AFSCME members stood on the steps of the Supreme Court this morning to support the LGBTQ community as the court heard three cases centered on the question of whether it is legal to fire someone for being gay or transgender.
It’s not a secret that drug prices in the United States are rising much faster than inflation. To take but one example: between 2002 and 2013, the price of insulin, a hormone that saves millions of lives every year, more than tripled.
The “Never Quit” attitude of AFSCME members was on full display in the Town of Ellington on June 10, when the heroic actions of three Department of Public Works employees saved the life of their colleague Shawn Bull.
The day started normally for Bull, a DPW maintainer and member of AFSCME Local 1303-009, but soon veered into disaster when he lost control of his high-powered chop saw while working on a catch basin. The saw kicked back, sliced Bull’s neck open and severed his carotid artery and jugular vein.
Denise Stevenson, a 33-year veteran of state government and a second generation union member, is not reticent about extolling the virtues of pensions.
“I think that everyone should be entitled to have a pension if you work in the United States,” she said. “A pension is not a fringe benefit. It’s a right.”
Stevenson is a Unit Supervisor for the State Department of Social Services. In addition to serving as a union steward, she is also an Executive Board member of Local 704 (NP-3 Clerical Bargaining Unit).
There’s no avoiding the reality of what’s happening to our environment. Without mitigating measures global climate change will have significant negative economic, environmental and fiscal implications for state and local governments (and the jobs they provide), as well as our communities and residents.
On Sept. 11, 2001, we as a nation faced a tragedy unique in our history. And we promised each other to never forget — never forget those who lost their lives or those who put their lives on the line to save others.
Labor unions are continuing to gain momentum, with the latest proof coming from a new Gallup poll, which shows that 64 percent of Americans approve of unions, a near 50-year high.
More and more people, regardless of political party, view unions as essential to levelling the playing field, providing economic security and unrigging a system that’s for too long favored the wealthy and powerful.
