Cincinnati
AFL-CIO
Labor Council
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Friday, September 18, 2020 |
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The labor movement continues to lead the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to fight for economic opportunity and social justice for America’s workers. |
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Labor and Faith Forge Partnership for Social, Racial and Economic Justice
Watch: Trumka and Barber Commemorate 57th Anniversary of Birmingham Church Bombing
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AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka (UMWA) and the Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II, president of Repairers of the Breach and co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival, held a virtual service earlier today, on the 57th anniversary of the bombing of 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. They called on the labor and faith communities to come together in the spirit of the four girls killed in the bombing to rededicate and recommit to rebuilding our powerful and historic coalition for social, racial and economic justice.
Trumka said: “The ultimate effect of the bombing was not division, but unity. It strengthened the movement, it hastened the Civil Rights Act, it bolstered the Voting Rights Act and it did the opposite of what the Klan wanted. We stand on the shoulders of Birmingham. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was written in the solidarity and sacrifice of Birmingham’s African American community. And every time a union leader calls for equal pay; every time a shop steward says to the boss, ‘you can’t do that, it’s discrimination’; every time we cast a vote, we honor the memory of Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley, Carole Robertson and Carol Denise McNair.”
Barber said: “As tens of millions of people have awakened to the systemic inequalities in American society, and have stood together to say something must change, we stand on the verge of a reconstruction in America. The police deaths, the violent murders of unarmed Black women and men is a part of the racism. It’s ugly, it’s horrendous. But we are called now to address racism in all of its forms. And racism is not just against Black people, it is against the very democracy itself.” Watch the full event here.
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New Poll Shows Parent & Teacher Views on Reopening Schools |
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New Poll Shows America’s Parents, Teachers Want ‘Safety First’ on School Reopenings
Trump and DeVos’ Ruinous Agenda Rejected, Comfort with Return to Brick-and-Mortar Schools Significantly Higher when Protections, Funding in Place
WASHINGTON—The nation’s teachers and parents are seeing through the Trump administration’s chaos and disinformation over reopening schools this fall, new polling shows. And while supermajorities of the poll’s respondents fear they or their child will be infected with the virus, they are united behind the need to secure safety measures and the resources to pay for them, so students can return to in-person learning.
Sixty-eight percent of parents—including 82 percent of Black parents—and 77 percent of teachers say protecting the health of students and staff should be the primary factor in weighing whether, how and when schools should open their doors for in-person instruction, according to the survey, conducted by Hart Research Associates.
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Just 21 percent of parents and 14 percent of teachers say schools should reopen on a normal in-person basis—as demanded by President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos—and significant majorities reject the administration’s plan to strip federal aid from schools that don’t comply.
With the coronavirus still spreading rapidly in large swaths of the country, majorities of both parents and teachers worry their districts will move too quickly to fully reopen, rather than too slowly.
Majorities of teachers (60 percent) and parents (54 percent) are not comfortable starting the school year in person, and concern for personal safety is the top reason they remain leery. But, crucially, when safety protections such as masks, daily deep cleaning and sanitizing, physical distancing, proper ventilation and the funding to provide them are in place, 71 percent of parents and 79 percent of teachers are comfortable returning.
Parents and teachers voice high levels of concern about the personal risks of coronavirus infection. And 1 in 3 teachers say the pandemic has made them more likely to leave teaching earlier than they planned. Most teachers say they have purchased personal protective equipment for themselves (86 percent) or their students (11 percent).
Overall, half of parents and teachers report their schools are opening with at least some in-person instruction, with 2 in 5 schools opening remotely. Parents think remote learning has had a more negative impact on their children’s social-emotional health than on their academic progress. Most parents feel an adult will need to be with their child for remote learning; 3 in 10 of them say it will be difficult to make this happen.
Hart Research conducted the comprehensive national survey on behalf of the American Federation of Teachers, the Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the NAACP.
