Cincinnati
AFL-CIO
Labor Council
Saturday, October 15, 2022
**No Newsletter Saturday, October 22nd or 29th. We will resume Saturday, November 5th**

COPE IS THIS UPCOMING FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21st!

REGISTER NOW BY EMAILING THE FORM BELOW TO INFO@CINCINNATIAFLCIO.ORG
This Week With AFL-CIO President, Liz Shuler
America is at an inflection point. Our freedom to have a strong union, affordable health care, a dignified retirement and a say in our democracy are all on the line this election.

Union members all across the country are mobilizing, protecting our freedoms at work and making our voices heard in this election. We can make the difference in key races throughout the country, but only if we engage our members, our neighbors and our communities.

Tens of thousands of union volunteers are hitting the streets to make sure the voices of workers are heard loud and clear on Election Day. I’ll be with them every step of the way, and I hope you will join us.
On Tuesday, the Biden administration once again delivered on its promise to put working people first. By restoring commonsense rules to determine who is an employee, and making it harder for employers to intentionally misclassify their employees as independent contractors, the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) announcement will increase protections and expand benefits to so many working people who have been subjected to corporate work-arounds.

This proposed rule will ensure DOL has the tools to protect employees against the current and escalating problem of misclassification. 

While this announcement is a major step forward, we know there is still so much more to do to make our economy more fair and equitable. The AFL-CIO and our allies will continue to push for legislation and regulations to give workers the rights we deserve. 
Last weekend, I had the privilege of campaigning with union members to elect pro-labor candidates in Pennsylvania. Everywhere I go, I meet union members flexing their muscles at work, in their communities and at the ballot box.

I get it: It can be tough to talk to our members about politics these days, especially when our country is so divided. But if we keep the focus on the issues that matter to us and our members, we can cut across the divides and unite around candidates who share our values.

We haven’t gotten this far to turn back now. Let’s keep our foot on the gas these next few weeks and bring home the wins for working people across America.
Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council
COPE DINNER 2022
"If Not Us, Who? If Not Now, When?!

We're Back and We're Live!
Tickets on Sale NOW!

Friday, October 21, 2022
UAW Local 863 Union Hall
10708 Reading Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45241

Save The Date!

6:00 PM Social Hour | 7:00 PM Dinner and Program

Special Keynote Speakers:
Clayola Brown, AFL-CIO
Director Civil, Human, and Women's Rights

Greg Landsman, Endorsed Candidate
for US House of Representatives, OH District 1

Musical Guests:
Jake Speed and The Freddies
An Evening of Labor's Best Musical Heritage!

Ticket Form Below...
Jake Speed and the Freddies w/ Special Guests Mike Oberst and Ed Cunningham at 22nd Annual Woodyfest Celebrating the life and music of Woody Guthrie.
Labor 2022 Walks
10am every Saturday and Sunday at APWU Local 164 Hall 1385 Tennessee Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45229.

Questions? Contact Evan Hennessy at ehennessy@ohaflcio.org or 513-602-9581.
Union Night with The Dropkick Muprhy's
Brothers, Sisters, & Friends the most pro-union band in the world, The Dropkick Murphys, will be playing in Cincinnati on October 29. There will be a special union member pre-party prior to the show.

To get tickets (and save on S&H) and/or wristbands to the pre-party email info@cincinnatiaflcio.org with subject headline "DKM."
Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond Rallies Union Voters in Nevada
AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond (pictured above, center) joined union members in Nevada last week who are campaigning their hearts out this election year. He rallied members of the Culinary Workers Union-UNITE HERE Local 226 who have knocked on hundreds of thousands of union members’ doors as part of UNITE HERE’s nationwide campaign to turn out the union vote. Redmond also met with union release staff—union members who are taking leave from their jobs to campaign full time—to help them build their strategy for the last few weeks before Election Day.
 
