Education
Few issues strike home for working families as much as education for their children. To be equipped for life, every child needs and deserves high-quality education that is available to all—from early childhood through college. For schools to work, educators must have the support and resources they need to succeed and school buildings must be well-equipped and well-maintained. Our schools must serve all children, and comprehensive services and supports must be in place for students with the greatest needs. All students should have access to higher education and assistance paying for it so they are not barred from college or saddled with impossible debt when they leave.
Public schools and public school teachers have been under attack in recent years—from widespread efforts to shift public school funding to private school voucher programs, to attempts to privatize public schools, to moves by governors and state legislators to take bargaining rights from teachers and other school personnel. These attacks are designed to serve the 1 percent—CEOs who can profit from privatized systems and the wealthiest families—at the expense of the 99 percent of students who deserve the best.
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Actors' Equity celebrated that the Biden-Harris Administration's proposed budget for FY2023 includes substantial funding gains for the NEA. Funding from the NEA supports arts programs in New York and all across the country.
Organized labor did what it does best this week, standing shoulder to shoulder from the Bronx to Brookhaven during the State's Climate Action Council meetings this week.
Earlier this week, The White House announced the Biden-Harris Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure, which includes a grant program investing federal money in repairing outdated school infrastructure and replacing it with climate-friendly upgrades.
Workers at three Greenlight Bookstore and Yours Truly stationery, Brooklyn, New York locations have unanimously ratified their first union contract after joining the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) union in August 2021.
Musicians of the DCINY Orchestra, who are members of AFM Local 802, are taking a stand and letting the public know about their fight for a fair contract.
On March 25, 1911, 146 workers—mostly young, immigrant women—were killed in a horrific fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory at Washington Place and Greene Street in lower Manhattan. Inadequate fire escapes, locked doors, and an overall disregard for worker safety contributed to the tragedy.
Union members and allies, this weekend let's stand up to show solidarity with the dozens of young workers who died in the Triangle Fire. They had no union, no safety laws, no one protecting them.
On Thursday, Climate Jobs NY joined with unions, elected officials, and environmental justice advocates on the steps of City Hall to call on Mayor Adams and the New York City Council to implement our Carbon Free and Healthy Schools Initiative (CFHS).
On Thursday, AFGE members rallied at the Brooklyn VA Hospital to reject the VA's proposal to close medical facilities, reduce VA services, and cut the jobs of those who care for our nation's heroes.
Union members in every industry, occupation and region of the country have proudly and bravely served in the armed forces of the United States. During the 2009 AFL-CIO Convention, the AFL-CIO passed a resolution to form the Union Veterans Council.