Cincinnati
AFL-CIO
Labor Council
Saturday, October 30, 2021
SPECIAL STRIKETOBER EDITION!
This Week's Messages from President Liz Shuler
  • The labor movement is in the headlines for all the right reasons, and the narrative is breaking through: fairness, justice and the power of collective action.
  • The two jobs bills before Congress—infrastructure and reconciliation—represent one of the greatest investments of working people in American history. We need to pass both as soon as possible.
  • It’s not just #Striketober: it’s time to get out the vote—in Virginia, in New Jersey and all across the country. Let’s win for working people on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
The reconciliation framework, together with the bipartisan infrastructure bill, is a pro-worker victory and exactly the type of progress working families need as we carry our country out of the COVID-19 pandemic. While there is still more work to be done on paid leave and other priorities, we are closer than ever to building back better.

It’s still easier for an employer to stop a union than it is for a worker to form one. To give workers more power and to take away those barriers people face when they try to join a union, we need the PRO Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.

Our brothers, sisters and siblings who are on strike are holding the line for every union member and every working person in this country. And you better believe this is about racial justice. For example, Kaiser Permanente has long paid lower rates in Empire and Kern counties, where employees are primarily people of color, compared to workers doing the same work just a few miles away in Los Angeles and Orange counties.
Passing the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act, which was reintroduced in Congress earlier today, will make it easier for millions of public service workers to benefit from the union difference. It will ensure working people in the public sector have good, sustainable jobs.

Striking is a right that leads to better policies, better benefits and better lives. And strikes will keep happening until we fix our economy so it works for working people.

Striking workers have maintained discipline on the picket lines, and Americans are overwhelmingly on their side. A new poll shows 74% approve of the strikes.
Watch: President Liz Shuler Joins The Hill
On Wednesday, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler joined The Hill’s “A More Perfect Union: Focus” to discuss the state of the labor movement. Here is a portion of Shuler’s remarks:
 
“Workers have actually been the ones who have sacrificed, who have persevered and now finally are being seen. The term ‘essential’ is reflective of the fact that people are now seeing what it takes to make this country hum. But now the essential workers are being treated as expendable and that’s why we’re seeing the activity we’re seeing now, with so many workers going on strike.”
Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh Visits Cleveland, Talks PRO Act
U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh was in Cleveland yesterday promoting President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better economic agenda, including Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill.
 
On his first stop, Walsh joined Senator Sherrod Brown at the Manufacturing Advocacy and Growth Network before stopping by Laborers Local 310 union hall where he joined North Shore AFL-CIO Executive Secretary Dan O'Malley and other union members to talk about the importance of passing the PRO Act.
 
"We cannot compete and win the 21st century without investing in workers," Walsh said. "Through the #BuildBackBetter agenda’s investments in workforce development, we can expand skills development opportunities to more people and build an inclusive, prepared workforce." And that means an opportunity for workers to form a union and bargain a first contract without fear, intimidation and blatant illegal activities by management, which the PRO Act will help end.
 
IUPAT District Council 6 Director of Organizing Bo Anderson said he was honored to meet and talk to Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, especially because Walsh is a card-carrying Building Trades member (LIUNA) who understands our union issues. "A union man as Sec. of Labor? Trump had a Union-busting attorney in that role," said Anderson.
 
Senator Brown, who was with Secretary Walsh at MAGNET, reiterated why the entire Build Back Better agenda is important.
 
"Infrastructure is more than just bridges, roads, water and broadband. It's also providing these families with an opportunity to prosper."
BCTGM Members Gather Support Across the Country
Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh (LIUNA) joined striking members of Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTGM) Local 374-G on the picket line Wednesday in a powerful sign of support from the Biden–Harris administration. “Workplaces are stronger when all voices are heard,” Walsh (pictured here -- center right) said on Twitter. “I'm proud to be part of an administration that is committed to empowering workers and ensuring everyone has a seat at the table.” BCTGM International President Anthony Shelton (center left) was with Walsh at the picket line outside the Kellogg plant in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
 
Earlier today, President Shuler visited the Kellogg picket line in Omaha, Nebraska, where she met with striking members of Local 50-G. The Michigan State AFL-CIO also hosted a massive rally for striking Kellogg workers on Wednesday at the company’s headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan. Click here to read more.
GET OUT AND VOTE!
Support Our "Path To Power" Candidates!
Labor Friends & Family, election day is 4 days away and WE NEED YOU to vote for our Labor Endorsed Candidates!

