The Association of Administrative Law Judges (AALJ), which is in a contentious labor dispute with the Social Security Administration (SSA), is strongly pushing back against what it calls SSA Acting Commissioner Andrew Saul’s erroneous description of employee-labor relations.
Read MoreCanadian unions stand in solidarity with hundreds of thousands of Colombian workers and citizens peacefully demonstrating since the April 28 launch of a General Strike against tax reform. The reform would have disproportionately impacted the poorest people by eliminating subsidies on some public services, taxing pensions, and freezing public sector wages.
Read MoreEarlier this week, Michelle Johnston was declared the Society of United Professionals’ (SUP/IFPTE Local 160) new president. Former president Scott Travers announced his retirement last month and an election was triggered shortly after to elect a new president.
Read MoreJoin the Ontario Federation of Labour on Monday, May 17 from 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EDT for an International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia Town Hall discussion with NDP LGBTQ Issues Critic Terence Kernaghan and NDP MPP Toronto—St. Paul’s Jill Andrew.
Read MoreFollowing last week’s Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs approval of Ahuja to lead OPM, the Federal Workers Alliance penned a letter to all 100 Senators this week urging support for her nomination, writing that, “After the last four years, during which there was a concerted effort to shutter OPM, it is critically important that this agency has a leader that not only believes in its mission, but one that also has a proven track record of success.”
Read MoreIn a letter signed by a coalition of 31 labor, business and community organizations to President Biden, the group points out that investments in disaster resilience, “can save $3 to $11 per dollar invested,” and that, “it is imperative for communities to plan, design, and build now in order to have safe and reliable critical infrastructure, resilient communities and ecosystems in the future.”
Read MoreThe Association of Administrative Law Judges (AALJ/IFPTE Judicial Council 1) has been in an ongoing labor dispute with the Social Security Administration (SSA). The union reports that it is extremely disappointed with the agency’s latest rejection of its contract offer. AALJ offered to resume negotiations if the agency would withdraw what it called a Trump-era union-busting order from the Federal Service Impasses Panel to impose nine disputed articles of the contract. SSA and AALJ-IFPTE have reached agreement on another 20 articles.
Read MoreOntario’s new Worker Income Protection Benefit is a bare minimum response to the longstanding call for paid sick days from labour advocates, unions, public health officials, and medical experts, says the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL). The temporary benefit, administered through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), will provide a maximum of three days paid sick leave and is only available until September 25, 2021.
Read MoreThe IFPTE Women’s Solidarity Network (WSN) held their 6th Women & Unions International Speaker Series on April 29. IFPTE members from Canada and the US took part in a webinar discussion focused on the gender pay gap.
Read MoreFrom May 7 to May 28, IFPTE Locals and other professional organizations were given a four-part training seminar modeled after the Non-Profit Employees Union (NPEU/IFPTE Local 70) “Bargaining Academy”. Participants from TEAM/IFPTE Local 161, WAPSO/IFPTE Local 162, SCMMA/IFPTE Local 222, and the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals logged onto Zoom once a week to learn essentials like proper note taking, effective strategies and tactics and membership engagement.
Read MoreThe Senate Social Finance Committee held a hearing entitled, “Social Security During COVID: How the Pandemic Hampered Access to Benefits and Strategies for Improving Service Delivery.”
Read MoreThe Society of United Professionals (SUP/IFPTE Local 160)/Canadian Area Vice President Scott Travers and Secretary-Treasurer Michelle Johnston hosted the Society of United Professionals' online Day of Mourning ceremony on Wednesday, the second of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Read MoreLongtime ESC/IFPTE Local 20 member and activist, Pete Mikovich, was a Principal Gas Mapper out of Sacramento and was always there as ESC’s “go-to” for gas mapping-related issues. Pete represented his fellow Mappers at PG&E for decades and always spoke truthfully and powerfully about the importance of their work. His work signature closed with UNION YES!
Read MoreIFPTE President Shearon says that President Biden is, “walking the walk by using his bully pulpit to promote and move policies that are geared toward increasing union membership here in the United States.”
Read MoreThe National Day of Mourning, or Workers' Mourning Day is observed annually in Canada on April 28. It commemorates workers who have been killed, injured or suffered illness due to workplace related hazards and occupational exposures.
Read MoreIFPTE was one of 43 organizations signing a letter to all House and Senate members urging them to cosponsor legislation authored by Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Barbara Lee putting in place a financial transactions tax on Wall Street trades.
Read MoreSPEEA/IFPTE Local 2001 is leading the way within the IFPTE family in urging Congress to move quickly in passing historic labor law reform to bring fairness back to the private sector organizing process.
Read MoreThe organizing committees of Brookings United and the Urban Institute Employees’ Union has issued a joint statement calling “on the management of the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute to respect the right of staff to form a union and to refrain from any actions that could be construed as discouraging us from exercising this right.” The statement comes as the staff of these respective non-profits are organizing with NPEU/IFPTE Local 70.
Read MoreJoin the IFPTE Women’s Solidarity Network for our 6th installment of the Women & Unions International Speaker Series. This online event will be focused on the gender pay gap and what this means for women’s economic security especially during COVID-19.
Read MoreThe Canadian Labour Congress is applauding significant investments in child care, training and skills development and a $15 federal minimum wage, in addition to a further expansion of emergency benefits announced in the 2021 federal budget earlier this week.
Read More