Whether you’re a regular reader of AFL-CIO Now or a first time visitor, we certainly hope you’ll find our blogs and those from a growing number of outside contributors to be informative, helpful and sometimes even entertaining. But we also want to encourage you to click around the newly revamped AFL-CIO website, especially two new sections that highlight the innovations union members and unions are bringing to their jobs and communities and their work in their communities, from helping those in need to working in partnerships for economic justice.

A federal judge has ruled that Michigan’s ban on the use of project labor agreements—pushed by Gov. Rick Snyder (R) and anti-worker lawmakers—is unconstitutional. The suit was brought by the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council. 

Nearly 1,000 union members and supporters gathered at the state Capitol in Phoenix yesterday to protest anti-worker bills going through the legislature this session. In the morning, groups from all over the state lobbied against the package of bills known as "Wisconsin on Steroids."

The AFL-CIO Working for America Institute (WAI) has been award a three-year, $3.4 grant from the Department of Labor (DOL) to develop apprenticeship programs in five communities to train people for skilled manufacturing jobs and careers.

There are lots of new features and information on our revamped website, just click around. But we’ve refreshed some old favorites, including the popular and frequently visited Your Rights at Work. It is also available in Spanish here.

Today, hundreds of working families and community members from across the state are at state capitol in Phoenix for a lobby day and rally to oppose a package of harsh anti-worker bills Gov. Jan Brewer (R) Republican legislators are trying to ram through. You can follow the action on twitter at @arizonaaflcio.

Yesterday we told you about a proposed draconian new law in the Georgia legislature (SB 469) that could make union picketing a felony. Here are two new developments. The sheriff of Georgia’s biggest county says the bill would put him in the job of policing free speech and today a group of union, community and faith activists spoke out against the bill.

Our redesigned site puts union members front and center and offers many new features that will make it easier to take action for working families and build a vibrant online community. The AFL-CIO Now blog is richer than ever, with commenting functions connected to Facebook and Twitter, “most popular” features and, most importantly, more content contributed by people from across our movement.

Union bashing may the popular sport for Republican presidential candidates (click here for more). But a new report looks at some of the real stories about how unions and union members are having positive impacts on jobs, health care, education and their communities.   

As we noted back in August, one of the groups facing the toughest jobs climate right now are young workers, those who are new to the job market or about to enter it.

At the Economic Policy Institute’s Snapshot Blog, Heidi Shierholz writes that although the 16-24 demographic has seen some improvement in recent months, employment numbers for this group of young people remains rather dismal.