Cincinnati
AFL-CIO
Labor Council
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A Message from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka |
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The labor movement joins with all those in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and across the country who are nonviolently demanding an end to systemic racial injustice after the shooting of Jacob Blake. Despite months of protest and the outpouring of heartfelt demands for change, incidents like these remain all too common and they shock our collective conscience. Actions that cheapen the lives of Black people and the service of good officers must be called out. As Americans, we must recognize the difference between right and wrong, and we must always stand up for what is right. |
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AFL-CIO TASK FORCE ON RACIAL JUSTICE RELEASES STATEMENT ON SHOOTING OF JACOB BLAKE |
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The AFL-CIO Task Force on Racial Justice, chaired by United Steelworkers (USW) International Vice President and AFL-CIO Civil and Human Rights Committee Vice Chair Fred Redmond, released a statement Wednesday on the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha:
“We are outraged at the shooting of Jacob Blake by a police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin. We pray for his full recovery and for his loved ones.
“As details continue to come in, we cannot escape the images of a Black man being shot in the back in front of his children. What happened to Mr. Blake only strengthens our resolve to make sure Black Lives Matter in words and in deeds so we can heal our communities and our country. This is precisely why the AFL-CIO created the Task Force on Racial Justice and why we formed a subcommittee on policing.
“A main objective of this critical work is to bring tangible reform to break down the systemic racism and inequality that have plagued our nation for too long and use our position as both members of our communities and representatives of law enforcement to build a better tomorrow. That’s how we can realize our goal of preventing future incidents like the one that unfolded in Kenosha.”
Terry Melvin (CSEA-AFSCME), president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and secretary-treasurer of the New York State AFL-CIO, serves as executive director. Other task force members include AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler (IBEW); AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Tefere Gebre (UFCW); A. Philip Randolph Institute President Clayola Brown (Workers United/SEIU); UNITE HERE General Vice President Nia Winston; AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride; Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) General President Kenneth Rigmaiden; UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada; American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus; Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW) President Stuart Appelbaum; Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Executive Director Alvina Yeh; and Bricklayers (BAC) Local 8 Southeast President Glenn Kelly.
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Workers and Political Leaders In Cincinnati and Across the Country Rally to Save the USPS |
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In Cincinnati and cities and towns across the country, thousands of union members and our allies joined together Tuesday to share a simple message: save the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The American Postal Workers Union’s (APWU’s) #SaveThePostOffice day of action expressed the outrage many workers feel about Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s cuts to mail services. The protests demanded $25 billion in direct and immediate funding for the Postal Service, included in the HEROES Act, and for an immediate stop to slow down policies.
Union Sisters and Brothers from all over Southwest Ohio joined with NALC Branch 43, APWU Greater Cincinnati Area Local 164, and Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council to participated in the rally pictured here at the Dalton Avenue USPS Processing Center while workers around the county participated in more than 100 actions in 40 states and Washington, D.C. We'd like to give a special Union shout-out and word of thanks to the US House's bipartisan support to pass the Delivering for America Act Sat, Aug 22 and to Senator Sherrod Brown for his letter demanding Postmaster General DeJoy resign!
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A Statement from NALC Branch 43
on Service Issues
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PFAW: DeJoy Remains Hostile, Elusive During House Oversight Hearing |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 24 August 2020
Washington, D.C.— Following today’s testimony before the House Oversight Committee by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous released the following statement:
“Louis DeJoy approached today’s House Oversight Committee hearing the same way he approached last week’s Senate hearing: determined to stonewall meaningful questions. He again refused to reverse equipment cutbacks. He again provided no rationale for the harmful changes he has made to the postal service, while denying responsibility for any damage. The only thing he really did today was to confirm his absolute loyalty to Donald Trump over the American people, especially our seniors and veterans who are among those who rely most on our postal service. The House has passed legislation to protect the postal service from Trump and DeJoy and give it the funds it needs; now it’s time for the Senate to do the same – to end its complicity with Trump's and DeJoy’s sabotage, and stand with the American people who need our postal service.”
About People For the American Way
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: http://www.pfaw.org.
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Time’s Running Out to Save the Post Office |
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Dear Sisters, Brothers and Friends,
Today we heard from the Postmaster General that he will NOT put mailboxes back. He will NOT re-install the high-speed mail sorting machines that were removed this summer. And he will not allow overtime so that all mail can get delivered on time.
