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Today we honor the strength, courage and perseverance of millions of refugees across the globe and in our communities.

Whether refugees are fleeing political persecution, conflict or environmental disasters, OPEIU believes in protecting and defending their human rights at all costs.

Through IRC Workers Unite, a coalition of unionized workers from 15 International Rescue Committee offices, OPEIU supports the fight for refugee rights and the rights of workers who support refugees.

To Our OPEIU Family:

OPEIU is proud to celebrate Juneteenth! 

On this day in 1865, the last Black Americans living in slavery were finally freed. We commemorate the millions of Black people brought to the Americas against their will over the course of centuries who, in unimaginably horrific conditions, built the country’s wealth for white slaveowners. While the practice of enslaving Black people was made illegal with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment, its consequences have never been fully addressed. As a result, severe economic disparities persist today. 

The abolition of chattel slavery was the result of hundreds of years of slave resistance alongside tremendous solidarity from working people across the United States. That same solidarity is needed today if we are to uphold our nation’s promise of being a place where people have the freedom to truly control their own labor. We must also continue the fight to eradicate slavery, as millions of Americans continue to work against their will in debt bondage, forced prison labor or blatant human trafficking. 

We must be steadfast in opposing any system where workers are not compensated for their labor, do not have the power to negotiate their salaries or cannot leave their job at their own will. We also must stand up for full equality in our workplaces and our union, employment opportunities with living wages for all and legal reforms that uplift impoverished Black Americans rather than incarcerate them.  

While keeping this in mind, let us spend today celebrating the central contribution of Black Americans to the United States, pay respect to their immeasurable sacrifices and consider lessons from their history of resistance that achieved this historic step in 1865, and continues to make tremendous progress for all workers. 

Happy Juneteenth from OPEIU

This weekend, we honor all those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Memorial Day, which began in the years following the U.S. Civil War, is a solemn day that remembers those killed in action while in uniform.

OPEIU wishes you and your loved ones a reflective and restful Memorial Day weekend, while we pause to honor all service personnel lost while serving our country.

Dear OPEIU Member:

We are joining working people around the world today in marching to demonstrate our collective power as part of International Workers’ Day, also known as May Day. The day is a commemoration of the workers before us who fought for weekends, the eight-hour workday and safer working conditions — basic necessities for a dignified life that are now often taken for granted despite once being considered radical. It is also a commemoration of the struggles workers today are undertaking for those very same necessities.

May Day is a reminder of how much more there is for workers to win and that we only achieve what we deserve when we demand it. Let us use today as an opportunity to deepen our bonds with our co-workers and recommit ourselves to fighting collectively for what we have deserved the whole time.

Happy May Day!

This Workers’ Memorial Day, OPEIU honors the hundreds of thousands of workers who have lost their lives simply trying to make a living due to avoidable hazardous labor conditions.

For far too long, corporations have been willing to sacrifice our safety and health simply to boost their profits. We must stand together in opposing these backward priorities and demand stronger protections and adequate funding to OSHA.

According to the most recent data available, more than 380 workers died in the U.S. each day in 2024 from occupational hazards, with Black and Latino workers disproportionately impacted. Workplace safety risks for all workers are on the rise as OSHA funding continues to be slashed and child labor laws loosened at the state level.

The AFL-CIO’s annual Death on the Job report, released today, notes that OSHA has the lowest number of inspectors in the history of the agency — only enough to inspect workplaces once…

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Workers today are experiencing a technological, political and economic transformation of a scale not seen in at least a century, one bound to profoundly reconfigure our relationship with capital and power. If we want that reconfiguration to go in the favor of American workers, unions must aggressively stay ahead of the changes and seize the moment by being adaptable, uplifting workers’ voices and mobilizing behind a clear set of moral principles.

Due to the combination of our history, our diverse membership and our structure, I believe no one is more equipped to lead this charge than the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), AFL-CIO.

When I became the president of OPEIU last year, I knew it was more than an opportunity to secure strong contracts for 90,000-plus Americans working in practically every industry. It was also one to ensure American workers leave this profound transformation with a greater share of the…

The Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), AFL-CIO, is honoring Women’s History Month this March, reaffirming our commitment to achieving full equality for women in the workplace and celebrating the vital role women play in improving labor standards for all working people.

This year is proving a difficult one for women as hard-won federal protections are threatened and the powerful are newly emboldened to silence women’s voices. History teaches us only women can lead us out of moments like this — and that nothing threatens patriarchy more than a unionized woman.

“Women’s history is not just about the famous names we learn in textbooks. It’s about the millions of women whose everyday work, leadership and courage are often unseen and have shaped our communities, workplaces and society,” said Stephanie Burkey, an OPEIU Local 30 steward at Kaiser Permanente. “Women who advocate for themselves are often unfairly labeled as rude. Let this be your reminder to keep standing up for yourself. You have the right to be heard, the right to be treated with respect and professionalism and the right to set clear boundaries.”

The third No Kings demonstration is being held March 28. With our rights at stake, it’s never been more important to make your voice heard on the issues you care about. OPEIU is a proud partner of No Kings and we encourage you to get involved, let your local union know you’re participating and bring a co-worker (or several!) on March 28.

Click here to find a No Kings demonstration on March 28 near you.