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    <title>AFL-CIO Blog</title>
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  <title>Why I Chose a Union Voice at Thrillist</title>
  <link>https://aflcio.org/2017/4/6/why-i-chose-union-voice-thrillist</link>
  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name"&gt;Why I Chose a Union Voice at Thrillist&lt;/span&gt;


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	&lt;figure class="media-image view-mode-default"&gt;&lt;img src="https://aflcio.org/sites/default/files/2017-04/thrillistunion2_0.jpg" width="826" height="507" alt="Thrillist staff chooses a union voice with WGAE." typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-fluid" /&gt;&lt;figcaption class="img-credit"&gt;Anthony Schneck&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;Shortly after news broke that &lt;a href="http://wwd.com/business-news/media/discovery-invests-100m-ben-lerer-group-nine-media-10674526/"&gt;Thrillist had secured a $100 million investment&lt;/a&gt; as part of a deal to merge with three other digital properties and create a new media behemoth, a few of us on the editorial staff began discussing the possibility of unionizing. We’d watched the process play out in digital media for the first time at Gawker (now Gizmodo), followed by Vice, Huffington Post and others. But, as one colleague put it in those early days, Thrillist seemed like a place where there was too much turnover, too little cohesion to make any serious attempt at organizing realistic.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;That’s more or less how I felt, too—everyone tried to keep a nostril above water in the endless sea of internet content, we were on our own and I still felt “new,” even though I’d worked at Thrillist more than a year. On top of it all, I had zero organizing experience. But after we received assurances that no one would lose their jobs in the wake of the new investment (the proverbial kiss of death), those of us who’d talked decided there wasn’t much to lose. In a job where the product is instant, ephemeral, subject to the whims of a Facebook or Google algorithm, unionizing offered us a chance to create a lasting structure to secure benefits that easily fall by the wayside in an industry that, as we saw, makes money.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;So I started talking to people, at every word in every conversation awaiting the inevitable, “I’m not interested in organizing.” It never came. Virtually everyone who’d spent significant time working in digital media shared similar experiences: working long, thankless hours toward unclear goals; receiving few or no benefits; adapting to an employer’s business “pivots,” which often rendered past work irrelevant; having little job security and no safety net; and working in offices with little diversity and less transparency. For many employees, myself included, Thrillist was the best job any of us had ever had in digital media; all the more reason to preserve and improve it.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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	&lt;p&gt;For many employees, myself included, Thrillist was the best job any of us had ever had in digital media; all the more reason to preserve and improve it.&lt;/p&gt;

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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Luckily, my partner happens to be a member of the Writers Guild of America, so she gave me the contact info for someone at the Writers Guild of America, East, (WGAE); and a few hours after first emailing them, I had coffee with Justin, a WGAE organizer. Less than two weeks later, we had our first larger meeting with employees. After that night, I think the speed in which the process moved took everyone by surprise, but it happened, thanks to the strongest, most focused group effort in which I’ve participated.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Megan, our organizer, worked tirelessly and relentlessly, fielding emails, calls and texts from what is, stereotypically, a somewhat neurotic group given to overcommunication (it’s in our blood). Everyone on the organizing committee put in hours of conference calls, one-on-one conversations, happy hour chats and emails trying to round up support for a union.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;That last bit, fortunately, was relatively easy. When the inevitable layoffs—accounting for around one-third of our group—hit, we’d just about reached the point at which we felt comfortable with strong majority support. By the time we announced our intention to unionize, less than a week later, more than 80% of staff had signed union cards.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Management didn’t take the news too well. After ignoring our formal request for voluntary recognition, upper management pulled edit staff into an anti-union meeting, where we were warned that organizing would interfere with the good relationships we’d forged with our managers, force people to talk through a lawyer, and reduce our flexibility as a company and workplace. The effect, essentially, was to add insult to injury. People got fired up, and thanks to some quick work by the organizing committee and a strategic pizza delivery (diversity of tactics) from the WGAE, staff signed a letter that week that said, essentially: We’re not dummies, we still want to unionize.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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	&lt;p&gt;We’re not dummies, we still want to unionize.&lt;/p&gt;