It’s crystal clear. President Trump and his Postmaster General are dismantling the Post Office in plain sight and undermining our right to vote along with it.
That’s why we’re mobilizing to tell the Senate to Save the Post Office. You can help by calling 866-828-4162 to be connected to your senator’s offices.
Last week, President Trump stated on the record that he’s attempting to make it more difficult for USPS to handle the surge of mail-in ballots that is expected this fall.
Postmaster General DeJoy -- gave more than $440,000 in campaign donations to President Trump and owns investments worth at least $30 million in Postal Service competitors.
We can’t let DeJoy and Trump get away with this. The House has passed legislation to fix this, but it’s up to the Senate to make sure the Postal Service is saved in time for the election.
Please call your senators and demand they fund the Post Office and stop the slowdown of our mail. Dial 866-828-4162 to be connected to your senator’s office.
Dismantling the Postal Service doesn’t just harm our ability to vote safely in the midst of a pandemic. It harms millions of Americans, especially seniors, who rely on the mail to receive their prescription medications, paychecks, and unemployment benefits; to pay their rent and utilities, to run their small businesses, and so much more.
It’s up to us to take a stand. The Postal Service isn’t just a delivery service -- it’s an essential part of ensuring that our democracy can function amidst this pandemic.
Call your senators at 866-828-4162 and demand they stop Trump and DeJoy’s sabotage now.
Thanks for all you do.
Sincerely,
Richard Fiesta
Executive Director
Alliance for Retired Americans
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USW Blasts Trump for Goodyear Boycott Call |
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Union members from across Ohio came together at the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 2 union hall in Akron to stage a protest in response to President Trump’s reckless call for a boycott of Goodyear, a company providing American jobs. The Ohio AFL-CIO broadcast a live-stream of the rally for people who couldn’t attend in person. Dozens of union members and Rep. Tim Ryan were in attendance. Goodyear released a statement yesterday claiming that an image circulating online that purports to show the company’s policy on wearing political and issue-related gear at work does not reflect its corporate guidelines.
USW International President Tom Conway (not pictured) responded to Trump’s tweet that called for a boycott: “During the past year, our union and our individual members reached out directly to the President and his White House staff on countless occasions as Goodyear was closing its 90-year-old American tire plant in Gadsden, Alabama, which resulted in hundreds of workers losing their jobs. This closure happened as imported tires from around the globe flooded the U.S. market, leaving the union no choice but to again file a trade case challenging these unfairly traded imports. It would have been nice if the President would have paid as much attention to that loss of American jobs as he does to his MAGA hats. Maybe a tweet or two back then would have been helpful.”
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Register to Join This Week’s ‘Buy Union.
Build Power.’ Webinar
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Please share this opportunity with interested colleagues within the labor movement.
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Labor Day Webinar: Eastern - Unions and Co-ops: Promise, Potential, and Ways Forward
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Please Join Us for a Labor Day Event
Unions and Co-ops:
Promise, Potential and Pathways Forward
Thursday, Sept 3, 2020 - 4:00-5:30 pm ET via Zoom
We are at a crossroad in history where the pandemic, racial justice uprisings, climate change, and a downward economic spiral are creating openings to push for deep change. In honor of Labor Day, this webinar will explore the common roots between cooperatives and unions, as well as the potential and current initiatives to forge union-co-ops so that workers are not just fighting for a bigger piece of the pie, but for control of the whole damn thing.
PROGRAM
4:00-4:05 Welcome & Interactive Exercise
4:05-4:30 Introductions to Wellspring and Wellspring Labor/Co-op Committee
Why co-ops?
4:30-4:45 Co-ops and Labor
- National Labor-Co-op movements
- History of co-ops in labor and economic justice struggles.
- How can unions be more proactive rather than reactive
4:45-5:10 Concurrent Session Breakouts
- Co-ops 101 - ask me anything (Wellspring Cooperative)
- Co-op Cincy – how Cincinnati Union Co-op got its start and functions now (Ellen Vera, Co-op Cincy)
- Co-ops born of struggle: New Era Windows, Chicago, IL and Collective Copies, Amherst, MA - (invited)
- WorX Printing, Worcester, MA: A co-op born of the Anti-Sweatshop movement and United Steelworkers-Mondragon partnership (Kevin O’Brien, WorX)
5:10-5:30 Brainstorm Potential to Collaborate
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Labor 2020: Get Ready to Vote |
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Workers are essential voters—and our votes are needed this fall more than ever. As we rise to meet the challenges COVID-19 presents to our nation, we know that registering and making sure we can vote—by mail or in person—will be critical to making sure working people’s voices are heard and that our values win on Election Day. The AFL-CIO is releasing our latest “Get Out the Word” toolkit, complete with graphics and sample social media posts.
