It may have taken two years, but construction workers in Meriden, Conn., finally will have access to well-paying quality construction jobs on two major renovation projects at local high schools after the Meriden City Council voted this week to uphold a project labor agreement (PLA).
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit last week ruled in favor of 2,800 Connecticut state employees , 700 of whom are AFSCME members and were illegally fired in 2003 based on their union membership.
On Friday, the Connecticut Senate passed a bill that would create a task force to study family medical leave insurance for the state's workers. The bill previously passed the House and now goes to Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) for his signature. The bill would assemble a task force to study the creation of a program to provide short-term benefits to workers who must take time off because of pregnancy, childbirth, non-work illness or injury, or to take care of a family member. Federal law already provides for unpaid leave in such situations, but states such as California and New Jersey also require paid time off in certain cases.
Despite a slate of state legislation attacking the rights of voters, a number of states are advancing legislation that would enhance the ability of U.S. citizens to exercise their right to choose their representatives. Among the most likely advances in voting rights in the states:
More than 160 state and local labor federations and central labor councils have passed resolutions in support of comprehensive immigration reform that includes a pathway to citizenship for aspiring citizens already in the United States. The labor organizations that have passed resolutions so far come from 39 different states and represent more than 6 million workers.
President Obama sent a request to Congress asking for $60.4 billion to fund Hurricane Sandy storm recovery efforts. The request is expected to be introduced in legislation next week and will be debated after that.
While the election and other stories have taken Superstorm Sandy out of the headlines, millions of Americans who were in the storm's path are still in need of assistance. Don't let the the short attention span of the news cycle delay necessary aid to those whose lives have been permanently altered.
Thousands of AFT members immediately volunteered in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy to help the affected communities in any way they can. AFT represents about 365,000 workers in the area damaged by the storm, and many members who felt Sandy's impact still jumped in to help out others in need.
An unknown number of workers who are helping with the recovery after Superstorm Sandy may have difficulty casting their votes today because they are away from their home states. New Hampshire elections officials are doing what they can, as required by state law, to help make sure those workers can cast their ballots.
Check out the AFL-CIO's new In Our Communities website feature, " Recovering After Superstorm Sandy ."
The recovery from Superstorm Sandy could be one of the most expensive in American history, with estimates climbing toward the $50 billion mark in property damage alone. As Americans all across the country pitch in, most of the work repairing and rebuilding the storm-ravaged areas will be done by talented and hardworking union members. Many of the organizations dealing with Sandy’s devastation emphasize the importance of union workers’ expertise and skill, as well as of sufficient government financial support for rebuilding physical structures and roads and, in many cases, people's lives. Here is what our members have been doing to help with the recovery:
It’s been four years since low-wage workers got a raise. Sign the petition to tell Congress it’s time to raise the minimum wage.
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