffer – and working people especially so – if higher courts side with a Texas federal judge and rule that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional. Read More
January 18, 2019 Bureau of Labor Statistics: Union Membership Remains Steady New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show union membership remains strong, proving workers are hungrier than ever for a voice on the job and a seat at the table. Read More
January 09, 2019 AFSCME Supports New York Mayor’s Paid Time Off Proposal AFSCME President Lee Saunders praises the mandatory time off proposal announced today by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, which will benefit all the workers in the city. Read More
January 03, 2019 Pay Freeze is Latest Way Federal Workers are Left Out in the Cold This news comes as more than 800,000 federal workers are either furloughed or are being forced to work without pay. Read More
January 02, 2019 AFSCME President Saunders Demands End to Government Shutdown Many federal workers are facing the frightening prospect of not being able to pay their mortgages, rents, car loans and meet countless other day-to-day obligations. Read More
December 19, 2018 Saunders to Trump: Don’t Shut Down the Government For Political Gain AFSCME President Lee Saunders to President Donald Trump – don’t shut down the federal government over politics. Read More
December 03, 2018 What Makes a Good Infrastructure Plan? AFSCME has long encouraged public investment in our country’s infrastructure. In 2019, we will continue to make our voices heard so that any infrastructure plan creates good jobs and invests in public services. Read More