“I was in Nevada a few weeks ago to campaign with our amazing union activists and was excited to join them again today. Workers were fired up then, and we’re even more fired up now,” Redmond said. “Our Labor 2022 campaign is in full gear and running on all cylinders. Union members know what’s at stake, and we aren’t leaving anything on the field.”
Secretary-Treasurer Redmond Campaigns Alongside Philadelphia’s Labor Movement
More than 100 members of the postal unions were joined by other union members from across Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks counties in Pennsylvania on Monday to urge their neighbors to support pro-worker candidates, including U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman (pictured above, second from left). Union members met at National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Keystone Branch 157 union hall. Joe Rodgers, president of Branch 157, and Nick Casselli, president of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 89, hosted the Labor 2022 campaign event, joined by Pennsylvania AFL-CIO President Angela Ferritto (AFSCME) and Philadelphia Council of the AFL-CIO President Pat Eiding (HFIU).
 

AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond (pictured above, center) told the volunteers how much their work means, not just for the state’s working people, but for the whole country and for our democracy. Endorsed candidates also attended the event, telling volunteers exactly what they would do to make Pennsylvania the keystone of a pro-worker majority in this country.
Ohio AFL-CIO Responds to First Debate Between U.S. Senate Candidates Ryan and Vance
On Monday, Rep. Tim Ryan (pictured above, second from right) and J.D. Vance held their first debate in the U.S. Senate race in Ohio. Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga (USW, not pictured) issued a statement on that debate:
 
“We saw a clear contrast between these two candidates, and one of them came out head and shoulders above the other….It is clear that Tim Ryan won this debate because he is the only authentic candidate in this race with a real record of supporting working people. This contrast was a repeated theme in the debate, and Tim Ryan has once again proven that he is a true ally to labor and everyone who works for a living in Ohio.”
Tim Ryan’s Debate Performance Shows Democrats How to Beat Extremist Candidates
Ohio is a state that former president Donald Trump won by eight points in 2020, yet his hand-picked candidate J.D. Vance is essentially tied with Democrat Tim Ryan in the state’s U.S. Senate race.
 
Why is Vance struggling to connect with Ohio voters? Well, consider Ryan’s performance in his debate with Vance on Monday in which labor’s backed candidate gave a tutorial in exposing Vance for being a wealthy, absent, uninformed person with extreme views that are out of touch with the majority of Ohioans.
 
Sure to go viral, Ryan challenged Vance for having his dignity torn to shreds by Trump at a recent rally in Youngstown where the former president called him a backside kisser (well, he used stronger language).
 
Contrary to Republican claims that Democrats are soft on crime, Ryan also skewered Vance for promoting the legal defense fund for insurrectionists who assaulted police at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. “Can you imagine one guy saying out of one side of his mouth he’s pro-cop, and out of the other side of his mouth he’s raising money for the insurrectionists who were beating up the Capitol police?” Ryan declared.
 
While Ryan highlighted his true Ohio credentials as a public servant who consistently fights for his district, the state and the middle class, the debate exposed Vance as a say anything, do anything to get elected candidate who is now beholden to the extremists he condemned just a few years ago. Ryan also took Vance to task for his nonprofit organization meant to combat opioid addiction, which by accounts of those that worked there did nothing of the sort. And he lit into Vance for criticizing support to help Ukraine defend itself from Putin’s unprovoked war. As Ryan put it, “If J.D. had his way, [Vladimir] Putin would be through Ukraine at this point. He’d be going into Poland.”
 
Another Win for Ohio Working People as Biden Touts $4.4B Battery Plant
President Biden on Tuesday touted the plans for Honda to build a joint-venture battery factory in Ohio, saying new investments are part of the backbone of his economic agenda.
 
“Just as my CHIPS and Science Act is spurring record investments in communities across the country, my Inflation Reduction Act is driving a manufacturing boom for electric vehicles. This has been the backbone of my economic plan: America is leading the world again, rebuilding our supply chains, infrastructure, and manufacturing here at home,” Biden said in a statement.
 
Honda will team up with LG Energy Solution of South Korea to build the $3.5 billion battery factory as a joint-venture southern Ohio. The factory is expected to employ 2,200 people.
 
Additionally, Honda announced it will invest $700 million and add 300 jobs to three of its Ohio factories so they can start manufacturing electric vehicles.
 
