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Samantha Smith 🌹

@samanthajcsmith.bsky.social
673 followers 1.4K following 26 posts

Strategic adviser for clean energy jobs at the AFL-CIO. Trade unionist, climate activist, views mostly my own.

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Reposted by Samantha Smith 🌹
AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 19/06/2026
On the 161st anniversary of #Juneteenth, America’s unions celebrate and commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. We’ll continue organizing and mobilizing across the country to fight for and protect our civil rights and bring economic justice to all workers.
Juneteenth | Freedom Day | AFL-CIO
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FairAndBalanced @ksteigen.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Siste dag før sommerferien i 2011 hentet jeg sønnen min i Glimmerstua barnehage i Vadsø. Det var på slutten av dagen og kun Tina var på jobb. Vi ønsket hverandre god sommer og jeg sa: Ses til høsten! Alt var fint. Min sønn fyller 18 i år. Tenker ofte på denne ettermiddagen og blir fremdeles sint.
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United Steelworkers Union @steelworkers.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms and mother figures in our USW family. 💗 The care, strength, and resilience of a union mom is a force to be reckoned with. 👊
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REI Union @reiunion.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
IT'S OFFICIAL: @aflcio.org has endorsed the @REI Anniversary Sale boycott! Huge thank you to the House of Labor for having our backs.
Headline: Breaking: AFL-CIO Endorses REI Boycott. Subhead: The country's largest federation of unions added REI to their national boycott list last week in solidarity with our union.

image: hands holding pro-union signs in front of an REI store.
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Senator Ed Markey @markey.senate.gov · 29/04/2026
I’m relieved the rest of this year’s LIHEAP funds are finally being released—following pressure from me and other Senators across the aisle. Heating and cooling assistance is critical for families to stay safe and healthy. No one should have to choose between bills and chills.
Final LIHEAP funds released after bipartisan push from U.S. senators
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Matt Pearce @mattdpearce.com · 12/04/2026
Fukuyama Theory won’t die! mattdpearce.substack.com/p/the-end-of...
mattdpearce.substack.com
The end of history comes for Viktor Orbán
Hungary's landslide rejection of "illiberal democracy."
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 12/04/2026
Breaking news: With more than 70% of the votes counted, Péter Magyar’s Tisza party is projected to win a two-thirds majority in Hungary's election ft.trib.al/a7M8jyZ
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ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 17/03/2026
Trump is plotting to bribe offshore wind companies a billion dollars to stop building the projects that already got approved www.nytimes.com/2026/03/17/c...
nytimes.com
Trump Officials Weigh New $1 Billion Deal to Stop Offshore Wind Farms
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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 02/02/2026
Folks are dying from winter storms and the power has been out for a week but the government can spend big money on detention camps. bsky.app/profile/cost...
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Texas AFL-CIO @texasaflcio.org · 01/02/2026
HUGE TEXAS UNION WIN: @iamunion.bsky.social leader Taylor Rehmet was just elected to the Texas Senate! This win kicks off a wave of union candidates across the state. While parties are trying to reconnect with the working class, we’re running union members up and down the ballot — and winning. ✊
