AFSCME Council 31

American Library Association employees forming union with AFSCME Joining the wave of union organizing among cultural workers, employees of the primarily Chicago-based American Library Association (ALA) announced they are forming their union with AFSCME Council 31.T...

In an open letter released today, ALA employees announced the formation of a union with @afscme31.bsky.social. If certified, the union will represent more than 100 ALA workers. https://afscme31.org/news/american-library-association-employees-forming-union-afscme

BIG NEWS! Employees of the American Library Association (ALA) are forming their union with @afscme31.bsky.social. Welcome to our union family!

AFSCME Council 31 executive director Roberta Lynch responds to Gov. Pritzker's state budget address.

That’s who Jesse Jackson was. When greed and cruelty reared their heads, Jesse stood with the workers. Where hatred and division appeared, Jesse stood for peace and equality. His legacy will be one of an unwavering commitment to justice. It’s up to all of us to carry that commitment on.

Then Jesse Jackson came to town. Jackson stood alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in support of the 1968 AFSCME sanitation strike in Memphis. Now, the civil rights leader and peacemaker was coming to Metro East to stand with AFSCME members in their struggle for dignity and respect.

In July of 1999, AFSCME members at Beverly Farm in Metro East walked out on strike. They had been fighting for a first contract for five long years because an anti-union boss was refusing to agree to a 65-cent wage increase.

We're remember civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, who sadly passed away this morning.

Employees of the Cook County Board of Review have been at the table for 14 months trying to win a first contract.

As their bargaining committee headed out to negotiations Tuesday, members joined them—showing management the membership has their backs every step of the way.

Today we celebrate the birthday of a great Illinoisan: President Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln knew that when the people are united with a common purpose, we can build a freer, fairer future.

After months of unresolved staffing shortages and safety concerns, members of AFSCME Local 401 at Murray Developmental Center took to the picket line last weekend to tell facility management to put safety and care first!

AFSCME files lawsuit to prevent gutting of FEMA AFSCME, along with a broad coalition of labor unions, nonprofit organizations, and local governments, has filed a new lawsuit opposing the Trump administration’s plan to drastically cut staffing at th...

When disasters strike, FEMA workers show up to help families through the worst days of their lives. The Trump administration’s move to slash FEMA’s workforce will lead to more preventable deaths and cause more strain on local/state emergency responders.

afscme31.org/news/afscme-...

Solidarity with the 31,000 UNAC/AFSCME-represented nurses in California who are out on strike until Kaiser Permanente agrees to a fair contract that includes better staffing levels and better care for their patients!

When extreme weather hits, AFSCME members jump into action.

Members of AFSCME Local 1669 who work for the Chicago Department of Family & Support Services were out all night in -20 windchills to help people experiencing homelessness find shelter and hand out dry socks and gloves.

We echo Council 5’s call for us all to live up to the highest ideals of the labor movement by coming together in defense of dignity, justice and safety for all working people.

The past two days, Minnesotans marched the streets in peaceful protest against the violations of their civil liberties. But peaceful protest gave way to violence when federal agents killed another Minnesotan: Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse at a VA hospital and a union brother from AFGE Local 3369.

We’re sharing this statement issued by our union family from AFSCME Council 5 in Minnesota after the killing of Renee Good because it is an important reminder of one of the labor movement's most foundational values: That an injury to one is an injury to all.

It’s official: Champaign Public Library workers have overwhelmingly voted YES to forming a union with AFSCME!

Welcome to the AFSCME family!

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. challenged America to live up to its fundamental ideals in order to build a more just and compassionate society respecting every person’s dignity.

Today, on his birthday, we honor his call to stand up for justice and against hatred everywhere.

College of DuPage staff are fired up and ready to hit the bargaining table to fight for fair wages, fair treatment and RESPECT in their first union contract!

AFSCME Chapter 31 Retirees serve their communities for their entire careers. They don’t quit in retirement. This holiday season, sub-chapters gave back to local food pantries, homeless shelters and after-school programs—making sure their communities got through the holidays.

We’re continuing the fight for dignity, respect and a fair living for all working people in 2026. We’ll see you there.

Happy New Year!

The fight for fair wages, good benefits and a voice on the job is one of the enduring fights we face every day. Throughout our union, AFSCME members took action, made our voices heard, and proved that when we fight together, we win together.

2025 was not without its challenges. Billionaires and anti-union politicians took direct aim at public services and public employees.

We called out these cuts in the press and fought them in court. We’ll continue the fight to protect public services.

In 2025, we grew our union and organized scores of new workers at workplaces like the College of DuPage, the Chicago History Museum, the Adler Planetarium, the Franklin Park and Champaign Public Libraries, and many more.

In 2026, we’re going to keep that momentum going.

The finalized city of Chicago budget represents a hard-fought defense of the essential services that AFSCME members provide.

Let's give a big "Thank You!" to all the building service workers keeping walkways clear and all the snow plow drivers working long hours to keep the roads safe this weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving to every AFSCME member across Illinois. We’re especially thankful for all the union members who cannot have Thanksgiving day itself off because they are guarding our prisons, caring for seniors and people with disabilities, staffing 911 call centers, and much more.

Members of AFSCME Local 1891 showed up in force to the Evanston Public Library’s board meeting this week to protest the city’s attempt to split the library off from the rest of the city.

AFSCME helped pass a law last year that raised wages for direct care employees, but Mosaic is holding that money back from frontline workers.

Members of AFSCME Local 2515 who work for Mosaic took to the picket line with a simple message for their boss: Pay us what you owe us!

Many veterans continue their service in our communities as public service workers—protecting our streets, caring for aging veterans, and keeping our communities strong. Today, we honor their service and vow to continue the fight to protect veterans’ services and health care.