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 in their communities where they are helping those in need and working in partnerships for economic justice.

In the spotlight now is IUOE (Operating Engineers) Local 49 in Minneapolis and the union's innovative approach to reducing health care costs and improving health care delivery for the union’s 12,000 members and 21,000 dependents. Although insurance costs increased about 10 percent a year nationally from 2008 to 2010, Local 49 saw a 10 percent decrease over the same time period. Click here to learn how they did it.

The last time most of us saw Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer of “The Help” was at least week’s Oscar ceremonies when the best-supporting actress winner was among the gowned-up and tuxedoed-out stars of the film world.But the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) member is just at home in the classroom when she takes a part in SAG’s Book Pals literacy program. The in-person and online campaign encourages young minds toward success in career, life and community by enhancing their reading, writing and communications skills and inspiring them with the power of the written word.  

Click here to see a video of Spencer’s recent reading for 5th graders at Crescent Heights (Calif.) Elementary School.Be sure to keep an eye out on the left hand side of our homepage where we will highlight more innovators and community connections in the coming months.