Civil and Human Rights News
- June 14, 2013 If Section 5 Falls: New Voting Implications This key provision has been crucial to challenging restrictive voting laws proposed by states in recent years. Without the protections of Section 5, states might seek to reinstate or push a wave of discriminatory voting measures that were previously blocked or deterred by the law.
- June 12, 2013 John Lewis's Long Fight for Voting Rights Nearly five decades after Bloody Sunday in Selma, he’s in the fight of his life, as the Supreme Court threatens to overturn his signature achievement.
- May 23, 2013 2013 Dreams of Jobs and Freedom Scholarship To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington organized by A. Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin and where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, the AFL-CIO and Union Plus are offering scholarships to help graduating high school seniors realize their dreams of a college education.
- May 23, 2013 Jenny Yang Sworn In as EEOC Commissioner WASHINGTON -- Jenny R. Yang was sworn in today as Commissioner of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Yang was nominated by President Obama on Aug. 2, 2012, and was unanimously confirmed by the Senate on April 25, 2013, to serve a term expiring July 1, 2017.
- May 13, 2013 Blacks in the Labor Movement - Join the Disccusion Union density is higher among black workers than it is for any other racial or ethnic group of workers. How can the labor movement use this to build a stronger movement for social change? The labor movement is in the process of beginning a discussion on the future of workers and the labor movement and part of that discussion will happen online. We want to hear from you.
- May 07, 2013 44th APRI NATIONAL EDUCATION CONFERENCE & COMMEMORATION OF THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON The legacy of the A. Philip Randolph Institute is interfaced with the history of the March on Washington. Therefore, in the spirit of building on our great legacy, we will convene our National Education Conference in Washington, D.C. to reinforce and galvanize a workers’ agenda to demand guaranteed rights for equitable and fair treatment in the workplace; jobs that pay a living wage; universal healthcare for all; affordable housing; accessible and effective public education for our children; and social security benefits that support our retirement goals. Our program is being designed to participate fully as one of the “Big Six” legacy organizations (APRI, SCLC, SNCC, NAACP, CORE and NUL) who spearheaded the March. Joined by the NCNW and major labor unions, the March was represented by leaders from all of these organizations.
- May 03, 2013 104th NAACP ANNUAL CONVENTION The 104th Annual Convention of the NAACP, the Nations Oldest Civil Rights organization will be held in Orlando, Florida July 13 -17 at the Orange County Convention Center. The Convention's theme will be "We Shall Not Be Moved."
- May 03, 2013 Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Celebration Hosted by the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and the AFL-CIO. Remarks will be given by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii.
- May 03, 2013 Black voter turnout rate surpasses white voters WASHINGTON (AP) — America's blacks voted at a higher rate than other minority groups in 2012 and by most measures surpassed the white turnout for the first time, reflecting a deeply polarized presidential election in which blacks strongly supported Barack Obama while many whites stayed home. Had people voted last November at the same rates they did in 2004, when black turnout was below its current historic levels, Republican Mitt Romney would have won narrowly,according to an analysis conducted for The Associated Press.
- May 03, 2013 Blacks in Labor 2012 April 4 marked the 45th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. He was killed in Memphis as he supported the effort of Black sanitation workers to form a union. His endorsement of unionization as a central strategy to improve the lives of the Black community was not a recent one. From the very beginning of his prominence as a civil rights leader, he viewed the civil rights movement as being deeply intertwined with the struggle of workers to organize for power and dignity on the job.
- May 03, 2013 Colorado Set to Expand Voting Rights Colorado could change the way America votes, but first the Voter Access and Modernized Elections Act has to make its way through the Colorado statehouse. And that’s going to be a tall order. The ground-breaking proposal would send mail ballots to every voter, allow Election Day registration and put all the counties on a real-time statewide database that supporters say would weed out cheaters who try to vote twice.
