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Labor Leaders Among ‘500 Most Influential People’ in Washington, D.C. Labor Leaders Among ‘500 Most Influential People’ in Washington, D.C. Washingtonian magazine is out with its list of the 500 most influential movers and shakers in our nation’s capital. The roster features labor luminaries like AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler (pictured above, middle row left), who’s headshot is on the magazine cover along with AFL-CIO Chief Economist Bill Spriggs (top right). The list also includes United Steelworkers (USW) International Vice President Roxanne Brown, UAW International Representative Desiree Hoffman, AFL-CIO International Department Director Cathy Feingold, AFGE National President Everett Kelley, Fire Fighters (IAFF) General President Edward Kelly, North America’s Building Trades Unions President Sean McGarvey (IUPAT), Laborers (LIUNA) General President Terry O’Sullivan, AFSCME President Lee Saunders, AFL-CIO Director of Government Affairs Bill Samuel, AFGE Public Policy Director Jacqueline Simon, Electrical Workers (IBEW) International President Lonnie Stephenson, and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten. Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/09/2022 - 13:04 — May 9
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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Maggie Tsai Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Maggie Tsai 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 Maggie Tsai of the Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU). Maggie Tsai on the importance of unions: "It is not just about bread-and-butter issues like wages…it goes beyond that. It goes to the progressive values we hold and incorporate into our workplace." Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/09/2022 - 10:01 — May 9
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Service + Solidarity Spotlight: ¡Sí, Se Puede! Mechanics in Puerto Rico Win Organizing Campaign with IAM Service + Solidarity Spotlight: ¡Sí, Se Puede! Mechanics in Puerto Rico Win Organizing Campaign with IAM 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. The IAM is on a winning streak all across America. And on Thursday, the union notched another victory when more than 200 mechanics and related workers in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, won their campaign to form a union with the IAM. These aerospace workers at Lufthansa Technik explained their campaign began because of various workplace issues, including reduced work hours, irregular work rules, and unfair wages and benefits. “This election is the voice and feeling of all of our co-workers who desire to progress here on the island without the need to abandon our families,” said Jonathan Diaz, senior aircraft mechanic. “We will demonstrate that in Puerto Rico we do good and are better not only as humans but as workers.” Kenneth Quinnell Mon, 05/09/2022 - 09:30 — May 9
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Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Gary Lam Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Gary Lam 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 Gary Lam of the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). As Local 891's first assistant editor, Gary Lam started his career with IATSE in 2001. He is in his third term as the co-chair of the Editing Department and is currently on the Negotiations Committee for Local 891. Lam is actively involved in the training initiatives in his local, which focus on reaching younger and less-experienced nonunion workers to help sharpen their skills and set them up for success in the entertainment industry. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 05/06/2022 - 11:00 — May 6
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Economy Gains 428,000 Jobs in April; Unemployment Steady at 3.6% Economy Gains 428,000 Jobs in April; Unemployment Steady at 3.6% The U.S. economy gained 428,000 jobs in April, and the unemployment rate remained steady at 3.6%, according to figures released Friday morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Continuing strong job creation numbers are a clear sign that the worker-friendly policies implemented by President Biden are having a positive impact on working people. In response to the April job numbers, AFL-CIO Chief Economist William Spriggs tweeted:
But the share of Black men who are employed also climbed in April to 64.7% from 64.1 in March. This shows how the unemployment rate can be misleading on whether the labor market is tight. Workers who face hiring frictions are sensitive to actual hiring to get into the search. 2/2 — William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 6, 2022
And as @abhabhattarai reported, older Americans who face the friction of age discrimination in hiring, are coming back out of retirement to rejoin the labor force. There is more slack in the labor market than the unemployment rate is showing. 2/2 https://t.co/39O7fHKaUL — William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 6, 2022
Fortunately, the share of the unemployed who have been unemployed more than 27 weeks is declining. The long term unemployed are very heterogenous, this not a simple case of less educated and younger workers. But, it shows how tough the labor market remains for many Americans. pic.twitter.com/aRE0fqS4Da — William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 6, 2022
Women gained 278,000 of April's payroll gain, and made relative gains in the higher wage sectors of mining and durable goods manufacturing. and in the public the sector. Women are half the workforce, so the labor market recovery has to include them. @AFLCIO pic.twitter.com/y8BrSVfwTN — William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 6, 2022
Of the 6.29 million people who stepped into the labor force in April from March, 4.72 million found jobs, a success rate of 75%. And of those 6.39 million who landed employment in April from March, those 4.72 million from not in the labor force were 74%. Watch the LFP carefully. pic.twitter.com/FDn9Q0VEwL — William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 6, 2022
The modest wage growth is a key reminder as @joshbivens_DC has pointed out: prices are being driven by supply shock induced non-labor costs and companies taking bigger price mark-ups boosting higher profits. Don't blame the labor market for inflation. 2/2 https://t.co/PKFdrxy4cM— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 6, 2022
The continued slow recovery in employment at the sate and local government level is very disturbing. It is like governors are trying to defund schools, libraries, recreation departments, colleges. We are having the wrong "defund" debate taking place. @AFTunion @AFSCME pic.twitter.com/rwGU8jfhZH— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 6, 2022
To put the employment drag of the public sector shown in today's #JobsReport in perspective, not only are we seeing a defund the schools movement keep employment down, we are keeping the pay of teachers down, too. https://t.co/RmUCti7QId— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 6, 2022
The payroll employment numbers for February and March were both updated and lowered in this @BLS_gov April #JobsReport down 36,000 in February and 3,000 in March. It means the numbers of net firm creation is close but a tiny bit rosy. It also means job gains are not accelerating.— William E. Spriggs (@WSpriggs) May 6, 2022
Last month’s biggest job gains were in leisure and hospitality (+78,000), manufacturing (+55,000), transportation and warehousing (+52,000), professional and business services (+41,000), financial activities (+35,000), health care (+34,000), retail trade (+29,000), wholesale trade (+22,000) and mining (+9,000). Employment showed little change over the month in other major industries, including construction, information, other services and government. Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for teenagers (10.2%), Black Americans (5.9%), Hispanics (4.1%), adult men (3.5%), adult women (3.2%), White Americans (3.2%) and Asian Americans (3.1%) showed little or no change over the month. The number of long-term unemployed workers (those jobless for 27 weeks or more) was little changed in April and accounted for 25.2% of the total unemployed. Kenneth Quinnell Fri, 05/06/2022 - 10:01 — May 6
AFL-CIO Blog
- Labor Leaders Among ‘500 Most Influential People’ in Washington, D.C.
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Maggie Tsai
- Service + Solidarity Spotlight: ¡Sí, Se Puede! Mechanics in Puerto Rico Win Organizing Campaign with IAM
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Profiles: Gary Lam
- Economy Gains 428,000 Jobs in April; Unemployment Steady at 3.6%