US DOL Announces Proposed Rule on Classifying Employees, Independent Contractors
The U.S. Department of Labor will publish a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Oct. 13 to help employers and workers determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
 
The proposed rule would provide guidance on classifying workers and seeks to combat employee misclassification. Misclassification is a serious issue that denies workers’ rights and protections under federal labor standards, promotes wage theft, allows certain employers to gain an unfair advantage over law-abiding businesses, and hurts the economy at-large. 
 
The NPRM proposes a framework more consistent with longstanding judicial precedent on which employers have relied to classify workers as employees or independent contractors under the FLSA. The department believes the new rule would preserve essential worker rights and provide consistency for regulated entities.
 
Specifically, the proposed rule would do the following:
  • Align the department’s approach with courts’ FLSA interpretation and the economic reality test.
  • Restore the multifactor, totality-of-the-circumstances analysis to determine whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor under the FLSA. 
  • Ensure that all factors are analyzed without assigning a predetermined weight to a particular factor or set of factors.
  • Revert to the longstanding interpretation of the economic reality factors. These factors include the investment, control and opportunity for profit or loss factors. The integral factor, which considers whether the work is integral to the employer’s business, is also included.
  • Assist with the proper classification of employees and independent contractors under the FLSA.
  • Rescind the 2021 Independent Contractor Rule. 
 
Union Members Step Up to Help Communities Affected by Hurricanes Fiona, Ian
Following two back-to-back hurricanes that devastated large parts of Puerto Rico and Florida last month, union members are doing what we do best: lending a helping hand to help each other regain our strength. In Florida, where Hurricane Ian caused widespread damage, union members (pictured above) are sorting through donated supplies and distributing them to families in need. And in Puerto Rico, members of the Puerto Rico Federation of Labor (pictured below) continue to receive shipments to the island, where badly needed food and other items are being organized and given out to fellow union members.
 
Together, we can help our union brothers, sisters and siblings in Florida and Puerto Rico recover during these difficult times. Please consider donating to the AFL-CIO’s Union Community Fund to help out!
Union Members Earn $1.3 Million More Than Nonunion Workers Throughout Careers, Study Shows
What if you were told you could earn an additional $1.3 million throughout your working years by being part of a union? That’s what researchers found when they compared the earning potential of union members to workers who have never been part of a union. This new study demonstrates that lifetime earnings from being a union member also exceed average wage gains from completing a college degree.

“The process of de-unionization that’s occurred over the last half century or so has really undermined an important second channel through which people could find a path of upward economic attainment,” researcher Tom VanHeuvelen of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities explained to Business Insider.
Make Sure Your Next Car Is Union-Built with UAW’s 2023 Vehicle Guide
Are you or someone you know in the market for a new car? Make the 2023 UAW Union-Built Vehicle Guide your first stop in finding a quality, union-made vehicle. Every year, the UAW releases its lineup of vehicles that are union-made in the United States and Canada. This year’s list includes a large selection of hybrid and electric vehicle options.
 
PSLF Waiver Program
The U.S. Department of Education has implemented temporary changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program rules that make it easier for federal student loan borrowers to receive credit for past periods of repayment that would otherwise not qualify for forgiveness. These changes end on October 31, 2022. Millions of non-profit and government employees have federal student loans and may now be eligible for loan forgiveness or additional credit through the temporary changes, known as the Limited PSLF Waiver. But they must apply before the deadline. This means some borrowers will need to consolidate and/or submit a PSLF form – the single application used for a review of employment certification, payment counts, and processing of forgiveness – on or before October 31, 2022, to have previously ineligible payments counted. After October 31, 2022, normal PSLF rules will apply. Borrowers can learn more about the temporary changes at www.studentaid.gov/pslfwaiver.
U.S Senator Sherrod Brown: Working For Working People!
Ohio Faces Easy Choices at Polls, Sen. Sherrod Brown Says in Steubenville
Sherrod Brown says the choices voters will face when they cast their ballots in the Nov. 8 election are easy.
 