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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;To no avail. Once management rebuffed the letter, we pushed the envelope by publicizing our experience. If you’re in the business of media, the one thing that hurts you as much, if not more, than any other tangible labor tactic is negative press. A few hours following publication of Hamilton Nolan’s&lt;a href="http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/the-dismal-thrillist-anti-union-campaign-1793157413"&gt; Deadspin article&lt;/a&gt;, media folks and WGAE members, in true solidarity, showed the ultimate 21st century sign of union support: Tweeting at our CEO.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;p dir="ltr" lang="en" xml:lang="en" xml:lang="en"&gt;Hey &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/Thrillist"&gt;@Thrillist&lt;/a&gt; and &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/BenjLerer"&gt;@BenjLerer&lt;/a&gt;, still time left in the workday for you to quit wasting everyone's time and recognize the &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThrillistUnion?src=hash"&gt;#ThrillistUnion&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
— Elliott Kalan (@ElliottKalan) &lt;a href="https://twitter.com/ElliottKalan/status/840331664945532929"&gt;March 10, 2017&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;
&lt;script async="" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"&gt;&lt;/script&gt;&lt;p&gt;And it worked! Hundreds of writers and WGAE members picked up the #ThrillistUnion hashtag, mentioned our CEO by name, pointing out (some more politely than others) the hypocrisy of claiming to be progressive while asking employees not to form a union. The outside counsel management had retained reached out to the WGAE quickly, and within a week, we’d consented to an online vote that would, for the third time, confirm the fact that we wanted to unionize. With around 95% of voters choosing “yes,” we became members of the Writers Guild of America, East.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The project is far from over, though, and it certainly doesn’t end with Thrillist. Digital media is ripe for organization, which doesn’t just protect editorial employees who bring value to companies that, in some cases, are valued&lt;a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nbcuniversal-invests-200-million-in-buzzfeed-2016-11"&gt; at more than $1 billion&lt;/a&gt;; it also benefits the consumers of media those employees produce. When many of the entry-level jobs are unpaid, or pay so poorly and offer so few benefits that working in the industry effectively becomes the right of the privileged, can we expect to read fair, balanced stories that reflect the diverse nature of our society? When the CEOs of media companies &lt;a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-money-arianna-made-from-the-sale-of-huffington-post-2013-10"&gt;cash in&lt;/a&gt; while &lt;a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/unpaid-huffington-post-bloggers-actually-do-want-get-paid-2313744"&gt;refusing to pay writers&lt;/a&gt;, should we sit down, click through and shut up?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;When one of the biggest producers of digital media on the planet &lt;a href="https://www.axios.com/scoop-buzzfeed-going-public-in-2018-2334551408.html"&gt;preps for an IPO next year&lt;/a&gt; that will make a few people many millions of dollars, while its founder has &lt;a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/coralewis/buzzfeed-founder-jonah-peretti-i-dont-think-a-union-is-right?utm_term=.fqow9RgXx#.fjpe145MV"&gt;made it clear&lt;/a&gt; he believes unions are a bad idea, should any of us feel good about the kinds of stories we click on absentmindedly while scrolling through social media?&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The answer, in solidarity, is no.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Anthony Schneck is a Thrillist writer and member of the Writers Guild of America, East.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;span rel="schema:author"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://aflcio.org/author/jackie-tortora" lang="" about="https://aflcio.org/author/jackie-tortora" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang=""&gt;Jackie Tortora&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2017-04-06T13:06:33+00:00"&gt;Thu, 04/06/2017 - 09:06&lt;/span&gt;


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  <pubDate>Thu, 06 Apr 2017 13:06:33 +0000</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>Jackie Tortora</dc:creator>
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  <title>What Working People in Their Unions Are Doing to End Gender-Based Violence on the Job</title>
  <link>https://aflcio.org/2017/4/5/what-working-people-their-unions-are-doing-end-gender-based-violence-job</link>
  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name"&gt;What Working People in Their Unions Are Doing to End Gender-Based Violence on the Job&lt;/span&gt;


