Press Releases

  • ICYMI: Following a summer of activism, AFSCME boosts public service hiring through ‘Staff the Front Lines’ bus tour

    Lines bus tour made its last stop in Baltimore earlier this month. Six governors, 12 mayors and countless state, city and county employers joined the bus tour to raise awareness about the hundreds of thousands…

  • AFSCME’s Saunders commends bold step to protect nursing home staff and residents

    AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement responding to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ proposed rule on nursing home minimum staffing requirements:  “Current conditions in nursing homes are notoriously harrowing –…

  • Saunders: ‘Gallup poll confirms what we’ve known for a long time: Americans believe in the power of unions to strengthen our economy’

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement in response to Gallup’s annual poll on labor unions:    “As we prepare to celebrate Labor Day weekend, this year’s Gallup poll confirms what we’ve known…

  • AFSCME’s Saunders applauds proposed overtime rule, a well-deserved pay raise for millions

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement in response to the Labor Department’s announcement of a notice of proposed rulemaking on overtime protections: “Once again, the Biden-Harris administration is showing up for working…

  • AFSCME’s Saunders applauds O’Malley appointment to Social Security Administration

    AFSCME President Lee Saunders released this statement on the nomination of Martin O’Malley to be Commissioner of the Social Security Administration: “It’s never been more important that we have strong permanent leadership at the Social…

  • AFSCME launches ‘Staff the Front Lines’ bus tour aimed at solving understaffing crisis in public service

    WASHINGTON – States, cities, towns and schools are facing an unprecedented staffing crisis, as hiring for public sector jobs has not kept pace with the private sector. In April, there were 833,000 job openings in…

  • AFSCME President Lee Saunders applauds ‘historic’ contract agreement for California child care workers

    AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after Child Care Providers United (CCPU) reached a tentative contract agreement with the State of California: “This historic agreement will dramatically improve the lives of thousands of…

  • AFSCME’s Saunders: SCOTUS student loan ruling ‘is yet another example of this court’s contempt for working families

    AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down President Joe Biden’s landmark student debt relief plan: “Today’s decision is yet another example of this court’s contempt for working…

  • Saunders: Today’s affirmative action decision ‘is a shameful step backwards’

    AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions:   “Once again, the anti-worker majority on the Supreme Court has chosen…

  • AFSCME endorsement: Joe Biden ‘respects and protects working people’ while others ‘stabbed them in the back when the cameras were off’

    The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), a union of 1.4 million public service workers nationwide, has endorsed President Joe Biden for reelection. The endorsement was announced prior to a scheduled national…