Our CLC has endorsed a Slate of Leaders that are true Labor Champions and fighters for working people! 

Now we must finish strong and elect our candidates! Bring your Friends and Family to the polls and help us win big for labor!

Download our Labor Slate Card and take it to the polls! Don’t know your polling site? 

Click here to Find your Polling Location! 

Make sure you vote for our Path to Power candidates, City Council Candidate Michelle Dillingham and Cincinnati School Board Candidate Mary Wineberg! 
Rides to the Polls
Volunteers Needed to Get Our Neighbors to the Polls!

The Greater Cincinnati Voter Collaborative (GCVC) is offering free rides to the polls for voters in the Cincinnati area during early voting and on election day. 

1. The collaborative is still searching for volunteer drivers to help take voters who lack access to transportation to the polls. If you're interested in learning more or signing up for a driving shift, click here

2. Please feel free to spread the word to your networks about free rides to the polls using the attached flyer.

If you have questions, please contact GCVC at cincinnativoter@gmail.com.
Election Day Poll Standers can now make $350 for working a poll for Cincinnati Climate Candidates
There are still openings for people to work Election Day in Cincinnati as PAID Poll "STANDERS" to help elect Cincinnati Climate Candidates. It is a critical job and the PAY is now $350 for the day!

Conservation Ohio will be hiring people to participate in our Election Day efforts in support of our Cincinnati Climate Slate! More information about the campaign can be found at ClimateCandidates.com.

Paid poll standers will be tasked with distributing slate cards to voters and holding signs at key polling locations all day on Tuesday, November 2nd.

Date: Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021
Arrival Time: 6:00 am
Departure Time: 8:00 pm
* You must be able to attend ALL day.

  • Location: TBD (Email with details will follow)

  • If you need transportation to the polling location, we will help coordinate that.

  • Compensation: CO will be paying each poll stander a total of $350 for the full day.

Questions - Contact Mikayla Lee at lee.mikayla98@gmail.com
Fred Lampe: A House Divided
Abraham Lincoln is one of those leaders who was in the right place at the right time. He must have had a level of self-control far beyond what most of us were gifted. He dealt with personal hardships such as losing a child while in office. His wife Mary Todd Lincoln has been described as emotionally fragile and from what I have read was very unpopular. As we all know our personal difficulties do not go away while we are at work, but he had the innate ability to focus on the monumental situation of our country being at war with itself. Lincoln delivered his House Divided speech on June 16, 1858, after he accepted the Illinois Republican Party’s nomination for United States Senator. Ultimately, he lost to the incumbent Senator Stephen A. Douglas in that race but just a few years later was elected our 16th President. 

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.

I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.
I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided.

It will become all one thing or all the other.

Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it becomes lawful in all the States, old as well as new - North and South.”

I apologize if my views end up dragging you down a bit, but I feel like we must address where we are. From my perspective our Country is currently divided against itself on so many issues. I don’t mean disagree; I mean divided to the point there is no room for discussion. Our former President claimed well before last years election that if he lost, it will be because it was the most corrupt election ever. This is the same guy that wrote in one of his books; never admit you lost because that makes you a loser. The groundwork for questioning our election system was laid far in advance of 2020. For this reason, 71% of Republicans believe our elections are compromised. 71%! Mind numbing. They are calling for audits in areas they won handily. For the first time in history the peaceful transfer of power did not happen. Can our beloved United States survive this mess? I am not so sure. 

