AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Stephen Blaire, Catholic bishop of Stockton and a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ domestic policy committee, wrote the following Op-Ed, which appeared in the Sacramento Bee last week. Unions and Catholic leaders have long found common cause in advocating for policies that defend the dignity of workers and protect immigrant families. Over the past several years, we have worked together to win congressional approval of comprehensive immigration reform legislation. Although such legislation has passed the U.S. Senate in an overwhelmingly bipartisan fashion, the U.S. House of Representatives is now delaying consideration of either the Senate bill or its own version of reform. Read more >>>

As we reflect on the actions all over the country by Walmart associates on Black Friday and consider the fact that people are working harder than ever and are still losing economic ground, we're reminded that the federal minimum wage is not enough. In a joint Op-Ed for CNN, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and National Employment Law Project Executive Director Christine Owens remind us that in the past 15 years, all wage increases have gone to the wealthiest 10%. Read more >>>

An Omaha, Neb., nonprofit community engagement center that provides emergency and preventive services for local poor children and adults had a dream. The group, called inCOMMON Community Development, wanted a location in Omaha’s Park Avenue neighborhood, where nearly half the children live in poverty—and found a building that could be an ideal community resource center. But the place was old and dilapidated and needed a lot of TLC. Read more>>

When Ben Hankins was looking to sell his house in St. Louis and find a new-construction home in the city, he wanted more out of the experience than an economic transaction. He did his research and found McBride and Son Homes, an employee-owned company that gives back to the community and builds its homes while building good jobs for skilled local union workers. Read more>>

Twenty-four women from the Transport Workers Union’s (TWU) Air Transport Division took a break from their three-day conference in Fort Worth, Texas, to build a home with Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that allows deserving families to build a home alongside volunteers.  Read more >>>

Marquette Labor Council Officers Carolyn Hietamaki, RN and Kris Michaelson, RN won top labor leader honors at the Michigan Nurses Association’s awards banquet on October 4th at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, MI. The Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) is the largest, most effective union for RNs in Michigan. Organizing a union in your workplace is the first positive step in gaining a seat at every table where decisions are made that affect nurses, the patients they serve, and the nursing practice. Read more >>>

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WLUC-TV6: Hundreds turn out for Labor Day parade in Ishpeming

ABC10: Parade focuses on importance of American workers

Mining Journal: Local unions celebrate Labor Day

Inspired by a Woody Guthrie song, 1913 Massacre tells the story of a Michigan town broken by greed. The film follows musician Arlo Guthrie to the town of Calumet, a once-thriving mining town on Michigan's Upper Peninsula still haunted by the tragic events that inspired Woody Guthrie's ballad, '1913 Massacre.' 1913 Massacre captures the last living witnesses of the 1913 tragedy, reconstructs Calumet's past from individual memories, family legends and songs, and traces the legacy of the tragedy to the present day, when the town --out of work, out of money, out of luck -- struggles to survive. Read more >>>

Battles Continue . . .

It has been quite a challenging year for workers and their unions with the changes made in Lansing. See the legislative update on miaflcio.org/

A Labor Day 2012 Photo Album has been added in the Photo Albums section. If you have photos you are willing to share and would like to see on the website please let us know.

Thank You for Helping to Make this Labor Day the Best Yet!

In excess of 1100 workers, students, seniors and their families representing the 15 counties of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan attended the We ARE the People Workers United Rally at the steps of the county courthouse in Marquette, Michigan.April 13th, 2011

We ARE the People Photo Album