- March 26, 2013 AFL-CIO Pledges Support for the Commemoration of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the March on Washington On Aug. 28 our nation will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the historic March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom that was held on the National Mall. On that day in 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his historic “I Have a Dream” speech, which accelerated the nation’s own march toward social and economic justice, including passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. AFL-CIO Vice President and President of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters A. Philip Randolph, along with Bayard Rustin, field coordinator, conceptualized and called for the march. Along with the leadership of Randolph and Rustin, the UAW, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union and the Transport Workers were instrumental in supporting the march.
- March 25, 2013 2013 District 9 Civil Rights Conference The USW District 9 Civil Rights Conference will be held April 2 - 4, 2013 at The Florida Hotel and Conference Center, 1500 Sand Lake Road, Orlando, Florida 32809. All locals are encouraged to participate, especially Civil and Human Rights Committee Members. We are confident this Conference will provide Local Union Leaders with the education and tools needed to better represent the members we are all privileged to serve.
- March 25, 2013 District 1 Civil Rights Conference District 1 will present a Civil and Human Rights Conference on April 10-11, 2013, at The Lodge at Sawmill Creek Resort, Huron, Ohio. Topics fundamental for the functions of our Local Union Civil and Human Rights Committee will be addressed by various speakers from both our International Union and government agencies. We will explore how we, as Local Union leaders can make our Civil and Human Rights Committees more responsive to the needs of our members.
- January 24, 2013 King Legacy Inspires Local 8888 Contract Negotiations They wore the faces of weathered but resilient shipbuilders, men and women serious about their business of securing “the best contract for the best shipbuilders in America.” USW Local 8888 members packed their union hall in Newport News, VA, for a rally on Jan. 15 – the birthdate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ...
- January 10, 2013 Court to hear voting rights case in Feb. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments Feb. 27 in a lawsuit that challenges a central provision of the Voting Rights Act. The court announced the scheduling Monday. The case, Shelby County v. Holder, is just one of three high-profile civil rights cases on the court's docket next year.
- January 10, 2013 Myrlie Evers-Williams, Widow Of Medgar Evers, To Deliver Invocation At Obama's Inauguration Evers-Williams, also a civil rights activist in her own right, is reportedly the first woman and non-clergy member to deliver a president's inaugural invocation.
- January 10, 2013 Unions Matter Complaint Seeks U.N. Help in Securing Human Rights for Migrant Workers Two dozen community organizations, including labor advocates, filed a formal complaint with the United Nations last month accusing American agribusinesses of denying farmworkers their basic human rights. Farmworkers in the United States, particularly undocumented migrant workers, are vulnerable to human rights abuses because many don’t speak English, don’t know their rights and, in fact, under U.S. law, have fewer protections than other workers. That’s because they’re specifically barred from forming unions.
- November 15, 2012 2013 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance The 2013 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance will be held January 17 – 21 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The theme of the Observance is We Are One: Workers’ Rights and Civil Rights. The Observance will take place as the country remembers and celebrates the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington that rallied hundreds of thousands of people to call for jobs and freedom. As participants remember this great civil rights milestone, we will also look forward as the 45th president of the United States is inaugurated during the conference.
- August 20, 2012 2012 General Election Voter Information The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) website provides voter information in concise easy-to-read charts.
- May 02, 2012 S.C. voter ID law painted as larger political picture South Carolina’s law requiring voters to bring a picture ID to the polls remains in limbo. The argument: The U.S. Justice Department, which must approve changes to the state’s elections through the Voting Rights Act, has found that the law discriminated against minority voters. The Appeal: State officials disagree and have appealed. A panel of three federal judges in Washington is weighing whether the law should take effect or be struck down. Arguments are scheduled for late July, and a ruling could come by mid-September.
- May 01, 2012 United Steelworkers 16th International Civil and Human Rights Conference This conference will be used to educate, energize and mobilize our members around the upcoming 2012 elections, and one of our most precious civil and human rights – voting, and will build on our conference theme, POWER OF THE BALLOT!