Another point of division is in our very own house. The signatory construction industry. Are you convinced we will survive this vaccine problem? A very significant percentage of our members refuse to get vaccinated. On the other hand, a very significant percentage of our customers and facilities in which we work are requiring vaccinations to work onsite. This is not a recipe for success. Do we have enough vaccinated members to man this work? Will there be enough employment opportunities for the un-vaccinated to continue to make a living? I don’t know how it will shake out. 

Our signatory construction industry is also facing division with jurisdictional disputes. Work traditionally done by one craft is being claimed and completed by a different one or maybe several different ones. I don’t mean to imply this is a new problem. St. Joseph, a Carpenter, probably had a disagreement with a Stone Mason or a Roofer at some point. It has escalated significantly though within the last few years. I can’t predict what the future looks like. 

I am going to close on a note of optimism in honor of my friend Phil, a retired railroad worker who stopped in while I was writing this. Our Country will survive. Our Industry will survive. Our Unions will survive. All due to the power working people have when we stick together. My only ask is that all of us make a few more decisions about where we stand based on how it will benefit the greater good instead of some crazy talking point, we saw on Facebook. 

(Fred Lampe is the Executive Secretary of the The Greater Cincinnati Building and Construction Trades Council (BCTC))
74% Of Americans Support Workers On Strike. Are You One Of Them?
Right now, thousands of workers are on strike for better wages and working conditions. Seventy-four percent of Americans support employees going on strike. Are you one who does? Add your name if you support workers on the picket line!
“Strikes are leading indicators that our country is heading in the right direction—a healthy response to imbalances of power created by employers who believe they should be able to squeeze more and more out of the workers who make their companies profitable,” said AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.
 
Americans were asked whether we approve of the employees on strike, and 74% of us said we approve.
 
Across party lines, race and age, people approve of the worker uprising happening right now during Striketober.
 
If you think employees are right in striking for better wages and working conditions, add your name now.
Faith Community Speaks Out in Support of Striking Workers
With tens of thousands of workers on strike or preparing to strike across the country, people of faith are making it known that they are on the side of the unions. Jessica Felix Romero and Michael Sean Winters recently wrote editorials that captured the mood of many in the Christian community.
 
“As Christians, we are called to model our work upon the life of Jesus who challenged unjust power structures and radically centered people,” Felix Romero said in Sojourners, where she is the chief strategy and impact officer. “This ‘Striketober,’ and this dynamic year of worker power, is defined by the people the movement is organizing for: the worker who is struggling now, and for future generations of working people.”
 
And Winters, a columnist for the National Catholic Reporter, wrote: “There is nothing surprising about where the Catholic Church stands on these issues. The church stands with the workers. It recognizes the right to form a union and the right to strike. This is Catholic social doctrine 101.”
Jigsaw Productions Recognizes WGAE
Jigsaw Productions, the award-winning nonfiction production company behind documentaries “Totally Under Control,” “Dirty Money” and “The Crime of the Century,” has voluntarily recognized the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), the union announced on Tuesday. The 50-member bargaining unit includes freelance employees in titles such as associate producer, co-producer and field producer.
 
“The WGAE and the freelance employees at Jigsaw have an opportunity to work with the company to address workplace concerns there and to demonstrate that there are alternatives to the exploitative conditions that prevail in the nonfiction TV industry,” said WGAE Executive Director Lowell Peterson.

“Audiences watch more and more nonfiction content on television and on [subscription video-on-demand], and the people who create that content merit better pay, hours, benefits and conditions—and a more equitable and inclusive environment at their workplaces and in their careers. We welcome the freelance employees at Jigsaw to this effort and to the WGAE.”
Striking UAW Member Killed in Vehicle Accident Near Picket Line
It is with sadness we share the news that a member of the UAW on strike against John Deere in Moline, Illinois, was killed in a vehicle accident this morning. The 56-year-old union member was walking to the picket line when he was struck and fatally injured. “On behalf of the UAW and all working families, we mourn the passing of our UAW brother,” said UAW President Ray Curry. “It is a somber time to lose a member who made the ultimate sacrifice in reporting to picket for a better life for his family and co-workers.”
 
