Cincinnati
AFL-CIO
Labor Council
January 2023
This Month With AFL-CIO President, Liz Shuler
When the Trenton City Council refused to approve funding for AFSCME Local 2286’s already negotiated contract last year, union member Crystal Feliciano decided to run for council to defend working people herself. On Tuesday, she won her election with the support of the New Jersey AFL-CIO.

Working people are fed up with politicians who won’t listen to us, and they are hungry for leadership that will not only protect our rights, but also expand them.

There are many avenues for working people to use their voices to improve workplace conditions for themselves and other working people. Running for office is a challenging but rewarding pathway for those who can choose and commit to it.

If politicians won’t listen to working people, more and more working people will take the initiative to run for public office with the support of America’s unions. We will continue to support the champions of working people.
The labor and civil rights movements have always achieved their biggest successes when they work together toward common goals. That’s why more than 800 working people gathered in D.C. to participate in the AFL-CIO’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights conference this weekend.

We celebrated the life and work of the civil rights leader, continued the conversations about race that are vital to progress and pledged to continue that work as long as injustice affects so many Americans.

Fred and I were inspired and encouraged by the courage, enthusiasm and dedication that so many union members expressed at the conference, and we vowed to redouble our efforts to achieve the goals of both movements.

Labor and civil rights working together toward our shared and complementary goals is a formula for achieving tangible success in improving the lives of the American people.
January 13th marked the beginning of the AFL-CIO’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference. We come together not only to celebrate King’s legacy, but to continue his work.

There is so much work left to be done to advance civil and human rights, both inside and outside the labor movement.

This year’s theme is “Claiming Our Power, Protecting Our Democracy,” and working people from across the country are coming together to fight back against the rise of misinformation, political polarization and attacks on our basic freedoms.

Working people will not stand by while basic freedoms like the right to vote and organize a union are under attack. We will continue to defend those freedoms and protect against attacks on our very democracy.
The new year isn’t fully two weeks old and we’ve seen numerous examples of working people using collective action to improve their work lives.

More than 7,000 nurses in New York City went on strike this week, securing a tentative contract that will ensure safe staffing levels and better patient care.

These working people showed, once again, that our collective power is a force to be reckoned with.

In 2023, we must continue to use our collective voices, our power, to demand fair treatment on the job. When working people stand together, we win.
Events in Brazil over the last week show us that the fight against extremism is not over. Extremism can take hold anywhere.

We must make protecting democracy and electing candidates who will fight for working people and democratic institutions part of our everyday conversations at work and in our communities.

We need to share ideas about what works as a global community, because unions must be the last line of defense for democracy and freedom.

That’s why it’s so critical that we keep growing union density—we’ll grow worker power and address a lot of the economic insecurity people are feeling that drives them toward these extreme candidates.
Executive Secretary-Treasurer Cincinnati AFL-CIO, Brian Griffin: Now is the time for all good men and women…
So, this is 2023…and it is almost February. Its amazing to me how quickly time goes by. My wife, Susan and I just got all the Holidays decorations stowed and stashed for the year, but I know that it will be a blink of the eye and they will be coming back out. The circle gets a little tighter each year…

So, why all that? Well, here at The Council, we spend roughly the first half of each year planning for the events and activities that primarily fall in the second half of the year. We plan, and we program, and we schedule, and we resource, and we budget, and all the necessary steps that go into making sure each of our annual and other events and activities are executed as well as possible for you, the Sisters, Brothers, and friends of working families.

Each year we plan and facilitate, our Workers’ Memorial Day Commemoration, the Candidate Endorsement Process Labor the Annual Golf Outing, our Labor Day Weekend Celebration, Meet the Endorsed Candidates Night, our COPE Dinner Celebration, Get Out The Vote (GOTV) Activities, and our annual Delegate and Eboard Holiday Celebration. It’s a lot of planning up front and then a foot race from around June through to the beginning of December.

It was a bit different when I first began here at The Council some seven years ago. At that time there we for or six of us at any time to do the planning and the executing, but that number has dwindled down to just Ashley and me…and neither one of us is afraid of the task(s) at hand. However, any structure is stronger and more stable based on the mere number load bearing points upon which its mass is distributed. Its basic physics… The more points that bear the load, the stronger the structure.

The Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council is an historic, and historically strong Labor Council. We are known for our strong programming, agile activism, and willingness to stand together where and when we are called to do so. Well, this is one such call. The Council needs a few of our emerging leaders… our rising stars… to step up, show up and help carry the banner. No one thing is difficult, and most of it is something we do each year, so the planning and executing is not breaking all new ground. And frankly, could we do it with just staff? Well, we did it last year, and while it is a tone of work, last year was overall a good programming and event year by nearly every account. It just takes a bit of time and focus on something we all know, love, and share… A think in which we all have membership and a vested interest.

So, we are putting on a push to get our committees resourced and led so once again we can have an exciting year of programming and activities, but bring a few more of you in to help distribute the load and add some gravitas and credibility to your Labor Leadership Vitae. So, send us an email to info@cincinnatiaflcio.org, or give us a call at 513.421.1846, and let us know just where your knowledge, skills, abilities and interest lie, so you can get plugged into the right initiative.

But do not hesitate. This Council is only as strong as your strength added to the collective. It is only as agile as we are when we travel this movement together. It is only as responsive and targeted as when you, our membership takes a share in the lead and a time at the reins. The Council needs your help, and we will all be better off for it. Drop us a note or give us a call now. And as always, what we do, we do “In Unity and Solidarity!” We’ll see you out there…

Brian
Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council Needs YOU to Join A Committee
Executive Assistant and Office Manager Cincinnati AFL-CIO, Ashley Schleicher: January 2023 at the VO Studio
You’ve probably heard and seen the council’s push for our affiliates to use the VO Studio. This past month I had a few of you take me up on my offer to come see the studio and what it can do for you. In February, I hope even more of you will take me up on that offer because the power of video and audio for communicating your most important messages is undeniable. So please, be watching for a phone call and email from me to schedule a time for you to come see the studio – I promise it will be worth your time.

I completely understand that this studio may be intimidating but rest assured you are not going to have a camera in your face, and no one is going to be yelling at you that you messed up your lines. This is a laid back, conversational environment. And, if you take me up on my tour then you will get to see how awesome and chill the studio really is.
I’m really excited for those of you that came out and the projects we are creating. Some examples are meeting notices, union member stories, and onboarding tutorials. We truly can do any project big or small.

We also have begun production on our Women in Labor series. This is an ongoing project that will be filmed throughout the year. If you are interested in participating, please let me know at aschleicher@cincinnatiaflcio.org. We are going to record panel discussions on pre-determined topics and one on one conversations.

Finally, please be on the look out for a phone call and email from us here at The Council about coming in to record “Your labor story.” This is a chance, kind of like NPR’s “Story Corp.” Just you and a chance to chat about how you became involved with Labor and the Labor Movement. And Remember: If you aren’t telling your story then someone else is… and they aren’t doing it justice because it’s not their story to tell. The goal is to have a page smiling faces -- head shots of a bunch of different folks -- of Labor and then you click on the image and see and hear and their video. Each story will be as unique as the individual in the picture, and hopefully your stories can shine a light on the opportunity that is a good Union Job… and bring more people to Labor.

I really hope you will give the studio a chance. This studio is meant for the voice of the worker. We want to hear from you. We need to hear from you. Many people think they can silence us but with a resource like the VO Studio we are destined to be heard.

Let’s get loud and be proud of our Brotherhood, Sisterhood, and Solidarity. 
IT’S HIGH TIME YOU WERE HEARD! | Vox Operántium (VO) Studio
IT’S HIGH TIME YOU WERE HEARD!

Vox Operántium (VO) Studio -- The Voice of the Worker

In 2019, just prior to the onset of the great COVID Pandemic, we were able to utilize funding from the National AFL-CIO to pull together a full-blown Audio and Video Production Studio to help bring the power of digital media into our workingpersons’ toolkit, giving us an asymmetric way to literally amplify the message of working people and their families. Fast forward to today and through the generosity of IBEW Local 212, the VO studio is open for business at their local headquarters located at 212 Crowne Point Dr, Cincinnati, OH 45241.