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Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council
2020 Endorsed Candidates and Issues
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Register to Vote ~ Change Address ~ Check Registration ~ Voting Options
RESEARCH THE CANDIDATES AND ISSUES
Vote Smart's mission is to provide free, factual, unbiased information on candidates and elected officials to ALL Americans. Citizens come together, not in selfish interest or to support one candidate over another, but to defend democracy.
Fact-checking journalism is the heart of PolitiFact. Our core principles are independence, transparency, fairness, thorough reporting and clear writing. The reason we publish is to give citizens the information they need to govern themselves in a democracy.
We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.
We believe that American government should be “of the people, by the people, and for the people” and that an informed electorate is essential for a thriving democracy. We therefore seek to inform and educate voters by producing and posting comprehensive non-partisan voter information covering national and state elections and some local elections.
League of Woman Voters
Empowering Voters. Defending Democracy.
The League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major public policy issues, and influences public policy through education and advocacy.
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EPI Article - Why Unions are Good for Workers |
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Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed a reality that U.S. workers have long confronted—U.S. labor law fails to protect working people. For decades, union leaders and workers’ rights advocates have called on policymakers to reform a badly broken system, warning that the erosion of unions—and of worker power more broadly—was contributing to extreme economic inequality and threatening our overall democracy.
In spite of efforts to push policy reforms, the U.S. entered the COVID-19 pandemic with a weak system of labor protections, historically low rates of union density, and extreme economic inequality. As a result, working people, particularly low-wage workers—who are disproportionately women and workers of color—have largely borne the costs of the pandemic. While providing the “essential” services we rely on, these workers have been forced to work without protective gear, have no access to paid sick leave, and when workers have spoken up about health and safety concerns they have been fired. Clearly, a system that allows this dynamic must be reformed. [Read More]
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Application Deadline Extended for Hamilton County Nonprofits |
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Hamilton County Commissioners have extended the deadline for nonprofits to apply for the Hamilton County CARES Nonprofit Relief Program. Eligible nonprofits can apply for grants totaling $5.5 million in CARES Act funding to help combat the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. Applications are now being accepted through Monday August 31 at 12:00 p.m.
Eligible nonprofit organizations with a physical address in Hamilton County may apply for funding from $25,000 up to $250,000. Nonprofits must provide essential social and family services in Hamilton County including food access, workforce development, substance abuse services, services benefiting senior citizens, and foreclosure prevention.
Included in the $5.5 million in nonprofit grants, Hamilton County is setting aside $500,000 specifically for nonprofit organizations that provide domestic violence supportive services.
To apply and learn more about the program click here.
Stay safe and healthy!
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From our Friends and Community Partners at Cincinnati Cares:
Despite COVID-19, economic uncertainty, unrest -- safe ways to help nonprofits can be found
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GREATER CINCINNATI, Aug. 24, 2020 -- Delivering what nonprofits need now is the hallmark of Cincinnati Cares, and this late summer/early fall period is no different.
“We can help you help” is more than just a slogan, based on a variety of offerings, beginning Sept. 11 and continuing through Oct. 22.
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More than 300 volunteers are needed by 10 organizations for 3- to 4-hour socially-distant, safe, hands-on volunteering on Sept. 11 and 12 -- in memory of those who lost their lives or were injured in the terrorist attacks on America on Sept. 11, 2001. Go to https://signup.com/go/mdVfJhy.
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For those interested in taking on a nonprofit board-level volunteer opportunity but need to know more about what board service entails, sign up for our Board Bootcamp webinar on Sept. 22. Join us for this hour-long, fast-paced training featuring expert presenters on what all board members need to know. Register before 9/2 for early bird pricing! https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/7615978623444/WN_IWcMdAqOSiSygTv_SPIYpA
Cincinnati Cares is the region's only public-facing search-and-discover guide to more than 700 active nonprofits in the Greater Cincinnati region.
