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One Workplace Death is One Too Many
On this day in 1971, the Occupational Safety and Health Act went into effect. Each year, on the anniversary, the labor movement comes together to honor our fellow workers, union and nonunion alike, who died a preventable death on the job in the last year.
This past year, 4,764 workers were killed on the job. An estimated 120,000 more died from occupational diseases. Sadly, we know the actual number of lives cut short by employer behavior — whether covert, like cutting health benefits during a pandemic, or overt, like failing to provide adequate PPE — is far greater.
Construction sites remain one of the deadliest places to work in the country. But the neglectful actions of employers of all stripes and in every industry — from Amazon and Tesla to Amy’s Kitchen and McLaren Macomb — impact not just their employees’ well-being, but the well-being of workers’ families and the communities in which they live.
Honoring those senselessly lost means standing up…
New report details scope and severity of workplace hazards in U.S.
The AFL-CIO’s annual report on worker safety and occupational hazards was released today in advance of Workers Memorial Day on April 28. The statistics and figures within are a stark reminder of the necessity of protecting workers on the job in all 50 states and in every single industry.
Click here to read Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect.
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Leadership Conference Workers United Urges The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund to Recognize Union
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 14, 2022) — A supermajority of more than 75 percent of eligible staff of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund have joined together to form Leadership Conference Workers United (LCWU) and request formal voluntary recognition of their union with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 2. LCWU is requesting a response from Leadership Conference leadership by 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday, April 20. If the request is ignored or denied, they plan to file for an election through the National Labor Relations Board.
“In forming a union, we find inspiration in the legacy of our coalition’s cofounder, A. Philip Randolph, whose birthday we celebrate this week,” wrote LCWU. “We also honor The Leadership Conference’s long history of advocacy on behalf of workers and the central role major unions have played both in our coalition and on our boards.”
Tell the Red Cross: Front-Line Heroes Deserve a DIGNIFIED Contract
American Red Cross employees are reaching a breaking point as the expiration of their contract on May 31 nears — and they’re asking for your help.
After two years on the front lines of the pandemic, these employees – the everyday heroes who collect our lifesaving blood supply – are mobilizing for a fair contract that addresses chronic understaffing and unsafe working conditions.
That’s why they’re asking you to sign this petition and tell the Red Cross: Front-line heroes deserve a fair contract that respects, protects and pays them for their service to our communities.
OPEIU Applauds Senate Confirmation of Justice Jackson to SCOTUS
We applaud the Senate’s swift confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Supreme Court earlier today.
As the first Black woman and first public defender to sit on the Supreme Court, Justice Jackson’s confirmation is a milestone in the history of our nation. Throughout her confirmation hearings, Justice Jackson displayed a strong sense of integrity and intellectual vigor, despite attacks on her impressive credentials, leaving no doubt her nomination to the court was well-considered and well-deserved.
We congratulate her on her groundbreaking confirmation. With cases on the docket impacting workers’ rights and the very future of our democracy, we are pleased to have a principled jurist like Justice Jackson sitting on our nation’s highest court.
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Observing Workers Memorial Day on April 28
Each year, the labor movement comes together on the anniversary of the passage of Occupational Safety and Health Act to honor the thousands of working people who die each year on the job. The COVID-19 pandemic, employer recklessness, and a strained healthcare system continue to threaten the lives of working people.
This April 28, consider attending a Workers Memorial Day event in your community. You can find the AFL-CIO’s Workers Memorial Day toolkit, and more information about the day, here.
OPEIU Scholarships Application Deadline Extended to April 14!
We are excited to announce we’ve extended the application deadline for OPEIU scholarships by two weeks to give our members and their families more time to apply. Please be sure to submit your application(s), found here, by April 14 to be considered.
As always, you can view the Membership Benefits section of the OPEIU website to learn more about all the benefits you and your family are eligible for thanks to your union membership.
Employees at Nava PBC Secure Recognition of Their Union, the Largest in Civic Tech
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 25, 2022) — Staff at Nava PBC, a civic tech organization that builds government services, today secured voluntary recognition of their union, Nava United, with OPEIU Tech Workers Union Local 1010. They are now the largest union of workers in civic tech.
Employees at Nava requested voluntary recognition in February and have spent the interim weeks in negotiations with company leadership to define the scope of the bargaining unit. Nava’s leadership pushed back hard, following the lead of many tech companies, cutting out entire departments from the bargaining unit. Nava United fought for an inclusive bargaining unit that included technical and non-technical staff, and workers were able to include 12 colleagues who would have otherwise not been protected by the union.