This is a tragic reminder of the bravery and courage it takes to walk the picket line. The labor movement sends our condolences to our brother’s family, friends and union.
TWU Members in Philadelphia Unanimously Vote to Authorize Strike
Some 1,000 members of Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 234 gathered in South Philadelphia on Sunday morning to unanimously vote to authorize a strike against the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA). The strike could begin as soon as Monday, Nov. 1. Members of Local 234 are demanding improved wages and parental leave, as well as compensation for the families of members who died from COVID-19 and an end to the assaults on transit operators.
 
After Sunday’s authorization vote, Local 234 President Willie Brown (pictured above) held a press conference. “This is clearly an indication [management wasn’t] listening,” he said. “We don’t want to strike. We’re going to do everything we can to keep the system running. But if things break down, we’ll do what we have to do.” SEPTA management has a long history of failing its workers, and members of Local 234 most recently walked off the job for six days in 2016. The union represents 5,000 members who operate and maintain the buses, subways, trolleys, stations and equipment in SEPTA’s public transit system.
 
“Local 234 has shut down Philadelphia before and it could happen again this November,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen. “The TWU International is organized, unified and ready to fight alongside Local 234 if the SEPTA bosses don’t offer a fair contract to our members.”
Ironworkers Stand Strong Amid Strike Against Erie Strayer Co.
Some 40 members of Ironworkers Local 851 are staying united on the picket line as their strike against Erie Strayer Co. is now in its fourth week. They are fighting for the basics: fair wage increases, dental coverage and an end to drastic attendance reporting policies.
 
The union said management is refusing to bargain in good faith and has rejected multiple offers over the past seven months of negotiations, leaving members without a contract. Day and night, rain or shine, these brave union members are standing up to send a message to management that they won’t stop until they have a fair contract. Visit ErieStrayerStrike.com to follow their fight and support their struggle.
#Striketober Success: Heaven Hill Workers Vote to End Six-Week Kentucky Bourbon Strike
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) announced on Saturday that its 420 members at Heaven Hill Distillery voted to approve a new five-year contract that preserves health care benefits and overtime pay. The distillery workers had been on strike since September, fighting for a fair contract.
 
“With the strong support of the Bardstown community, including many local businesses and community leaders, these hardworking men and women at Heaven Hill courageously stood up to fight for what all Kentucky families want—good jobs, affordable health care and to be treated right by the company they made a success,” said UFCW Local 23D President Matt Aubrey. “Together, these hardworking Kentuckians preserved the affordable healthcare, overtime pay and fair scheduling that enables them to balance work with supporting their families.”
Kennett Symphony Musicians Vote to Join AFM
The musicians of the Kennett Symphony of Chester County, Pennsylvania, collectively certified American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 21 earlier this month to be their exclusive bargaining representative, making official a relationship that had already existed for years and securing critically important workplace rights. Local 21 said the vote was overwhelming and unmistakable, with 95% of musicians’ ballots received by the deadline.
 
Local 21 Secretary/Treasurer Glenn Finnan (not pictured) called the vote “a sign of the musicians’ mutual feeling that they deserve respect, fair treatment and a voice in the professional and artistic conditions….We will all be working together in the coming weeks to make things better at the Kennett Symphony. Our certification results show that we can do it.”
Rail Workers' Right to Choose Medical Network Upheld
An arbitrator rejected the railroad industry’s attempt to reduce the health care networks available to the more than 250,000 railroad workers and family members on the National Healthcare Plan for Railroad Employees. Last week’s decision is a major victory for railroad workers covered by national agreement health care plans, as their right to choose their own medical network remains intact.
 
The leaders of the prevailing unions celebrated the decision and urged carriers to get back to the bargaining table as they work to negotiate a new contract: “The time for delay is over. Your workers have earned and deserve a new national agreement, one that reflects their true contribution to your bottom line. We remain ready to negotiate that agreement, and urge you to devote as much energy to that task as you invested in your failed effort to deprive your workers of their choice of medical networks.”
 