About The VO Studio
The studio has everything required to record, edit and produce high quality video and audio content including audio podcasts, video podcasts, long form material and social media content as well as motion graphics (intros, outros and logo bugs, etc.). We can also stream live to Facebook, YouTube and virtually every/any other social media platforms.

Studio Equipment:
(2) Sony SRG-300H 1080p Desktop & Ceiling Mount Remote PTZ Cameras with 30x Optical Zoom
Key Features:
(2) KRK ROKIT 8 G4 8" 2-Way Active Studio Monitors
(6) RODE PodMic Dynamic Podcasting Microphones
(3) Viewsonic VS16403 Monitors
(1) Zoom Pod Trak P8 Portable Multitrack Podcast Recorder
(3) GVM 1300D RGB LED Video Lights
(1) Godox SL200W II LED Video Light
(1) Godox FLS8 Fresnel Lens
(1) Godox Grid for QR-P90, P90L, P90H Parabolic Softboxes
(1) Sennheiser Short Shotgun Condenser Mic
(1) Rode Wireless GO II Dual Channel Wireless Lavalier Microphone System
(1) Blackmagic Design DaVinci Resolve Studio with Speed Editor
(1) Blackmagic Design ATEM Mini Pro ISO HDMI Live Stream Switcher
(4) Shure SRH440A Closed-Back Over-Ear Studio Headphones
(1) Furman PL-8 C Power Conditioner
Meet George Farnell, Engineer/Producer/Director
Because the Vox Operántium Studio was brought about through a grant from the National AFL-CIO, use of the Studio is free to any of the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council Affiliated Local Unions. However, having said that, producing quality content can a be a bit daunting. That is why we work very closely with George Farnell, a Freelance Audio/Video Artist and Technology Specialist. In fact, Farnell is the creative mind behind the VO Studio equipment, configuration decisions and build-out.

Farnell, a bit of a renaissance man, studied Vocal Performance at UC College Conservatory of Music with John Alexander (Tenor - Metropolitan Opera). Throughout his college days, Farnell performed and competed in voice and piano competitions to rave reviews and superior ratings. He performed with the Cincinnati Opera, and in the 1980’s was under contract with EMI Records and performed with Gregory Hines, Mercer Ellington, Sting, Elton John, Billy Joel, Pat Metheny & others at venues throughout the United States including Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall & Austin City Limits. In 2009, he recorded a Christma
s album with select musicians called "In a Holiday Mood" as The George Madison Group.

Turning his considerable talents and keen mind toward the world-wide web and associated emerging technology, in 1992-1993 he was instrumental to developing the MPEG standard during its BETA phase. While working with Paradigm Communication Group in the early nineties, he was among the very first anywhere to integrate digital audio and video production systems. Seeing his skills for this emerging technology, the owners of Paradigm Communication Group spun off a sister technology company in 1996 that was eventually sold to Fifth-Third Bank and is now a part of WorldPay.

Farnell changed direction once again in 2001/2002 to yet another emerging area of tech - media marketing. He received his MBA from Miami of Ohio - Marketing Concentration and became known for his expertise in Web and Social Media Services. Fortunately for us, he is a good friend to working people and is a consultant and friend to us here at the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council.
As already mentioned, Farnell is the designer and engineer that pulled the VO Studio into existence. Over the past couple years, Farnell was a Producer/Editor on the 2021 COPE Celebration, and Producer/Editor for the 2021 Workers Memorial Presentation which were both entirely virtual due to the COVID pandemic. More recently, Farnell was Camera and Rough-Cut Editor for The Rick Smith Show when they came through Cincinnati just this past October.


So, while the use of the studio and all its considerable capabilities are FREE to any of the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council Affiliated Local Unions, Farnell is a Freelance Artist/Engineer/Producer/Director and provides his services for us at what are well below regular market rates. To collaborate with Farnell on projects at the VO Studio, his fees are $55/hour with a two-hour minimum; $200/half-day (4 hours); and $350/day (8 hours). He also collaborates on a project bid basis for ventures that may require additional time and a bit more of his considerable knowledge, skills, and abilities.

