News

PORTLAND, OR – Newly sworn-in Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez recently referred to Oregon’s public defense crisis as a “work stoppage” in an OPB interview.

Workers from the Stabilization and Crisis Unit (SACU), represented by Oregon AFSCME Local 1264, have announced a vote of no confidence against Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) Direc

Benton County workers represented by AFSCME Local 2064, will continue their strike today, Friday, November 15th, for the third day.

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 shares knowledge and information with everyone she serves.

Despite high levels of stress on the job, many state and local workers say they highly value serving the public and their communities and feel generally satisfied with their jobs.

This finding, from a national survey commissioned by the National Institute on Retirement Security, will not surprise many AFSCME members, who work in state, county and local governments and never quit on their communities.

Election Day 2019 was a big victory for working families. In states and cities across the country, they made their voices heard, electing pro-worker candidates for state and local government and providing further evidence of growing political momentum for working people.

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%).

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.

Across the nation, women are creating change for working families more than ever before. The Women’s Leadership Academy is ready to train more AFSCME women to be leaders of that change.

Introducing the 2019 Women’s Leadership Academy Online, which is kicking off trainings starting Oct. 16.

Designed for all AFSCME women, the academy will consist of four modules aimed at giving women the skills and support they need to stand tall for workers’ rights and increase political and workplace power on a greater scale.