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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time to educate our communities about the prevalence of sexual assault and ways to prevent it. The labor movement is committed to ending sexual assault, and other forms of gender-based violence, especially when it occurs in the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Gender-based violence in the workplace refers to sexual violence in all of its forms that occurs at work, or on the way to and from work, including sexual harassment, stalking behaviors, assault and rape, trafficking, coercion, and restrictions on movement. Gender-based violence in the world of work encompasses both the impact of intimate partner violence on a survivor’s working life and abuse that occurs within the context of employment involving co-workers, managers, clients or &lt;a&gt;patients&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Working women face violence at work on a daily basis. Did you know:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Fifty-eight percent of hotel workers and 77% of casino workers &lt;a href="https://www.handsoffpantson.org/wp-content/uploads/HandsOffReportWeb.pdf"&gt;surveyed in Chicago&lt;/a&gt; have been sexually harassed by a guest. Almost half of all hotel workers have had a guest answer the door naked or expose themselves. Most said they did not feel safe at work afterward.&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;Sixty percent of women restaurant workers &lt;a href="http://rocunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/REPORT_The-Glass-Floor-Sexual-Harassment-in-the-Restaurant-Industry2.pdf"&gt;surveyed&lt;/a&gt; said they have been sexually harassed on the job, most on at least a weekly basis. Managers encouraged women workers to wear revealing clothes, creating a climate where objectification by both clientele and supervisors is normalized.&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;Eighty-eight percent of women construction workers &lt;a href="https://nwlc.org/resources/women-construction-still-breaking-ground/"&gt;reported being&lt;/a&gt; sexually harassed at work.&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;Forty-one percent of &lt;a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/social-issues/rape-in-the-fields/female-workers-face-rape-harassment-in-u-s-agriculture-industry/"&gt;women meatpackers in Iowa reported&lt;/a&gt; unwanted touching on the job, and an additional 30% reported verbal harassment. After rejecting an aggressor’s advances, many respondents were threatened with termination or assigned work that was more difficult .&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;These &lt;a href="https://aflcio.org/reports/ending-gender-based-violence-world-work-united-states"&gt;shocking figures come from a &lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/affiliate.actionnetwork.files/user_JohnG/Ending_Gender_Based_Violence_in_the_World_of_Work_USA_Report.pdf"&gt;new report&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://aflcio.org/reports/ending-gender-based-violence-world-work-united-states"&gt; from the AFL-CIO&lt;/a&gt;, Futures Without Violence and the Solidarity Center, which highlights the urgent need to end gender-based violence in the workplace in the United States.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Economic insecurity, particularly &lt;a href="http://www.laborrights.org/issues/precarious-work"&gt;precarious employment&lt;/a&gt;, where people perform the duties required of a permanent job but are denied full-time job rights and are paid low wages, greatly contributes to vulnerability to gender-based violence. Women comprise the majority of part-time and temporary workers in the United States, as well as the majority of low-paid workers. People living paycheck to paycheck cannot afford to lose their job and are less likely to report abuse. The structure of the workplace also can create opportunities for abuse, particularly informal working arrangements, such as multiple levels of subcontracting, which decrease oversight and accountability. For example, &lt;a href="http://lohp.org/the-perfect-storm/"&gt;property service workers like janitors&lt;/a&gt; are isolated in empty buildings at night, hired through layers of subcontractors, and managed by an attenuated chain of overwhelmingly male supervisors, all of which contributes to a higher risk of experiencing gender-based violence.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Working people in their unions have a critical role to play in confronting and eliminating gender-based violence at work. Working people come together and negotiate in collective bargaining agreements that can include measures to identify and address gender-based violence. For example, the New York Hotel and Motel Trades Council negotiated language into an &lt;a href="http://hotelworkers.org/images/uploads/NYC_Hotel_Industry_Wide_Agreement.pdf"&gt;industrywide collective bargaining agreement&lt;/a&gt; that required panic buttons for all hotel housekeepers, and university graduate employees negotiated protections in their contract, including&lt;a href="http://www.facebook.com/gwcuaw/videos/1053106321454693/"&gt; the ability to represent working people through grievance procedures&lt;/a&gt;. UNITE HERE Local 1’s &lt;a href="http://www.handsoffpantson.org/wp-content/uploads/HandsOffReportWeb.pdf"&gt;#ComeForward campaign&lt;/a&gt; encouraged women to report incidents and end the culture of silence surrounding gender-based violence in the hospitality industry.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;In June 2018, governments, unions and employers will meet at the International Labor Organization to develop an agreement on violence and harassment against women and men in the world of work. This is the first time that the ILO will develop an international agreement &lt;a href="http://www.ilo.org/actrav/info/pubs/WCMS_546645/lang--en/index.htm"&gt;on the issue&lt;/a&gt;, and it is critical that we win a strong standard. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Learn &lt;a href="http://www.ituc-csi.org/gender-based-violence"&gt;more about the campaign here&lt;/a&gt;. As the report demonstrates, &lt;a href="https://aflcio.org/reports/ending-gender-based-violence-world-work-united-states"&gt;there are many areas where the United States needs to improve&lt;/a&gt;. Having an international framework will provide critical guidance on how to eliminate gender-based violence, at home and throughout the world.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;span rel="schema:author"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://aflcio.org/author/jackie-tortora" lang="" about="https://aflcio.org/author/jackie-tortora" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang=""&gt;Jackie Tortora&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2017-04-05T13:22:50+00:00"&gt;Wed, 04/05/2017 - 09:22&lt;/span&gt;


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  <pubDate>Wed, 05 Apr 2017 13:22:50 +0000</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>Jackie Tortora</dc:creator>
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  <title>Still Fighting for Equal Pay</title>
  <link>https://aflcio.org/2017/4/4/still-fighting-equal-pay</link>
  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name"&gt;Still Fighting for Equal Pay&lt;/span&gt;


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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Today is Equal Pay Day. We are 100 days into 2017, and today some women have finally reached the point where their earnings match their male counterparts’ 2016 earnings. We can’t forget that black and Latina women have to work even more until they reach pay parity.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;While it’s shameful that women are &lt;em&gt;still&lt;/em&gt; fighting to achieve equal pay, there are steps we can take to close the gap. The best way to close the pay gap is to form a union and bargain for a better life that includes equal pay. Through union contracts, women in their unions have closed the gap and received higher wages. In fact, union women earn $231 more a week than women who don’t have a union voice.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Wage disparities have long- and short-term negative effects. It contributes to the cycle of poverty and adds another barrier to being able to take care of our families, pay off debt, pay for child care and so much more.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Together, we can make equal pay for all women a reality. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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&lt;span rel="schema:author"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://aflcio.org/author/kenneth-quinnell" lang="" about="https://aflcio.org/author/kenneth-quinnell" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang=""&gt;Kenneth Quinnell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2017-04-04T18:30:56+00:00"&gt;Tue, 04/04/2017 - 14:30&lt;/span&gt;