So, It Is High Time You Were Heard!

Looping back to the beginning of this article, it is indeed high-time you are heard – in the community, across your national and wherever your story should be told. So, come visit with us and get acquainted with what the VO Studio can produce for you. Meet the folk that can help make that happen for you and your Local. Over the next few weeks and month, we’ll be setting up times for Local Leaders to come visit with us at the Studio, get the nickel tour, push a few buttons and just generally play while also producing something of use to you in the way of Audio/Video Content.

Yep, it’s just that easy. And what’s more important, it’s high time. This studio is the envy of labor councils and state federations across the country, and it’s all yours for the taking! Let us help you raise your voice – make some noise – start something – maybe even a little of that good trouble we’ve all heard about. We’ll be calling, so get ready to make some noise! See you out there and see you soon!


Ohio AFL-CIO Southwest Rep. Julien Johnson: Political Update


Meet Evan Hennessy: OH AFL-CIO Local Organizing Specialist
Greetings Sisters and Brothers,

For all of you who I have not had the pleasure to meet my name is Evan Hennessy and I am the new Ohio AFL-CIO Local Organizing Specialist. I’ve met many of you during the last campaign cycle and look forward to seeing you all again soon. The Ohio AFL-CIO is currently getting ready to start up a new Member Education Program to help streamline getting important information to our members in their workplaces. I’m very excited to share this information with you all alongside updates on what we are organizing towards in the coming year.
 
In Solidarity,
Evan Hennessy
513-602-9581

Meet Mark Niehaus: CFT Director of Communication
Who was your favorite teacher growing up? Take a moment to think about your answer. You probably have one or two former teachers in mind, and you’re settling between the two of them. At the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, we believe in supporting our teachers just as that one teacher from your childhood supported you. That means making a lifetime of difference for our members, much like teachers do for CPS students every day.  
 
My name is Mark Niehaus and I am the new Director of Communications for CFT. Coming from a background in political consulting for progressive, pro-Labor candidates in Southwest Ohio, something I’ve learned is that if a tree falls somewhere like Mt Airy Forest and no one was there to see or hear it, it doesn’t matter. As a Union of over 3000 members and a proud affiliate of the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council, effectively communicating our progress and work to our members, to our Sisters and Brothers in Labor, and to the community at-large is how we build legitimate solidarity in the fight to provide quality working conditions and compensation for CPS teachers and ALL working families for that matter. That’s why I am beyond fired up and excited to be writing this message to you today – because this space is where you will find news, updates, events, and victories we have earned on behalf of our members. 
 
The truth is this: that teacher you remembered a minute ago when you first started reading was at work earning a living. You may not remember their lesson plan that day, or who was in your class. But you did remember how they made you feel in that moment. That feeling that someone is out there looking out for you is what we at CFT are all about.
 
If you have read this far, I can’t give your time back. But I can offer a coffee and conversation about how we can work together. Please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can reach me at mniehaus@cft-aft.org or (513) 509-1177 any time.
 
In solidarity,
 
Mark Niehaus 


GCBTC Executive Secretary, James (Jimmy) Hyden: New Year, New Start
Here we go again, another new year. What will it bring? I remember on my first day as an apprentice Ironworker in 1994 being told we were getting a new bridge in the next couple of years. Then in somewhere around 2008 or 09 President Obama made a visit to Cincinnati, OH to announce the Brent Spence project. On both occasions nothing materialized so why would I expect anything different, when it was discussed last year, that it would happen?

On January 4th, President Biden made a visit to Covington, KY. To announce the money has been approved for the Brent Spence Bridge project! Holy cow, 28 years later the politicians in Washington were able to get together and put their differences aside, for the betterment of the country, and finally agree to fund this much needed project. I have never been much of a politician or really paid close attention to politics until the past 6 years. I always thought that if you said you were going to do something than you should do it jus as you said. I later found out that isn’t necessarily true with some politicians. I must say the ones I have met over the past several years have been true to their word and I have supported them but there are the few that make politics a dirty word. I am not going to call out any names because we probably don’t have the same list of names which is why I don’t discuss politics with family or friends. It never ends well.

