Over 2,000 online progressives are gathering in Las Vegas this week for the 2010 Netroots Nation conference, and AFSCME will be there. The annual event, held this year July 22-25, brings together political powerhouses like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) and progressives from across the country for workshops, panels and speaking events.

Don’t miss AFSCME’s contribution to the opening keynote program being held on Thursday, July 22 from 7-9pm featuring Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Also scheduled to appear are MSNBC’s Ed Schultz, Daily Show co-creator Lizz Winstead and Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas, among others.

On Friday night, join us at McFadden’s Bar in the Rio Hotel as AFSCME hosts Chairman’s Quiz Night starting at 7pm — your chance to dazzle everyone with your knowledge of all things political.

Learn about the perils of privatization during the “Pay More, Get Less” panel being held on Saturday at 1:45pm in Brasilia 2. AFSCME’s Research Director Kerry Korpi (who you’ll remember from her recent appearance on CNBC) will discuss the high cost of handing over core government functions to big business.

Also on Saturday afternoon, we hope you’ll join us for the Labor Caucus from 4:00-5:15pm in Miranda 5 where attendees will focus on issues affecting our work as labor communicators — how we can improve what we do and effectively reach union members and the public.

In between panels, keynotes and events, visit the AFSCME booth (#808) in the exhibit hall where we will be giving away prizes including USB drives and computer bags. You can also enter a raffle to win $250 in hotel gift card.

And be sure to visit the AFL-CIO/Working America booth as well where you can “Raise a Glass for the Working Class” — visitors who take an action on behalf of working families will be invited back to attend a union beer tasting during happy hours on Thursday and Friday evenings.

Can’t make it to Las Vegas? You can follow the conference at home via Twitter (the Netroots Nation 2010 hashtag is #NN10) and streaming online video. In addition, some sessions will be carried live by C-SPAN. We’ll be providing coverage as well, on this blog as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

For more agenda highlights and Netroots Nation coverage, check out the AFL-CIO blog.

Working families recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of the National Labor Relations Act, the primary law protecting workers’ right to form or join a union and engage in collective bargaining.

Thanks to the NLRA, unions have built America’s middle class and lifted million of workers from poverty to prosperity. Still, too many naysayers claim that given our nation’s current economic predicament, we cannot afford to have unions.

Seriously?

As President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said when he signed the Act into law on July, 5, 1935, the NLRA will help us achieve “common justice and economic advance.” This is exactly what the NLRA has done, despite the numerous obstacles Big Business and other anti-union forces keep throwing in its way.

Without organized labor, many of the things we take for granted – things workers in other nations can only dream of – would not exist. The eight-hour work day, the 40-hour week, safety and health regulations, pensions, vacation and sick days were all won through the power of collective bargaining. Do our detractors think employers provided these benefits out of simple generosity?

As Labor Secretary Hilda Solís pointed out recently on The Huffington Post, thanks to collective bargaining:

“Working people were able to share in the gains of their productivity and labor and management together forged creative solutions to create the powerful engine of the American economy we all are proud of.”

To really jumpstart our economy, we must rescue the middle class and help it grow. This is why AFSCME also supports initiatives such as the Employee Free Choice Act, a bill that would make it easier for millions of workers to join unions and stiffen penalties to employers who violate their right to do so.

Now – when our country needs it most – is time to fulfill the promise of the National Labor Relations Act and give workers the chance of a better tomorrow.

UNITE HERE! Pres. John Wilhelm

UNITE HERE! Pres. John Wilhelm addressed delegates Wednesday on the importance of labor solidarity and thanked AFSCME members for supporting his union’s fights throughout the years.

“I literally can’t begin to count the number of times AFSCME has stood with the members of UNITE HERE! in strikes, picket lines, rallies and boycotts,” Wilhelm said.

He recounted how AFSCME members rallied in favor of the strike against the New Frontier Hotel in Las Vegas in the 1990s, which lasted for more than six years and became one of the longest strikes in recent American labor history.

“Now they’re going after public employees,” Wilhelm said. “You have been with us, and UNITE HERE! and our members will always stand in solidarity with you.”

