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AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised the White House’s announcement Thursday that the Biden administration will forgive student loans for an additional 78,000 borrowers — including many AFSCME mem

AFSCME President Lee Saunders congratulated Nicole Berner, a longtime labor lawyer and general counsel of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), on being 

I have always believed in unions. When I was presented with the opportunity to join AFSCME upon accepting a job with DCF, I did not hesitate. That would prove to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. After less than a year on the job, I was assigned to a new position without proper training. Rather than providing coaching, I was terminated abruptly. Losing my job was devastating for me because I was a new resident of Florida with no family and very few associates. The absence of a viable support system weighed heavily on me.
AFSCME Local 1584, the union that represents bus drivers, custodians, food service workers, and other support staff at the Manatee County School district, ratified a historic agreement Saturday which provides substantial raises for all employees and significant improvements in working conditions. 
The contract, which was approved by nearly 90% of workers that voted Saturday at the Palmetto Youth Center includes:

In the summer of 2015, AFSCME members in Florida were facing a troubling future. Their jobs and rights were under attack across the state as anti-worker legislators and organizations were using Florida as a testing ground for the attacks we have seen nationally in the past few years. While signing up coworkers in a traditionally Right to Work for Less state had always been challenging, they agreed that organizing was the key to stemming the dramatic loss of members and turning the tide.

AFSCME Florida Executive Director Jana Weaver released the following statement on Governor Ron DeSantis' state budget proposal:

As the the Federal Shutdown drags on, it's created a crisis for many of our hardworking Brothers and Sisters. Most Federal Employees have been directed to not work or work without pay for an indefinite amount of time created financial hardships for families across the country. In addition, many Union workers employed by government contactors have been forced to stop projects as the shutdown continues.  As we have in the past with natural disaster relief, the AFL-CIO is stepping up to assist those in need with Shutdown Disaster Relief.

AFSCME Florida retirees are fighters. They've spent careers providing the vital services to make the lives of citizens across the Sunshine State better and now, so many who live in Florida's panhandle are fighting to recover and rebuild after the unprecedented devastation of Hurricane Michael. "We've lost just about everything," said Patricia Byrd, a former state employee and lifelong Panama City resident, "but we will not give up. This is our home."

LAS VEGAS — More than 160 AFSCME members gathered in Las Vegas last week to lift up the voice of public service workers and move our union forward.  

At the AFSCME Volunteer Member Organizer Rise Up conference, VMOs from around the country attended skill-building training sessions and visited Nevada state employees to share the vision of improving the quality of public services and the lives of those who provide those services. 

A federal court has ruled in favor of working families and against wealthy special interests in Danielson v. AFSCME Council 28, a case out of Washington state.