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Do you think the federal government should support union creatives across the country working on projects to uplift their local communities? Then tell your U.S. Representative to support increased funding to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Give their office a call and sign the letter: Tell Your Representative to Support Increased Federal Arts Funding for FY27 – Action Network 

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With labor unions under attack from the federal government, yet more popular with Americans than ever, now is clearly not a good time for state legislators to pile on. But that is what happened earlier this month when state senators, following the lead of Governor Spanberger, ignored the call from labor unions and the NAACP to repeal Virginia’s most infamous and effective union-busting embarrassment, its so-called “right-to-work” law. By allowing SB 32 to die in committee, legislators on both sides of the aisle missed a vital opportunity to support workers at a time when they are under attack from all sides.

The only rights this 1947 law gives us are the right to silence our voice in the workplace, the right to be denied a living wage and the right to accept these conditions as unchangeable. The law, as it stands, is designed to deprive unions of the resources needed to help Virginia workers form unions of their…

Last night, President Trump spoke to the nation about a country in a “golden age” for workers, where jobs are bountiful, consumer prices are dropping and Medicaid cuts have somehow enabled Americans to afford private health insurance. But for people who have had to spend 2025 working, driving, buying groceries, caring for children and paying rent, this rosy picture is clearly nothing beyond pure fantasy. 

Over the last year, Trump stripped more than a million workers of their collective bargaining power while defunding the only agencies that protect workers’ rights. Our low-income neighbors have lost access to the government programs that previously helped their families pay for food, housing and healthcare while the minimum wage remains so low that those earning it live in poverty. We have seen the reckless imposition of tariffs on countries around the world for the purported purpose of bringing jobs back to the United States, which has led to nothing more than economic instability, surging prices and the slowest annual job growth outside a recession since 2003. 

But the State of the Union was more than just a two-hour lie meant to obfuscate an agenda that prioritizes tax cuts for the billionaires Trump surrounds himself with from The White House to private Caribbean islands. It was yet another reminder of the relentless bigotry of this administration, which continues to scapegoat our immigrant and transgender neighbors while fomenting illegal wars in countries like Venezuela and Iran, all to enrich his friends and distract from the reality that this is the most destructive era for the rights of American workers in modern history. 

Workers aren’t buying this again and continue to join unions despite the myriad political forces stacked against them. The 90,000 members of OPEIU know the true state of the union because they live it each day. We will continue to organize until the successes Trump claims he has brought Americans become a reality. 

Forming a union — the most reliable pathway to the middle class — is hard enough in this country, but unfortunately it’s harder in Colorado than many states thanks to a one-of-a kind law that places unnecessary, redundant hurdles on workers.

At a time when federal worker protections are under attack, the National Labor Relations Board is being gutted, and Americans live with such financial stress that they are often too intimidated to speak up at their workplaces, it’s time for state leaders to make it easier for working people to win the lifechanging benefits of a union

OPEIU mourns the loss of Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose legacy as a civil rights leader continues to inspire the civil rights and labor movements. A protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Jackson’s life’s work expanded the scope of possibilities for a broad, multiracial working-class coalition to impact domestic policy in the United States. 

His two presidential campaigns opened the door for more Black participation in our electoral system, inspiring champions of organized labor to run for public office. A critic of so-called “right-to-work” laws, Rev. Jackson worked behind the scenes to build support for halting the expansion of anti-union laws that leave working people worse off. As leader of the Rainbow Coalition, Rev. Jackson organized for social, racial and economic justice for all, building a broad movement of working people and extracting concessions from some of the nation’s largest companies to hire more Black workers. 

OPEIU honors the life and legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson and sends our condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and all working people he inspired and uplifted throughout his storied life. 

New York, NY — Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) members at 13 International Rescue Committee (IRC) offices ratified their first union contract today, bringing wage increases, just cause protections and permanent employment to nearly 700 workers dedicating their careers to supporting refugees, immigrants and people in conflict zones. 

These OPEIU members help the world’s most vulnerable people access healthcare, education and economic opportunities, all amidst escalating immigration crackdowns and global conflict. Now, they are on the path to achieving a dignified workplace and adequate salary that acknowledges the importance of their work.

“This contract means I don’t have to beg in order to be treated fairly. It means now I have policies in place at the worksite that I helped craft that are worker-centered, that are realistic expectations made by people who are actually doing the work,” said Grace Aguirre, crisis case manager at IRC’s Oakland office. “I can now show up to my job, which is to care for children and their families, knowing there is a contract and union taking care of me.”

OPEIU mourns the murder of our union brother, AFGE member and VA nurse Alex Pretti, by the United States Border Patrol. We condemn in the strongest terms the rising tide of state-sponsored violence that also took the life of Renée Good earlier this month. 

These killings are part of a clear campaign of intimidation that aims to divide us. Countless people — workers, neighbors, friends, family members, citizens and noncitizens — have been terrorized and brutalized by federal immigration authorities. As a union, the right to free expression, association and speech is sacrosanct. Targeting people for expressing those rights is unconscionable. 

We stand in full solidarity with the people of Minnesota and call on congressional leaders to have the courage required to take a stand against this senseless violence by refusing to fund ICE’s unlawful and barbaric operations. 

OPEIU stands in solidarity with the working people of Minnesota, including hundreds of OPEIU Local 12 members, who are standing up for our inalienable rights in the face of federal government repression.

Minnesota workers are standing together and saying, “enough is enough,” defending the freedoms and rights we cannot and do not take for granted. Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of association are sacred rights available to everyone in the United States and serve as the bedrock of unionism, regardless of immigration status.

Union members – citizens and non-citizens alike – have been targeted by ICE on their way to work and on their job sites. Workers in hospitals, schools and construction sites are forced to stay home out of fear for their safety.

Members of Congress need to know the labor movement will not tolerate our rights, safety and freedoms being infringed upon. Tolerating the federal government’s willful infringement of working people’s rights is akin to supporting it. We cannot do that.

OPEIU stands in solidarity with the working people of Minnesota who are demonstrating to the federal government that our rights and freedoms are non-negotiable. 

OPEIU is Proud to Honor the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

During his life, Dr. King bridged the gap between the labor and civil rights movements, strengthening both in the process.

OPEIU strives to bring about a future where all working people are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. By organizing new members, bargaining fair contracts and fighting to protect the rights of working people, OPEIU is proud to honor Dr. King’s legacy and commitment to uplifting workers across the country.

Happy MLK Day from Team OPEIU.

Learn more about the AFL-CIO’s civil rights work here.