AFSCME Retirees laid the foundations for our union, and Next Wavers — members age 35 and younger — are building upon that legacy. Tuesday, representatives of both groups met on stage to highlight the commitment of AFSCME activists across the board.

Retirees Phyllis Zamarripa (CO Chapter 76) and Howard Van Kleef (OH Chapter 1184), along with Next Wave activists Tamika Nared, Local 1439 (PA Council 13), and Elvyss Arguetta, Local 88 (OR Council 75) starred in a video showing their recent cross-country trip visiting local affiliates. Their goal: to experience AFSCME through its history, activism, lobbying and organizing efforts.

The camaraderie they displayed showed how generations of AFSCME leaders can learn from each other to improve the lives of working people.

AFL-CIO President Richard L. Trumka today addressed the 5,000 delegates, alternates and guests at AFSCME’s 39th International Convention.

Trumka recognized the success of AFSCME’s organizing program, saying, “Of all the unions of the AFL-CIO, AFSCME is the largest and fastest-growing. Even in the face of an economic crisis, large-scale layoffs, and the scapegoating of public employees by politicians from both parties, more than 145,000 workers have organized with AFSCME over the past four years.”

He spoke of the “triple whammy” state and local governments are up against. “With the severe recession and soaring unemployment, tax revenues are taking a dive. The financial crisis and the busted bubbles from Wall Street’s shenanigans are taking a big bite out of pension funds. And now as always, when hard times hit, the demand for public services actually increases — from unemployment compensation to job training, public assistance, and mental health care.”

And he defended public service workers:

“It’s bad enough that public employees are being made the fall guys for the economic crisis. But now politicians and pundits are trying to make you out as fat cats… I don’t know how many times I’ve heard people say that, if you want to get rich in America today, you’ve got to work for the government…

“Even with all the woes on Wall Street, I don’t think you’ve found many hedge fund managers taking jobs as hospital workers or highway workers, or many stockbrokers changing careers to become social workers or sanitation workers, or many bankers who are becoming bus drivers or bridge and tunnel inspectors…

“Because, when you come down to it, almost everyone understands that you don’t become a public employee to become wealthy, you do it to be of service to your fellow citizens.”

Watch the full video on the AFSCME Convention website and read the full transcript.

Former AFSCME Sec.-Treas. William Lucy

The end of an era came to pass on Monday, as delegates said goodbye to former AFSCME Sec.-Treas. William Lucy, marking the end of a 57-year relationship.

Bidding farewell amid chants of “Thank you, Bill,” Lucy stressed the importance of fighting for social justice, a commitment that has characterized his public service career.

“We’ve always known that there’s a crisis. It may be more intense now, but there’s always been a crisis for millions of people not as lucky as we are in this room,” Lucy said. “There’s a daily crisis in their lives, as they struggle to put bread on their tables, to put clothes on their backs, to have a roof on their heads. We have a responsibility to help them out.”

A video tribute highlighted Lucy’s trajectory as a tireless fighter for equality and economic fairness. Opening with the famous A. Philip Randolph quote: “Freedom is never given, it is won,” the presentation recounted Lucy’s work alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in civil rights struggles and his support for Nelson Mandela.

At the end of the ceremony, President McEntee presented Lucy with a tribute book from AFSCME members thanking him for his contributions. From the Convention floor, several delegates shared their thoughts on the impact Lucy’s work had on our union and the American labor movement.

Lucy, who was first elected secretary-treasurer in May 1972, has been actively involved in international affairs. He collaborated with King during the 1968 strike by AFSCME Local 1733 sanitation workers in Memphis until the civil rights leader’s assassination. He was also one of the founders of the Free South Africa Movement that launched the successful anti-apartheid campaign in the United States in the mid-1980s.

Lucy is a founder and the president of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), an organization of union leaders and rank-and-file members dedicated to the unique needs of African Americans and minority group workers.

Calling all union activists age 35 and younger. Your parents’ labor movement will soon be yours. Are you ready to lead?

On June 10-13, young workers from across the country will gather in Washington, DC, for the first-ever Young Workers Summit. It’s your chance to share your concerns, skills and ideas for growing the union movement. During these four days, you will hear from various speakers, attend workshops, gather knowledge and tools and network with your peers.