Like it or not, politics plays a part in the work we do. Without politicians we would not have the ability to negotiate contracts, have a 40-hour week or any of the other things we take for granted which were fought for by the members which came before us. We must all pay attention to politics and VOTE! I was told at an early age that if I didn’t vote I could not complain. I later found out that was not a true statement. What should have been said was if you don’t vote you don’t have the right to complain. That includes your locals’ elections and contract votes.

Be Safe.
Business Manager Ironworkers 44, Dave Baker: Bridge Brought To You By Biden
Pictured left to right are Dave Baker, Jesse Devers, Maggie Schneider, and Robert Barker

When I joined the Local in 1997, I was told we were going to be building a new Brent Spence Bridge soon. Well 4 Presidents and 25 years later it looks like this dream will be coming true. The much-needed grants for the bridge came through a couple weeks ago and now the funding has been secured. Personally, I feel it couldn’t come at a better time.

As many trades members have experienced this winter has definitely seen a slowdown in the local construction market. There have been multiple Mega-projects awarded all around us but Cincinnati has not been in the loop. This project is slated to bring 8 years’ worth of work to the area and I’m certain more companies will be looking here to build as a result.

On January 4th President Biden came to Covington to celebrate the grant approval for the bridge and the Ironworkers were invited to take part. Ironworker Saria-Gwin-Maye was picked to introduce the President at the event. She did a great job and represented the Local in a fantastic way. We also had everyone from Apprentices, Instructors, Apprentice Coordinator and Business Agent all got to come to the event. I personally was invited with Jim Hyden to have a meet and greet with the President himself. I want everyone to know that as we talked, he leaned in to me and said “These jobs will be Union Jobs”. This President believes in our Unions and our members need to hear that message. He uses the word Union more than any President I have ever heard speak in my time.
Unlike all the bullshit the media wants you believe he is not some senile old man. He may not be a snake oil salesman like the last guy and maybe can’t speak as eloquently as Obama did but he is far from too old. He knows exactly what he is doing and one of those things is helping to rebuild the Union way of Life. As members of the Union, we need to stand behind this President because he damn well stands up for us. He has fought tooth and nail to help us the last 2 years as President not to mention all the years before this.

He’s not been perfect at everything but no one is. So as the bridge gets going and you find yourself out there working on it just remember on election day 2024 that this bridge was brought to you by Biden.

Saria Gwin-Maye speaking and Ironworkers looking on in crowd.
Biden Infrastructure Bill: Roughly $1.6 Billion Secured For New Brent Spence Bridge Construction
After decades of promises and years of negotiations, Brent Spence Bridge corridor improvements have finally been granted funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law President Joe Biden signed in 2021.
According to a press release from Governors Andy Beshear and Mike DeWine, the U.S. Department of Transportation has officially awarded $1.635 billion in funding to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC).

“Ohio and Kentucky have been discussing the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project for almost two decades, and now, we can finally move beyond the talk and get to work,” said DeWine in a press release. “This project will not only ease the traffic nightmare that drivers have suffered through for years, but it will also help ensure that the movement of the supply chain doesn’t stall on this nationally significant corridor.”

In February, when Governors Andy Beshear and Mike DeWine signed a memorandum of understanding to seek federal funding from the Infrastructure Law, they announced the total Brent Spence Bridge project would have three components: A new companion bridge that will divert traffic from the Brent Spence Bridge, improvements to the existing bridge and reworking I-71/75 on both sides of the Ohio River. The companion bridge will be toll-free, both governors said.

“For decades, inadequate capacity on the aging Brent Spence Bridge has created headaches for drivers travel- Biden Infrastructure Bill: Roughly $1.6 Billion Secured For New Brent Spence Bridge Construction ing between Kentucky and Ohio,” said Mitch McConnell, Kentucky senator, in a press release. “Today we’re taking a major step forward toward fixing the problem.”

Beshear and DeWine have estimated the cost of the entire project at $3.6 billion total, with the anticipation that around $1.66 billion requested from the Infrastructure Law would go toward the new bridge’s funding.