The unions that were involved in the dispute include the following AFL-CIO affiliates: Train Dispatchers (ATDA); Railroad Signalmen (BRS); Machinists (IAM); International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART); Boilermakers (IBB); Electrical Workers (IBEW); and Transport Workers Union (TWU).
Workers at Worthington Libraries Overwhelmingly Win Union Vote
Librarians and other workers at Worthington Libraries voted 80-10 (89%) to form their union with the Ohio Federation of Teachers, according to election results that were released today by Ohio’s State Employment Relations Board (SERB). The organizing campaign was driven by concerns that too many library policies, including health and safety concerns and paid leave policies, were being made without any input from library employees.
 
“I had seen so many of my coworkers try to change policy for the better, only to watch them be shut out again and again,” said Kristina Kesselring, a Circulation Assistant at Northwest Library. “We knew that organizing our union would be the best way to support each other and have a say in how library policy affects us and our patrons. Now that we’ve won, the power to change our working conditions is now in the hands of the most talented and passionate people I've ever met, and I can't wait to see what we can do!”
 
“We organized our union because equity and democracy are pillars of public libraries,” said Libby Vasey, a Librarian at Worthington Park Library. “All workers at the library, especially those who work directly and daily with the people we serve, should have a voice at the table where workplace decisions are made.”
 
Worthington Libraries are now only the second library system in central Ohio where workers have organized a union, but their organizing campaign has sparked interest from librarians and workers at other libraries. 
 
IATSE Local 74 Members Reach Agreement on Health Care with College Street Music Hall
Twenty-one stagehands at College Street Music Hall (CSMH) in New Haven, Connecticut, voted unanimously last year to form a union with Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 74. They have been fighting for more than a year to obtain their first collective bargaining agreement at the venue. Negotiations had remained stalled over the employer’s refusal to contribute to the IATSE industrywide health care plan. CSMH had not provided any health insurance plan for its stagehands.
 
Negotiations immediately ensued after a job action began last Friday. Earlier this week, management agreed to participate in the IATSE health insurance plan and also made significant improvements to its wage proposals. The parties have scheduled another negotiation session for Thursday, Oct. 28, with the objective of resolving all outstanding bargaining issues, including language on minimum staffing and jurisdiction.
Labor Energy Partnership Launches New Website
The Labor Energy Partnership (LEP) team is proud to announce the launch of its brand new website. This will be the central hub for sharing insights, amplifying reports and products, and lifting up the stories of those most impacted by climate change and those on the front lines of the energy transition.
 
Back in 2020, the AFL-CIO joined forces with climate experts at Energy Futures Initiative to found the Labor Energy Partnership. Together, we are uniting climate and labor priorities in a shared vision for a low-carbon future that uplifts families and communities. So far, the LEP has developed innovative, technically sound, place-based solutions to the climate crisis that are rooted in social and economic justice and that create and sustain high-quality union jobs.
 
Check it out: LaborEnergy.org. If you have any questions, are interested in writing for the LEP blog or want to learn more about the LEP’s work, reach out to Sarah Clements at Info@LaborEnergy.org.
Add Your Name To The Petition Demanding That Congress Include a Billionaire Wealth Tax In The Build Back Better Act!
Democrats are committed to paying for President Biden’s Build Back Better plan by increasing taxes on the rich and corporations. But, based on the tax plan approved by the House Ways and Means Committee, billionaires could get away with not paying any more in taxes. That’s because most billionaires’ income comes from the growing value of their wealthy investments, not from a paycheck. The rich have to sell those investments to get taxed, which many don’t do. Instead, they borrow against those assets at low-interest rates to enjoy a lavish lifestyle.

Now, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden has proposed the Billionaires Income Tax to end the scandal of tax-free billionaires. The tax would only apply to the roughly 700 American billionaires, taxing the annual growth of their wealth. Unofficial estimates predict this tax could raise hundreds of billions of dollars over 10 years.

According to a report from Americans for Tax Fairness, America’s 700+ billionaires saw their wealth increase by $1.8 trillion―or 62%―during the first 17 months of the pandemic. That boost in wealth alone could pay for more than half of the president’s 10-year $3.5 trillion Build Back Better plan.

