After 45 years of driving a cab in New York City, Beresford Simmons says the emergence of the National Taxi Workers Alliance in the past few years is helping his family and those of other drivers reach the middle class.

Simmons’ story is one of three illustrating that unions make the middle class strong, giving workers a voice in our economy, portrayed in a trio of new videos by the Center for American Progress Action Fund.

Join Elianne Ramos on Wednesday from 3-4 p.m. EDT for the third in our series of live online discussions on how to build a stronger movement for working people. Ramos, principal and CEO of Speak Hispanic Communications and vice-chair of communications and PR for Latinos in Social Media, poses this question:

Latinos are the fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S. workforce and their employment experiences are as varied as their individual histories. How can the labor movement use new technologies to solidify its Latino membership?

In our second online discussion on how to build a stronger movement for working people, Dr. Steven Pitts, labor policy specialist at the University of California, Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education, asked you: “Union density is higher among black workers than it is for any other racial or ethnic group of workers. How can the labor movement use this to build a stronger movement for social change?”

The question generated a thoughtful and lively discussion that will help us prepare for the 2013 AFL-CIO Convention that will focus on how the labor movement should change and what we can do together to improve the future of all working people.

The Machinists (IAM) and the Transport Workers (TWU) have reached a partnership to jointly represent nearly 30,000 ground workers at the “new” American Airlines following the merger of American Airlines and US Airways.

In January 2012, the Ironworkers launched a new worksite safety campaign, with the goal of “zero fatalities, and the first figures in show that Countdown to Zero” is making a difference and saving lives (see chart inside post).

Join us Wednesday at 1 p.m. EDT for this week’s live online discussion with with Dr. Steven Pitts, labor policy specialist at the UC Berkeley Labor Center. He is hosting our second online conversation on how we build a better future for working people and a bigger and stronger movement.

May Day was extra special for me this year. My heart was filled with joy and pride because it was my first day as a member of UNITE HERE.

On Monday we asked our readers what we can do together to make a better future for working people and to build a bigger and stronger movement. We need to know what you think because our 2013 AFL-CIO Convention will focus on how the labor movement should change and what we can do together to improve the future of all working people.

Your response has been tremendous. Nearly 300 of you have gone to our AFL-CIO Convention discussion page and told us what you think has to be done to give working families a better deal. Further below are excerpts from some of your suggestions and thoughts.

As we get ready for the 2013 AFL-CIO Convention in September, we’re asking people like you what we can do together to make a better future for working people and to build a bigger and stronger labor movement. Daily Kos labor editor Laura Clawson gets the discussion going on the just-launched AFL-CIO 2013 Convention website with this question:

The sustained war on workers from the right has left unions trying to prevent rights from being weakened rather than setting the agenda. Where are the opportunities to play some offense?

At our AFL-CIO Convention in September, the AFL-CIO needs to be ready to make decisions about how the union movement should change and what we can do together to make a better future for working people. We’re taking a hard look inward, at ourselves, and also asking for ideas from everybody who’ll share them—from people inside and outside the labor movement, from progressives, academics, student groups. We want ideas from anyone who cares deeply about building a real movement for working people.

Visit AFLCIO2013.org and join the conversation about the future of work.