Education
Few issues strike home for working families as much as education for their children. To be equipped for life, every child needs and deserves high-quality education that is available to all—from early childhood through college. For schools to work, educators must have the support and resources they need to succeed and school buildings must be well-equipped and well-maintained. Our schools must serve all children, and comprehensive services and supports must be in place for students with the greatest needs. All students should have access to higher education and assistance paying for it so they are not barred from college or saddled with impossible debt when they leave.
Public schools and public school teachers have been under attack in recent years—from widespread efforts to shift public school funding to private school voucher programs, to attempts to privatize public schools, to moves by governors and state legislators to take bargaining rights from teachers and other school personnel. These attacks are designed to serve the 1 percent—CEOs who can profit from privatized systems and the wealthiest families—at the expense of the 99 percent of students who deserve the best.
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On Wednesday, President Biden announced a plan to wipe out significant amounts of student loan debt for tens of millions of Americans, by cancelling $10,000 in debt for those earning less than $125,000 per year and $20,000 for those who had received Pell grants for low-income families.
Out of the ashes of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire rose the modern labor movement.
Help is on the way for New Yorkers seeking a union job in the transportation sector. The Consortium for Worker Education and partners in government, labor, and business are launching a new workforce training program, New York City Pathways to Industrial and Construction Careers (PINCC).
Approximately 30,000 NYSNA nurses have union contracts expiring on December 31, 2022, or in early 2023. This is the first time in New York state that so many private and public sector nurses will be bargaining for critical improvements to their profession and their patients at the same time.
On Tuesday, the 2.5 million member New York State AFL-CIO announced endorsements of candidates running for Congress, Senate and Assembly.
Last week, the New York City Central Labor Council launched its first Common Sense Economics workshop. Participants were engaged in hands-on activities and learned about local campaigns like the CUNY Rising Alliance.
Last month, CJNY's LI Regional Director, Mariah Dignan, spoke with students at William Floyd HS in Mastic Beach about the importance of union career pathways and the integral role labor will play in offshore wind development in NYS.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler on this week’s Senate victory for working people:
Today the Senate passed legislation that will transform the lives of working families at every level, and we urge the House of Representatives to pass this bill swiftly and send it to President Biden’s desk.
After 14 years with a deeply flawed system, labor has advocated for change and we finally have the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program we need.