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AFT President Randi Weingarten said: “Parents and teachers are on the same page when it comes to school reopening—and they are united in the belief that we must protect our students, educators and communities’ safety and health and reject President Trump and Betsy DeVos’ agenda to strip schools of funding if they don’t fully reopen.
“We all want to get back to in-person learning, but that should not happen until there are COVID-19 safety measures in place and the funding to pay for them. While teachers and parents have been toiling for months to try and reopen, Trump downplayed the virus. While the president never misses an opportunity to threaten schools, or to sow confusion or chaos, he and DeVos were missing in action when it came to planning and resourcing what should have been the country’s biggest priority: reopening schools for our kids. Indeed, the only guidance DeVos has issued for this year is to mandate standardized high-stakes tests. One just wonders why kids’ and teachers’ health can be dispensable, but high-stakes testing is not.”
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NAACP Vice President of Civic Engagement Jamal Watkins said: “The facts: Data, analytics and example after example have proven that the school system today is still fraught with unequal funding, environmental racism and toxic stress to which students of color are exposed—and the underlying factor is structural racism. With the mismanagement of COVID-19 and the failure of both the Trump administration and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, we are deeply concerned that reopening without key guardrails and a true plan that puts students, parents, educators and staff first is a disaster that will continue to unfold.
“We stand with the AFT and will use every action and tool available to us, from serving on state and local reopening committees to filing lawsuits and other advocacy actions against unsafe and unsound plans, or the faulty implementation of plans. Nothing is off the table when it comes to the safety and health of those on the frontlines in America's schools.
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AROS Executive Director Keron Blair said: “Parents, educators and students are united in thinking that Donald Trump and Betsy DeVos have not done enough to keep our children and communities safe as they press for the reopening of schools. We have also seen that where remote learning is being offered, adequate technology has not been provided to make access to learning equitable. The coronavirus pandemic is a health crisis. It is a racial justice crisis. And it is, for sure, a crisis and failure of leadership. The information revealed in this poll strengthens our claims and adds necessary fuel to the fights that parents and educators are leading for the safe and equitable reopening of schools |
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Sindy Benavides, CEO of LULAC, said: “Our nation’s classrooms are a microcosm of what is occurring everywhere in our country during this pandemic, and we now know that even children are not immune in close proximity among themselves or with others. The only difference is that what we, as adults, decide to do is our choice, while students are being mandated, and by extension their teachers and school staff, to re-enter spaces that at present pose a risk of exposure to the virus. Latino parents are facing disproportionate challenges, including higher numbers of COVID-19 as America’s essential workers, higher unemployment rates, and lack of access to technology. LULAC has always viewed public education as an essential component for the progress of an individual and our community. However, we cannot in good faith support sending our youngsters into possible harm’s way while some elected officials play politics with their lives.”
The online poll of 1,001 parents of public school K-12 students, including 228 Latino parents and 200 Black parents, was conducted Aug. 26 to Sept. 6, 2020; the online survey of 816 public school teachers across the United States was conducted Aug. 26 to Sept. 1, 2020.
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The U.S. House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act on May 15. That was 124 days ago. Since then, we've lost 111,000 people to COVID-19, and the numbers keeps going up. Again, that is 111,000 American deaths, and still Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refuses to act.
The Senate’s inaction also means millions of families will go hungry and face homelessness. Inaction threatens our public services and means our public schools can’t operate safely.
It’s time to pass the HEROES Act, and it’s time to provide relief and help to America’s people. We can’t wait another minute.
Thank you for all you do.
In Solidarity,
Team AFL-CIO
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APPROVAL OF LABOR UNIONS IN U.S. REMAINS HIGH AT 65% |
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As the national election approaches and conditions in the U.S. remain tenuous, Americans’ 65% approval of labor unions is once again the highest it has been since 2003. Public support for labor unions has been generally rising since hitting its lowest point of 48% in 2009, during the Great Recession.
