Cincinnati
AFL-CIO
Labor Council
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RICHARD L. TRUMKA’S LIFELONG DEVOTION TO FAMILY AND DEMOCRACY |
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Richard Louis Trumka dedicated his entire life to making sure every institution he touched—the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), the AFL-CIO, the U.S. government and the world community—served working people and the public interest, comforted the afflicted and afflicted the comfortable.
In that sense Trumka’s legacy above all was his fight for democracy, from the UMWA of his youth to the AFL-CIO to the United States in 2020 to the world that he influenced through the global labor movement. Every day of his career, Trumka fought for the right of working people to be heard everywhere it mattered—and the people he remembered were those who suffered in that cause—his friend the Colombian mine worker assassinated as he rode a bus to work, the miners he worked side by side with who gave life and breath to power our communities, the nurses, grocery workers, meatpackers, hotel workers, taxi drivers, steelworkers and autoworkers whose picket lines he joined and whose stories he heard through a lifetime of leading their fights. [READ MORE]
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Remembering Richard Trumka (1949–2021) |
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On August 5, we lost our brother, friend and leader Richard L. Trumka. We will never stop fighting for the causes he held dear and the working people he served with distinction. Click HERE to read more.
In Solidarity,
Team AFL-CIO
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A Statement from Acting President and Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler |
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Earlier this week, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act was introduced in Congress. This monumental bill will expand the right to vote and make it easier for voters to express our will at the ballot box. We know the challenges facing our democracy today are too great to shy away from. Anti-worker politicians in states across the country are attempting to make it harder for workers and people of color to vote. We can’t allow Jim Crow 2.0 to be the wave of the future. Too much is at stake. Our response will be to pass the PRO Act, the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to save our democracy for future generations. |
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Ohio Redistricting Local Hearings Announced |
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State Senator Vernon Sykes (D-Akron) and Ohio House Speaker Bob Cupp (R-Lima), co-chairs of the Ohio Redistricting Commission ("Commission"), announced the schedule for upcoming regional public hearings. The hearings, which will take place throughout the state from Monday, August 23 through Friday, August 27, will provide Ohioans the opportunity to contribute their ideas on the future of Ohio's state legislative districts by offering public testimony and submitting map proposals.
"The makeup of our state legislative districts will have an impact on Ohio's state and local governments for the next ten years. This is why it's important for Ohioans to have a say in the redistricting process," Sykes said. "Ohioans played a crucial role in increasing transparency when they voted in 2015 and 2018 to reform the way we draw our statewide maps. I look forward to hearing what Ohioans have to say during our hearings and taking their input into consideration when creating maps that best represent voters' preferences."
In a press release put out by the Equal Districts Coalition, whose mission it is to ensure Ohioans have fair legislative districts, Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga said, “Over the past 10 years, Ohio’s working people have suffered the effects of severe gerrymandering. The result has meant bread-and-butter issues that most Ohioans care about have been left on the backburner while extremism is on the rise. Ohio’s working families deserve fair electoral maps and a transparent process.”
- Dayton: Aug. 24 – 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sinclair Community College, 444 W. Third St., Dayton. COVID-19 guidelines encourage masks and to maintain social distancing
- Cincinnati: Aug. 24 – 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., University of Cincinnati, 2600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati. COVID-19 guidelines require masks indoors at all times
The public will be able to give testimony and submit map proposals during the hearings. The hearings will also be broadcast live, but details on that were not released on Friday. Read more...
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IUOE Local 20 Notifies Hamilton County Board of Commissioners of Intent to Strike Beginning August 22, 2021 |
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Wages are at Issue
Local 20 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, AFL-CIO, has served notice upon the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners of its intent to go on strike Sunday, August 22, 2021, beginning at 12:01 a.m. Picketing will occur both at the Hamilton County Courthouse located at 1000 Main Street, and the Todd B. Portune Center for County Government located at 138 East Court Street.
The bargaining unit is composed of 18 members working as Facilities Maintenance Workers and HVAC Technicians at several County facilities, including the Courthouse, the County Administration Building, the Justice Center, the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office, the Juvenile Detention Center, and the Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services Building. Their work is critical to the operation and maintenance of those facilities, including maintaining air quality which is particularly important during the ongoing pandemic.
