News and Media

This month, the Trump administration announced it was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which provided temporary permission for over 800,000 undocumented young people brought to the United States as children to live and work in the country. The young people covered by DACA include teachers, journalists, entertainers, behavioral health specialists, and many other young professionals. As the place in the labor movement for professionals, the Department for Professional Employees’ (DPE’s) affiliate unions’ members bring to the table a diverse array of backgrounds, nationalities, and immigration experiences — including Dreamers.

If you are a union member who participates in certain Union Plus programs and have been affected by Hurricane Irma, you may be eligible for financial assistance through the Union Plus Disaster Relief Grant program.1

Union Plus Disaster Relief Grants of $500 are available to eligible participants of one of the following programs:

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Negotiations have begun with Search and Rescue cabin crew (SAR CC) and pilots represented by OPEIU at Cougar Helicopter Inc. (CHI), located in St. John’s Newfoundland Labrador Canada.

Pictured are the negotiating committee members on August 14, left to right, GHPA/OPEIU Local 103 President Luke Yosca, OPEIU DAG 110 SAR Pilot Scott Ferguson, OPEIU DAG 110s SAR CC President Cody Neal, OPEIU DAG 110s SAR CC Negotiator Steve Pettie, and OPEIU DAG 110s SAR CC Vice President Sean Matthews.

These members with Cougar work in some of the world’s worst weather conditions. The SAR pilots and cabin crew are currently negotiating for their second collective labor agreement. Dispatchers, weather observers and radio operators are now bargaining for their first union agreement. All three groups have negotiators selected from their different units, and are assisted by OPEIU Senior International Representative Patt A. Gibbs.