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maineaflcio.bsky.social @maineaflcio.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
Union Carpenter Derek Ellis of Skowhegan was down the street from his job site in Portland when he saw ICE agents shout at a woman to "get the hell out" of her car. As they tore her out of her car, she screamed "I'm a US citizen! I'm a citizen!" as her small child in a carseat cried hysterically.
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Fagforbundet @fagforbundet.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Sykepleier Alex J. Pretti (37) ble drept i Minneapolis i USA av ICE-agenter, mens han protesterte mot Trump-regimets aggressive immigrasjonsaksjoner. Pretti var medlem i Fagforbundets søsterforbund AFGE. Våre tanker og solidaritet går til kollegaer, venner og familie av Pretti ❤️
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John Hanger @jrfhanger.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Good morning with good news: EU reached the historic milestone of 30% wind and solar for all of 2025! That is up from 12.66% in 2015 & 19% in 2021. Solar generated 13.2% & wind 16.9% in 2025. China was over 20% W&S in 10 of 12 months and ~22% in 2025. US was near 19% W&S in 2025. #energysky
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MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 25/01/2026
The National Basketball Players Association releases a statement following the Trump regime’s murders of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, saying that NBA players “can no longer remain silent.” The NBPA is standing up for free speech, civil liberties, and the people of Minnesota demanding justice.
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Minnesota AFL-CIO @mnaflcio.org · 24/01/2026
“Just yesterday, tens of thousands of Minnesotans peacefully exercised our right to free speech without incident. When ICE is involved, nonviolent protesters and legal observers are gassed, assaulted, and shot." aflcio.mn/4abNrfk #iceoutmn #iceout
aflcio.mn
Statement on ICE’s killing of AFGE member Alex Jeffrey Pretti
Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham made the following statement on ICE’s killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti this morning in Minneapolis:“For the second time in less than three weeks, a Minnesotan…
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Vonda McDaniel @unionwoman.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
mnaflcio.org/news/stateme...
mnaflcio.org
Statement on ICE’s killing of AFGE member Alex Jeffrey Pretti
Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham made the following statement on ICE’s killing of Alex Jeffrey Pretti this morning in Minneapolis:“For the second time in less than three weeks, a Minnesotan ...
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Minnesota Star Tribune @startribune.com · 23/01/2026
Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 24, 2026
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SEIU_ORG @seiu.org · 17/01/2026
This signals a dangerous beginning to a dark time in history. We won't stand for it. seiu.co/4sIMlPx
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AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 09/01/2026
The Trump admin’s reckless ICE operations are trampling on working people’s fundamental rights and freedoms. We demand that ICE stop these dangerous operations and leave our communities and workplaces before even more innocent people are hurt or killed. bit.ly/4sFzgGL
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AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 03/01/2026
We join the international labor community in condemning President Trump’s unconstitutional actions in Venezuela. www.ituc-csi.org/ituc-tuca-ve...
A tweet from the International Trade Union Confederation that says:

Venezuela 🇻🇪: @ituc and @CSA_TUCA  strongly condemn the US military aggression against Venezuela and the violation of its sovereignty. 

We call for respect for the Venezuelan people’s right to self-determination, the immediate release of all those detained, and a return to peaceful and democratic dialogue. 

Peace and international law must prevail.
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Sean Casten @seancasten.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
18. Because natural gas is used for so much of US power generation, increasing gas exports = higher gas prices = higher electricity. One climate negative impact of that is that after years of decline, we now are seeing an uptick in domestic power generation from coal.
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Illinois AFL-CIO @ilaflcio.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Prices are going up on everything — rent, utilities, groceries, health insurance and more. The Trump administration promised to bring down prices starting on day one. Instead, their economic policies are hurting working people in Illinois and across the country. ow.ly/Fba550XBpJ1
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Samantha Smith 🌹 @samanthajcsmith.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
Darth speaks for all of us
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darth™️ @darthbluesky.bsky.social · 21/11/2025
every week just gets weirder tbh
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Mark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 22/11/2025
what is happening today
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AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 21/11/2025
America’s unions urge Congress to oppose any provision in the National Defense Authorization Act that would ban states from enacting AI safety regulations and guardrails. Leaders should work for working people, not Big Tech. bit.ly/44ibCp1
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Liz Shuler @lizshuler.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
I’m in New Jersey with union volunteers getting out the vote for pro-worker candidates all across the state. As my friend, @NJAFLCIO President Charlie Wowkanech says, “Our unions turn out in record numbers to do the work!”
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Liz Shuler @lizshuler.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
Let’s call this what it is: greed. We don’t have to accept an economy where the top 10% can buy a second yacht while working families live paycheck-to-paycheck. A union contract is how we level the playing field and get our fair share.
cnbc.com
The wealth of the top 1% reaches a record $52 trillion
All wealth groups saw gains over the past year, according to recent Fed data. But the growth has been fastest for those at the very top.
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Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Sanders: These projects have been appropriated. They were signed by a president. It is illegal to rescind them. And to say to people in Vermont, in New York and California, oh, you didn't vote for Donald Trump, we're going to take away funding that was supposed to go to your state… illegal
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Liz Shuler @lizshuler.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
Working people are under attack by the Trump administration and their corporate allies. On Workers’ Labor Day, I’m with the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor at the Labor Day parade to say: we’re ready to fight back for workers and to build a country that ALL #WorkersDeserve!
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Another Green @anothergreen.bsky.social · 31/08/2025
Trump’s War on Wind Power Is a War on His Working-Class Voters newrepublic.com/article/1997... via @newrepublic.com
newrepublic.com
Trump’s War on Wind Power Is a War on His Working-Class Voters
The president’s cancelation of wind farms and other attacks on renewable energy are hiking Americans’ energy bills and destroying blue-collar jobs. “This isn’t what they voted for,” said one union hea...
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Jonas Bals @jonasbals.bsky.social · 31/08/2025
I dag samlet mange tusen mennesker seg for å minnes Tamima Nibras Juhar, og for å fortsette kampen mot hat og rasisme. På Kampen i Oslo hadde vi også en markering før rosetoget og de mange sterke appellene og kulturinnslagene på Youngstorget. Dette er appellen jeg holdt:
agendamagasin.no
Tale for Tamima - av Jonas Bals
Tamima var en av mange som har bidratt til å gi byen vår nytt liv. Nå lever hun ikke lenger. Det er ikke til å holde ut.
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Matt Pearce @mattdpearce.com · 24/08/2025
kitchen table issue: stop kidnapping my neighbors!
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Costa Samaras @costasamaras.com · 23/08/2025
It’s pretty simple: - AI is driving electricity demand up - The Trump Administration is restricting new electricity supply from being built - When demand goes up and supply goes down, you pay more for electricity.
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AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 01/07/2025
America's unions cannot overstate the Senate budget reconciliation bill's overwhelming harm for working families. We condemn the Senate Republicans for doubling down on a bill that raises costs, wipes out jobs, and rips health care away from 17 million people. aflcio.org/press/releas...
The AFL-CIO condemned Senate Republicans today for passing a budget reconciliation bill that raises costs on working people, wipes out millions of jobs and rips health care away from 17 million Americans––all to hand billionaires one of the biggest paydays in history. 

In a statement, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said: 

“Senate Republicans claimed to stand with working people, then picked our pockets to deliver a nearly $5 trillion gift to billionaires. Every senator who voted for this budget bill chose to make working families poorer, sicker and less safe. 

“Senators had a chance to correct the damage of the House version of the budget, but they’ve doubled down to make this job-killer even worse. While we are relieved that advocacy from the labor movement and allies pulled a dangerous provision on the regulation of artificial intelligence, the overwhelming harm of this reckless bill for working families cannot be overstated. 

“The value of any policy like a temporary tax break on tips or overtime will be more than wiped out by higher health care and energy costs—or worse, the loss of jobs altogether. There are 17 million Americans who will lose their health care, hospitals and nursing homes will close, millions will lose their jobs, and everyone will be forced to pay higher daily costs—all while driving resources to a nasty mass deportation effort that will disrupt the country’s workforce across industries and lead to more layoffs for everyone.

“The House of Representatives has one last chance to stop this job-slashing giveaway to the extremely wealthy from becoming law. We urge members of Congress to reject this gift to billionaires and stand up for working people before it’s too late.”How the Senate Bill Harms Working People:

Rips health care away from 17 million people and eliminates 600,000 care jobs, forcing over 300 rural hospitals to close their doors.
Spikes health care costs for people with employment-based insurance by nearly $500 per person per year and nearly $2,000 annually for a family of four.
Destroys hundreds of thousands of energy jobs in construction, manufacturing and production, and raises energy costs at a moment when working-class households are already struggling.
Slashes food assistance for nearly 3 million Americans, and slashes at least 140,000 jobs in food processing facilities, school cafeterias, grocery stores, and farms by cutting billions in SNAP funding.
Threatens an estimated 1.75 million construction jobs and over 3 billion work hours, which translates to $148 billion in lost annual wages and benefits.
Adds $155 billion in funding for President Trump’s mass deportation agenda to increase raids that target immigrant workers, throw members of our communities and our unions in detention, and rip families apart.
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Samantha Smith 🌹 @samanthajcsmith.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Allowing myself a flicker of hope, as a treat.
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Max Kennerly @maxkennerly.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Like I've said before, if you have any doubts about climate change, just go to a super-boring insurance conference and listen to the super-boring panels where they dryly talk about the growing threat of disasters so catastrophic and unpredictable in scope they simply cannot be insured at any price.
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Kate Aronoff @katearonoff.bsky.social · 18/06/2025
Wild how the Fed chair saying that *entire regions of the United States* won’t be able to get a mortgage in the next decade barely registered as a news event
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Brian Beutler @brianbeutler.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Make mesothelioma great again.
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Katherine Alejandra Cross @quinnae.com · 15/06/2025
There's been some criticism of these protests from the left--saying that they lack a meaningful call-to-action and that they're just directionless marches. This isn't *entirely* unfair (I am a stern critic of anti-authoritarian movements that are unable/unwilling to seize power themselves). But...
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AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 15/06/2025
We ❤️ union dads! Happy #FathersDay from America's unions!
Happy Father’s Day! We ❤️ union dads | AFL-CIO
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Randi Weingarten 🖇️📚✊🇺🇸 @rweingarten.bsky.social · 14/06/2025
Exactly, @DeniseSpecht.bsky.social. In our classrooms, we teach students to settle their differences with debate and compromise, NOT violence and fear. We must come together to condemn this violence. educationminnesota.org/news/press-r...
educationminnesota.org
Educators mourn assassination of education champion Melissa Hortman and shooting of state senator
Minnesota educators mourn the loss of a dedicated lawmaker and staunch champion of public education, House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman, who was assassinated as part of a series of attacks early Sa...
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Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 14/06/2025
Walz announces that Rep. Melissa Hortman is dead as a result of a "politically motivated assassination"
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April Verrett @seiupres.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
I'm so grateful David Huerta is free and grateful for a powerful worker movement that mobilized to demand his release. But David should have never been detained. Families are still being torn apart. And our communities are still being targeted. We won’t rest until we are all safe.
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SEIU_ORG @seiu.org · 09/06/2025
DAVID IS RELEASED and with his family! He still faces an unjust felony charge. While we’re relieved that David is out after three nights in detention, we demand the Trump regime drop the unjust charge against him & end the raids! seiu.co/endraids #FreeDavidEndRaids
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SEIU_ORG @seiu.org · 09/06/2025
✊ From coast to coast, we’re rallying to demand the release of David Huerta. A champion for workers and immigrants. Enough is enough. We will not be silenced. We will not back down. #FreeDavidEndRaids
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SEIU California @seiuca.org · 09/06/2025
UPDATE: David Huerta was just released from custody!
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AFL-CIO @aflcio.org · 07/06/2025
The nearly 15 million working people of the AFL-CIO and our affiliated unions demand the immediate release of @californialabor.bsky.social Vice President and @seiuca.bsky.social and SEIU-USWW President David Huerta. aflcio.org/press/releas...
Screenshot of a press release from AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond: "The nearly 15 million working people of the AFL-CIO and our affiliated unions demand the immediate release of California Federation of Labor Unions Vice President and SEIU California and SEIU-USWW President David Huerta. As the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda has unnecessarily targeted our hard-working immigrant brothers and sisters, David was exercising his constitutional rights and conducting legal observation of ICE activity in his community. He was doing what he has always done, and what we do in unions: putting solidarity into practice and defending our fellow workers. In response, ICE agents violently arrested him, physically injuring David in the process, and are continuing to detain him—a violation of David’s civil liberties and the freedoms this country holds dear. The labor movement stands with David and we will continue to demand justice for our union brother until he is released."
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April Verrett @seiupres.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
Born and raised in Los Angeles County, David Huerta is a champion for justice and a good neighbor. Today, while advocating for his community during an ICE raid, he was injured and arrested. These raids are dangerous for our families and communities. They are unjust and must end.
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