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  <pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2017 18:30:56 +0000</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>Kenneth Quinnell</dc:creator>
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  <title>Highlights from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka’s Major Address at the National Press Club</title>
  <link>https://aflcio.org/2017/4/4/highlights-afl-cio-president-richard-trumkas-major-address-national-press-club</link>
  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name"&gt;Highlights from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka’s Major Address at the National Press Club&lt;/span&gt;


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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Today, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka gave &lt;a href="https://aflcio.org/speeches/trumka-everyone-deserves-be-able-negotiate-better-wages-and-benefits"&gt;a major address&lt;/a&gt; before the National Press Club, calling upon leaders of both parties to not only pursue an agenda that benefits working people across the country, but that strengthens the right of every American to negotiate for better wages and benefits. He described the choice we face as a country:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Republicans, and too many Democrats, have rigged our economy to enrich a select few at the expense of everyday, hardworking Americans. It has been a direct assault on our deeply held national values of unity, justice and broad opportunity. It’s been done under the guise of creating jobs and justified by a fanatical economic theory that seeks to remove or destroy anything seen as a barrier to the free market, including unions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;We see it in our trade deals that create special rights for corporations. We see it in our health care system that is a windfall for insurance companies and a complicated, unaffordable mess for patients and families. We see it in our financial sector that has become the master, not the servant, of the real economy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Above all…we see it in our outdated labor laws that allow employers to steal wages and unfairly restrict the freedom of workers to form unions.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;But inequality is not inevitable. It is a choice. We can choose to do better.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Trumka also laid out the pathway forward: &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Let me be perfectly clear—we will never solve the problem unless every worker has the power to bargain with our employer. Nothing else raises wages better or more fairly.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Now it would seem that the Bill of Rights—with its freedoms of speech and assembly—affords every worker the right to bargain with their employer. But that is not how the system works in practice.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The law today only requires employers to bargain with recognized unions, so we are proposing something bold. Something better. Every worker…everybody…deserves a job and the power to make it a good job…to bargain for higher wages, safe working conditions and retirement security. Whether you’re black or white. Gay or straight. Immigrant or native-born. Union or not yet union.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;If you tend crops in North Carolina or clean hotel rooms in New York City, if you’re an engineer in Seattle or an autoworker in Mississippi, you should have the right to bargain with your co-workers for a better life. And employers must abide by that right.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;Some might say this is radical. I say it is fundamental. And there has never been a more important time for workers to assert our collective power.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt; And he laid out the choice President Donald Trump must make:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;blockquote&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;We are closing in on the first 100 days of President Trump’s administration, and two very different factions have emerged. There is a Wall Street wing that undermines Donald Trump’s promises to workers…and a competing wing that could win the progress working people need.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US" xml:lang="en-US"&gt;&lt;span&gt;President Trump needs to decide who he stands with. The coal miners, farmers, steelworkers and other regular Americans who he promised to help in the campaign…or the Wall Street tycoons who are rigging the economy at our expense. This decision will be the single greatest test of his presidency.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;/blockquote&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Read the &lt;a href="https://aflcio.org/speeches/trumka-everyone-deserves-be-able-negotiate-better-wages-and-benefits"&gt;entire speech&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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&lt;span rel="schema:author"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://aflcio.org/author/kenneth-quinnell" lang="" about="https://aflcio.org/author/kenneth-quinnell" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang=""&gt;Kenneth Quinnell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2017-04-04T15:37:27+00:00"&gt;Tue, 04/04/2017 - 11:37&lt;/span&gt;


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  <pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2017 15:37:27 +0000</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>Kenneth Quinnell</dc:creator>
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  <title>Watch the Livestream of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka's National Press Club Speech Today</title>
  <link>https://aflcio.org/2017/4/4/watch-livestream-afl-cio-president-richard-trumkas-national-press-club-speech-today</link>
  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name"&gt;Watch the Livestream of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka's National Press Club Speech Today&lt;/span&gt;


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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Today at 1 p.m., AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka will give a major address at the National Press Club, discussing trade and infrastructure job-creation opportunities in the United States. He also will discuss potential threats to workers' rights and the labor movement's strategy to create a unifying agenda for working families, and the importance of ensuring that all workers—union and nonunion—have the right to bargain collectively for better wages and working conditions.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Watch the &lt;a href="http://www.press.org/events/npc-luncheon-afl-cio-president-richard-trumka"&gt;livestream&lt;/a&gt; starting at 1 p.m. today. Trumka will take questions beginning at 2 p.m.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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&lt;span rel="schema:author"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://aflcio.org/author/kenneth-quinnell" lang="" about="https://aflcio.org/author/kenneth-quinnell" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang=""&gt;Kenneth Quinnell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2017-04-04T13:00:19+00:00"&gt;Tue, 04/04/2017 - 09:00&lt;/span&gt;


