After her husband was murdered while working as a journalist in the Philippines, Marivir Montebon arrived in the United States seeking political asylum with the hope of finding a better, safer life for herself, and for her daughter who arrived two years later.

“I always thought of a green card as a second birth certificate—a second life,” Montebon says.

When she presents at the Writing Across Borders Conference in New York on June 1, Montebon will join other women and people of color on a panel to tell their stories about escaping abuse, oppression and the legacy of slavery. See more.

Leading up to the AFL-CIO convention in September 2013, the AFL-CIO is hosting a crucial conversation about the future of working people and of unions—in union halls and online at www.aflcio2013.org.

Rana Plaza, the Bangladesh factory that collapsed three weeks ago, killed more than 1,100 workers, many of them young women. This tragedy adds to the more than 1500 Bangladeshi workers killed in preventable fires and building collapses since 2005. Documents found at the factory show that the workers produced for big names in global retail revealing the link between poor workers in Bangladesh and major retail brands.Obviously, the government must improve local laws and their enforcement to stop these tragedies, but brands must also take responsibility for their supply chains. They must be held accountable to the tragedy that happened in their supply chain. Read more >>>

Marcus Hedger will have to wait even longer to get his job back if Senate Republicans continue to block President Obama’s bipartisan nominees to serve on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). Call your senators toll free at 1-888-264-6154 and tell them to confirm the board nominations now. Hedger was illegally fired in 2010 from his pressman’s job at an Illinois printing company for his union activities on behalf of his fellow union members in the Graphic Communications Conference of the Teamsters. Last September, the full NLRB—two Democrats and one Republican, at the time—ruled he should get his job back with back pay. Read more >>>

Most voters agree that big corporations and the wealthy should start paying their fair share in taxes. But, of course, big corporations and the wealthy don’t want to do that. They want to pay less, and they are used to getting their way. So what do you do? Some people in Washington think the answer is a “grand bargain.” In a “grand bargain,” Republicans agree to stop protecting millionaires from having to pay a single penny more in taxes. In return, Democrats agree to cut Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare benefits. Read more >>>

Press Release:  Broad Coalition Rallies on May Day
for Immigrant Rights, Workers’ Rights and Safe Communities

(New Haven, Connecticut) Hundreds of people gathered today on the New Haven Green for a May Day rally and march demanding rights for all workers, regardless of where they were born. Governor Dannel P. Malloy, U.S. Representative Rosa DeLauro and Mayor John DeStefano joined speakers representing a broad coalition of immigrant families, students, union members and leaders of the civil rights, faith and progressive communities.  Read more>>>

 

April 28th Workers Memorial Ceremony Honors Workers
Killed or Injured on the Job

On Sunday, April 28th, the Connecticut AFL-CIO honored workers who were injured or killed on the job in a ceremony that began at the State Capitol and ended at the Workers Memorial in Bushnell Park, Hartford. While bagpipers and color guard saluted, wreathes were laid at the memorial in remembrance of workers who have died. Governor Dannel P. Malloy, U.S. Representative Elizabeth Esty, Labor Commissioner Sharon Palmer, State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, union leaders CT AFL-CIO President John Olsen and Secretary-Treasurer Lori Pelletier, and workers were among those who spoke at the ceremony.

“This year’s ceremony is particularly poignant with the remembrance of the six Sandy Hook educators who lost their lives on the job while doing their utmost to protect the students,” said Connecticut AFL-CIO President John Olsen.  Read more>>>

The time for immigration reform is now, says AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. This will be a focus for labor in 2013 as the country needs to create a common-sense immigration process with a road map to citizenship. Read more >>>