In a win for the labor movement, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act on March 9. The PRO Act reforms labor laws to give power back to workers so they can freely organize unions.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Jan. 25 that it won’t hear a bloc of cases that sought to financially kneecap unions for obeying the law.

Oak Lawn Public Library employees have formed a union with AFSCME Council 31. The nearly 80 librarians, library assistants, library associates and pages voted to join the union and filed their petition with the Illinois Labor Relations Board.

School closings have kept kids at home and, as a result, many parents—mothers in particular—are struggling to meet the needs of both their children and their jobs.

Both Josh Howard and Erin Hamilton-Howard—members of AFSCME Local 2073—tested positive for COVID-19 early in the pandemic. AFSCME helped make sure they had the paid time off they needed.

AFSCME joins in mourning the unconscionable death of George Floyd and in demanding justice for his family and an end to the contagion of racism that continues to beset our country.

Now that bargaining is over, AFSCME members at RPS 205 are staying united during the COVID-19 crisis to help their school community—and beyond.

Cedric Alexander Psy. D. is a law enforcement expert with over 40 years of experience in public service. He is the author of In Defense of Public Service: How 22 Million Government Workers Will Save Our Republic.

When the COVID-19 crisis hit, the shortage of personal protective equipment like face masks became quickly apparent. AFSCME Local 401 member Stacy Mickelson knew she could help.

The newly-enacted CARES Act requires the Education Secretary to defer student loan payments, principal and interest for six months without penalty to the borrower—and provides other forms of assistance during the coronavirus pandemic.