News

Biden forgives student loans for an additional 78,000 public service workers

AFSCME President Lee Saunders praised the White House’s announcement Thursday that the Biden administration will forgive student loans for an additional 78,000 borrowers — including many AFSCME mem

AFSCME members from across the country are sharing their stories of progress over the last two years.

The last two years have been full of challenges.

But under the leadership of the Biden administration and this Congress, we are turning a corner. There have been unprecedented investments in public services and public service jobs. Millions will see the price of life-saving prescription drugs come down. Millions more will receive relief from unfair student debt. And the wealthy are finally starting to pay their fair share.

To be sure, there is more work to be done. But if we continue this progress, we will have many more reasons to be optimistic about the future.

President Report September 29, 2022

In This Report:

  1. Negotiations Update:   City Wide / SODEXO Ratification
  2. Health Care Bonus
  3. Civil Service Tests 

President Report September 29, 2022

  1. Update On Contract Negotiations - DC37 Met with City in first bargaining session
  2. Bonus for Health Care Workers
  3. Juneteenth Holiday
  4. SODEXO Contract is Ratified

Philadelphia Museum of Art workers begin strike over unfair labor practices for better wages, benefits

Faced with the management’s refusal to remedy unfair labor practices and address workers’ major priorities during contract negotiations, AFSCME Local 397 (District Council 47) – the Philadelphia Museum of Art Union (PMAU) – began a museum-wide strike Monday.

AFSCME partners to host webinars on public service loan forgiveness

AFSCME is committed to helping you get the student debt relief you deserve.

Thanks to the Biden administration, millions of public service workers, including AFSCME members, are eligible for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program or (PSLF). And even more public service workers are eligible under a temporary waiver that expires Oct. 31, 2022. 

As workers organize from coast to coast, approval of labor unions continues to rise

Graph of the Gallup poll.

As workers continue to organize throughout the country – from cultural institutions to 

President's Report - June 2022

In This Report:

 On May 25, we held an in-person general membership meeting where we elected 4 Delegates and 3 alternates for the AFSCME convention.

A union voice can help address burnout among health care workers nationwide

The COVID-19 pandemic arrived at a time when our nation’s health care workers were already experiencing burnout. The National Academy of Medicine, in a report from 2019, said that 35% to 54% of nurses and physicians in the United States had “substantial symptoms of burnout.”

Then things got worse.