News

Oregon State Workers Demand Recognition of Indigenous People’s Day as a Paid Holiday

Salem, OR — For the third consecutive bargaining cycle, Oregon state workers represented by Oregon AFSCME have called on state leadership to honor Indigenous People’s Day with a paid holiday.

Alyssa’s Grievance Victory Started with Notes | Oregon AFSCME Member Story

When Alyssa Ledesma first joined Oregon AFSCME Local 328, she did it on the advice of a colleague, without knowing how helpful having a union can be.

Member Action Saves DEQ Program

In Oregon, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is the state agency responsible for restoring and maintaining the quality of our air, land, and water.

Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act Introduced

The Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act was introduced today in the House of Representatives by Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.). The bill, which currently has 144 cosponsors, would set a minimum nationwide standard of collective bargaining rights that states must provide. It would empower workers to join together for a voice on the job not only to improve working conditions but to improve the communities in which they work.

The union difference: Greatest wealth gains are for Black and Hispanic union households

We’ve said it before: Life is better in a union. 

Workers who belong to unions make more money than their nonunion counterparts. They have better health care insurance and retirement plans, more job security and safer working conditions. They’re happier.

Report: Cultural institutions took federal money but still let go of workers

Some of the nation’s largest cultural institutions accepted more than $1.6 billion in federal help to weather the coronavirus pandemic, but continued to let go of workers – even though the assistance was meant to shore up payrolls and keep workers on the job, according to a report released by AFSCME Cultural Workers United.

AFSCME members honored during Community Change event

Photo portrait of Mr. Alpha Bufford

Alpha Bufford.

AFSCME supports lowering drug prices to help millions of Americans

When Fran Krugen’s late husband was first diagnosed with diabetes, his insulin cost about $35 a bottle.

But Krugen, an AFSCME retiree from Arizona, will never forget the day when she and her husband went to the drug store to pick up his insulin and the pharmacist told them it now cost $900 a bottle.

“This was medication he needed to live, and we had insurance,” she said at a press briefing earlier this month. “We looked at each other and had to ask ourselves: Do we make the house payment? Do we buy food? Or do we pay for his medication?”

Vaccine Mandate Letter of Agreement

Today, the 20th of September 2021, the District Council of Trade Unions, alongside PROTEC17 and LiUNA Local 483, has signed a Letter Of Agreement (LOA) that provides important rights for AFSCME Local 189 workers impacted by the vaccine mandate.

This agreement is now in effect. As part of the agreement we were able to bargain following additional rights beyond what the City initially proposed:

COVID19 Vaccine FAQ

COVID19 Vaccine Mandate FAQ
Learn more about Oregon AFSCME's response to vaccine mandates

A New Jersey member’s career grows thanks to the AFSCME Free College Benefit

The pandemic has led many of us to take stock of our lives and our goals. For AFSCME New Jersey member LaTrenda Ross, the pandemic ignited a long-held dream—starting her own life coaching business.

“I was thinking about revamping my whole entire life,” recalls Ross, a member of Local 2306. “I was looking out for things I want to do, things I haven’t been going after.”