New Report: Growth pushes Florida Retirement System above $163 billion in assets
In an article for Florida Politics, Michael Moline details the latest report on the health of the state's retirement system after a meeting of the Florida Investment Advisory Council."Assets have grown by 10.5 percent since the start of the fiscal year, reaching a balan...
House Bill Simplifies and Fixes PSLF, Overhauls Higher Education
A bill that has been introduced in the House of Representatives would simplify the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program for current and would-be participants.
Help Distressed Workers: Shutdown Disaster Relief
As the the Federal Shutdown drags on, it's created a crisis for many of our hardworking Brothers and Sisters. Most Federal Employees have been directed to not work or work without pay for an indefinite amount of time created financial hardships for families across the c...
A Decade Later: Four Ways Working People Are Still Paying for the 2008 Financial Crisis
It was 10 years ago this month that the 2008 financial crisis kicked into high gear. When storied Wall Street bank Lehman Brothers shut down, bankers walking out of the building carrying cardboard boxes of their possessions made the perfect image for TV cameras.
Dania Beach Members Hold Management Accountable for Promised Raise
When the City of Dania Beach approved the redevelopment of prime real estate along I-95 and within a stone’s throw of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades Cruise Port, it was clear this would be a multi-year project.
Caught in Limbo: AFSCME Member Struggles with Student Loan Forgiveness
As a public librarian for the Philadelphia Free Library, Sheila O’Steen embodies what we think of when we imagine a public service worker. Every day, she interacts with members of her community. Whether her patrons are young or old, affluent or impoverished, O’Steen sha...
Report: Strong Unions, Stronger Communities
When working people have the freedom to come together in strong unions, entire communities benefit. Unions give everyday working people the power in numbers they need to make their communities safer and stronger, and they are critical to fixing an economy rigged in favo...
Brett Kavanaugh: No R-E-S-P-E-C-T for Women’s and Workers’ Rights
Like others around the world, I mourned the death last week of Aretha Franklin. The Queen of Soul set a new standard for enduring classic songs with both artistic and political impact, like her mega-hit “Respect,” which became an anthem for both the civil rights and wom...
Never Giving Up Nets FL Member $40K in Back Pay
For years, Sheryll Brown made sure the students and staff at the University of North Florida had an efficient postal services unit. But when the university won the effort to outsource her department she made sure her contract was enforced, which led to a multi-year effo...
2020 Minimum Wage Hikes to Benefit 7 Million Working People
The new year brings good news for millions of working Americans. Nearly 7 million of them are in line to get pay raises this year thanks to state and local minimum-wage hikes.
Injured on the Job, Corrections Officer Links Safety with Collective Bargaining Rights
The day after he was released from a hospital, a bruised and swollen Kelvin Chung told a state Senate committee that state employees like him need collective bargaining rights to advocate for safety on the job.
“I want you to see my face. We need a voice on the job, so...
Believe It or Not, Congress Seeks More Tax Cuts for the Rich
At a time when our country needs real investments in infrastructure, education and public services, congressional leaders are doubling down on tax cuts for the rich.
Cool Under Pressure
The work Joe Martinez does for the Los Angeles County Fire Department is emblematic of countless AFSCME members: he’s never in the spotlight and he’s always under pressure while lives are on the line.
Across the Nation, Workers Are Striking Like It’s 1986
Last year, nearly half a million workers went on strike across the nation, the largest number since 1986, when the country’s union membership rate was considerably higher (17.5%) than it was in 2018 (10.5%).
Hurricane Irma Recovery Info from Cigna and UnionPlus
As AFSCME members continue to help our communities rebuild, AFSCME Florida wants to make sure you have as much recovery information as possible. To find the previous information we shared, click here.
Court Case Threatens Health Care for Millions
Today, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to repeal the Affordable Care Act will unfold at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans, where oral arguments in Texas v. Azar will be heard. The case threatens the future of the ACA, which prov...
Public Charge Rule Would Turn American Dream into Nightmare for Millions
This summer, I joined thousands of union members at a rally in Philadelphia to speak out against the Trump administration’s family separation policy. I was there to represent our union’s vision and values. We reject an immigration policy based on fear and cruelty. We em...
Public Service Loan Forgiveness: A Broken Promise
Megha Desai is a public defender in Multnomah County, Oregon. In a given week, she might work upwards of 60 hours. Right now, she has about 145 open cases.“It's like a conveyor belt. Every day you work on your assigned cases, new ones roll in,” said Desai, a member of L...
The Numbers Are In: AFSCME Members Are Sticking with Their Union
Our union gained more than 9,000 dues-paying members and nearly 19,000 dues-paying retirees in the last year, suggesting that billionaires and corporations are failing in their effort to “defund and defang” public service unions.
Clerk of Courts Members Rally Community to Save Services and Jobs
One Friday, 70 Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts employees receive layoff notices before their workday is over. The very next Friday, those same employees receive notices that the layoffs have been cancelled, their jobs are saved and the services they provide are not be...
South Florida AFL-CIO Women of Labor Event Honors Three AFSCME Leaders
The Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami recently was packed with the women who really make the vibrant South Florida community run as the hotel was the site of the South Florida AFL-CIO’s Women of Labor reception.Nine women were honored for their work to better the lives of...
State Workers Will Help to Stop Rick Scott From Taking His Record of Failure to the US Senate
Tallahassee – Today, state employees across Florida are reacting to the news that Governor Rick Scott has launched his much-expected campaign for U.S. Senate with fear and disgust. Not once as governor did Scott take the lead in investing in Florida’s services and those...
Protecting Nurses During National Nurses Week
During National Nurses Week, we celebrate the heroes who, with skill and compassion, care for the sick. This year, we’re honoring their hard work and dedication by supporting the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act, a bill that s...
AFSCME Members Rally to Protect LGBTQ Rights
AFSCME members stood on the steps of the Supreme Court this morning to support the LGBTQ community as the court heard three cases centered on the question of whether it is legal to fire someone for being gay or transgender.