Last year, AFSCME’s Next Wave – young activists who are stepping up to the plate and making a difference – met in Chicago to engage each other about leading AFSCME into the future. They are also building a tool kit which provides the resources and connections needed to get young members actively involved.

The Young Workers Summit is another opportunity to build our union’s strength and vitality by bringing the next generation of union leaders to Washington.

Get the word out. Register now and join the conversation.

The tragic deaths of 29 miners in Raleigh County, W.Va earlier this month serve as a sad reminder that American workers in many occupations — including first responders, highway workers and public safety officers — continue to lose their lives, risk injury or become ill as a result of unhealthy or dangerous workplaces.

The miners’ deaths are a sobering reminder of the importance of workplace safety regulations. On this Workers Memorial Day, we should take a moment to honor these women and men, and re-dedicate ourselves to the achievable goal of safe and healthy workplaces.

Workers Memorial Day was first observed in 1989. April 28 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1970. While there have been improvements since then, disasters like the gas explosion at the Upper Big Branch Mine force us to recognize that there’s much more to do. Injuries and deaths can be prevented when safety is a higher priority than profits.

AFSCME continues to lead the fight for workplace safety. In Kentucky, for instance, state employees who are members of Council 62 are lobbying the Legislature to fully fund the “Boni Bill,” named for a social service aide who was killed in 2006 during a home visit. The law, intended to hire more social workers and increase security, was passed in 2007 but has not been adequately funded.

AFSCME also offers resources such as our pamphlet, Safe Jobs Now: A Guide to Health and Safety in the Workplace, which can be read online. Also, check out AFSCME’s guidebook on preventing workplace violence and other health and safety publications.

Learn about workplace safety in the 2010 edition of the AFL-CIO’s Death on the Job or download the complete 2010 report (PDF). The report shows that there were a total of 5,214 fatal workplace injuries in 2008 — and because workplace-related injuries and illnesses are persistently underreported, the real toll is estimated to be as many as three times the 4.6 million reported incidents.

Also, urge your lawmakers to co-sponsor the Protecting America’s Workers Act (S. 1580 and H.R. 2067), which expands OSHA coverage to federal, state and local government employees, increases OSHA civil and criminal penalties for job safety violations and improves whistleblower protection for employees who report unsafe working conditions.

Download a flier for Sunday’s Climate Rally on the National Mall.

On Earth Day 2010, AFSCME members are joining people across the world in renewing our commitment to protect the environment.

It’s a commitment that goes back to our country’s first Earth Day — delegates at the 1970 AFSCME Convention affirmed that “the right of all persons to a healthy, safe and pleasant environment in which to live and work is fundamental,” and called upon our elected officials “to vigorously support all programs to curtail pollution of the environment in any form.”

Pres. Gerald W. McEntee says AFSCME understands the threats posed by climate change and other environmental threats:

“AFSCME members are on the front lines this Earth Day. From recycling and collecting solid waste to protecting natural resources to designing green schools, we work every day to achieve a safe and healthy environment in our workplaces and communities.”

In their jobs and in coalition with environmental and community groups, AFSCME members work to stop global warming, to secure cleaner air and water, and to protect our earth’s fragile environment against exploitation by private interests.

AFSCME joins with the AFL-CIO in calling for comprehensive climate legislation that will create American jobs, cap carbon emissions and secure our nation’s future. AFL-CIO Pres. Richard Trumka will speak at this Sunday’s Climate Rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

Learn more on the Earth Day 2010 website, and download AFSCME’s flier here.

Join AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka for a live online video discussion of the 2010 AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch report at noon ET today and learn about Wall Street bankers and their outrageous pay and massive lobbying efforts.

The 2010 AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch shines its spotlight on Wall Street’s Big Six: Bank of America, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo/Wachovia. The six banks, which received billions of dollars from the Treasury Department’s Troubled Assets Relief Program, now are spending millions of dollars to lobby on financial reform in Congress.

On the webcast, President Trumka will review the new data and outline plans to enact real financial regulatory reform and make Wall Street pay for job creation through a financial speculation tax. Click here for more information on the webcast.

Update: Here is video of Tuesday’s webcast.