The Final Push: The Working People Weekly List

Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s the latest edition of the Working People Weekly List.

In Philadelphia, Organized Labor Is Making a Final Push as Democrats Try to Win Back Working-Class Voters: “On Saturday morning, Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, the largest labor union conglomerate in the country, rallied in South Philadelphia with gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro and a bevy of local elected officials who spoke to 150 workers preparing to knock on doors through the city. ‘All these important labor leaders, national people, are coming into Pennsylvania because this race is the race,’ Shuler said, pointing to the Senate campaign. ‘And you all are the most important people that will make this victory happen.’”

Nearly 50,000 University of California Workers Could Go on Strike This Month: “Tens of thousands of academic workers across the University of California system voted to authorize a potential strike, threatening to throw a wrench in the operations of 10 major universities across the state and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The United Auto Workers (UAW), which represents some 48,000 postdocs, teacher’s assistants, academic student employees and student researchers across four bargaining units, called for a strike vote last month alleging unfair labor practices.”

Empowering the Women Who Build Nations: “Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the largest gathering of tradeswomen in the world. At this year’s Tradeswomen Build Nations conference, organized by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), more than 3,000 women in the building and construction trades gathered in Las Vegas to discuss how to empower each other and address the unique issues they face.”

More Wisconsin Workers Are Organizing. How Much Leverage Do They Have?: “First introduced in 2019, the PRO Act will likely remain stalled unless enough Senate seats flip in November to allow Democrats to eliminate the filibuster and pass the legislation with a simple majority. That’s exactly what AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and her 12.5 million-member union umbrella organization hope to do. ‘We’re gonna send Ron Johnson packing!’ Shuler told the roaring crowd gathered at the Madison Concourse Hotel for the Wisconsin AFL-CIO Convention in September. ‘And we’re gonna send Mandela Barnes, who…knows what a union difference makes, to Washington, D.C.!’”

AFL-CIO Bashes Federal Reserve Over Rate Hike: “AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on Wednesday criticized the Federal Reserve for issuing another interest rate hike, warning that the move will have a ‘direct and harmful impact’ on working families. The labor leader’s remarks come after Fed officials raised interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point, the sixth rate hike since the Fed ramped up its efforts to slow the economy and tame inflation in March. ‘The Fed seems determined to raise interest rates, though it openly admits those rates could ruin our current economy as unemployment remains low and people are able to find jobs,’ Shuler said in a statement.”

Food Prices Soar, and So Do Companies’ Profits: “For years, food companies and restaurants generally raised prices in small, incremental steps, worried that big increases would frighten consumers and send them looking for cheaper options. But over the last year, as wages increased and the cost of the raw ingredients used to make treats like cookies, chips, sodas and the materials to package them soared, food companies and restaurants started passing along those expenses to customers. But amid growing concerns that the economy could be headed for a recession, some food companies and restaurants are continuing to raise prices even if their own inflation-driven costs have been covered. Critics say the moves are all about increasing profits, not covering expenses.”

They Offer Free Orientation for People Interested in Obtaining Citizenship in the United States: “Texas AFL-CIO Immigration Policy and Programs Coordinator Jesus Perales appeared today on Univision to discuss a free Citizenship Clinic scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3, along with Citizenship Forums ahead of the event that prepare eligible U.S. residents for the event. The Citizenship Clinic offers assistance filling out the complex citizenship application form, free legal advice from volunteer immigration attorneys, and materials to help applicants prepare for the citizenship exam that leads to naturalization. The Texas AFL-CIO is proud to work with affiliates, Central Labor Councils and allies on this program.”

Minneapolis Parks Workers to Strike as Early as November 8: “Today, A.J. Lange, Business Manager of the City Employees’ Union LIUNA Local 363, announced that more than 200 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (MPRB) employees intend to walk off the job on November 8 after issuing a 10-day notice to strike. ‘We have exhausted all options to avoid taking this action. Minneapolis Park employees take pride in providing the community with welcoming, clean, and enjoyable public spaces,’ said Lange. ‘In the midst of a pandemic and civil unrest, we continue to work despite being understaffed and overworked. We are the reason the Minneapolis park system consistently ranks in the top five across the country.’”