It's never too early to start planning how and where you'll vote on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Workers' rights are on the ballot. Anti-worker candidates are fighting tooth and nail to take control of the House and Senate so they can erode workers' rights, defund the NLRB, and take away OSHA's already limited enforcement powers. But you can make a difference!

• Make a plan to vote.

• Sign up to volunteer

• Ready to sell your car? Get a cash offer from a local dealer in minutes
• $100 rebate on new union-made cars*
• Remote paperwork and vehicle delivery options available
• Enjoy up to $2,000 in Auto Repair and Auto Deductible Reimbursements**.  

Disclaimer:
*If you purchase a new, qualifying union-assembled vehicle, you will receive a check for $100 within 6 to 8 weeks after purchase. (The rebate checks come from Union Plus and not from the dealer). Union Plus receives a monthly report on the sales activity from the program provider to verify that a rebate check should be sent to a member who purchased a qualifying vehicle. This process is automatic, there are no forms to complete. Keep a copy of your Union Plus Auto Buying referral email that can assist in researching your purchase if you think you qualified for a rebate but did not receive a check.

**Some benefits not available in NY or NH. Terms and conditions apply. Auto Deductible Reimbursement is provided by Voyager Indemnity Insurance Company, an Assurant company.

Union Plus connects you with Farmers Insurance Choice ℠ where you can compare auto and home insurance quotes from top companies all in one place and choose the policies that may be right for you.

The Department of Education announced this weekend the application for student debt relief of up to $20,000 per borrower is LIVE!

The short form takes just a few moments to complete and can even be submitted on your phone. You don't even need to provide financial information - it's really that easy.

Click here to take the first step toward student debt relief.

The Rutgers Center for Public Health Workforce Development is happy to offer a new online training program – Opioids in the Workplace: Awareness. This one-hour training is free, entirely web based and can be accessed anytime via internet browser. This training was developed based on the NIEHS Worker Training Program’s Opioids and the Workplace Training Tool.

This course is designed for all working people, especially workers and employers who may be impacted by the opioid crisis, and provides an evidence-based worker training program. Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Discuss the scope and severity of the opioid crisis.

• Summarize the relationship between workplace injuries and illnesses, working conditions and opioid use disorder.

• List actions that might be taken at the workplace to prevent and respond to opioid use and misuse.

This training is web based and self-paced, it can be started at any time (please note once you begin, you must complete the training without exiting the page). At the end of the training, participants will receive a certificate of completion.

Access the training at https://go.rutgers.edu/OpioidTraining

Statement from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on the Department of Labor’s proposed rule to expand employee classification:

Today, the Biden administration once again delivered on its promise to put working people first. By restoring commonsense rules to determine who is an employee, and making it harder for employers to intentionally misclassify their employees as independent contractors, the Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) announcement will increase protections and expand benefits to so many working people who have been subjected to corporate work-arounds. Too many companies put profits over people, intentionally misclassifying their workers as contractors to avoid providing the pay, overtime, workplace rights and benefits that employees are due under labor and employment laws. This proposed rule will ensure DOL has the tools to protect employees against the current and escalating problem of misclassification. 

While today’s announcement is a major step forward, we know there is still so much more to do to make our economy more fair and equitable. The AFL-CIO and its allies will continue to push for legislation and regulations to give workers the rights they deserve.