News

Federal funding to help vulnerable Americans in danger of getting cut

Federal money for programs and services that help millions of vulnerable Americans and employ many AFSCME members could be in jeopardy next year.

President Douglass testifies before CA Assembly Committee

This week, AFSCME Local 127 had the privilege of sharing some of our success before the members of the California Assembly Committee on Public Employment and Retirement (

Unions Push for “Grade A” Paid Parental Leave

Better wages. Check. Better working conditions. Check. And, thanks to unions, we now know there is also a union difference for workers who have access to critical benefits like paid parental leave.

According to recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 17 percent of all U.S. workers have access to paid family leave.  

Believe It or Not, Congress Seeks More Tax Cuts for the Rich

At a time when our country needs real investments in infrastructure, education and public services, congressional leaders are doubling down on tax cuts for the rich.

Update: FSLA Overtime Lawsuit

Brothers and Sisters,

As you may know, Local 127 has filed a lawsuit against the City of San Diego to get back underpaid overtime. Arellano v. City of San Diego has developed recently and we would like to fill you in on the details. On August 21, 2018, the judge granted our Motion to Consolidate our case with the Municipal Employees Association (MEA) lawsuit, Mitchell v. City of San Diego. In other words, we've again joined up with our sister union, MEA, in our legal efforts.

A Decade Later: Four Ways Working People Are Still Paying for the 2008 Financial Crisis

It was 10 years ago this month that the 2008 financial crisis kicked into high gear. When storied Wall Street bank Lehman Brothers shut down, bankers walking out of the building carrying cardboard boxes of their possessions made the perfect image for TV cameras.

Don’t Like Wealth Inequality? Join a Union

We Are AFSCME

No politician running for office today would openly advocate for more wealth inequality in our country, where the richest 1 percent of the population owns 40 percent of the wealth. Even candidate Donald Trump in 2016 promised to stand up for the “forgotten men and women of our country,” who feel betrayed by a rigged economic system that benefits a small minority at their expense. Yet every single day, President Trump and congressional leaders seem determined to do more to increase wealth inequality than to alleviate it; do more for corporations and the wealthy than for single parents working two or three jobs to make ends meet.

Prop. B Victory for SD City Workers

We won an enormous legal victory over the City of San Diego some days ago related to the City-sponsored local ballot measure, Proposition B. Prop. B stripped many of us of hard-earned retirement security by replacing guaranteed pensions with 401(k)-style retirement plans for all newly hired city employees except police officers. Prop. B also froze wage increases for five years.

AFSCME to Trump: Federal Workers Deserve Respect

AFSCME President Lee Saunders lashed out at the Trump administration after President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders to make it easier to fire federal workers and weaken their unions.