News

Biden forgives student loans for an additional 78,000 public service workers

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

New Year's Message from Executive Director, Shannon Douvier

When we look back on this year, I hope we can remember all we accomplished instead of how difficult things have been.  For many of us, after almost two years on the frontlines of this pandemic, this year was filled with stress, chaos, and fatigue.  Yet, together, the members of AFSCME Council 65 have accomplished amazing things. 2021 saw a rebirth of solidarity and collective action. You and your union siblings showed AFSCME can lead in Minnesota and South Dakota. 

Honoring the anniversary of America’s first pay equity strike

Striketober and Strikesgiving are over, but worker strikes are still going strong. As I write this, Kellogg’s workers are holding the line in Michigan, Nebraska, Pennsylvania and Memphis. Alabama miners are heading into their ninth month of standing up to Warrior Met Coal. And the wave of worker actions demonstrating power and the fight for fairness continues to rise.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders joins signing ceremony of historic infrastructure bill

AFSCME President Lee Saunders on Monday joined President Joe Biden and members of his administration, as well as a bipartisan group of lawmakers, for the signing ceremony of the historic Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

Congress has finally passed an infrastructure bill. Build Back Better should be next.

The House of Representatives has passed President Joe Biden’s transformational bipartisan infrastructure plan, which Biden will soon sign into law. The passage earned praise from AFSCME President Lee Saunders, who, in a statement, said, “We are turning a corner.”

What You Need to Know, OSHA Vaccine Requirement

The Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released its Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) relating to COVID-19 and employers of more than 100 workers. Minnesota operates its own OSHA standards and will have 30 days to release its own version that includes all provisions from the Federal ETS. Because of this, Minnesota's ETS will apply to all public employees. For South Dakota, this will only apply to private employers.

Why Are Booster Shots Necessary?

Union 411: How and why we organize

As solidarity actions and strikes sweep the nation, workers are making history by organizing their workplaces for the first time.

When workers belong to a union, they have a unified voice to create safer, stronger and healthier workplaces. Organizing is our most effective tool to determine workplace dignity, hours, working conditions and quality of life. Workers aren’t stuck with dangerous workplace conditions with poor wages and benefits. They can improve them, together.

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.