Gallup’s initial reading of the public’s support for labor unions was 72% in 1936, at the advent of the modern U.S. organized labor movement, and approval peaked at 75% in 1953 and 1957. The lowest ratings to date have been recorded during particularly weak economic times. This includes the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s — when support fell below 60% for the first time — and 2009 through 2012, when it hovered around 50%.
While the latest reading, from a July 30-Aug. 12 poll, comes at a time of severe economic upheaval, this has so far not had a negative impact on the public’s view of unions, as it is little changed from last year’s reading.
Americans’ support for unions is politically polarized, as it has been since 2001, when Gallup began tracking the measure annually. Democrats’ current 83% approval of labor unions is the highest on record since then. At the same time, 45% of Republicans and 64% of independents approve of unions.
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LAST CALL FOR COPE 2020!
“Fifty Years of Solidarity!"
The Cincinnati AFL-CIO 2020 COPE Celebration
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Dear Sisters, Brothers and Friends,
I hope this letter finds you safe and well. Hard to believe that I write this to you the last day of August. 2020 will certainly be remembered for all the changes and challenges it posed, but like most changes and challenges, I have confidence in our ability to adapt, adjust and overcome.
I’m asking you personally to support our upcoming COPE 2020 Event and Fundraiser. As you are probably aware, Cincinnati AFL-CIO annually hosts an evening of food and drink, featured speakers and plenty of solidarity and fellowship. However, due to COVID 19, we’ve made a major change for this, our 50th Anniversary COPE Celebration.
Instead of our regular dinner event, we are taking to the air and doing a broadcast production that will feature great messages from Labor and Political leaders and a private showing of ‘9-5: The Story of a Movement,’ a new movie about the challenging experience of the union organizing movement of women office workers in the 1970s, by Academy Award Winning Directors, Steven Bognar and Julia Reichert, who most recently directed the Oscar-winning Netflix doc 'American Factory'.
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Take a moment now to download the flyer for this event, which is scheduled on Friday evening, September 25. The Annual COPE dinner is an extremely important event for Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council in as much as it provides the means whereby our Committee On Political Education, or COPE, is funded so it can do the good work we are able to do to sponsors voter registration, voter education, candidate screenings and endorsements, Meet-the-candidate events and more.
So, I’m asking you personally to support this event which we believe will be an excellent evening of powerful speakers and plenty of solidarity and fellowship. Despite the necessary changes, we fully expect that this new format will provide even greater opportunity to elevate the entire affair, so please contribute generously and join us on September 25 to help us celebrate “Fifty Years of Solidarity!
Thank you in advance and please let us know if you have any questions or require any further information.
In Unity and Solidarity,
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Peter M. McLinden, Esq.
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council
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Lunch With Your Legislators Is Back
Today at 11:00 AM
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After a short break, your legislators are back for another engaging Lunch with your Legislators. This week, we are having an honest discussion about what's happening at the Statehouse. If you have not registered for our upcoming Lunch with your Legislators event yet, the time is now!
I hope you will join us again today, Friday, September 18th, at 11:00 am on Facebook Live and Zoom to virtually join our Real Talk. Please sign up here or by clicking the invitation below.
Come enjoy Lunch with your Legislators while we answer your questions and discuss what the future holds for all of us. We work for you and want to make sure we do so in the best way possible.
I hope to see you this week. Please sign up here to enjoy another conversation with your legislators, and be sure to pass this link along as well! As long as we continue to work together and stay strong, I know we can get through this!
Sincerely,
Jessica
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Jessica E. Miranda
State Representative, OH-28
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Annual CLC "Meet The Candidate Night"
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
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Labor 2020: Get Ready to Vote
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Workers are essential voters—and our votes are needed this fall more than ever. As we rise to meet the challenges COVID-19 presents to our nation, we know that registering and making sure we can vote—by mail or in person—will be critical to making sure working people’s voices are heard and that our values win on Election Day. The AFL-CIO is releasing our latest “Get Out the Word” toolkit, complete with graphics and sample social media posts.
