News

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.

Lodi Member Scares Off Attacker, Saves Woman’s Life

If you asked Shawn Tallerico why he does his job for Lodi’s public works department or why he stepped up to be a leader in our union, his answer would be simple and honest.

“The reason I do it is because I care,” he said.

Burlingame Skilled Nursing Workers Hold Strike as Coronavirus Races Through Facility

More than 100 AFSCME Local 829 members went on strike this month to call out the unfair labor practices being used by management at Brius, the parent company that owns the Burlingame Skilled Nursing facility and the largest for-profit nursing home operator in California.

Local 2620 Members Band Together to Save Parole Outpatient Clinics and Their Jobs

Our AFSCME Local 2620 mental health members recently won a victory when Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state Legislature decided to leave parole outpatient clinics off the chopping block in this year’s budget.

Keeping the clinics open means that dozens of our sisters and brothers get to keep their jobs—a direct result of months of organizing. Most importantly, the decision means that thousands of parolees living with mental health issues throughout the state can get the proper care they need to transition back into society.

Labor Groups Release Pathway to Schools Reopening

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2021

Contact: Martin Ricard
Email: martin.ricard@ca.afscme57.org

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.

Union Members Lost Fewer Jobs During This Pandemic. That’s a Difference a Union Makes

AFSCME President Lee Saunders issued the following statement in response to today’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) annual report on union membership.

“Today’s report reaffirms that when working people have the freedom to come together and join a union, they enjoy greater economic security and a higher standard of living for themselves and their families. Year after year, union members earn more than their nonunion counterparts, with the union difference being especially pronounced for women and people of color.

Burlingame Skilled Nursing Workers Demand Help Amid COVID Outbreak

This article orginally appeared on The Mercury New. To view the original, click here.

Workers at the Burlingame Skilled Nursing facility pleaded for help Wednesday as a coronavirus outbreak raced through the facility over the past two weeks, with scores of employees out sick or quarantined and patients “dying every day.”