“We make it very clear — politics is not about conservative, liberal, moderate, middle of the road. It’s about whose side are you on,” the longtime Democrat senator said Thursday afternoon at a campaign rally at IBEW Local 246 in Steubenville.
 
“When it comes to issues like pensions, every single Democrat in the Senate voted for workers’ pensions, and every single Republican voted no. In terms of the child tax credit, every Democrat voted yes, every Republican voted no. In terms of protecting the right to organize, making it easier to form a union and making it so employers can’t block unions so easily, every Republican voted no.”
 
The stop was the second of the day for Brown, who was traveling with his colleague and friend, Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania. They were campaigning for Democrats in Ohio and Pennsylvania, especially Tim Ryan and John Fetterman, who are locked in tight races to replace Senators Rob Portman and Pat Toomey, who both chose not to run for re-election. Their day began in Western Pennsylvania and moved on to stops in Steubenville and Youngstown before finishing up in Erie, Pennsylvania.
 
“I want voters to realize Tim Ryan is on their side and his opponent is basically doing the bidding of corporate America,” Brown said while drawing a contrast with Republican candidate J.D. Vance. “It’s clear that Ryan is standing up for workers. He understands — he grew up just a couple of counties north of here in a working-class family and understands what’s happening in Jefferson County, in Belmont County, in Monroe County, in Harrison County — in all parts of Ohio.”
 
Support Families This Holiday Season!
We’d like your help providing a little extra holiday joy for 100 families in our community.
 
Each year, thousands of families across our region face difficult, heart-wrenching situations and parents may find themselves in situations where they need help caring for their children. During those difficult times, a parent may ask a relative or close family friend to temporarily provide care to their children. This arrangement, known as “kinship care,” allows parents to focus on their current situation, knowing their child is safe and well cared for, before they return home.
 
Children in kinship care and their providers often need additional supports to create an environment that allows the kids to thrive, as well as, provide some relief to the caregiver caring for their loved ones.
 
This year, we are inviting individuals, families and corporate/organizational groups to participate in United Way’s second annual Adopt-A-Family effort this holiday season. With your help, we will support 100 families with holiday gifts from their wish lists, allowing these children and families to experience true joy over the holiday season.
 
Kesha Glenn’s family of four was among those that received gifts last year. “Adopt-A-Family made it a complete Christmas for us. I’m truly grateful,” she said. For more results, watch last year's video.
  
How it works: 
  1. Sign up to participate. The spending suggestion is $50 for each family member. For example, the spending expectation for a family of four would be $200. However, volunteers can contribute gifts in the amount that fits your budget. 
  2. United Way will match volunteers with participating families and provide wish list details no later than Tuesday, Nov. 22. 
  3. Volunteers will shop for items and deliver them to United Way on Friday, Dec. 9. 

United Way is working with Faith Community Partners to distribute items to families.

We appreciate your support and participation in providing families a warm and joyful experience this holiday season!
Women's March To the Polls Event
ICWUC Center For Worker Health and Safety Education: Instructor Position
Cincinnati NAACP: Now Hiring!
Hamilton County Board of Elections is now hiring for the position of:

  • Precinct Election Officials - Temporary (Click here for more information)


WKRC is now hiring for the position of:

  • Meteorologist - Full Time (Click here for more information)


2060 Digital is now hiring for the position of:

  • Graphic Designer - Full Time (Click here for more information)


2060 Digital is now hiring for the position of:

  • Quality & Optimization Manager - Full Time (Click here for more information)


WXIX is now hiring for the position of:

  • Account Executive - Full Time (Click here for more information)


WXIX is now hiring for the position of:

  • Digital Producer - Part-Time (Click here for more information)


The City of Covington is now hiring for the position of:

  • Project Engineer - Full Time (Click here for more information)
Hazardous Products Drop Off Event
FREE Flu Shot Clinic!
Flu season is around the corner! Make sure you and your family are protected by attending our FREE flu shot clinic on Saturday, October 22nd! Use the QR code below to register!
We're back! FMCS Institute Becoming a Labor Arbitrator and more open for registration now
Mediation Skills
Fall 2022
October 25-27 and November 1-3, 2022
11a - 5p Eastern
This course takes place over 6 days (Tues., Wed., and Thurs.)
 