The parties have failed to reach agreement upon the key issues of wages. IUOE Local 20 Business Manager Rick Gerrein explains: “Although delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, negotiations for this labor agreement began as long ago as December of 2019, but we have yet to reach an agreement. Local 20 is simply attempting to bring our wages into parity with comparable Cincinnati employers including the University of Cincinnati, and the Cincinnati Public Schools. We regret that the County Commissioners’ unreasonable position has forced us to prepare to take this action, but we feel we have no other alternative. Regardless, IUOE Local 20 stands ready, willing, and able to continue good faith negotiations with the County Commissioners with the goal of reaching a mutually acceptable labor agreement providing fair wages for our members.
IUOE Local 20 represents 23 separate bargaining units in the Greater Cincinnati area and a total membership of approximately 500. Employers include the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, the University of Cincinnati, the Cities of Fairfield and Hamilton, and the Southwest Regional Water District. Visit us on the web at iuoe20.org.
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Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, Parents and Community Rally to Compel SORTA Appointees to Restore CPS School Routes |
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Cincinnati Public Schools opened yesterday for the 2021/22 school year, but last month’s decision by the Southwest Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) eliminating the XTRA bus routes relied on by thousands of students in grades 7-12 for decades to safely get to and from CPS high schools has thrown CPS parents and high schools into a tailspin. Students must now use regular SORTA bus stops, mingle with non-student passengers, and endure extra travel time, confusing bus transfers, and potential safety hazards. It is feared that these inconveniences and hazards increase drop outs and absences in a year already critical for students to make up lost instruction time.
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The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, concerned parents, teachers and community members protested these cuts in front of City Hall this past Tuesday, August 17, and demanded Mayor Cranley, City Council and the Hamilton County Commissioners call on their appointed board members to restore the XTRA student routes, and replace them if they do not. This failure of leadership threatens the health and safety of students, and only widens the equity gap in education.
In Cincinnati, there is already an unacceptable level of pedestrian fatalities and injuries. Too many students have been hit by cars in recent years. The city does not have adequate crossing guards to protect students at intersections. This reduction in services to CPS families and students is a betrayal to those of us who supported a recent transit tax increase for SORTA based on the promise higher taxes would actually improve and expand service! Moreover, the travel time for some of these students will be up to two hours just to get to school, making the new “Healthy Start” times at some CPS high schools meaningless.
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SORTA is governed by a 16-member volunteer citizens' board of trustees. Five trustees are appointed by the Mayor of Cincinnati and eleven are appointed by Hamilton County Commissioners.
The Ohio Revised Code states that the “appointing authority” may remove its SORTA appointees “for misfeasance, nonfeasance or malfeasance”. If the SORTA Board fails to promptly restore the XTRA routes thousands of CPS families relied on for decades, Mayor Cranley and the Hamilton County Commissioners should remove their appointees for failing to take into account the health and safety of students.
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Union Veterans Council Offers Support to Veterans After the Events in Afghanistan |
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Veterans from all generations are processing the news of what is currently unfolding in Afghanistan and could be experiencing a wide range of emotions and feelings right now. From union presidents to first-year apprentices, many of these veterans are our brothers, sisters and friends in the labor movement, and we want to support them during this concerning time. The Union Veterans Council has shared a list of resources for military veterans. The council is also encouraging union members who are veterans to check in with each other.
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IBEW Local 212 Celebrates Unity, Solidarity, and Family at Annual Picnic
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A gorgeous day and perfect weather for an afternoon of unity, solidarity, and good ole' family fun at the IBEW Local 212 Family Picnic!
Here are a Few Images of the Day
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Special Election for Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council Executive Secretary-Treasurer Is Wednesday, September 1! |
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GET OUT AND VOTE!
Election day is Wednesday, September 1
Noon till 7:00 PM
NALC Branch 43 Union Hall
4100 Colerain Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45223
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Sherrod Brown: 'Are Workers Regaining Economic Power?'
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U.S Senator Sherrod Brown: Working For Working People!