Part of the nonprofit Inspiring Service, cincinnaticares.org helps connect the public to what nonprofits need now -- from products and supplies to donations to ways to help through hands-on or skilled volunteering.
Using innovative technologies, Cincinnati Cares has reversed the twice-the-national-rate-of-decline in volunteering Cincinnati had been experiencing and is helping businesses modernize the way they engage employees in helping our region's nonprofits through a skills platform. In addition, Cincinnati Cares operates the country's first artificial intelligence-infused platform connecting volunteer leaders to nonprofit boards as a way of creating WIDER nonprofit boards -- that is, welcoming, inclusive, diverse, equitable and representative. A virtual event series launched Aug. 12 and will continue to activate skilled volunteers all across the region.
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38th Annual Labor-Management Conference |
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Labor-Management Relations: The Pandemic and Beyond
Join us at this year's 38th Annual Labor-Management Conference on "Labor-Management Relations: The Pandemic and Beyond" - but this time in a virtual format. Our panel of experts will discuss their experiences in negotiating and implementing changes to deal with one of the largest labor/management obstacles, the COVID-19 pandemic. They will provide a timely examination of issues that have arose in the immediate aftermath and those that have arisen as employers are allowed to resume business and the new workplace that labor unions are operating within.
The Labor-Management Conference has always focused on finding effective approaches for collaboration and partnerships through education for employers, unions and employees - and this year is no exception! We hope to see you virtually on October 13, 2020 and in-person on May 12, 2021 as we return bigger and better than ever for our 39th Annual Labor-Management Conference.
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October 13, 2020
11:45 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. EDT
Delivered in a webinar format with allotted time for questions
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Past attendee rate: FREE*
New attendee rate: $20
*Attendance lists from years past will be used to verify free registrations
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SHRM Credits Approved
(1.5 hours)
CLE Credits Pending for OH and KY (1.5 hours)
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2020 Annual Cincinnati Labor Council Golf Tournament Huge Success! |
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A very special shout out and great big Thank You! to all our dear Sisters, Brothers and Friends who came together for a day of Golf and Solidarity!
See You Next Summer!
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Sisters and Brothers,
I am sad to announce the loss of one of our most loyal, dedicated, union brothers: Brother Steve Cruse, CWA Local 4400.
Steven was a true trade unionist, he was very active in both the Northern Kentucky AFL-CIO and Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Councils. Whether he was called upon to fight right to work legislation before the Boone/Kenton county commissioners, stand up for federal workers at the Northern Kentucky Social Security office or assist with our annual Labor Day picnics at Coney Island, Brother Cruse could always be counted on, always willing to step up and speak out for all union workers and their families.
I was honored to work with Brother Steve, stand with him on many labor causes/actions, and proud to call him my union brother and friend. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers, and attend his visitation/service tomorrow night at the Dobbling, Muehlenkamp-Erschell Funeral Home in Bellevue, Kentucky (5:00pm - 7:00pm). Thank you.
In memory of Brother Cruse, Solidarity Forever, in U and I . . .
Peter
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Peter M. McLinden, Esq.
Executive Secretary - Treasurer
Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council
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COVID-19 VACCINE RESEARCH |
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Sterling Research Group is seeking participants age 18-85 for COVID-19 vaccine studies. These studies will help determine the safety and efficacy of investigational vaccines intended to protect against SARS-Cov-2 (the coronavirus that causes COVID-19). Eligible participants will receive compensation for participation and do not need health insurance to join. Download and review the COVID 19 Testing FAQ HERE!
Call (513) 621-5112 for more information or CLICK HERE to have someone contact you.
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COVID - 19 By The Numbers |
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Global Confirmed: 24,266,622
Global Deaths: 827,527
U.S. Confirmed: 5,843,293
U.S. Deaths: 180,118
(As of 3:00 PM, Thursday, August 27, 2020)
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Hamilton County
Cases
10836
Hospitalizations
1054
Deaths
284
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Clermont County
Cases
1220
Hospitalizations
112
Deaths
14
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Brown County
Cases
197
Hospitalizations
20
Deaths
2
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Butler County
Cases
3685
Hospitalizations
341
Deaths
73
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Warren County
Cases
2198
Hospitalizations
177
Deaths
42
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Other Important Headlines: |
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Cincinnati AFL-CIO
Labor Council
Bill Froehle, President
Pete McLinden,
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Brian D. Griffin,
Director of Communication & Technology
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