News and Advocacy

Cleaning House: The End of CPS's Contract with Aramark

As the custodial management contract with Aramark inside Chicago Public Schools (CPS) comes to an end, there’s a palpable mix of anticipation and reservation.The decision to bring management back unde

Data-Driven AP Lifts Up Students, Teachers

Lizzy Crispin headed the committee that led Leonardo Da Vinci High School to become the first and only Blue Ribbon high school in Buffalo, New York.

Increase in Job-Related Deaths

Overall, fatalities on the job rose 5.7%. The rise in fatal occupational injuries from 2021 to 2022 is “alarming and unacceptable” to the AFL-CIO.

AFL-CIO Elects New President

The AFL-CIO Executive Council elected current Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler, the federation’s acting president, to hold the top job through its convention next year. 

Shuler, an Electrical Worker from IBEW Local 125 in Portland, Oregon, becomes the first woman to officially head the nation’s largest labor federation. In its Aug. 20 session, the council elected Steelworker Vice President Fred Redmond to succeed her as secretary-treasurer.

Universal Masking a Must for Now

Based on the evolving variants and the new findings of science, we are in full support of all mitigation methods recently recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka Dies at 72

The labor movement, the AFL-CIO and the nation lost a legend today.

New Survey of Parents on Return to School

RAND researchers surveyed 2,015 parents of children age 5–18 in May 2021 about their willingness to send their children to school in person in fall 2021. They also asked parents about their support for various health and safety practices at school, including getting their children tested for coronavirus disease 2019, and whether they would get their children vaccinated if a vaccine were available. The results are intended to inform school districts' and health officials' planning for operating schools in fall 2021.

Some Thoughts About Independence Day

By the time you read this editorial, Independence Day will have come and gone. Nevertheless, the date, July 4, should occasion thoughts—which we hope persist in your minds.

Carnegie Forum: Elevating Family-School Partnership

Educators worked hand in hand with parents to support student success and discovered what is possible when collaboration with families is a priority.