News

This is our blog and press releases.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised the White House’s announcement Thursday that the Biden administration will forgive student loans for an additional 78,000 borrowers — including many AFSCME mem

AFSCME President Lee Saunders congratulated Nicole Berner, a longtime labor lawyer and general counsel of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), on being 

AFSCME members came out in full force in favor of pro-worker, pro-democracy candidates this year, helping to make the midterm elections a historic success for working families.

Together, we knocked on almost 200,000 AFSCME doors and had more than 47,000 one-on-one conversations. AFSCME’s political programs also reached millions of voters in key races to communicate about the issues that matter most to working families. Our efforts helped elect or re-elect friendly candidates at every level of government and in communities across the nation.

Thanks to efforts by the Biden administration and AFSCME, many public service workers, including AFSCME members, have seen their student loans forgiven under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

Many AFSCME members work in high-stress fields such as public safety, health care, emergency medical services and firefighting. Their jobs have become even more stressful since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many of these workers to put their and their families’ well-being at risk while serving their communities.

But when these everyday heroes face mental health issues as a result of the high-stress environment and duties that expose them to trauma, they are often expected to deal with such challenges on their own.

It’s time to change that.

The last two years have been full of challenges.

But under the leadership of the Biden administration and this Congress, we are turning a corner. There have been unprecedented investments in public services and public service jobs. Millions will see the price of life-saving prescription drugs come down. Millions more will receive relief from unfair student debt. And the wealthy are finally starting to pay their fair share.

To be sure, there is more work to be done. But if we continue this progress, we will have many more reasons to be optimistic about the future.

Faced with the management’s refusal to remedy unfair labor practices and address workers’ major priorities during contract negotiations, AFSCME Local 397 (District Council 47) – the Philadelphia Museum of Art Union (PMAU) – began a museum-wide strike Monday.

AFSCME is committed to helping you get the student debt relief you deserve.

Thanks to the Biden administration, millions of public service workers, including AFSCME members, are eligible for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program or (PSLF). And even more public service workers are eligible under a temporary waiver that expires Oct. 31, 2022. 

The White House’s recent announcement that it will hold the first conference on hunger, nutrition and health in more than half a century on Sept. 28 shines a light on another glaring issue – Congress has failed to update federal child nutrition programs in a decade.