AFL-CIO Blog

  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Michelle Gutierrez-Vo
    Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Michelle Gutierrez-Vo For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Michelle Gutierrez-Vo of National Nurses United (NNU). Michelle Gutierrez-Vo, a registered nurse at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Fremont, California, is a longtime RN leader, an inspiring mentor to Filipina and other AAPI nurses, and a member of the board of directors of the California Nurses Association, an affiliate of National Nurses United. She was also a member of the bargaining team that recently won a historic four-year contract for 21,000 Kaiser Permanente nurses in Northern California, including the creation of a new regional Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/25/2023 - 11:29 — May 25
  • Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Tell TCGplayer to Respect Workers’ Right to a Union
    Service & Solidarity Spotlight: Tell TCGplayer to Respect Workers’ Right to a Union Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. In March, workers at eBay-owned TCGplayer organized with Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1123, becoming the first eBay workers to unionize in the U.S. Since then, management has s In a statement, the TCGplayer workers said, “TCGplayer presents itself as a company defined by its ideals, claiming to empower its employees to make a difference both inside their workplace and through their impact on our customers’ experience. However, the Core Values now ring hollow for too many of us who work at the Authentication Center every day. We have seen our fellow workers unfairly disciplined and consistently ignored when they try to make their voices heard. Our mental health has been impacted by the relentless insistence on metrics, creating a culture of anxiety as we desperately try to keep up with unfair standards of performance.” Stand with TCGplayer workers and send a message to the CEO of TCGplayer, Robert Bigler, telling him to respect the union and stop the obstruction. Kenneth Quinnell Thu, 05/25/2023 - 10:07 — May 25
  • Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Fred Yamashita
    Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Fred Yamashita For Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Fred Yamashita of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). Fred Yamashita is a native of Detroit who has served as the executive director of the Arizona AFL-CIO since November 2017. Yamashita brings more than 25 years of union organizing experience to the federation, starting his career in organized labor with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 99. From 2015 to 2017, Yamashita served as chair of the Pima Area Labor Federation in Tucson. Prior to working in the labor movement, Yamashita worked on the floor in the grocery industry for 20 years. Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 05/24/2023 - 11:29 — May 24
  • Service & Solidarity Spotlight: UNITE HERE's Culinary Union Announces Palms Casino Resort Has a Union Contract
    Service & Solidarity Spotlight: UNITE HERE's Culinary Union Announces Palms Casino Resort Has a Union Contract Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our regular Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we'll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story. UNITE HERE's Culinary Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165 reached a new agreement with Palms Casino Resort on a first time three-year contract to protect workers with health care benefits, provide fair wages and job security, and to respect the seniority rights for more than 900 employees. The new agreement covers guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders and stewards. The contract includes standard union language on worker security regarding subcontracting, safety buttons, sexual harassment, workload, technology and immigration. Workers voted by an overwhelming majority of 95% to accept the new contract. “We celebrate this historic agreement with Palms, which protects workers with the best health care in Nevada, strong job security, and fair wage increases,” said Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union. “The San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority and Palms Casino Resort have done the right thing by respecting their employees and recalling workers back to work with their seniority intact. The Culinary Union is proud to have reached an agreement for a strong union contract at Palms, which protects workers with the union standard we have fought to build and strengthen over 88 years. Congratulations to the workers on your new union contract and welcome to the union family!” Palms workers voted in April 2018 to unionize with the Culinary Union and Bartenders Union by an 84% majority under its previous operator, Station Casinos, the worst labor law violator in the history of the Nevada gaming industry.  Kenneth Quinnell Wed, 05/24/2023 - 10:04 — May 24
  • Take Action: Don’t Default on Working People
    Take Action: Don’t Default on Working People House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has introduced legislation that forces deep cuts to health care, retirement and many other kitchen-table priorities for working people. It is an economic crisis in the making, and it is completely unnecessary. Working families shouldn’t be asked to pay the price before the rich are asked to pay their fair share. If you agree, please send an email to your representative. Defaulting would throw the day-to-day lives of our veterans into limbo, as the Department of Veterans Affairs could potentially grind to a halt. This would mean seniors would worry about whether their Social Security check would show up in the mail: money they need to live and that they’ve earned by making Social Security contributions their entire adult lives. Not only that, it also would preserve tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans at workers’ expense. There is a real debate to be had about our deficit, but playing a dangerous game with the lives of working people is not the way forward. If you agree that we should choose veterans, retirees and families over corporations, email your representative now. Ask them to vote to raise the debt ceiling without preconditions and to reject McCarthy’s devastating spending cuts. Thank you for standing up for working families. Kenneth Quinnell Tue, 05/23/2023 - 12:54 — May 23