AFL-CIO Daily Briefs: Shuler; Redmond; Morello & UMWA; Labor 2022; MM&P and TWU

Message from President Liz Shuler

• The entire labor movement stands in solidarity with freight rail workers in their fight for the basic quality of life they and their families deserve. Despite all the obstacles, these essential front-line union members keep America and our economy moving forward.
• It was announced this morning that freight rail unions have reached a tentative agreement with management. This agreement was reached thanks in large part to the creative and productive role the Biden administration played in these negotiations.
• Whatever the outcome of the ratification votes, we know which side we're on. We will always stand shoulder to shoulder with our members in the fight for dignity and justice on the job.

Massachusetts AFL-CIO Convention Honors Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond

The Massachusetts AFL-CIO presented AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond (pictured above at the podium) with its Distinguished National Leadership Award at its convention on Wednesday. Redmond spoke to delegates about our ability to create more inclusivity in our unions "by building a movement centered on people of color in everything we do."

"We can help deliver the unmatched opportunity of a union job to all people," Redmond said. "That's what we do. We raise labor standards. We provide opportunity."

Rocker Tom Morello Holds the Line with UMWA Members on Strike at Warrior Met Coal

Hundreds of members of the Mine Workers (UMWA) have been on strike against Warrior Met Coal in Alabama for nearly a year and a half. These union members are standing strong, demanding a fair contract that repays them for the sacrifices they made several years ago to bring Warrior Met Coal's predecessor out of bankruptcy. The UMWA strikers have received support from the entire labor movement throughout their courageous fight against management greed.

Rock star Tom Morello (AFM, pictured above, right) rallied with UMWA members on strike Wednesday to give them his support and solidarity. Morello performed his labor rock anthem, "Hold the Line," about brave union members across the country who are standing up for dignity and justice at work.

Join Our Labor 2022 Campaign Training

Exciting News!

The AFL-CIO's Labor 2022 training series for release staff, state federation and central labor council staff and campaign managers, zone leads, national staff and local union coordinators has started up again. In addition to rerunning skills-based training sessions, we have added some new issue-based trainings. The new training sessions include two new trainings on polarization, a training on the youth vote, as well as training sessions on women and the economy. We will rerun training sessions on one-on-one conversations, running canvasses, recruiting volunteers, using the Labor Action Network and strategies for get out the vote (GOTV).

Sign Up Today!

The full list of training sessions and the links to sign up are available on our website here: Online Training Calendar.

Can't Wait for a Live Session?

All past sessions were recorded and made available via Labor Lab, our remote training hub. To access these trainings, you will need to create an account, be approved and then you will be able to see recordings of all of the training from this series.

MM&P-Crewed Vessel Docks in Baltimore for Fleet Week

The expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Newport, with Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P) licensed deck officers in the wheelhouse, was in Baltimore from Sept. 7-13 to celebrate Fleet Week. During the event, MM&P members welcomed visitors to tour the ship, watch flyovers and participate in other maritime-themed activities at multiple locations throughout the city.

"I could not be prouder of our members assigned aboard USNS Newport and all our federal floating plants," said MM&P Government Fleet Representative Randi Ciszewski (not pictured). "We must never take for granted our national treasure and the heroic nature of our members."

TWU Backs DOT's Expanded Tracking of Public Transit Assaults

The Transport Workers Union (TWU) is lauding a technical change made by the Department of Transportation (DOT) that will give the American public and the federal government a more comprehensive understanding of the violence front-line transit workers' experience while on duty. The change-for which the TWU has long advocated-fixes massive gaps in America's transit workforce assault reporting structure, and is a move the TWU has pushed for and says is a long time coming.

"Every day, transit workers in the United States face unprovoked life-threatening violence on the job, but for far too long, too many incidents went unreported, thanks to a narrow, woefully inaccurate definition of the word 'assault,'" said TWU International President John Samuelsen. "Under this new, corrected definition of the word assault, the federal government will finally get a clear picture of the dangers our members face."

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