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North America

The Washington Office

Contact: Mark Langevin - Subregional Secretary

Address: 1200 18th Street NW #700 - Washington, D.C. 20036 - USA

Telephone: 202-744-0072

Email: mark.langevin@world-psi.org

U.S. Supreme Court decision gives reprieve to public sector unions

29 March 2016
Photo: Laura Markwardt/AAUP

Today, the Supreme Court announced that it had reached a 4-4 tie in the Friedrichs case that challenged the legality of allowing unions to charge an agency or fair share fee to non-members. The tie upholds a lower court decision that recognizes the constitutionality of the agency fee system, but does not prevent similar cases from making their way through the federal courts in the coming years.

Canada & USA North America Binational Meeting Report

24 March 2016

The PSI North America Binational meeting was held on March 4, 2016 in Ottawa and hosted by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). Robyn Benson (PSAC), the Canadian titular, and Candice Owley (American Federation of Teachers-AFT), the United States titular, co-chaired the meeting. This meeting followed the Canadian SUBRAC and the United States SUBRAC, both held on March 3, 2016.

PSI and other 200 organizations call on John Kerry to support independent investigation into murder of Berta Cáceres

11 March 2016
la líder indígena Berta Cáceres

They also urge the Secretary to press the Honduran government to provide immediate, effective, and carefully consulted protection to Mexican environmentalist and journalist Gustavo Castro Soto and other witnesses in the case.

Flint isn’t the only city: austerity politics maim and kill

16 February 2016
Photo: Michigan Governor Rick Snyder Political Suicide - Creative Commons- DonkeyHotey

The Flint crisis is a glaring example of the results of right-wing governments Public Services International (PSI) stands with the public service workers of Flint, with their families and their communities as they struggle with this massive miscarriage of justice.

Something’s rotten: students reject privatised school lunches in Chicago

10 February 2016
Rotten pear in school lunch

Students in Chicago were so disgusted by the school lunches provided by the private company Aramark that they decided to do something about it.

USA: School Board promises to scrutinize food outsourcing

15 January 2016

After a unanimous vote to privatise school breakfasts and lunches, the School Board of Roanoke School in Virginia, USA, promised to closely watch how the private company Sodexo performs.

US university’s subcontracted campus jobs mean poverty wages

14 January 2016
Justice for UC workers!

Fifty students held a two-hour occupation of the central administration offices at the University of California, Berkeley on 3 December to demand living wages and benefits for workers employed by private contractors on campus. Police arrested 22 of the students who were charged with misdemeanor offenses.

USA: School custodians must keep their jobs – no to privatisation!

13 January 2016
Supporters demonstrate in favour of the AFSCME custodians

At Nashua in the state of New Hampshire, USA, in September 2015, the Board of Education voted 7-1 to end its contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents the Nashua custodial workers (janitors). The board said they are looking to hire a private cleaning company instead.

Human rights - what about our right to water?

17 December 2015
Our right to water by Maude Barlow

The Council of Canadians has published a new report by Maude Barlow which examines water use, policy and protection around the world.

US: Contract ratification boosts school employees

01 December 2015

The bus drivers, maintenance and food service workers – and all the other hard-working men and women of AFSMCE Florida Local 1184 who make America’s fourth-largest school system happen every day – have approved a new three-year contract with the Miami-Dade Public School system.

The ongoing fight for pay equity in Canada

15 October 2015
PSAC photo: Equality - Respect me!

Canadian trade unions’ fight for Pay Equity is one of the most important landmarks in the advance of equality between men and women at work. It has been recognised by the international trade union movement as an example of legislation and best practice in job evaluation and work compensation.

PSI and Canadian Labour Congress file joint ILO complaint

14 September 2015

On Monday 14 September, Rosa Pavanelli, PSI General Secretary, submitted an ACFO-drafted complaint on behalf of 230,000 Canadian federal public servants at the International Labour Organization (ILO) headquarters in Geneva.

Public sector health services in a downward spiral of privatization in Québec, Canada

12 August 2015

In Québec, the public sector health system is being systematically eroded through deliberate underspending that has physicians fleeing the public system for private practice. As the physicians leave, the conditions for patients in the public system worsen, justifying criticisms of inefficiency and further cuts.

Energy democracy and the climate agenda

03 July 2015

PSI and affiliates, along with a number of national union confederations and some industrial and private sector unions met in New York on 29 June 2015 to advance the programme on energy democracy and energy and the climate agenda.

US Supreme Court Upholds Affordable Care Act

26 June 2015

Rosa Pavanelli, General Secretary of Public Services International (PSI) commended the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the King v. Burwell case that rejects the Republicans' attack on the Affordable Care Act and on the eligibility of Americans to purchase affordable health insurance.