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AUGUST 18, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) – Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs – issued the following statement on the Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) announcement of their proposed rule establishing new affordable housing goals for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (the government-sponsored... READ MORE
AUGUST 18, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) joined 45 Senate colleagues, of both parties, in urging the Biden administration to take swift, robust action to protect and support Afghan women leaders facing unparalleled danger following the Taliban’s violent sweep across Afghanistan and seizure of Kabul. In a bipartisan letter to Secretary... READ MORE
AUGUST 17, 2021
WASHINGTON, DC — In Case You Missed It: A Dayton Daily News article highlighted funding U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) helped secure for a new child development center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton. Brown fought to include the funding in the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act and will continue advocating... READ MORE
AUGUST 16, 2021
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making $500 million available in emergency rural health care grants as part of the American Rescue Plan, which Brown helped write and pass to provide critical assistance for Ohioans. The awards will be made available for rural... READ MORE
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Ohio AFL-CIO: Southwest Field Rep Update From The Young Democrats of America National Convention
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Brothers and Sisters,
On August 11, 2021, I got the opportunity to represent the Ohio AFL-CIO at the Young Democrats of America National Convention held in Cincinnati. This Year’s convention was the first “Labor” convention with most services provided by union business including: the Westin hotel and printings (signs, flyers, banners, etc.) The convention lasted a total of 4 days and included a plethora of trainings and caucus run by young democrats from across the nation. Labor was represented by multiple unions such as: SIEU, OPIEU, UFCW, IAFF, and IBEW! The convention also featured 3 state federations: Ohio AFL-CIO, Georgia AFL-CIO, and the Minnesota AFL-CIO. At the convention, Labor participated in all caucuses and spoke about workers’ rights at every opportunity. Labor even hosted a panel discussion (lead by UFCW 75, IAFF Local 48, IBEW 212 and the Ohio AFL-CIO) about the History of labor and how to involve the young democrats in labor issues such as the Pro ACT. The YDA also featured some of Ohio’s most dynamic speakers such as: Rep. Tim Ryan, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranely, Rep. Bridgett Kelly, Rep. Dontavious Jarrells, Rep. Willis Blackshear, Mayor Candidate Aftab Pureval, Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and even Labor’s own 1st Vice Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party Andre Washington. As, previously started, this was the “year of labor” at the YDA convention, Congratulations to our Union Brother Bill Benner from UFCW local 75 who won the first ever “Isaac Robinson Young Labor Activist Award”. The YDA convention was a great opportunity to connect labor and labor issues with the next generation of Democrats. Together, we can make effective change for workers across the country!
Please checkout some pictures from the convention!
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Registration for Arbitrator and Advocate Symposium |
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Good Afternoon,
The Arbitrator and Advocate Symposium will be held as an in-person program on September 23-24, 2021 at the Crowne Plaza North, Columbus, OH. Continuing Legal Education has been approved for 9.50 hours. If you plan to attend and haven’t registered yet please do so by September 9th. Social distancing will be available. A copy of the registration brochure is attached for your reference.
The discounted block of rooms at the Crowne Plaza North will be available through September 8th. Information on how to reserve these rooms can be found in our brochure.
Join us in September.
Best wishes,
Eleanor
Eleanor Garrison, MA, CMP
Garrison and Associates, Inc.
4920 Reed Road / Suite B
Columbus, OH 43220
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Join us for the 2021 Womxn's Labor Leadership Symposium! |
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Featured Guests on the Agenda! |
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Darlene Lombos
Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council (GBLC)
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Lauren Jacobs
Executive Director of PowerSwitch Action (Formerly Known as Partnership for Working Families)
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Stacy Davis Gates
Vice President of the Chicago Teachers Union, WILL Empower Executive Cohort Member
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Tanya Wallace-Gobern
Executive Director of the National Black Workers Center Project, WILL Empower Advisory Council Member
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Tarn Goelling
Director of the Civic and Community Engagement Department at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, WILL Empower Advisory Council Member
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Sara Steffens
Secretary-Treasurer of the Communications Workers of America, WILL Empower Advisory Council Member
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Maritza Silva-Farrell
Executive Director at The Alliance for a Greater New York (ALIGN),
WILL Empower Executive Leader
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The 2021 Festival of Faiths is Here! |
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4th Annual Festival of Faiths
Compassion Though Action:
We Are in it Together
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Please join EquaSion at this year’s Festival of Faiths, presented virtually from August 22-29. There will be cultural, spiritual, and fun activities for all ages throughout the week.
