News

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 

Photos from this special event can be seen by clicking here.

This April marked the 49th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while he was in Memphis supporting an AFSCME sanitation workers strike. Dr. King went to Memphis in 1968 to call attention to the plight of these workers, who were striking for better wages and working conditions, and recognition of their union.

With Florida’s 2017 legislative session passing the halfway mark, many critical issues facing AFSCME members remain in flux. While the attacks to retirement security, health care and even the very right to a democratic voice on the job continue, the weeks of incredible outreach over the phones, in person and at events around the state by AFSCME members and allies have had a real impact.

The following column ran on the site Florida Politics

Recently the House passed HB11, legislation that would require labor unions representing public sector workers to certify they have more than half of the workers signed up as members every single year. In their view this will empower workers to somehow bargain better contracts and benefits and, they swear, in no way an attempt to strip workers of their right to a voice on the job.

http://www.tampabay.com/opinion/letters/thursdays-letters-gorsuch-puts-b...

I write to express my concerns about Neil Gorsuch, President Donald Trump's nominee to the Supreme Court. One Another way to describe him would be as Wall Street's best friend, as Gorsuch has consistently favored the wealthy and powerful at the expense of everyone else.

Over two days in early March, AFSCME Local 1279 brought to a vote a new multi-year contract with their employer, the city of Jacksonville, Florida. For years, too many years, the city’s budget had been balanced on the backs of working families. Though their commitment to serving their communities never wavered, it was tough to keep up with the rising cost of living when their pay never moved for almost eight years. And the strength of the Local suffered along with the members.

For Tarcara Lamkin, being a state employee means she knows that she is serving her community every day. As a senior clerk with the Florida Department of Health at the Magnolia Women's Health Center, she knows she is an integral part to ensuring that the Jacksonville community is informed and able to take action concerning sexually transmitted diseases.

Ask Terrance Myrick about how things are going at work and, more often than not, in just a few seconds he will steer the conversation to AFSCME.

That is because the Local 2941 member in Jacksonville has learned firsthand how being a union member is about investing in your job not just for today but for the future as well.

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/opinion/commentary/fl-amoped-florida-legisla...

Already this year, American have seen clearly how our Constitution keeps our country strong. First, the world watched the peaceful transfer of power from one president to the next and then tens of millions exercised their right to assembly by participating in one of the dozens of Women's Marches across the country, including here in Florida.