After Friday’s tragic massacre of 20 school children and six adults in Newtown, Conn., AFT President Randi Weingarten told "Meet the Press" yesterday, “Schools have to be safe sanctuaries…[there] has to be a conversation and action about both mental health as well as gun laws.”

The FlightDeck is a monthly YouTube program from the Air Line Pilots (ALPA) that features aviation industry news for ALPA members, industry stakeholders and the traveling public. Regular segments, such as “Ask a Pilot” and “Fit for Flight,” answer commonly asked questions and offer helpful tips for those interested in aviation. Here’s the latest edition.

You can find previous episodes and special reports here.

"5 Fun Union-Made Desserts for the Holidays" is a cross-post from Union Plus. 

No holiday tradition competes with the family meal. Between desserts decorated full of cheer and marvelous meats that melt in your mouth, ‘tis the season for a full stomach. Luckily for union members, members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) and the United Farm Workers (UFW) have an amazing variety of ingredients such as Hershey’s chocolate and Montpelier Almonds to create the most delicious and view-licious recipes. Here are five fun holiday dessert recipes to help you be union, buy union and bake union.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka responded to today's tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., that left 20 children and seven adults dead.  

We want to express our extreme sadness for the community of Newtown, and particularly the families of the victims. As a father myself, this tragedy is a parent’s worst nightmare. This is a moment for America to come together and do what we do best—support one another as we try to recover from this senseless and inexplicable horror.

Have a BCTGM-Made Holiday Season is a cross-post from the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM).

Delight your friends and loved ones with holiday treats made by hard-working BCTGM members! Listed here is a sampling of the BCTGM-contracted companies that produce seasonal specialties.

Finding that perfect gift this holiday season doesn't have to be a headache. Check out this Made in America, union-made gift guide. Here are some highlights from the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor's resource site, Labor 411. Gifts include those made by members of UNITE HERE, Boilermakers (IBB), Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM), Machinists (IAM), United Steelworkers (USW), Teamsters (IBT), UAW, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union/UFCW (RWDSU/UFCW) and United Farm Workers (UFW).

Check out an excerpt of the AFL-CIO's new Innovators website feature, "Learning to Share: Teachers Collaborate on Quality Lesson Plans."

Think about facing a classroom of kids every day and being expected to walk in the door with something new, fresh, compelling and challenging.

Creating the massive volume of quality instructional material required is among a veteran teacher’s greatest challenges. Needed resources are often hard to come by, expensive and it can be difficult to evaluate their effectiveness.  So a group of teachers attempted to solve these problems by creating a valuable new online resource where educators can share their best lesson plans, Share My Lesson.

"D.C. Workers and Community Members Urge Bon Appétit to Take Leadership on Sustainability" is a cross-post from UNITE HERE's Real Food, Real Jobs blog. 

Madison Affiliates Publish 'Just Dining' Guide is a cross-post from Interfaith Worker Justice.

The Workers' Rights Center of Madison (WRC) and the Interfaith Coalition for Worker Justice (ICWJ) teamed up to publish a "Just Dining" guide that informs customers and workers about the employment standards and conditions for the people who cook, prepare and serve food in the downtown restaurants of Madison, Wis. The guide focuses especially on the working conditions in central Madison restaurants.

Sure, you're eating free-range chicken and fruits and veggies sans pesticides in your favorite upscale restaurant, but did you ever consider the working conditions "behind the kitchen door?" Restaurant Opportunities Centers (ROC) just released its 2013 National Diners' Guide that provides information on the wage, benefits and promotion practices of the 150 most popular restaurants in America in nine major cities across the country. Now you won't have to wonder whether your server is sick or if the person preparing your food is being paid a living wage.