Polling shows that the Billionaires Income Tax is strongly supported by the American people with support for the Build Back Better plan rising by a net of 20 to 40 points when voters learn that it would be funded by a tax on billionaires’ investment gains.

According to a ProPublica investigative report, some years billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Michael Bloomberg have paid no federal income taxes. The 25 billionaires covered in ProPublica’s analysis saw their wealth rise by $401 billion from 2014 to 2018, yet they paid only $13.6 billion in federal income taxes for a tax rate of just 3.4%. A White House analysis found that billionaires pay an effective federal income tax rate of 8%. By comparison, middle-class workers like teachers, nurses and firefighters pay a 13% federal income tax rate.

It’s time to unrig our tax system and that starts by taxing the extreme wealth gains of America’s 700+ billionaires. It would be a moral outrage if these extremely fortunate few did not pay more in taxes under the Build Back Better legislation!

Write to your U.S. senators and representative today and call on them to include the Billionaires Income Tax in Build Back Better legislation to ensure billionaires begin paying their fair share toward critical investments in our future.
ACTION Alert: Tell Legislators to Keep Ohio Oil Refineries Safe
Executives at BP and Cenovus are outsourcing Ohio oil refinery construction jobs to unskilled out-of-state workers. Lima and Toledo Building Tradespeople - who have completed refinery maintenance turnarounds for generations – are being replaced as we speak. This puts oil refinery workers and refinery communities in Northwest Ohio at risk of catastrophic failure at these high-hazard facilities.
 
This afternoon, Building Tradespeople from across Ohio will be at the Statehouse to testify in support of House Bill 235 – the High Hazard Training Certification Act. This legislation requires reasonable safety and apprenticeship training for construction workers in Ohio’s high-hazard oil refining facilities. 
 
Our brothers and sisters in the Lima and Toledo Building Trades need your help to raise public awareness of the fight for refinery safety in Ohio. Show solidarity with Ohio’s refinery construction workers by:
 
Go to https://www.limabuildingtrades.com/save-ohio-jobs/- fill out this form to tell your Ohio legislators to keep Ohio refineries safely maintained by skilled Ohio tradespeople. 
  1. Share the following on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter over the coming weeks: 
  • Keeping Ohio refineries safely maintained is no easy task. For decades, skilled Ohio workers have maintained the Oregon and Lima refineries – logging over 21 million manhours without an accident.
  • So why are BP and Cenovus putting Ohioans at risk by replacing Ohio workers with unskilled out-of-state labor? Tell your Ohio representative to pass HB 235 and keep our refineries safe! https://www.limabuildingtrades.com/save-ohio-jobs/ 
A. Phillip Randolph Quote Gets Etched In Stone At Gladden Park's Pathway of Justice
In the fall of 2018, delegates to the Ohio AFL-CIO Convention first learned of a social justice park being envisioned in Columbus. President Burga brought Rev. Tim Ahrens (First Congregational Church of Columbus) to the podium to present the idea, intent and planned development of the park which had the support and backing of the state federation.
 
On Sunday, three years from the presentation at the Ohio AFL-CIO Convention, the formal dedication of the Washington Gladden Social Justice Park was held which included remarks from faith leaders, government officials, community activists and civil rights champions.
 
Over the course of three years, the park now includes a "Pathway of Justice" housing 37 stones bearing notable quotations from equally notable figures, including the Ohio AFL-CIO’s submission of labor’s A. Philip Randolph. The etched quote from Randolph reads, "The essence of trade unionism is social uplift." As we believe trade unionism lies at the intersection of economic and social justice movements, this stone will be a reminder to all who visit that organized labor has a fundamental role in striving for a more perfect union.
 
Nearly 100 people attended the ceremony, including Ohio AFL-CIO President Tim Burga.
Buy Union-Made Halloween Candy
Halloween is tomorrow! Did you know that when you do your Halloween shopping, you can use the power of your paycheck to support good jobs that pay well and respect the rights of working people?

