News
04.01.20
An Open Letter to the Top 10 Private Health Insurance Companies
A host of organizations signed a joint letter urging America's top 10 private health insurance companies to commit immediately to waiving all cost-sharing for patients, including all co-payments, deductibles and coinsurance, for any and all care associated with preventing, diagnosing, and treating COVID-19 and its symptoms.04.01.20
SUP Letter to Solicitor General: Make Corrections System Safe and Effective During COVID-19
The Society of United Professionals President (SUP/IFPTE Local 160)/IFPTE Canadian Area Vice President Scott Travers, representing 8,000 Ontario workers including upwards of 400 lawyers and legal professionals at Legal Aid Ontario, sent a letter to Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones expressing concern about crowding in provincial detention centers.04.01.20
Solidarity Alert: SCMMA Participates In Saskatoon Pandemic Committee Enhancements
After the initial State of Emergency declaration by the Province of Saskatchewan two weeks ago, the Saskatoon Civic Middle Management Association (SCMMA/IFPTE Local 222), other civic unions, and civic administration have sprung into action by forming a Pandemic Committee that includes political, administrative, and labour leadership.03.30.20
IFPTE Joins Letter Calling on American Hospital Association to Denounce Employers Silencing Workers
Healthcare workers, union and nonunion, are at the center of the response to the global pandemic and their voices are critical in this crisis.03.27.20
Labor Strong: SPEEA and IFPTE Legislative Efforts Deliver for Members During the COVID Pandemic Crisis
SPEEA/IFPTE Local 2001 Legislative Director Brandon Anderson updated staff this week on the union’s legislative progress on the latest COVID relief package moving through Capitol Hill, noting “SPEEA and IFPTE worked closely together over the last week to ensure that our priorities of protecting jobs, CBAs and worker safety were included in the final version passed by the Senate.”03.27.20
Broad Coalition of Stakeholders Joins NAIJ's Call to Close the Immigration Courts
Rep. Jayapal and Washington State Dems, Chairman Nadler, and Senators Feinstein, Warren and Markey join attorneys, civil rights group, NAIJ/JC 2, AFGE Local 511, and American Immigration Lawyers Assoc. in requesting immediate of suspension of hearings in the name of public safety.03.26.20
Manitoba, Saskatchewan Federations of Labour Keep Heat on Provincial Lawmakers
Manitoba Labour Federation President, Kevin Rebeck, continues to urge Provincial leaders to approve 14 days of paid sick leave, saying that, “This protection needs to be available to all workers…”, while the Saskatchewan Labour Federation has called their government’s response, “boutique benefits that apply for narrow groups of people.”.03.26.20
IFPTE Supports Big First Step Easing Financial Woes of Workers
IFPTE President Paul Shearon released the following statement applauding last night’s unanimous passage in the Senate of HR 748, a bill funding a wide range of federal initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.03.25.20
TEAM Office and Members Join the Many Millions Now Working from Home
Preparations were already underway when at the urging of the Canadian government two weeks ago, the TEAM staff vacated their office and setup operations from home.03.25.20
IFPTE Applauds Bipartisan Kilmer/Fitzpatrick, Cardin Executive Order Repeal Legislation
Key officers of IFPTE issued a statement applauding the Kilmer/Fitzpatrick bill to repeal the Trump Administration's Executive Orders aimed at eliminating collective bargaining rights in the federal sector rendering federal workers as at-will employees into the Houses COVID3 relief bill.03.25.20
AFL-CIO, CLC Call for Worker Centric Aid Packages in Response to COVID-19 Pandemic
The AFL-CIO Executive Council, which IFPTE President Paul Shearon serves on, approved a comprehensive statement this week demanding “action at the scale and with the urgency that this pandemic demands,” while the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), which Canadian Area VP/Local 160 President Scott Travers serves on, is “calling on all levels of government to provide adequate supports for workers and their families as the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic reverberate in communities and throughout the economy.03.24.20
Provincial Budget Must Implement Sweeping COVID-19 Response Focused on Workers
The Saskatchewan Federation of Labour (SFL) is calling on the provincial government to implement a sweeping COVID-19 response focused on workers.03.23.20
IFPTE Message to Congress: Put Workers First
As Congress continues to negotiate the latest coronavirus relief package, IFPTE urges Congressional leaders that, “The COVID-19 relief legislation should focus first, second, third, and last on working people…”.03.23.20
As the Domestic Aerospace Industry Faces A Dire Financial Crisis, IFPTE Supports $60 Billion in Federal Assistance
In a letter to the House of Representatives, IFPTE urges lawmakers to pass a $60 billion federal assistance package stating, "IFPTE fully supports a $60 billion federal assistance package for our domestic aerospace workforce. This federal aid supports the industry’s supplier network, which stretches across the U.S. and includes Kansas-based sub-assembly manufacturer Spirit AeroSystems, where our union represents over 2,600 workers."03.21.20
IFPTE Authors List of Priorities to Washington State Reps on Behalf of Aerospace Workers
In a letter to Senator Maria Cantwell and the Washington delegation, the leadership of SPEEA/IFPTE Local 2001 and IFPTE outlined our list of priorities for workers in the aerospace industry impacted by our current public health crisis.03.20.20
IFPTE Joins NNU, AFT and Other Healthcare, Public Health, and Frontline Unions on Push for H.R.6139, the COVID-19 Health Care Worker Protection Act
“Because this coronavirus does not respect state lines, we strongly believe that private and public sector workers at high risk of exposure must be protected regardless of whether they live in a state with federal OSHA jurisdiction. The effective slowing and containing of the spread of COVID-19 depends on these workers being protected.”03.20.20
After Pressure from WAPSO/Local 162 and Allies City of Winnipeg Increases Protections
These protocols came on the same day as the province of Manitoba declared a State of Emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.03.19.20
IFPTE Authors Letter Supporting Aerospace Industry Workforce
IFPTE urged congressional leaders to support the aerospace industry workforce as they consider the upcoming $60 billion aid package saying, "We urge Congress to ensure that the economic security of workers in this strategic industry be prioritized."03.18.20
City of Saskatoon and SCMMA Local 222 Tackling COVID-19
The City of Saskatoon sent out a communication to all city staff encouraging them to do everything they can to stop the spread of COVID-19. This was on the same day that the province of Saskatchewan declared a State of Emergency in response to the pandemic.03.18.20
IFPTE Applauds House Judiciary Chair Nadler's Call for DOJ to Close Immigration Court Hearings During Pandemic
NAIJ/IFPTE Judicial Council 2, government layers union, immigration lawyers, and migrant organizations have all called for ceasing in-person hearings for the sake of public and occupational health.