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  <pubDate>Tue, 04 Apr 2017 13:00:19 +0000</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>Kenneth Quinnell</dc:creator>
    <guid isPermaLink="false">3175 at https://aflcio.org</guid>
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  <title>The Spillway Saga: IBEW Members Work to Repair Damage at Oroville Dam</title>
  <link>https://aflcio.org/2017/3/31/spillway-saga-ibew-members-work-repair-damage-oroville-dam</link>
  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name"&gt;The Spillway Saga: IBEW Members Work to Repair Damage at Oroville Dam&lt;/span&gt;


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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;This post originally appeared at Electrical Workers (&lt;a href="http://ibew1245.com/2017/03/28/the-spillway-saga-local-1245-members-work-to-repair-damage-at-oroville-dam/"&gt;IBEW) Local 1245&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;For nearly 50 years, the Oroville Dam has provided critical flood control, valuable hydroelectric power and essential irrigation as a key component of the California State Water Project. But in February 2017, all of that changed, and the dam quickly transformed from a powerful resource to a potential threat.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;After a series of massive rainstorms tore through the state, the dam’s operators noticed significant damage to the main spillway, which is the primary channel used to prevent flooding. Due to the damage and the ongoing heavy rains, the main spillway was no longer able to drain the water from Lake Oroville quickly enough, and as a result, the dam’s emergency spillway went into operation for the first time since the dam opened in 1968. However, headward erosion of the emergency spillway meant that there was a serious possibility the dam’s concrete weir would collapse and cause massive, uncontrolled flooding in the downstream areas around the Feather River.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Emergency protocols quickly went into effect, and nearly 200,000 people were evacuated. Fortunately, the water level dropped, the weir held out, the crisis was averted and residents returned to their homes. But the damage to the dam was grave; both the main and emergency spillways require extensive repairs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;On the Scene&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;IBEW Local 1245 members have been on the scene at the dam since the very beginning, even before the water hit the emergency spillway. Initially, &lt;a href="http://ibew1245.com/2017/02/27/pge-crews-build-shoo-fly-in-oroville/"&gt;several crews from Pacific Gas &amp; Electric&lt;/a&gt; were called in to remove the transmission towers and wires that were in the emergency spill channel. They utilized a helicopter to take down the power lines and towers and completed the work the day before the lake water entered the emergency spillway. The PG&amp;E crews were then tasked with building a shoo-fly around the spill channel—which consisted of nine locations with 13 light duty steel poles—to restore power to that circuit.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Once the spillways were stabilized and the area was deemed safe, Local 1245 outside construction crews were brought in to help with the complex restoration work, which may take months or even years to complete.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="Foreman Jeff Emerson (in baseball cap) meets with the helicopter crew before they start work " height="180" src="http://ibew1245.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IBEW-Oroville-Dam-Outside-Line1202-XL-300x180.jpg" width="300" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;“It’s extremely challenging because there are 15 different entities, at minimum, that we have to coordinate everything with, and we have to keep everybody safe,” said General Foreman Jeff Emerson, who comes out of IBEW Local 47 in Southern California. “It’s not just us here, there’s traffic control, there’s people doing inspections on the spillway, there’s the rock haul trucks that are moving the rock, the barges that are down there sluicing out the river…there’s so many moving parts here.”&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The Utility Reporter caught up with Emerson and his crew a couple weeks after the crisis. They were working east of the spillway damage, at the base of the dam itself, and Emerson detailed precisely what was going on at the time.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;“At first, we had to run an emergency line on the vacant side of the existing 230 lattice structures,” he explained. “Once we got that emergency line in and energized so they could energize the powerhouse and run the hydro plant, the next step is to run a temporary shoo-fly to move all the power lines up the hill, away from the spillway and the construction, so they can de-energize those lines and work on the spillway safely.”&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The crews used a helicopter and sky crane to wreck out some of the vacant towers that were being undermined by the spillway erosion.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="Robert MacAllister on the transmission tower" height="248" src="http://ibew1245.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IBEW-Oroville-Dam-Outside-Line0269-L-300x248.jpg" width="300" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;“My job today was to fly in with the helicopter and to remove insulators and travelers, because the tower is being wrecked out and everything that’s loose or could swing has to be removed so it’s just the structural steel that’s left,” said lineman Robert MacAllister, who comes out of IBEW Local 104, based in New England. “That way, when the sky crane comes, [what remains of the tower] can be rigged and lifted, and they’ll know what they’re dealing with as far as balance and load.”&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Given the exceptionally steep terrain, the helicopter was a vital asset to the crews. What would have taken 45 minutes to traverse in a land vehicle took less than a minute in the chopper.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="On the long line" height="300" src="http://ibew1245.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IBEW-Oroville-Dam-Outside-Line0068-L-1-207x300.jpg" width="207" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;“Materials, tools and men can be put into exact positions in astounding time with the helicopter. It’s a very efficient process,” said MacAllister, who flew on the helicopter’s long line, suspended in the air and tethered in with two safety hooks attached to a harness. “It’s a very safe, very secure attachment. It’s a smooth ride, actually. Like driving a motorcycle, except you’re 500 or 1,000 feet off the ground. The wind is in your hair, you can see everything. It’s surreal and exciting.”&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;A Testament to the Union&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;img alt="Groundman Bobby Fox " height="200" src="http://ibew1245.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IBEW-Oroville-Dam-Outside-Line1137-XL-300x200.jpg" width="300" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The main contractor on the scene, Abercrombie Pipeline Services, had just become signatory to Local 1245 shortly before beginning work on the project (Outback Construction also assisted with the shoo-fly by digging holes into the bedrock). A number of the IBEW members working on this job came in from other areas outside of Local 1245’s jurisdiction. Most of them had never worked together before, and few had even encountered a job quite like this one. But they all had one thing in common—as IBEW linemen, they were able to draw upon their extensive skills and training and quickly formed bonds that enabled them to maximize their effectiveness on the job.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;“I’ll tell you what’s great about the union—all of the guys that we’ve got working here came out with great attitudes,” noted Emerson. “They’re all working together to figure things out, and as soon as they figure something out, they tell the next crew…that’s the brotherhood of [the IBEW] right there, everybody teaching each other and showing each other the ‘tricks’ they’ve picked up. And the learning curve—how fast they learned how to do all this stuff—it’s pretty amazing. It’s a great testament to the union.”&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;“I love being in the union. It’s a rewarding experience, and [linework] is the job of a lifetime,” said MacAllister. “The skills, the people you meet, the knowledge, the work ethic, it’s all there. It’s the complete package. I love being a part of it, and I want to keep doing it for years and years.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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&lt;span rel="schema:author"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://aflcio.org/author/kenneth-quinnell" lang="" about="https://aflcio.org/author/kenneth-quinnell" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang=""&gt;Kenneth Quinnell&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2017-03-31T19:36:05+00:00"&gt;Fri, 03/31/2017 - 15:36&lt;/span&gt;
</description>
  <pubDate>Fri, 31 Mar 2017 19:36:05 +0000</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>Kenneth Quinnell</dc:creator>
    <guid isPermaLink="false">3168 at https://aflcio.org</guid>
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  <title>Take the #NikeCoverUpChallenge and Demand Justice for Nike Workers</title>
  <link>https://aflcio.org/2017/3/30/take-nikecoverupchallenge-and-demand-justice-nike-workers</link>
  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name"&gt;Take the #NikeCoverUpChallenge and Demand Justice for Nike Workers&lt;/span&gt;


