News

Federal money for programs and services that help millions of vulnerable Americans and employ many AFSCME members could be in jeopardy next year.

The AFSCME Florida family grew yesterday after a unit of the medical staff with the Osceola County Corrections Department vote unanimously, seven to zero, in favor of securing their union voice and

The COVID-19 pandemic arrived at a time when our nation’s health care workers were already experiencing burnout. The National Academy of Medicine, in a report from 2019, said that 35% to 54% of nurses and physicians in the United States had “substantial symptoms of burnout.”

Then things got worse.

CJ Alicandro (left) is pictured with a few of their colleagues. Photo credit: AFSCME Council 75.

CJ Alicandro (left) is pictured with a few of their colleagues. Photo credit: AFSCME Council 75.

American Red Cross (ARC) workers, including many AFSCME members, are rallying this week in cities nationwide to fight back against mistreatment from their employer and demand a fair contract. The protests are being held in Washington; Lansing, Michigan; Peoria, Illinois; Hartford, Connecticut; Pomona, California; and San Diego.

They collect, protect and deliver our nation’s blood supply, yet the almost 3,000 American Red Cross workers are not being paid what they deserve, lack the staff to do their jobs effectively, face cuts to their health care and, over the course of the pandemic, have often gone without pay and adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).

Good news for federal student loan borrowers: This month, the Biden administration again extended the pause on student debt repayment – this time through Aug. 31.

AFSCME members and working families are celebrating the Supreme Court confirmation of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, whose life experience and extraordinary legal career make her uniquely attuned to the challenges working people face.

The Senate confirmed Jackson today by a vote of 53-47. President Joe Biden nominated her as associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court in February after Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement.

A new Center for American Progress (CAP) report describes how state and local governments, having already shed critical public service jobs since the Great Recession, have lost 695,000 more since the onset of the pandemic.

Because the services these jobs deliver are critical to society’s functioning, state and local governments must invest in job creation.