News

This is our blog and press releases.

Federal funding to help vulnerable Americans in danger of getting cut

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

AFSCME president urges swift Senate action on COVID-19 relief bill

AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised the House of Representatives for passing the American Rescue Plan on Saturday and urged the Senate to follow suit as soon as possible.

AFSCME’s free bachelor’s degree program is here to stay

There is good news for AFSCME members looking to pursue higher education. AFSCME Free College has made its bachelor’s degree completion program a permanent benefit.

That means that AFSCME members and their families can earn a bachelor’s degree for free, making an even wider choice of career options a possibility for more people.

New leaders make new push to raise the federal minimum wage

Here’s a sure sign of new leadership in Washington. There’s a renewed push to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour, an idea that went nowhere when the Trump administration and anti-worker members of Congress were in power.

Criminal charges in Flint water crisis a first step toward justice

The Flint, Michigan, water crisis sickened countless of the city’s residents, poisoned its children, and killed at least a dozen people, possibly many more. The untold suffering it has caused will continue for the foreseeable future and cannot be undone.

Connecticut AFSCME members use collective action to get vaccines to state prisons

NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – Sean Howard, a State of Connecticut correction officer and president of AFSCME Local 387, (Council 4) contracted COVID-19 last year. He now has a heart condition and is on several medications.

“I still deal with fatigue and shortness of breath,” said Howard, who works at the Cheshire Correctional Institution. “My cardiologist said this is something I will always deal with, and that my life may never be the same.”

AFSCME retiree Sue Conard calls on Congress to fund the front lines

The coronavirus pandemic won’t be controlled until states, cities, towns and schools – and particularly health departments – have the funding they need from the federal government, says AFSCME Retiree Sue Conard.

Conard should know. She spent 24 years as a public health nurse serving Wisconsin’s La Crosse County. One of her many areas of expertise? Immunization.

U.S. Conference on Mayors calls on Congress to go big on funding the front lines

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has sent a letter to Congress that echoes what AFSCME has been saying for months: It’s long past time to robustly fund the front lines.

In first days as president, Biden shows bold leadership

In his first days on the job, President Joe Biden has taken swift executive action to protect and empower public service workers, strengthen public services and help working people. On his first day alone, he signed 17 executive orders, memorandums and proclamations that showed the kind of bold leadership our country needs now.