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The Election is 46 days away.
Below is information regarding updates and events for the Labor 2020!
Upcoming LABOR 2020 Actions available:
- Worksite Flyers Available to distribute: Sept 1-Oct 1
- Biden Comparison #1 are sent! Check your Mail Box!
- Digital Ads will be released starting mid September.
- Virtual Phone Banking will be available soon!
- Yard signs are on the way, Expect them this week!
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Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor2020 Literature Drops: September 26, 2020 @ 11:00 am -1:00 pm, 200 Kovach Drive, Cincinnati Ohio 45215
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Join Us for our First Lit Drop of Labor2020! We will be leafleting union households in our local Cincinnati communities!
Lookout for Details this week!
Biden Campaign Actions:
The Biden Campaign is having weekly actions and is asking Labor to join! If interested Please check out the Link Below for details and to RSVP .
*Once you RSVP you will be contracted by the Biden Campaign with more details!*
If you have any questions please let me know!
Thank you!
Julien
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Julien Johnson
Southwest State Representative
Ohio AFL-CIO
614-312-4507
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The Biennial Convention of the Ohio AFL-CIO |
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CONVENTION INFORMATION
Registration/Zoom Information: Instead of paper credentials that we have used in the past, we are credentialing delegates electronically. Please use the REGISTER button located on the right side of this page using the password in your Convention Call letter to complete your online credentialing. The proper authorized officers of your organization shall complete one credential for each delegate selected. All credentials must be registered no later than midnight Wednesday, September 23rd, 2020. Please look for emails from convention@ohaflcio.org going forward with details.
Representation: Your organization by virtue of affiliation with the Ohio AFL-CIO and regular payment of per capita fees is entitled to delegate representation on the basis of one (1) delegate for the first one hundred (100) members or fraction thereof, and an additional delegate for each additional one hundred (100) members or fraction thereof.
Affiliated Organizations shall have representation as follows:
- Each central body or council or joint board shall be entitled to two (2) delegates and two (2) votes;
- The Ohio Alliance for Retired Americans shall be entitled to one (1) delegate and one (1) vote;
- Each chapter of a local Central Labor Council, which prior to consolidation was a Central Labor Council, shall be entitled to one (1) delegate and one (1) vote;
- Each Area Labor Federation shall be entitled to one (1) delegate and one (1) vote; and
- A state chapter or local chapter, if no state chapter exists, of an AFL-CIO constituency group shall be entitled to one (1) delegate and one (1) vote. However, no constituency group or its delegate may have a voice or vote concerning the endorsement of a political candidate at the Convention.
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Common Cause NC files complaint calling for investigation of U.S. Postmaster DeJoy for alleged ‘straw donor’ scheme in North Carolina |
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RALEIGH – U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy should be investigated immediately for an alleged campaign donation scheme that may have violated North Carolina law, according to a complaint filed today by Common Cause NC with the State Board of Elections and also sent to Attorney General Josh Stein requesting a criminal investigation.
While CEO of High Point, NC-based New Breed Logistics from 2003-2014, DeJoy pressured employees of his company to make political contributions and later reimbursed those contributions through bonuses, according to former employees recently interviewed by The Washington Post.
Such a ploy would violate North Carolina campaign finance laws, which prohibit making contributions in the name of another person, and may have been a means to illegally circumvent donation limits. State law also prohibits corporations from donating to campaigns, a provision that DeJoy may have violated by using his company’s funds to reimburse employees for making contributions to political candidates he supported.
While there is a five-year statute of limitations on federal campaign finance charges, there is no such statute of limitations in North Carolina.
The following is a statement from Bob Phillips, executive director of Common Cause NC:
“Our state’s campaign finance laws are designed to protect the fundamental integrity of our elections and guard against undue influence by self-serving megadonors and special interests. Violations of these laws undermine public trust in our democracy and must be treated with the utmost seriousness. No one is above the law, no matter the size of their bank account.