- April 03, 2012 Cesar Chavez: A True American Hero I hope we can all pause and reflect on the extraordinary life of a true American hero (March 31). It’s Cesar Chavez Day, proclaimed by President Obama and observed throughout the country on the 85th birth date of the late founder of the United Farm Workers union. It’s an official state holiday in California, Texas and Colorado. “Si se puede! – it can be done!”
- March 20, 2012 How State Media Turned A Blind Eye To ALEC's Influence On The Voter ID Debate Dozens of voter ID laws have been introduced in state legislatures over the past two years, including particularly strict measures passed in seven states in 2011 -- Alabama, Kansas, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee and Wisconsin. There is widespread evidence that this surge of voter ID laws stems from model legislation crafted in 2009 by a conservative group called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
- March 12, 2012 GOP War on Voting Targets Swing States On March 7, 1963, civil rights activists were brutally beaten by police in Selma, Alabama, during the infamous "Bloody Sunday" march, for advocating for the right to vote. This week, forty-seven years later, today's civil rights leaders retraced the march from Selma to Montgomery, protesting what NAACP President Ben Jealous calls "the greatest attack on voting rights since segregation."
- March 12, 2012 Justice Department bars Texas voter ID law The Justice Department has blocked a new law in Texas requiring voters to show a photo ID, saying that it disproportionately harms Hispanic residents.
- March 12, 2012 Second Judge Blocks Voter Photo ID, Saying It's Unconstitutional A second Dane County judge has granted an injunction blocking the photo ID requirement of the state's Voter ID law -- this one, a permanent injunction -- and the state attorney general says he will appeal. Judge Richard Niess ruled the photo ID requirement is unconstitutional in a lawsuit brought by the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin.
- February 19, 2012 AFL-CIO Joins Re-enactment of 1965 Selma to Montgomery March The AFL-CIO is joining with civil rights, community and labor partners in the re-enactment of the historic 1965 Selma to Montgomery, Ala., civil rights march that will focus attention on new attacks on voting rights, immigrants, workers’ rights and education.
- February 17, 2012 USW Commemorates Black History Month The United Steelworkers (USW) will commemorate Black History Month by honoring the sacrifices of all of the Black men and women who fought for dignity and respect in the workplace, on the bus and in all aspects of life.
- February 17, 2012 Voter ID issue advances in Minnesota Senate A bill that would ask Minnesotans whether to amend the state constitution to require voters to present a photo ID at the polls cleared its first hurdle at the Capitol on Wednesday.
- February 02, 2012 Tennessee Tea Party ‘Demands’ That References To Slavery Be Removed From History Textbooks Tea Partiers would prefer students didn't learn George Washington owned slaves. In 2010, the conservatives who controlled the Texas Board of Education caused an uproar when they made radical changes to the history curriculum for the state’s 4.8 million public school students. The changes included referring to the country’s first black president as “Barack Hussein Obama,” and requiring students to “contrast” Confederate President Jefferson Davis’ inaugural address with Abraham Lincoln’s philosophical views.
- January 30, 2012 'Don’t Steal Our Vote!' On Saturday, January 29, Beaver County residents protested, in front of Senator Elder Vogel's Rochester office, a proposed voter suppression bill. Beaver County has no reported cases of voter fraud.
- November 02, 2011 AFL-CIO 2012 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. HOLIDAY OBSERVANCE The 2012 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance will be held January 12 – 16 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit has a rich history that is emblematic of the theme of the Observance – We Are One: Worker’s Rights and Civil Rights.
- September 12, 2011 Al Franken Smacks Down Hans von Spakovsky Over Flawed Voter ID Stats Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) squared off with voting rights restrictions enthusiast Hans von Spakovsky at at Senate hearing on Thursday, accusing the Heritage Foundation fellow of leaving out a crucial piece of data that undermined his argument that voter ID laws don't suppress minority turnout.