Cost: $1,600 per person
Early Bird $1,500 if registered by September 25

Dealing effectively with conflict in the workplace has become a critical function in public and private organizations. Employers and employees are increasingly turning towards mediation to avoid costly and time-consuming litigation. Mediation has successfully applied to many types of workplace disputes, including grievances, EEO complaints, superior/subordinate problems, and peer conflicts.

This workshop focuses on the mediation process and skills required to be successful. Facilitating difficult conversations, creative problem-solving, interpersonal negotiations, and communication will be covered.

Highly interactive, this course will use large and small group discussions, online discussion boards, role-plays reflecting a variety of workplace conflicts, and other exercises along with instructor-led presentations to prepare you for real-life workplace disputes and problem resolution.

Topics Include:
  • The Neuroscience of Conflict
  • Introduction to mediation fundamentals: protocols, caucuses, and side-bars
  • Tools for resolving conflict
  • Building consensus
  • Ethical considerations in workplace mediation
  • Defining different mediation styles

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will receive an FMCS Certificate of Training. SHRM credits are approved for this course.

This class will be limited to approximately 25 participants.

Instructors: FMCS Commissioners Walter Darr and Andrew Fox
COVID-19 Dashboard
Why the Omicron Offshoot BA.5 is a Big Deal
By Brenda Goodman, CNN
(CNN) Once again, Covid-19 seems to be everywhere. If you feel caught off-guard, you aren't alone.

After the Omicron tidal wave washed over the United States in January and the smaller rise in cases in the spring caused by the BA.2 subvariant, it might have seemed like the coronavirus could be ignored for a while. After all, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in December that nearly all Americans had been vaccinated or have antibodies from a past infection. Surely all that immunity bought some breathing room.
But suddenly, many people who had recovered from Covid-19 as recently as March or April found themselves exhausted, coughing and staring at two red lines on a rapid test. How could this be happening again -- and so soon? [READ MORE]
Ohio Vaccination Dashboard

The COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard displays the most recent data reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) regarding the number of individuals that have started and completed the COVID-19 vaccination series by various demographics and county of residence.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard displays the most recent data reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) regarding the number of individuals that have started and completed the COVID-19 vaccination series by various demographics and county of residence. “Vaccination started” indicates that the individual has received at least one valid dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The number listed as “vaccination completed” is a subset of the number included in “vaccination started,” indicating that those individuals within that group have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses and are considered fully immunized. ODH is making COVID-19 data available for public review while also protecting privacy. This dashboard will be updated daily. Please see footnotes below for more details.
Ohio COVID-19 Dashboard
Overview

ODH is making COVID-19 data available for public review while also protecting patient privacy.

The State of Ohio COVID-19 Dashboard displays the most recent preliminary data reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) about cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Ohio by selected demographics and county of residence. Data for cases and hospitalizations is reported to ODH via the Ohio Disease Reporting System (ODRS), and verified mortality data is reported via the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS).
Current Trends
Below are the current reporting trends from Friday, October 14 for key indicators calculated from data reported to the Ohio Department of Health. These trends are updated daily and are presented by report date.
Below is a snapshot of key metrics pulled Friday, October 14, 2022 from daily data reporting to the Ohio Department of Health. These metrics are updated daily.
Hamilton County
Cases
222,034
Hospitalizations
6,847
Deaths
2,149
Clermont County
Cases
61,020
Hospitalizations
1,690
Deaths
585
Brown County
Cases
13,084
Hospitalizations
115
Deaths
191
Butler County
Cases
108,904
Hospitalizations
3,601
Deaths
1,205
Warren County
Cases
67,969
Hospitalizations
1,414
Deaths
616
Other News For and About Working People:
Cincinnati AFL-CIO
Labor Council
President

Executive Secretary-Treasurer

Executive Assistant to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer
1385 Tennessee Avenue | Second Floor | Cincinnati, OH 45229 | 513.421.1846 | info@cincinnatiaflcio.org | www.cincinnatiaflcio.org