Visit aflcio.org/halloween to receive a handy guide to the union-made treats that will make your holiday not only fun, but will help working people, too.
U.S Senator Sherrod Brown: Working For Working People!
New Leaders. New United Way.
The past 18 months at United Way of Greater Cincinnati really increased my appreciation of our generous community.

Whether it be our many neighbors who stepped forward to help during COVID or the number of community leaders and dedicated United Way volunteers who helped set our organization on a new strategic direction, I am grateful so many answered the call.

A new group of leaders recently added their name to my list! Seven new members from diverse and impressive backgrounds were appointed to our Board of Directors: 
Katie Blackburn
Cincinnati Bengals
Brian Griffin
Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council
Rob Herman
Gries Financial Partners
Siri Imani
Cincinnati Artist and Musician

KZ Smith
Corinthian Baptist Church
Mark Mallory
Former Cincinnati Mayor; Mark Mallory & Associates
Kristen Wevers
UC Health
I look forward to their guidance as we help all families in Greater Cincinnati achieve economic well-being.

Meanwhile, I am extremely thankful to our outgoing board chair, Steve Shifman, who provided incredible support and guidance during my first year on the job. Thankfully, he remains on our board and, along with incoming board chair Barbara Turner and vice chair Brian Hodgett, will be a valuable resource to me, United Way and our community.

The following board members, however, are retiring from our board: 
  • Mary Miller, CEO of JANCOA Janitorial Services
  • Roni Luckenbill, CEO of Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
  • Sean Rugless, president of The Katalyst Group
 
While I will miss their regular contributions, I thank them for their support and am confident they will stay connected.

We couldn’t do this job without tremendous leadership from all of our board members. They help us navigate daily challenges and advocate for us throughout the community. They are invaluable. 
Sincerely,

Moira Weir
President/CEO
United Way of Greater Cincinnati
COVID-19 Dashboard
Ohio Vaccination Dashboard

The COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard displays the most recent data reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) regarding the number of individuals that have started and completed the COVID-19 vaccination series by various demographics and county of residence.

The COVID-19 Vaccination Dashboard displays the most recent data reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) regarding the number of individuals that have started and completed the COVID-19 vaccination series by various demographics and county of residence. “Vaccination started” indicates that the individual has received at least one valid dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The number listed as “vaccination completed” is a subset of the number included in “vaccination started,” indicating that those individuals within that group have received all recommended COVID-19 vaccine doses and are considered fully immunized. ODH is making COVID-19 data available for public review while also protecting privacy. This dashboard will be updated daily. Please see footnotes below for more details.
Ohio COVID-19 Dashboard
Overview

ODH is making COVID-19 data available for public review while also protecting patient privacy.

The State of Ohio COVID-19 Dashboard displays the most recent preliminary data reported to the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) about cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Ohio by selected demographics and county of residence. Data for cases and hospitalizations is reported to ODH via the Ohio Disease Reporting System (ODRS), and verified mortality data is reported via the Electronic Death Registration System (EDRS).
Current Trends
Below is a snapshot of key metrics pulled Thursday, October 28 from daily data reporting to the Ohio Department of Health. These metrics are updated daily.
Below are the current reporting trends from Thursday, October 28 for key indicators calculated from data reported to the Ohio Department of Health. These trends are updated daily and are presented by report date.
Hamilton County
Cases
105,888
Hospitalizations
4,099
Deaths
1,433
Clermont County
Cases
28,367
Hospitalizations
1,007
Deaths
332
Brown County
Cases
6,441
Hospitalizations
80
Deaths
92
Butler County
Cases
51,893
Hospitalizations
2,226
Deaths
724
Warren County
Cases
33,012
Hospitalizations
946
Deaths
377
Other News For and About Working People:
Cincinnati AFL-CIO
Labor Council

Bill Froehle, President

Brian D. Griffin,
Executive Secretary-Treasurer

Ashley Schleicher,
Communications Associate

1385 Tennessee Avenue | Second Floor | Cincinnati, OH 45229 | 513.421.1846 | info@cincinnatiaflcio.org | www.cincinnatiaflcio.org