Presently, more than 50 civic leaders and representatives of our region’s diverse faith traditions, including IJPC, are again collaborating as planners of this year’s 4th Annual Cincinnati Festival of Faiths. The Festival is our community’s most inclusive gathering of area religious groups, involving more than 30 distinct faith traditions representing 14 world religions.
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Dear friends,
Our continuing discussion of United Way of Greater Cincinnati’s impact over the past year now turns to our strategy of empowering families to receive help where they live, work and worship.
We invested more than $1 million through this strategy and also distributed more than $1 million in donated goods. We engaged and supported 678 partners and 1,275 volunteers.
This strategy was about being accessible – both making it easier to access our support and opening that support to more people. Key to its success was establishing a Community Engagement function at United Way to diversify and expand our partnerships. That team, and others within our organization, helped us:
✓$152,000 in grants to 220 faith-based partners
✓$41,500 in grants to 19 early education providers and similar organizations located across Greater Cincinnati.
✓Nearly 1 million masks and other personal protection equipment to 400 educational and community partners
I love our work in this area – meeting people where they live, work and worship. We are engaging new partners and reaching new people. We are ensuring our commitment to support ALL people throughout Greater Cincinnati on their path to economic well-being.
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As always, we could not do it without your support. Thank you for showing love to our community and enabling this tremendous community impact.
Sincerely,
Moira Weir
President/CEO
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Current COVID Data
Below is information from the Governor's Tuesday evening press conference with Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff.
- 194.2 cases per 100,000 Ohioans
- 3,235 positive COVID-19 cases reported on Tuesday, August 17th
School-Aged Children
Governor DeWine strongly encouraged parents and guardians of children ages 12-17 to vaccinate children in that age range. Only 35% of children ages 12-17 are currently vaccinated.
- New case data shows more children contracting the Delta variant of COVID-19
- Children can spread the virus to other unvaccinated children and adults
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Click here for ODH's prevention guidance for school-aged children
KEY LINKS:
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Thanks to our friends at Government Strategies Group, LLC for this information |
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COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard
The COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard displays the most recent data reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) regarding the number of individuals that have started and completed the COVID-19 vaccination series by various demographics and county of residence.
The COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard displays the most recent data reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) regarding the number of individuals that have started and completed the COVID-19 vaccination series by various demographics and county of residence. “Vaccination started” indicates that the individual has received at least one valid dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The number listed as “vaccination completed” is a subset of the number included in “vaccination started,” indicating that those individuals within that group have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses and are considered fully immunized. ODH is making COVID-19 data available for public review while also protecting privacy. This dashboard will be updated daily. Please see footnotes below for more details.
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COVID-19 Dashboard
Overview
ODH is making COVID-19 data available for public review while also protecting patient privacy.
The State of Ohio COVID-19 Dashboard displays the most recent preliminary data reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) about cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Ohio by selected demographics and county of residence. Data for cases and hospitalizations is reported to ODH via the Ohio Disease Reporting System (ODRS), and verified mortality data is reported via the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS).
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Below are the current reporting trends from Thursday, August 19 for key indicators calculated from data reported to the Ohio Department of Health. These trends are updated daily and are presented by report date.
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Below is a snapshot of key metrics pulled Thursday, August 19 from daily data reporting to the Ohio Department of Health. These metrics are updated daily. |
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Hamilton County
Cases
86,051
Hospitalizations
3,428
Deaths
1,269
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Clermont County
Cases
21,583
Hospitalizations
907
Deaths
264
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Brown County
Cases
4,375
Hospitalizations
63
Deaths
63
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Butler County
Cases
41,476
Hospitalizations
1,847
Deaths
620
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Warren County
Cases
25,955
Hospitalizations
772
Deaths
313
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Other News For and About Working People: |
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Cincinnati AFL-CIO
Labor Council
Bill Froehle, President
Pete McLinden,
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Brian D. Griffin,
Director, Communication & Technology
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