“This historic amount of support from President Biden and our federal partners means that we’re on pace to reshape our infrastructure and the economic growth of our region for generations to come,” Aftab Pureval, Cincinnati mayor, said in a press release. “They got it done, when for years, others could not. And thanks to our incredible regional team of state and local partners, we are ready to push this groundbreaking project to the finish line.”

Earlier in December, Governor Andy Beshear said he’s been waiting “on pins and needles” for the call that federal funding is approved for the project, which aims to build a brand new bridge across the Ohio River, next to the existing Brent Spence Bridge.

“Kentucky has already put up $250 million, we’ve budgeted for it, it is sitting right there ready to go,” he said in a Dec. 12 interview. “And if we get a phone call that says that we won those grant making processes, it’s on.” The Brent Spence Bridge, built in 1963, carries roughly 3% of the nation’s GDP each year. It is considered “functionally obsolete.”

The bridge has officially needed a replacement since at least 1998, when the Federal Highway Administration determined it was no longer accommodating traffic needs.

“After working on this for more than a decade, we are finally going to build a new Brent Spence Bridge,” said Senator Sherrod Brown. “The infrastructure law is already making Ohio bridges safer – starting right here in Cincinnati – and I’m going to keep working to make sure Ohio gets its fair share – or more – of infrastructure funding.”

The new project would keep local traffic on the existing bridge and the companion bridge would become an express path for highway traffic through the downtown Cincinnati and Covington corridor. — ohioaflcio.org
MLK Stood With the Union
“The labor movement was the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress.”

“What does it profit a man to be able to eat at an integrated lunch counter if he doesn't earn enough money to buy a hamburger and a cup of coffee?"

Those words by Martin Luther King, Jr. still ring true today. Rents have increased 32% over the last year in the tri-state area, and the cost of food and groceries keeps going up. Black households in Cincinnati earned a median income of $37,659, half the area average.

Meanwhile Jeff Bezos is making billions upon billions.

These conditions are why Dr. King launched his Poor People’s Campaign to fight for higher pay and unions in the late 1960’s. Under a union contract, the pay is spelled out for all workers and there is no room for the company to underpay someone because of race or gender.

Today, we need to act now as workers look to unions for relief from rising prices. Amazon workers at the KCVG Airhub in northern Kentucky are fighting back against inflation by unionizing to demand $30/hr, 180 hrs paid time off, and union representation at disciplinary meetings.

If KCVG workers’ demands are won at Amazon, this forces businesses in the entire area to raise wages and benefits to compete. All workers will benefit from a successful union drive. That’s why the Ironworkers Local 44 just donated $3,000 to Unionize Amazon KCVG!

Can you follow the lead of the ironworkers and donate $30 to support the fight for $30/hr? All donations will go toward the union effort, like printing high-quality union fliers and paying for an office.

If you work at KCVG, or are a union member, or a member of a community or faith group, get in touch with us at kcvgworkers@gmail.com if you would like to help. Follow us on TikTok or Instagram, every follow helps the algorithm raise the profile of the union drive.

Solidarity,
Unionize Amazon KCVG
Ohio Ranks Third for Union Membership Growth in 2022
The percentage and number of workers in Ohio belonging to unions increased in 2022, the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week. Last year, 52,000 more Ohio workers joined the union movement than the previous year bringing the total number of union members in the Buckeye state to 699,000.
 
"It is exciting to see workers in Ohio represented by unions on the rise. It is no coincidence that when there is a pro-union President who invests in union construction, buy American manufacturing and investing in domestic energy policy that more workers will obtain good paying union jobs. Combine this with President Biden’s reconfiguration of the National Labor Relations Board and appointing a card-carrying union member in Marty Walsh to lead the Department of Labor, workers that want to organize and join a union will have a fair shot at doing so," said Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga. 
 
Ohio had the third largest increase in union membership nationally last year, according to an analysis of BLS data by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.. Only California, with an increase of 99,000 union workers, and Texas, which added 72,000 union members, posted larger total gains.
 
