President Biden, who has a stronger union background than any incoming president for decades, has promised to adopt a strong pro-worker agenda, and he has already assembled a labor-focused economic team. Here are five issues that the new Biden Administration should prioritize.
Category: Blog
Meet the Union Behind Your Favorite Mobilizing & Organizing Tools
Meet the union behind your favorite mobilizing and organizing tools — and find out why you should organize your workplace too!
The Only Precinct Walkers
America’s unions are campaigning for Joe Biden by phone, mail, and text—but not by talking face-to-face with voters. Except for the hotel workers.
At 65%, Approval of Labor Unions in U.S. Remains High
As Labor Day approaches and economic conditions in the U.S. remain tenuous, Americans’ 65% approval of labor unions is once again the highest it has been since 2003.
Why unions are good for workers—especially in a crisis like COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored both the importance of unions in giving workers a collective voice in the workplace and the urgent need to reform U.S. labor laws to arrest the erosion of those rights. During the crisis, unionized workers have been able to secure enhanced safety measures, additional premium pay, paid sick time, and a say in the terms of furloughs or work-share arrangements to save jobs. These pandemic-specific benefits build on the many ways unions help workers. Following are just a few of the benefits, according to the latest data:
Executive Paywatch
In 2019, CEOs of S&P 500 companies received, on average, $14.8 million in total compensation. The average S&P 500 company CEO-to-worker pay ratio was 264-to-1. The imbalance in our economy between the pay of CEOs and working people continues to be a problem.
Affiliate in the Spotlight: Teamsters 350
Our mission is to give the workers of the solid waste and recycling division the respect and dignity they have earned.
A Call to Action: Unions Must Help Lead the Fight for Racial Justice
As the labor movement grapples with systemic racism and police violence, we must ask ourselves the same question King posed on that fateful April morning. If the labor movement does not act forcefully in response to the plague of racism and police violence, what will happen to our sisters and brothers?
IATSE 784 Members Heed the Call of Duty
Shortly after the shelter-in-place orders were given in the Bay Area, many members of IATSE Local 784 — the Theatrical Wardrobe Union — who work in varying capacities in the entertainment industry found themselves out of work. However, instead of focusing on their own plight, members have taken the initiative to put their skills to benefit others and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Union Busting During a Pandemic Could Prove Lethal to Workers
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the workplace was estimated to be the fifth-leading cause of death for Americans. Now, for most essential workers — from health care workers and first responders to grocery and warehouse workers — it is now undoubtedly number one.