If you want your Halloween to be all treats and no tricks, make sure all your candy is union-made, made in America. The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor's resource site, Labor 411, has an extensive list of union-made candies. Here are some highlights, featuring sweets made by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW):

1. Baby Ruth

2. Butterfinger

3. Caramello 

4. Hershey's Candy Corn Kisses

5. Hershey Extra Dark Chocolate bar

This is the fourth of a four-part series describing what went wrong with America’s economy and how to fix it. Read Part 1 here, Part 2 here and Part 3 here—and please leave a comment to tell us what you think. (Click the chart to enlarge.) 

To fix what’s wrong with the U.S. economy, we have to replace the failed low-wage economic strategy of the past 30 years with a high-wage strategy for shared prosperity.

The first step in such a high-wage strategy is to put America back to work because high unemployment keeps wages down. Our goal should be “full employment,” meaning everybody who wants to work should be able to find a decent job. We can’t allow the unfounded fear of inflation to be used as an excuse to keep unemployment high and wages low.

Having a stable job can completely change your life. Communications Workers of America (CWA) just released a new YouTube video, Insourced, featuring recently hired workers whose lives improved because they have call center jobs. CWA negotiated agreements with AT&T and US Airways that brought jobs back to the United States.

Watch the video in the post, and read more about the Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act at www.cwa-union.org/callcenterbill. 

Have you ever been browsing the aisles of the grocery store hoping to remember all those union-made products the AFL-CIO Now blog wrote about? Or maybe you’re at the toy store trying to find that perfect gift that’s made in America? Union Plus has a simple solution if you left your shopping list at home.

On your mobile device:

• Text CARS to 22555 for union-made vehicles.
• Text BEER to 22555 for union-made beer.
• Text PETS to 22555 for union-made pet products.
• Text CANDY to 22555 for union-made candy.
• Text TOYS to 22555 for union-made toys.

If you've been glued to the couch all week watching the Democratic National Convention and the NFL season's kickoff, you're probably itching to get out of the house for a little bit. Our friends at Labor 411, the union business directory from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, have compiled a handy list for union date night. 

Labor Day means thanking a special worker for all he or she does (after all, that barbecue didn't make it itself.

It also means get-togethers with lots of hot dogs, beer and treats for the pets.

We updated our popular Made in America July 4 shopping list for the long Labor Day weekend.

Speaking of thanking workers: Thanks to members and staff at Union Plus, the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM), the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor's LA Labor 411's website and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) for your great work in creating union-made, American-made products and services (many of which are featured inside).

Here are some highlights:

Looking for a little taste of England as you settle in for a weekend of the Olympic Games? How about some fish and chips—union made? Our friends at Labor 411, the union business directory from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, have compiled a list so you can have this classic fare with a side of solidarity.

Connect with your friends and co-workers with our new union-made in the USA “Work Connects Us All” T-shirt. It’s a bargain, too, at just $8.50 for most sizes. Just visit the AFL-CIO Online Store—Union Made.^TM

Following recent public outcry that the ceremonial uniforms U.S. athletes wear at the Olympics are made in China, clothes designer Ralph Lauren announced that beginning in 2014, athletes’ uniforms will be Made in America after all. They will not change the uniforms this year, but the public’s strong support for Buy America won the day for the future.

Good thing Mitt Romney wasn’t making the decision. He told ABC News on Friday, just before Lauren made his announcement, that it really didn’t matter where the uniforms are made. When asked whether workers in the United States should make the unforms, here’s what Romney said:

Back by popular demand, our Made in America cookout list is now available to share as an image on  Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  You can also print it out for your next grocery store trip. Download it here.