Cincinnati
AFL-CIO
Labor Council
Saturday, November 19, 2022

Special National Apprenticeship Week Edition
This Week With AFL-CIO President, Liz Shuler
For millions of workers, including many of our union members, marriage equality is a matter of basic freedom and dignity under the law. And as union leaders, we recognize the economic benefits that come with the decision to enter into a legally recognized marriage.

Only a few months ago, the Supreme Court demonstrated that it is eager to reverse decades of progress by taking away longstanding rights in pursuit of its rigid ideology. Workers cannot rely on the majority of the Supreme Court to protect our rights under the Constitution.

The Respect for Marriage Act will add protections from marriage discrimination on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity or national origin. In the face of right-wing court decisions, workers need these protections now more than ever. The labor movement applauds the bipartisan majority in favor of proceeding with this important legislation and calls on the U.S. Senate to pass it as quickly as possible.
America’s unions thank Nancy Pelosi for her historic leadership and her decades of public service. She is undoubtedly the greatest and most effective House speaker in our nation’s history. It was due to her leadership that bills like the Affordable Care Act and the bipartisan infrastructure bill became law—changing working families’ lives for the better.

Speaker Pelosi is a trailblazer who defied the odds and, through her stewardship, helped to change the face of government. Her efforts helped pave the way for the most diverse caucus to ever serve in Congress.

She has been a steadfast champion for working families since day one of her storied career. Even in the face of formidable opposition, she tirelessly advocated for all working people to have the opportunity to join a union. We owe her a debt of gratitude for the long list of pro-worker legislation she championed and passed through the House.

For her lifetime of service to the country and for working families everywhere—thank you, Madam Speaker!
As we look at the midterm election results as they stand today, it’s clear that conventional wisdom was wrong. Why is that? As with any election, there’s no one explanation. But a key storyline that remains largely untold is the role working people played in securing these victories—specifically, the role of union voters. We know that good organizing isn’t just what you say. It’s how intently you listen. And we got an earful. Corporate profits are now at a 70-year high, and wage increases workers have earned are eaten up by rising prices. In those conversations, we heard over and over again, “Something doesn’t add up.”

The union program, which featured 100,000 volunteers and reached 7.7 million voters, provided the ground game that was impossible for extremist, anti-worker Republican candidates to replicate. The lesson learned in 2022 is that democracy belongs to all of us, not just to the powerful few.

Soon, the midterm election results will be in the rearview mirror. But working people aren’t heading home. We’re staying in the fight to rebuild our economy, brick by brick, until America’s promise is fully realized.
The foundation that we built through our 365-day-a-year political organizing campaign will engage voters every day through 2024 and beyond to create an economy that works for all of us.

Organizing at the workplace leads to winning campaigns at the ballot box. And creating more pro-labor policies means adding more good union jobs.

We have to win the runoff election in Georgia to keep the momentum going. One more pro-labor senator could make all the difference over the next two years.
Make no mistake: We kept our pro-labor majority in the U.S. Senate because of tireless campaigning from union members across the country. The union members in Nevada and Arizona deserve special recognition today for their incredible election victories. Thank you!

Some people said our pro-labor majority was a lost cause. But we showed them what we can do when we keep fighting. Now, we have the opportunity to expand that majority.

The runoff in Georgia will be close, and we need to keep our foot on the gas pedal. This election will show beyond the shadow of a doubt that workers, empowered by solidarity, can make lasting progress for our country.
Watch: Secretary-Treasurer Redmond Helps Kick Off National Apprenticeship Week
The labor movement’s world-class apprenticeship programs upskill working people, allowing more workers to take on good union jobs. This week, as we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, we also recognize America’s apprentices and the unions that provide this pathway to the middle class.

“The labor movement has long championed registered apprenticeships because we know that
they offer more than just a job—they offer hope and a path to life-changing careers,” said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond. “So, the AFL-CIO recently launched our partnership with the Permission to Dream program to expand access to apprenticeship opportunities for students and underserved communities.”
 
What are apprenticeships?
The average starting salary after completing a registered apprenticeship is $77,000. Registered apprenticeships are a pathway to a career and financial stability.
 
Today, the Department of Labor is launching National Apprenticeship Week. We’re sending Labor Secretary Marty Walsh a thank-you card for spreading the word about these good union jobs.

Registered apprenticeships are good for employers and good for working people. 
 
Employers develop a highly skilled workforce. And working people get paid work experience, classroom learning and a pathway to success.
 
There are registered apprenticeships across industries like hospitality, telecom, cybersecurity, construction and advanced manufacturing. The people working in these industries literally will build our future.
 
As the labor movement, we already know registered apprenticeships are valuable and are good union jobs.
 
But more people need to know. So let’s thank the Labor Department for spreading the word through National Apprenticeship Week.
 
Women in Apprenticeships
Apprenticeships are good union jobs and provide valuable skills needed for a career. 
 
Yet women participate in apprenticeships at much lower levels than men: Less than 14% of active apprentices are women. 
 
So we talked to five women in trade apprenticeships about their experiences and what they gained.

