The coronavirus pandemic won’t be controlled until states, cities, towns and schools – and particularly health departments – have the funding they need from the federal government, says AFSCME Retiree Sue Conard.
Conard should know. She spent 24 years as a public health nurse serving Wisconsin’s La Crosse County. One of her many areas of expertise? Immunization.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors has sent a letter to Congress that echoes what AFSCME has been saying for months: It’s long past time to robustly fund the front lines.
In his first days on the job, President Joe Biden has taken swift executive action to protect and empower public service workers, strengthen public services and help working people. On his first day alone, he signed 17 executive orders, memorandums and proclamations that showed the kind of bold leadership our country needs now.
AFSCME President Lee Saunders called the victories of the Rev. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff in Georgia’s Senate runoff elections “a bold mandate for change.”
Here’s a crucial reason for working people to do all they can to help Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock win the Georgia Senate runoff elections in January – federal aid to states, cities, towns and schools.
If Ossoff and Warnock prevail, there will be a pro-worker majority in the U.S. Senate. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, as president of the Senate, will cast the tie-breaking vote when the chamber is deadlocked.
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice president-elect Kamala Harris on Monday brought together business and union leaders, including AFSCME President Lee Saunders, for a virtual meeting to discuss an economic recovery agenda for the country.
Following the meeting, Biden warned of a “dark winter” ahead for the nation and highlighted consensus among the labor leaders and CEOs alike on the need to fund the front lines.
It was bad enough that the Trump administration failed miserably in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, ignoring the science and failing to come up with a national strategy.
It was pathetic and tragic when Republicans in Congress failed to summon the courage to support the everyday heroes who saved our communities by funding the front lines.
With so much at stake for working families in the 2020 election, AFSCME members across the country stood up to the challenge once again. Although the pandemic prevented us from putting thousands of boots on the ground as we normally do, AFSCME members still made a huge difference in key races across the country.
