​"Every morning, our cities and towns awaken to the sounds of a vital, thriving community," writes AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride. "The music of those small, daily concerts comes to us thanks to the dedicated public service workers of AFSCME. You could even say it sounds like AFSCME." AFSCME has compiled a few clips of the unique sounds that AFSCME members contribute to the symphony of our communities, including one from Metro Council affiliate AFSCME 2250. Check it out by clicking on the short video below.  

​Click here to check out this week's Labor History Today podcast. On this week’s show, Patrick Dixon interviews union organizer and labor historian Doug Nesbitt about the 1995 general strike by forty thousand workers in London, Ontario, Canada. Plus Noam Chomsky on general strikes and Leon Fink on the AFL-CIO's support for the Viet Nam war. 

Death in San Antonio, Texas, of Samuel Gompers, president and founder of the American Federation of Labor - 1924

photo: 2011 Oakland CA general strike; part of the larger Occupy Oakland movement

Labor history courtesy Union Communication Services

NewsGuild Local 32035 recently announced two year’s worth of its annual Guild Service Awards, recognizing outstanding work by its members, including BBNA's Steve Cook, the 2017 Shop Steward of the Year, for his "diligent contract enforcement, working assiduously and handling multiple grievances." Saying that "It’s a well-deserved honor for an excellent steward who leads by example," News Guild president Robert Struckman added that "I’m proud to call him my union brother."
Click here for the complete list of 2016 and 2017 award-winners.