Chelsea spoke about the pride she feels while walking around her city knowing she helped build it.
 
June learned a new and in-demand construction design software.
 
Syesha started “The S Club” to help young women get into the trades.
 
Linda became the first female dispatcher in her local union.
 
Pati wants to help other returning citizens build trade careers.
 
Registered apprenticeships can and will transform lives. Learn more about apprenticeship programs with our affiliate unions here.
Unions Give Young People Permission to Dream
Young people face greater economic uncertainty than ever before. That’s why the AFL-CIO recently announced a new partnership with the Chris Gardner Foundation’s Permission to Dream program that will put students with limited economic opportunities on an early path to the middle class. As part of the program, our federation and its affiliated unions and partners will give students in disadvantaged communities the opportunity and support to enter paid, registered apprenticeship programs in the building and construction trades.
 
“As we celebrate National Apprenticeship Week, it’s right that we focus on marginalized students and young people. The AFL-CIO’s partnership with Permission to Dream will provide opportunities for young people, who may not otherwise get exposure to trade unions, to reach their potential through AFL-CIO affiliate unions’ training and apprenticeship programs,” explained AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond. “This is how we lift up the next generation of workers and provide a pathway to middle-class careers.”
 
Founding partners of the AFL-CIO’s partnership with the Permission to Dream collaboration also include the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), the UAW, the School Administrators (AFSA), the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), SAG-AFTRA and Ullico, labor’s insurance and investment company.
NABTU Highlights America’s Registered Apprenticeship System During National Apprenticeship Week
This week is National Apprenticeship Week, and North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) is promoting an American success story: the registered apprenticeship system. NABTU President Sean McGarvey (IUPAT) emphasized how registered apprenticeship programs are crucial to massive federal investments in infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing.

“As our system expands to meet the demands for new workers in these critical infrastructure jobs, we are committed to recruiting more women, communities of color, indigenous people, veterans and the justice involved for these new opportunities in the unionized construction industry,” McGarvey pledged. “That is why we are pleased to be part of [the Labor Department’s] efforts like National Apprenticeship Week and look forward to helping continue to elevate and showcase this proven model to other industries and the American public."
A Proclamation on National Apprenticeship Week, 2022
During National Apprenticeship Week, we celebrate the workers of America — the best in the world — and lift up the importance of apprenticeship programs run by unions, employers, and other organizations. These programs train workers to hone a skill and craft that is going to rebuild America for the 21st century.
US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR HIGHLIGHTS THE BENEFITS OF REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIPS AS NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK 2022 LAUNCHES
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the kick-off of more than 1,000 events and activities throughout the country as part of the eighth annual National Apprenticeship Week, Nov. 14-20, 2022.

National Apprenticeship Week 2022 will include roundtable and panel discussions, conferences, and career and trade fairs hosted by stakeholders in the proven “earn-as-you-learn” model, which connects individuals to paid work experience, classroom instruction and a nationally recognized credential, and helps employers develop their future workforce.

Register Now: 2023 MLK Conference
Join us Jan. 13–16 in Washington, D.C., for the 2023 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference at the Washington Hilton.
 
The theme is Claiming Our Power, Protecting Our Democracy.

In the face of unrelenting attacks on civil rights and workers’ rights across the country, we will convene to reinforce the longstanding bond between the labor and civil rights movements and strategize on how we can strengthen democracy.
 
Together, we are the most powerful force for progress, and we hope you will join us as we prepare to step into the new year with purpose and carry on the fight for justice and equality.
Follow the AFL-CIO on All Our Social Media Platforms
A mass exodus at social media giant Twitter is underway after billionaire owner Elon Musk issued mass layoffs, asking remaining workers to agree to “hardcore” terms or leave. It’s been a critical reminder that all workers, including tech workers, need the power of a union.
 
Since its inception, Twitter has been a critical tool for union organizing. We’re going to be on the site until the very end, but in case you need to find us elsewhere:
Union Label Week
The 10 days following Thanksgiving are designated by the AFL-CIO as “Buy Union” week to encourage all union members to look for union-made goods and services when they buy for the Holiday Season. This year, Buy Union Week is November 25-December 4. 

To find a union made gift or service, go to our Buy Union Database at https://unionlabel.org/database-of-union-products-and-services/. You can also find a curated do-buy product list on our Do Buy page at https://unionlabel.org/do-buy/.  

When you buy union, you’re supporting good jobs in American communities, jobs that provide living wages and benefits, safe working conditions and dignity and respect for work.
Holiday shopping traditionally kicks off on “Black Friday” — designated as such because it’s the timeframe when many retailers move from red ink to black on their balance sheets. Shoppers will find plenty of “bargains,” but union family shoppers will want to look beyond foreign-made electronics, trendy toys and gadgets to find enduring goods that are union made, or perhaps gift cards for union-productions, such as movies or sporting events, or union made food stuff — there are still many union-made candies, baked goods, spirits and specialty items.

