Rhode Island AFL-CIO

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Happy Labor Day

Fri, 09/03/2010 - 1:08pm

2010 AFL-CIO Labor Day Ad

Labor Day Ceremony in Central Falls to unveil monument to victims of 1934 Saylesville Massacre

Thu, 09/02/2010 - 10:34am

By JON BAKER

CENTRAL FALLS --- As members of the Rhode Island Labor History Society's Executive Board, Ryan McIntyre and Nick Palazzo desperately want people to know about the tragic events of Sept. 10, 1934. On that date, four strikers died and approximately 180 others were injured by National Guardsmen during the Saylesville Massacre and General Textile Strike of Woonsocket.

JP Morgan Chase Got Bailed Out - Rhode Islanders Are Getting Sold Out

Wed, 08/11/2010 - 4:19pm

JOIN US - Wednesday, August 18

4:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel

5 Avenue of the Arts, Providence

RHODE ISLAND AFL-CIO UNANIMOUSLY ENDORSES SECRETARY OF STATE RALPH MOLLIS BID FOR RE-ELECTION

Thu, 08/05/2010 - 10:10am

Sec. of State Ralph Mollis

Providence, RI— The Executive Board of the Rhode Island AFL-CIO, representing over 80,000 union members across the state, has unanimously voted to endorse Secretary of State Ralph Mollis' re-election bid in the 2010 Primary and General Elections. Secretary Mollis' record of fair, open and honest government during his tenure as Secretary of State was the major factor in the board’s endorsing the Secretary's re-election bid.

President Nee- Steve Kass: A Real Life Example of Wasteful State Spending

Tue, 07/27/2010 - 4:20pm

Pres. George Nee

I was greatly dismayed by comments made by Steve Kass, former talk-radio host and current high profile example of unnecessary and wasteful state spending, in a recent Providence Journal article on his “career” in state government. Kass, an appointee of Governor Don Carcieri to multiple high-paid positions within state government, claimed that he is “not looking to be a political hack or a union do-nothing worried about my pension.”

Statement by AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka on Comprehensive Financial Reform

Fri, 07/16/2010 - 12:18pm

Washington, DC- Today’s vote represents a historic shift of power—away from big bankers and CEOs to working families and Main Street. For years, big banks have profited on the backs of working families. Millions of working families lost their jobs and still can’t find work because of the reckless and selfish actions of Wall Street and the big banks.

New Report Shows RI Has 6th-Least Government Employees

Thu, 06/03/2010 - 2:32pm

A new report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research shows that, contrary to popular belief, Rhode Island has fewer government employees than 44 other states. Last year, there were 53,185 non-federal public employees in Rhode Island, with 33,940 of them working for local governments and 19,245 working for the state.

CENTRAL FALLS FIREFIGHTERS OBJECT TO APPOINTMENT OF PERMANENT RECEIVER

Wed, 06/02/2010 - 2:12pm

Providence, RI—The Central Falls Firefighters’ Union today filed objections to appointment of a permanent receiver to take over the City’s operations. A hearing on the objections is scheduled in Providence Superior Court for June 9^th.

Richard Trumka/George Nee: Make Wall Street pay for the jobs it destroyed

Thu, 05/13/2010 - 2:44pm

It has been more than 18 months since the financial sector collapsed, exposing rampant Wall Street abuses, sending jobs into freefall and forcing a massive and unpopular taxpayer bailout.

All told, the Great Recession has cost Rhode Island 34,900 jobs.

That’s a lot of Rhode Island families’ lives turned upside down.

Nationwide, the Wall Street debacle tore an 11 million jobs hole in our economy.

UNITE HERE Local 217 Workers Boycott Westin Hotel

Fri, 05/07/2010 - 1:54pm

Carmen Castillo

Westin Providence Hotel has:

20% cut in workers’ wages across the board
Tripling the employee contribution to healthcare
Increased workload for the already overloaded housekeepers
The removal of job security protections via subcontracting

Welcome!

Welcome to the Rhode Island AFL-CIO's new website!

www.riaflcio.org

Michael Sabitoni: Rhode Island owes Brown thanks for its building projects

The Rhode Island economy is in dire straits. We have been mired in an extended recession, our unemployment rate hovers around 13 percent — one of the highest in America — and the state is dealing with the aftermath of horrific floods. Many people have lost their jobs, any health insurance they may have had and, in many other instances, their homes, too. The construction industry has been especially affected, with unemployment in this sector at a staggering 40 percent.

The Union Difference

Get the facts on why:

AFL-CIO Good Jobs Now Agenda

No one needs to tell America’s families that unemployment and underemployment are at crisis levels. We need jobs—and we need them now.

Wall Street has gotten its bailouts. Now it’s time for Main Street to get some...

New Legislation Would Create 1 Million Jobs

by James Parks, Mar 10, 2010

Members of Congress and a bipartisan group of mayors today announced new legislation they say will create or save up to 1 million public- and private-sector jobs. Jobs saved would include those such as firefighters, police and teachers and others whose jobs are in jeopardy because of local government budget cuts.

The nation’s economic crisis is forcing states and municipalities to cut jobs that are critically important to local communities. State and local...