- September 07, 2011 USW Applauds Sen. Durbin for Hearing on Voter ID Law The United Steelworkers (USW) today applauded Assistant Majority Leader Sen. Richard Durbin’s (D-IL) announcement that he will chair a Congressional hearing on Thurs., Sept. 8 to assess the potential impact of new voting laws passed by several states.
- August 31, 2011 An important Congressional hearing on voting rights will be held on September 8. Assistant Majority Leader Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) will chair a Congressional hearing to assess the impact of voting laws recently passed by several states. Among other things, these new laws will significantly reduce the number of early voting days, require voters to show photo identification before voting, and make it harder for volunteer organizations to register new voters.
- August 30, 2011 Civil Rights News and Links
- August 24, 2011 Memo: Clarence Darrow to Gov. Walker: Labor Rights ARE Civil Rights The year 2011 has already been a great and terrible year for the labor movement. In my home state, Wisconsin—as well as around the nation and in fact the world—workers and unions have been taking it on the chin.
- July 27, 2011 Proposed NLRB Rules Promote Transparency and Democracy The ability for workers to have a free and fair election process is essential to democracy, civil rights and labor advocates stressed as they testified in favor of the National Labor Relations Board’s recently proposed union election rules at a hearing last week.
- July 11, 2011 Employee Must Be in Close Physical Proximity to Ill Family Member to Satisfy FMLA "To Care For" Requirement Girard Baham requested and was granted FMLA leave to care for his daughter, who fell and suffered a serious head injury while the family was on vacation. The daughter was airlifted from Honduras to Miami, where the family remained in the hospital while their daughter recovered.
- July 01, 2011 Statement from the United Steelworkers (USW) International on Ohio HB 194 Make no mistake about it; the passage of HB 194 is another assault on the democratic rights of ordinary Ohio citizens. It is the latest attack by right-wing Republican extremists aimed at making political gains and suppressing voter turnout by falsely claiming voter fraud problems.
- June 30, 2011 USW Local 675 Member Recognized for Outstanding Work to Help Others A union member from United Steelworkers (USW) Union Local 675 has been recognized for volunteer work under difficult circumstances. Xochitl Cobarruvias was on loan from her local to assist as a Coordinator in the sorting and distribution of food collected for union families in need.
- February 08, 2011 Strength of Steel: USW, Exhibit Honor Trailblazing Steelworkers USW International Vice President Fred Redmond spoke at the opening of "The Strength of Steel: A Tribute to African-American Steelworkers in Pittsburgh." Click here for photos and a story.
- February 04, 2011 United Steelworkers Celebrate Black History Month Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by black Americans and a time for recognizing the central role of African Americans in U.S. history. The event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans.
- September 03, 2010 Steelworkers Endorse Report by Human Rights Watch Criticizing European Companies’ Violations of Labor Rights in the U.S. The United Steelworkers (USW) union praised a report released today by Human Rights Watch documenting how many European companies publicly embrace workers’ rights under global labor standards while undermining their employees’ rights in their U.S. operations.
- August 17, 2010 USW Locals, Steelers Alum Distribute Free School Supplies Click here for a report from a USW school supply drive.
- June 16, 2010 Embattled Striking Miners in Mexico Are Led from BC The lip of an enormous copper mine pit looms behind the dusty streets of Cananea in Sonora, Mexico. Walk those streets, and you encounter outsized memorials and tributes to the mine and its workers, the kinds of markers you might find in the British Columbian communities of Kimberley
- February 19, 2010 Widows Lawsuit Seeks Damages over Disaster that Killed 65 Mexican Miners Four Years Ago Today Families of deceased coal miners killed four years ago in an explosion at the Pasta de Conchos coal mine in Coahuila, Mexico, today filed suit in U.S. federal court in Arizona seeking damages from Grupo Mexico Inc. and related companies.
- February 06, 2010 Our union celebrates Black History Month Click here to read a celebration of Black History Month.
- January 29, 2010 Tell Firestone to Play Fair in Liberia - Take Super Bowl Action This year's Super Bowl Halftime sponsor, Bridgestone/Firestone, exploits workers on its rubber plantation in Liberia. Click here to take action against this.