“This report confirms what many of us have known for a long time: that more and more workers want to join a union and are resilient in their fight to do so,” Dan O’Malley, who heads the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor, said in an email to Signal Cleveland.
 
Mike Curtin: 60% Threshold Puts School Construction, Affordable Housing, Job Creation and Building Ohio at Risk
Mike Curtin, former State Representative, Columbus Dispatch Editor and Associate Publisher, today warned raising the threshold to pass a constitutional amendment to 60 percent could have negative consequences for Ohio's lawmakers and governors to pass bond issues to raise money for investments in critical projects to move the state forward.
 
"Over many decades, voter-approved bond issues in the form of amendments to the Ohio Constitution have been indispensable for financing improvements to Ohio’s basic infrastructure – highways, schools and universities, other public buildings, conservation and natural resources, jobs and economic development programs, research and technology development, and housing assistance," Curtin said.
 
"Given Ohioans’ historic skepticism toward government debt, persuading voters to approve new bonded indebtedness programs has required strong bipartisan support, business-labor agreement, and an easily understood purpose," Curtin said. "Yet even when all those conditions are met, winning approval from Ohio voters is a challenging task – requiring a comprehensive, energetic campaign of voter education.”
 
Curtin provided an analysis of 18 state bond issues dating back to 1980, noting 12, or 67 percent, had passed under the majority rule of 50-plus one. If a 60-plus one threshold had been in place, four additional amendments for building Ohio would have failed, dropping the passage rate to 44 percent. In addition, two critical building programs barely passed with margins just over 60 percent.
 
Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center Employees Are Unionizing
Employees of Cincinnati’s Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) recently announced that they are forming a union.
 
Brandon Wagner, a security specialist for CAC, made the announcement in a video posted to Instagram. “We just finished turning in a letter notifying the interim director that we are now unionizing!” Wagner says to the camera in front of six dancing employees.
 
The video was posted to the account for Ohio’s chapter of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a union representing employees working in public service. Wagner told CityBeat the main reason CAC employees are seeking to unionize is for increased wages.
 
“The biggest reason is mostly raises in pay. We are having some staffing issues and that’s due to pay,” Wagner said. “We are due for some major changes to keep up with the times. The cost of living is rising.”
 
Major changes are also coming to CAC, which is why Wagner said now is the best time for employees to organize. The museum is slated to announce a new director in March (CAC's website lists Marcus Margerum as the current interim director and chief business officer). Wagner could not disclose to CityBeat who has been named for the role.
 
Ohio Will Help Dominate U.S. EV Battery Manufacturing
Georgia, Kentucky and Michigan are going to dominate electric vehicle battery manufacturing in the United States by 2030, while Kansas, North Carolina, Ohio and Tennessee will also be key players.
 
This planned manufacturing capacity was highlighted by the U.S. Department of Energy on Monday, based on a November 2022 report from the Argonne National Laboratory in November.
 
To keep up with increasing demand for EVs, the total build out of EV battery manufacturing capacity in North America will go from from 55 gigawatt-hours per year in 2021 to almost 1,000 gigawatt-hours per year by 2030. So far, the planned investment in these factories is more than $40 billion, according to an October report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
 
By 2030, this EV battery manufacturing capacity will support the manufacturing of between 10 million and 13 million all-electric vehicles per year, putting the U.S. in position to be a global EV competitor.
 
 
“Growing battery manufacturing capacity by more than 15x by 2030 will put the U.S. in the leadership circle of the EV market,” Nick Nigro, founder of the public policy shop, Atlas Public Policy, told CNBC.
 
What to do after Roe v. Wade?
January 22 should have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Instead, we’re fighting to keep the government out of our personal health care decisions.
 
If we can’t make choices about our own bodies and families, working people cannot do our jobs and contribute to our economy. Reproductive rights and worker rights are both fundamental freedoms that must be protected. 
 
With broken labor laws and Roe v. Wade overturned, our fundamental freedoms now depend on where we live.  
 
 
States that don’t protect abortion? They don’t protect workers’ rights either. 
 
This is not a coincidence.
 
Take a look at our map: Did your state politicians protect your freedoms? Or strip them from you?