Voters deserve to know who is funding politicians’ campaigns. But straw donor ploys hide the true source of political donations and make it impossible for voters to make fully-informed choices. This troubling fundraising scheme allegedly perpetrated by Louis DeJoy has the appearance of bypassing North Carolina’s campaign finance limits in order to illicitly buy political access and curry favor with elected officials. These allegations should be thoroughly investigated and, if true, Mr. DeJoy must be held accountable.”
To read the full complaint filed by Common Cause NC with the State Board of Elections and the state attorney general, click here.
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Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.
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Save USPS!
New POGO Postal Service Hotline Now Live
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Good morning,
I wanted to share with everyone that the new hotline POGO created for Postal Service employees is now live.
We encourage you to share this new hotline with Postal Service workers. We've heard that given the increased politicization of the Postal Service in recent months, we've heard that many USPS workers are nervous to report instances of wrongdoing to the OIG. This hotline is meant to help make it easier and more comfortable for those to come forward.
We have incorporated suggestions from many of you on this listserv and created a flyer to help get the word out.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Best,
Tim
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Tim Stretton
Policy Analyst
Project On Government Oversight (POGO)
1100 G Street NW, Suite 500
Washington DC, 20005-3806
(202) 347-1122
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NKU Haile - US Bank College of Business Seminars |
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38th Annual Labor-Management Conference
Labor-Management Relations: The Pandemic and Beyond
Join us at this year's 38th Annual Labor-Management Conference on "Labor-Management Relations: The Pandemic and Beyond" - but this time in a virtual format. Our panel of experts will discuss their experiences in negotiating and implementing changes to deal with one of the largest labor/management obstacles, the COVID-19 pandemic. They will provide a timely examination of issues that have arose in the immediate aftermath and those that have arisen as employers are allowed to resume business and the new workplace that labor unions are operating within.
The Labor-Management Conference has always focused on finding effective approaches for collaboration and partnerships through education for employers, unions and employees - and this year is no exception! We hope to see you virtually on October 13, 2020 and in-person on May 12, 2021 as we return bigger and better than ever for our 39th Annual Labor-Management Conference.
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WHEN:
October 13, 2020
11:45 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. EDT
Delivered in a webinar format with allotted time for questions
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Cost:
Past attendee rate: FREE*
New attendee rate: $20
*Attendance lists from years past will be used to verify free registrations
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CLE CREDITS:
SHRM Credits Approved
(1.5 hours)
CLE Credits Pending for OH and KY (1.5 hours)
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You're Invited: Medicare 101 Webinar |
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Medicare can be complicated, but we are here to help! We’d like to invite you to one of our Medicare education webinars hosted next week.
Valuable information will be shared to prepare your workforce on the following:
- Medicare Part A and Part B coverage and cost
- The difference between Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage Plans
- Enrolling in Medicare if working past age 65
- Retiree health care costs, and more!
Wednesday, September 23 at 6 p.m.Thursday, September 24 at noon
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COVID - 19 By The Numbers |
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Global Confirmed: 29,960,718
Global Deaths: 942,631
U.S. Confirmed: 6,649,458
U.S. Deaths: 197,223
(As of 3:00 PM, Thursday, Sep 17, 2020)
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Hamilton County
Cases
12,559
Hospitalizations
1,016
Deaths
307
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Clermont County
Cases
1,579
Hospitalizations
128
Deaths
19
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Brown County
Cases
271
Hospitalizations
24
Deaths
2
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Butler County
Cases
5,487
Hospitalizations
388
Deaths
98
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Warren County
Cases
2,856
Hospitalizations
233
Deaths
48
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Other Important Headlines and Information: |
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Valuable Stories About USPS:
EPI just released a fantastic paper today covering the 50 most egregious actions that the Trump administration has taken against workers.
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Cincinnati AFL-CIO
Labor Council
Bill Froehle, President
Pete McLinden,
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Brian D. Griffin,
Director of Communication & Technology
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