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	&lt;figure class="media-image view-mode-default"&gt;&lt;img src="https://aflcio.org/sites/default/files/2017-03/nike.jpg" width="4032" height="3024" alt="USAS Protest Outside a Nike Store" typeof="foaf:Image" class="img-fluid" /&gt;&lt;figcaption class="img-credit"&gt;United Students Against Sweatshops&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;figcaption class="img-caption"&gt;&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Join &lt;a href="http://usas.org/"&gt;United Students Against Sweatshops&lt;/a&gt; and activists around the world who want to know—what is Nike trying to hide? &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Nike, the gargantuan apparel brand that racked in &lt;a href="http://s1.q4cdn.com/806093406/files/doc_financials/2016/ar/mark_parker_letter.html"&gt;more than $32 billion&lt;/a&gt; in revenue in 2016 alone, is &lt;a href="https://nikesweatshops.org/"&gt;dismantling critical protections&lt;/a&gt; for the workers who make its apparel. Thanks to student and worker organizing in response to deplorable conditions in apparel supply chains, many universities have required Nike and other major brands to allow independent inspection and monitoring in factories that produce college-brand apparel to prevent abuse. However, Nike recently decided to bar independent watchdog the &lt;a href="http://www.workersrights.org/"&gt;Worker Rights Consortium&lt;/a&gt; from entering its factories.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Nike does not have a great &lt;a href="https://nikesweatshops.org/nike-sweatshops/"&gt;track record&lt;/a&gt; on respecting human rights in its factories, including reports of wage theft, violence and discrimination against women, unsafe working conditions and retaliation against union organizers. The decision to refuse independent inspections could result in such human rights abuses going undiscovered. &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;If Nike is going to hide conditions in their factories, cover up their profit-making swoosh logo!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Joining the USAS #&lt;a href="https://nikesweatshops.org/"&gt;NikeCoverUpChallenge&lt;/a&gt; is simple: &lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;1. Grab any piece of Nike gear you own: shirts, hats, shoes, etc.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;2. Tape an X over the Nike swoosh with masking or duct tape and clearly write #NikeSweatshops over the tape.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;3. Post a picture or a video across all social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter) with the caption: Nike, let the WRC inside! We can see your dirty side!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;4. Use hashtags: #NikeCoverUpChallenge and #NikeSweatshops. Tag: @usas and @nike whenever you can.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;5. Send all photos and videos to &lt;a href="mailto:organize@usas.org"&gt;organize@usas.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;6. Tell all your family and friends to do the same!&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Check out: &lt;a href="https://nikesweatshops.org/"&gt;https://nikesweatshops.org&lt;/a&gt; for more info!&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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&lt;span rel="schema:author"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://aflcio.org/author/jackie-tortora" lang="" about="https://aflcio.org/author/jackie-tortora" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang=""&gt;Jackie Tortora&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2017-03-30T16:40:11+00:00"&gt;Thu, 03/30/2017 - 12:40&lt;/span&gt;