So how do we protect our freedoms?
 
Fight like hell. 
 
Our map shows that threats to reproductive freedom go hand in hand with threats to economic freedom for workers. 
 
We have a guide on talking about reproductive health care as an economics issue, which you can use when organizing and talking to union members and your entire community. 
 
 
On what should be the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we’re not mourning—we’re organizing.
2022 USPS Post-Election Analysis
Letter Carriers have once again made it easy for over 54.4 million Americans to vote safely and securely by mail. 
Follow the Cincinnati AFL-CIO on All Our Social Media Platforms
Follow the AFL-CIO on All Our Social Media Platforms
U.S Senator Sherrod Brown:
Working For Working People!
Action Tank’s City Council Bootcamp Toolkit is Now Available for Your City or Organization!
Media Contact: Ioanna Paraskevopoulos, ioanna@actiontankusa.org, 202-697-2977

Action Tank is pleased to announce the release of the City Council Bootcamp Toolkit. Our City Council Bootcamp (CCB) Toolkit is a licensed guide available to nonprofits, resident groups, or municipalities who want to start CCB in their cities. The Toolkit includes guidance on every aspect of CCB, from fundraising, to recruiting and selecting students, to partnering with artists, to curriculum, lesson plans, workshop activities, homework assignments, and evaluation.

City Council Bootcamp is a program for engaged residents who are interested in running for city council and/or want a deeper understanding of city government systems and practices to successfully champion impactful policy changes that benefit all residents. Participants engage with speakers representing government administration leadership and subject matter experts, political decision-makers, elected officials and their staff, journalists, council clerks, advocates, community leaders, and others who play critical roles in shaping local policy processes and outcomes. The original program launched in Cincinnati in 2020 amid a wave of media attention and funding support, and has graduated dozens of local leaders.

In its first three years in Cincinnati, the Bootcamp graduates have achieved considerable successes, including:

  • Appointment and reelection to Cincinnati City Council
  • Mayoral appointments (2) to the Cincinnati Accessibility Board of Advisors
  • Successful policy advocacy for Cincinnati’s Equitable Restrooms Ordinance
  • Successful budget process advocacy resulting in a $100,000 line item for worker-owned co-ops
  • Taking office as President of the Cincinnati Charter Committee
  • Election to local precinct executive positions (4)
  • Election to community council presidencies
  • Founding Cincinnati’s first LGBTQ+ center
  • The Toolkit includes detailed guidance on how to start a local CCB chapter, including:
  • Marketing
  • Recruiting and selecting students
  • Raising program funds
  • Speaker selection
  • Incorporating artist-led workshops into the curriculum
  • Detailed lesson plans
  • Detailed runs of show for artist-led workshops
  • Homework assignments and templates
  • Program Evaluation Plans

Organizations interested in using the City Council Bootcamp model to build a local bench of talented civic leaders can contact us to set up a consultation with Action Tank or purchase the Toolkit through our website here.

Action Tank is a nonprofit that partners with artists to research and promote new public policy solutions at the local government level. Find more on Action Tank’s work at www.actiontankusa.org.
Arbitrating in the Federal Sector
Seeking to start or expand your labor arbitration practice in the federal sector? This two-day, in-person program is geared toward current FMCS Roster arbitrators needing a greater understanding of unique aspects of arbitration of disputes between federal agencies and their unions. The course will focus on the distinction between federal and private sector practice, with a review of the statutes, regulations, executive orders, and developing changes in direction at the FLRA. Substantial emphasis will be placed on working with case scenarios.
 
Instructors: Arthur Pearlstein, FMCS Senior Mediator and Alan Symonette, Esq.
 
When: Tuesday, March 21 – Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Time: 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Where: FMCS Headquarters, 250 E Street SW, Washington, D.C.
(walking distance from L’Enfant Plaza Metro or Federal Center SW Metro)
 
NOTE: Your reservation isn’t complete, nor is your seat reserved, until you’ve remitted payment for the course. If you have difficulty paying online or prefer to pay by check, please email us at fmcs_instititute@fmcs.gov. Call us at 202-606-3627 with any questions.
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