- January 29, 2010 USW fighting for pay equity The USW is joining efforts to ensure pay equity. Click here for more.
- January 27, 2010 Want to help Haiti? Click here for info Many Steelworkers have asked what they and the union can do to help after the horrible earthquake in Haiti. Click here to find out.
- January 04, 2010 Civil and Human Rights Videos Worth Viewing Videos that were shot at the 2009 Civil and Human Rights Conference in Pittsburgh.
- January 04, 2010 Providing Community Service during the 2009 Civil and Human Rights Conference Participants at the USW’s 15th Civil and Human Rights Conference experienced first-hand the joy and meaning of community service, a theme of this year’s call for “Building Strength and Power through Action.”
- December 22, 2009 Evaluate the 15th Civil and Human Rights Conference Please click here to fill out the evaluation for the USW's 15th Civil and Human Rights conference.
- December 18, 2009 Take Action: Help children forced to pick cotton in Uzbekistan Every year, the government of Uzbekistan forces thousands of children and teachers out of the classrooms and into the fields to harvest cotton. Click here to take action to help the children!
- December 15, 2009 15th Civil & Human Rights Conference Calls on Committees to Get Active The 15th Civil & Human Rights Conference was a great success. Delegates promised to answer the call to become activists and help our communities. Click here for more.
- October 14, 2009 USW Blasts Seizure of Mexico's Electricity Plants by Federal Police as Another Attack on Labor Rights The United Steelworkers (USW) today sharply criticized the actions of the government of President Felipe Calderon for his announcing the liquidation of the Central Light and Power Company of Mexico (LyF) and the termination of the workers following the seizure of plants by the Mexican Federal Police.
- October 05, 2009 Honduran Doctor Returns to Homeland Providing free medical care for thousands in his poverty-ridden homeland was one huge undertaking. But returning home to fight for freedom -- and face arrest or worse -- represents the latest challenge from which Dr. Luther Castillo says he will not wilt.
- August 27, 2009 Civil Rights History: 19th Amendment Gives Women the Right to Vote August 26 marked the 89th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Ratified in 1920, the amendment gave women the right to vote. Women had been gaining suffrage, or the right to vote, on a state-by-state basis throughout the early 20th century, but the amendment granted all U.S. women full voting rights.
- August 27, 2009 USW Mourns ‘Workers Champion,’ U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy "Senator Kennedy fought for us through nearly five decades and authored more than 2,500 bills -- beginning in the sixties for civil and voter rights, and ending with his last vote on President Obama’s economic recovery plan. He never wavered in his support of working families and left his imprint on every major piece of social legislation to pass Congress during his years in the Senate.
- August 18, 2009 National Summit on Diversity II Please join union members and leaders, AFL-CIO constituency groups and AFL-CIO Convention delegates to discuss diversity and full participation in the labor movement.
- August 13, 2009 Steelworkers Celebrate Sotomayor Confirmation The United Steelworkers (USW) today lauded the U.S. Senate confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- August 12, 2009 15th Biennial Convention of the Coalition of Labor Union Women Join us at CLUW's 15th Biennial Convention October 14-17, 2009 and the Education Workshops on October 14 at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel, 404 South Figueroa Street, Los Angeles
- June 10, 2009 Leahy: Sotomayor Confirmation Hearing To Begin July 13 The hearings to consider the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court will begin July 13, Sen. Patrick Leahy says. Read more here.
- January 26, 2008 Union Privilege Scholarship Program Helps Develop Leadership Diversity Applications for the Union Leaders of the Future Scholarship are now available.
- January 01, 2008 CLUW Joins Global Pearl Of Wisdom Campaign To Prevent Cervical Cancer Marking Cervical Cancer Awareness Month in January, the Coalition of Labor Union Women has joined a coalition of women's health and advocacy organizations in the United States and Europe in a new, united effort to prevent cervical cancer worldwide.