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          &lt;span&gt;&lt;a href="https://aflcio.org/tags/united-students-against-sweatshops" property="schema:about" hreflang="en"&gt;United Students Against Sweatshops&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;          &lt;/strong&gt;
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  <pubDate>Thu, 30 Mar 2017 16:40:11 +0000</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>Jackie Tortora</dc:creator>
    <guid isPermaLink="false">3105 at https://aflcio.org</guid>
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  <title>Labor and Community Allies Fight for Jobs and Public Safety in Atlantic City</title>
  <link>https://aflcio.org/2017/3/28/labor-and-community-allies-fight-jobs-and-public-safety-atlantic-city</link>
  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name"&gt;Labor and Community Allies Fight for Jobs and Public Safety in Atlantic City&lt;/span&gt;


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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Atlantic City, New Jersey, may be the gambling capital of the East Coast, but there are certain things that shouldn’t be left up to chance, namely public safety. However, bureaucrats in charge of the state takeover of Atlantic City are now ready to impose drastic budget cuts that will result in 50% fewer firefighters and the smallest police force since 1971.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href="http://www.njaflcio.org/" target="_blank"&gt;New Jersey State AFL-CIO&lt;/a&gt; has joined with various labor and community allies to oppose these cuts that threaten safety and also undermine the economic recovery of Atlantic City. This community-based coalition has launched a campaign called “&lt;a href="http://www.dontgambleonsafetyac.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Don’t Gamble on Safety AC&lt;/a&gt;” that seeks to raise awareness of the impact of budget cuts.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;During the campaign launch last week, one of the most salient voices was that of Officer Joshlee Vadell, who was shot in the head while heroically intervening in an armed robbery last year. Under the plan proposed by the state of New Jersey, disability payments for officers like Vadell could be cut, and the officers who rushed to save his life would face layoffs.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Watch Officer Vadell’s press conference &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFWuYDsHnM0" target="_blank"&gt;speech&lt;/a&gt;, and be sure to check out &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw68Wl4GXts" target="_blank"&gt;highlights from the event&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Without ensuring safety, residents, businesses, visitors and workers are all put at risk. The New Jersey State AFL-CIO will stand with our brothers and sisters and the Atlantic City community to ensure that this fundamental community need is met.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;The campaign will include billboards, direct mail, online advertising and multiple grassroots activities, including leafleting on the boardwalk and door-to-door canvassing to inform residents. For more information on the campaign, visit &lt;a href="http://www.dontgambleonsafetyac.com/" target="_blank"&gt;DontGambleOnSafetyAC.com&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;span rel="schema:author"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://aflcio.org/user/admin" lang="" about="https://aflcio.org/user/admin" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang=""&gt;admin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2017-03-28T13:01:00+00:00"&gt;Tue, 03/28/2017 - 09:01&lt;/span&gt;
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  <pubDate>Tue, 28 Mar 2017 13:01:00 +0000</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
    <guid isPermaLink="false">3137 at https://aflcio.org</guid>
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  <title>The House Republican Health Care Plan—a Betrayal of Working People that Keeps Getting Worse</title>
  <link>https://aflcio.org/2017/3/23/house-republican-health-care-plan-betrayal-working-people-keeps-getting-worse</link>
  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name"&gt;The House Republican Health Care Plan—a Betrayal of Working People that Keeps Getting Worse&lt;/span&gt;


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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka blasted the Republican health care plan on which House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has announced plans for the House of Representatives to vote later today, stating in a letter:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="indent"&gt;This legislation is a betrayal of working people who will pay the price for it through medical care they can no longer afford, greater financial insecurity, fewer jobs and lives that end too soon. Though it masquerades as health policy, this legislation is really a massive redistribution of wealth away from working families to give even more to the wealthy few.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
      
