From ND AFL-CIO: Immigration Reform; American Workers Gettin Ripped Off; Campaign School, Door Knocking, and Kickoff!

Compassionate and Just Immigration Reform The history of the labor movement is full of "divide and conquer" tactics that powerful elites have used to weaken us, many times pitting worker against worker based on differences of ethnicity, gender, religion, or immigration status. We also know that the labor movement, at it's best, marched with civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and stood on the line with farm workers like Cesar Chavez. We know that when we stand together and refuse to be divided, we are strong, and we can win a better life for all working people. We understand that immigration is a complex and difficult conversation, but one that we as a nation, must have sooner than later. Like any complicated conversation, we don't have to start from scratch. We can look to the rocks of our community, our faith and our unions, for a foundation sturdy enough to build something lasting. Please read the powerful statements made by the Catholic Bishop of Bismarck, the Catholic Bishop of Fargo, the Catholic Bishop of Crookston, the North Dakota Eastern Synod Lutheran Bishop and Western Synod Minnesota Lutheran Bishop, the President of the AFL-CIO, and a local community pediatrician. ND and MN Bishops' statement on immigration to the United States A Statement on Immigration by the Catholic Bishops of North Dakota Broken Immigration System Hurts Working People - Statement from AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka Miller: My immigrant story We ask you to contact your representatives in Congress and urge them to support immigration reform that respects the dignity of all workers and their families.  Click Here to Email. New Study Confirms That American Workers Are Getting Ripped Off America’s unemployment rate is hovering near half-century lows. There are now more job openings than unemployed workers in the United States for the first time since the government began tracking that ratio. For America’s working class, macroeconomic conditions don’t get much better than this. And yet, most Americans’ wages aren’t getting any better, at all. Over the past 12 months, piddling wage gains — combined with modest inflation — have left the vast majority of our nation’s laborers with lower real hourly earnings than they had in May 2017. On Wall Street, the second-longest expansion in U.S. history has brought boom times — in the coming weeks, S&P 500 companies will dole out a record-high $124.1 billion in quarterly dividends. But on Main Street, returns have been slim. UPCOMING EVENTS Labor 2018 Doorknocking - Fargo - Thursday July 12 - 5:30-8 We will be knocking doors and making calls, talking to union members about our ticket of labor-endorsed candidates, Heidi Heitkamp for US Senate, Mac Schneider for US House and Josh Boschee for ND Secretary of State. Fargo-Moorhead Campaign School - July 17- 5:30pm to 8:30pm Are you going to be heavily involved in the Labor 2018 campaign to elect candidates who share our values? If so, join the Minnesota AFL-CIO, North Dakota AFL-CIO, and the West Area Labor Council to learn the latest tips and tactics for a successful Labor campaign. Labor 2018 Kickoff - Bismarck - Saturday July 21 - 1-5 Can we count on you to roll up your sleeves with the AFL-CIO and volunteer with phone banking or door knocking efforts in order to elect candidates that will stand for the issues that matter to YOU?