Buy Union!
Buy American-Made Gifts This Holiday Season
According to a new poll released by the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM), while a large majority of American consumers would prefer to purchase holiday gifts that are made in the United States, many of them say they rarely or never see American-made products while shopping. The AAM, with support from the United Steelworkers (USW), is making it easier than ever to buy American-made gifts during the holiday season with its 2022 Made in America Holiday Gift Guide.
 
USW International Vice President Roxanne Brown said, “It’s no surprise that the majority of Americans want to buy domestically made goods, both to make the holidays brighter and to help support good jobs and a stronger U.S. economy. USW members proudly make a number of high-quality products that make great gifts. We’re grateful to the AAM for putting together this important resource to make both holiday shopping and investing in our communities easier.”
RWDSU-UFCW Calls on Amazon to Respect Its Workers as Holiday Shopping Begins
As the holiday shopping season gets underway, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW) issued a statement urging Amazon to treat workers with dignity and respect—especially during this time of the year.
 
“Every year at this time, Amazon workers across the world are forced to work mandatory overtime at an often-unattainable pace that results in injuries,” said RWDSU-UFCW President Stuart Appelbaum (not pictured), who also demanded the massive online retailer stop union-busting. “Amazon cannot continue to treat workers as disposable, and this Black Friday, workers will be taking action to demand that they be treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.”
Nearly 50K University of California Workers Go on Strike
Academic workers at the University of California (UC) went on strike Monday morning in the largest-ever higher education strike in U.S. history. The nearly 48,000 workers, who are represented by the UAW, are demanding fair compensation and a just contract that recognizes their essential work for the university system amid rising living costs.  

“Our union stands with our members in California as they fight for fairness and an equitable collective bargaining agreement.

This strike is the largest in the nation, the biggest of the year and the largest at any academic institution in history,” said UAW President Ray Curry (not pictured). “We urge the University of California to stop their misconduct and bargain in good faith with their academic workers who perform critical work every day.”
NFLPA’s Tretter Calls for Field Improvements to Protect Player Health and Safety
Injuries to professional athletes are more than just a cause for concern among sports fans—it’s a workplace safety issue that needs to be addressed at every level. That is the message from NFL Players Association (NFLPA) President JC Tretter, who published a series of demands for the league to take immediate action to make the field safer. He challenged the NFL to immediately address unsafe conditions on the playing field,
including banning the use of slit-film turf.
 
“This week, we have seen the NFL [public relations] machine go into overdrive to spin a more favorable narrative to what the union and players know is a problem,” Tretter said on Saturday. “If the NFL is serious about their claims that they make data-based decisions and that they care about player safety, then we have some actionable items for them.”

In a powerful show of solidarity, players across the league backed up Tretter’s call to action with a flurry of tweets calling for #SaferFields.
 
“Field conditions impact everyone, from players to fans to coaches and [general managers]. No one wants to see players sidelined by injury because owners choose to save money over a bad field,”
tweeted San Francisco 49ers All-Pro tight end George Kittle.
Labor Movement Stands in Solidarity with Starbucks Workers
In less than one year, the number of unions at Starbucks’ freestanding stores has increased from zero to more than 250. The thousands of brave workers organizing at Starbucks—dozens of whom have been fired by the corporation for exercising their right to form a union—are at the vanguard, helping to create momentum for worker organizing that we haven’t seen in generations.
 
But Starbucks, like so many greedy corporations before them, is using every play in the union-busting playbook to deny these workers their voice on the job: firing organizers, offering special perks to nonunion workers, stalling at the bargaining table, closing union stores, and even convincing a judge to order the release of private correspondence between the union and journalists. It’s clear the future of the labor movement and our freedom to create strong unions rests on the outcome of this organizing campaign and so many others like it throughout the country.
 
That is why the AFL-CIO and our members stand proudly with Starbucks workers today as they go on
strike at some 111 stores against the company’s unfair labor practices and to demand that management come to the bargaining table in good faith. Please join us in promoting the #RedCupRebellion.
U.S Senator Sherrod Brown:
Working For Working People!
Winter Coat Drive!
Hurry to help for Thanksgiving
It’s heartbreaking to think of families facing hunger — especially during the holidays.

But there’s good news! You still have time to help put food on the tables of your neighbors this Thanksgiving. Every dollar you give can help provide 3 meals — enough to feed a family!

No child or family should have to worry about how they’ll get their next meal — during the holidays or any time. Please help make this Thanksgiving a little brighter for our tristate area neighbors experiencing hunger.

Thank you very much, and happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Your Latest News Roundup from RetireMed
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, November 18 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, November 18, 2022 from daily data reporting to the Ohio Department of Health. These metrics are updated daily.
Hamilton County
Cases
225,730
Hospitalizations
6,978
Deaths
2,165
Clermont County
Cases
62,061
Hospitalizations
1,743
Deaths
597
Brown County
Cases
13,313
Hospitalizations
115
Deaths
192
Butler County
Cases
110,522
Hospitalizations
3,651
Deaths
1,210
Warren County
Cases
68,979
Hospitalizations
1,438
Deaths
625
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