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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka blasted the Republican health care plan on which House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has announced plans for the House of Representatives to vote later today, stating in a letter:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p class="indent"&gt;This legislation is a betrayal of working people who will pay the price for it through medical care they can no longer afford, greater financial insecurity, fewer jobs and lives that end too soon. Though it masquerades as health policy, this legislation is really a massive redistribution of wealth away from working families to give even more to the wealthy few.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;What we’ve seen already.&lt;/b&gt; We highlighted the major parts of the plan—known officially as the American Health Care Act and unofficially as Trumpcare—last week in another blog post (&lt;a href="http://www.aflcio.org/Blog/Political-Action-Legislation/9-Ways-the-Republican-Health-Care-Bill-Makes-Health-Coverage-in-America-Unaffordable-and-Out-of-Reach" target="_self"&gt;9 Ways the Republican Health Care Bill Makes Health Coverage in America Unaffordable and Out of Reach&lt;/a&gt;). Key takeaways were that the Republican plan, as written at that time:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Takes health coverage away from 24 million people.&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;Jacks up premiums for older people, as well as those with lower incomes and living in areas with high medical costs.&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;Guts Medicaid, the program that ensures people struggling the most can get the care they need, by phasing out the Affordable Care Act expansion of Medicaid eligibility to more working-age adults and ending the federal funding guarantee in favor of a fixed per capita contribution.&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;Cuts Medicare funding to give a huge tax break to the wealthy few and prescription drug companies.&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;Taxes the health benefits of millions of working people while giving a huge tax break to health insurers and other companies, as well as the very wealthy.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Changes that make it even worse.&lt;/b&gt; Facing some opposition among their own members, President Donald Trump and House Republican leaders say they are making changes to win more votes. Unfortunately, the changes being considered will make things even worse overall. Major revisions that could end up in a final bill include:&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Even bigger cuts to Medicaid by ending the ACA’s expansion of benefits sooner, giving states the green light to impose new work requirements as a condition for getting Medicaid coverage, and creating a new block grant option for federal funding.&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;Even bigger cuts in Medicare funding by giving the huge tax break to the wealthy few and prescription drug companies a year earlier.&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;Even bigger tax cuts for the wealthy few, as well as for health insurers and other corporations, by starting them a year sooner.&lt;/li&gt;
	&lt;li&gt;Allowing insurance companies to peddle health plans that exclude coverage for things like hospital stays, emergency care, pregnancy and related care, prescription drugs, and mental health and substance use disorder services (i.e., by eliminating the ACA requirement that health insurance cover “essential health benefits”).&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;There is still time for you to have a say.&lt;/b&gt; The House of Representatives has not voted yet. Call your representative now to oppose this health care bill: 1-866-829-3298.&lt;/p&gt;
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&lt;span rel="schema:author"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://aflcio.org/user/admin" lang="" about="https://aflcio.org/user/admin" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang=""&gt;admin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2017-03-23T13:16:00+00:00"&gt;Thu, 03/23/2017 - 09:16&lt;/span&gt;
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  <pubDate>Thu, 23 Mar 2017 13:16:00 +0000</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
    <guid isPermaLink="false">3138 at https://aflcio.org</guid>
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  <title>Stand with Mondelez/Nabisco Working People Whose Jobs Were Outsourced by Watching and Sharing This Video</title>
  <link>https://aflcio.org/2017/3/23/stand-mondeleznabisco-working-people-whose-jobs-were-outsourced-watching-and-sharing</link>
  <description>&lt;span property="schema:name"&gt;Stand with Mondelez/Nabisco Working People Whose Jobs Were Outsourced by Watching and Sharing This Video&lt;/span&gt;


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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;The consequences of corporate greed are disastrous. Just ask the 600 former Mondelēz/Nabisco working people and members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (&lt;a href="http://www.bctgm.org/" target="_blank"&gt;BCTGM&lt;/a&gt;) union in Chicago, who were laid off one year ago today as the company shifted production to Mexico.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;More than 5,000 Nabisco workers in North America have been given pink slips in the past two decades while Mondelēz executives have made out like bandits. Mondelēz's CEO has made more than $200 million in the past 10 years. Billions have gone back to the largest investors in dividends and stock buybacks.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;To mark this solemn anniversary, today’s Digital Day of Action will center on sharing this one-minute promo for the upcoming short-form documentary “Made in America,” a Front Page production, which will air on PBS this spring.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;Join the fight to save American jobs and stop outsourcing! Watch and share the video below:&lt;/p&gt;
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            &lt;div&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn more at &lt;a href="http://www.fightforamericanjobs.org/"&gt;FightForAmericanJobs.org&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

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&lt;span rel="schema:author"&gt;&lt;a title="View user profile." href="https://aflcio.org/user/admin" lang="" about="https://aflcio.org/user/admin" typeof="schema:Person" property="schema:name" datatype="" xml:lang=""&gt;admin&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/span&gt;
&lt;span property="schema:dateCreated" content="2017-03-23T09:00:00+00:00"&gt;Thu, 03/23/2017 - 05:00&lt;/span&gt;
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  <pubDate>Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:00:00 +0000</pubDate>
    <dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
    <guid isPermaLink="false">3139 at https://aflcio.org</guid>
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