The withdrawal by New York-based pharma giant Pfizer of a proposed merger with Irish company Allergan could save U.S. taxpayers billions. If the merger had been completed under the Treasury Department's old rules, Pfizer could have dodged paying $35 billion in taxes on $150 billion in overseas profits. In 2014, Treasury revised rules to make it harder for corporations to use the process called "inversion" to avoid paying taxes in the United States. The AFL-CIO recently joined more than 50 organizations that sent a letter to the Treasury calling for stiffer rules on inversion so that companies are required to pay their fair share.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued the following statement in reaction to the Department of Labor's final fiduciary ruling.

Racist, anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric is permeating our national political climate. We hear calls from local and national politicians to force Muslims to bear special identification cards, to end refugee resettlement or to impose greater surveillance of Arabs, South Asians and Muslims. What we are witnessing now is part and parcel of the impact of a domestic "war on terror" that characterizes Muslim, Arab and South Asian communities as being worthy of suspicion, discrimination, surveillance and profiling. The current political environment is taking a particular toll on these communities, extending even to acts of violence.

On Monday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a law raising the state's minimum wage. In New York City and some more prosperous suburbs, the new minimum wage will be $15, while in the rest of the state, the new minimum wage will be $12.50. The increases will be phased in, and millions will see wage increases. Future wage increases will be tied to economic indicators. The law also establishes 12 weeks of paid family leave for working people.

Working people in Los Angeles are calling for Picrow, the production company behind the Amazon show "Transparent," to treat musicians fairly. Members of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 47 leafleted outside the show's Pearblossom, California, desert location shoot, asking, "Where's the pride for musicians." The musicians want Picrow to treat them the same as it treats the other working people on the show. The actors, writers, directors and crew receive union wages, benefits and protections, but musicians are not covered by a labor contract.

Mass incarceration is an important issue for working people. These policies have devastated communities of color, weakened our movement, and made the job of law enforcement and corrections officers more dangerous. It's time that we have a deeper conversation about mass incarceration and pursue policy changes that will improve the lives of those who are presently or formerly incarcerated, their families, and our brothers and sisters who work in prisons. Mass incarceration has become a big business whose product is low wages and blighted lives, and the time has come for us to do something about it.

Each week, we take a look at the biggest friends and foes of labor. We celebrate the workers winning big and small battles, and we shame the companies or people trying to deny working people their rights.

Every week, we'll be bringing you a roundup of the important news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here's this week's Working People Weekly List.

In an interview with Machinists' (IAM's) Dierdre Kaniewski, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Liz Shuler talks to the ViewPoint host about the 2016 election, workers' rights and everything else that is at stake for the labor movement.

The U.S. economy added 215,000 jobs in March and unemployment was 5.0%, essentially unchanged from February, according to figures released this morning by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This continues the record string of months with job growth.

A new analysis from The Pew Charitable Trusts shows that low-income Americans are experiencing a massive increase in housing costs that makes it impossible for some to afford basic needs. The study found that low-income Americans spent a median of $6,897 on housing in 2013, and that number rose to $9,178 in 2014. This was the biggest jump in the nearly 20 years of data that Pew studied. Other necessities, such as transportation and food, also have risen, but not as drastically.

History was made this week. California Gov. Jerry Brown joined legislative leaders, workers and unions to announce a deal on legislation to make California the first state in America to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour. This day was a long time in the making. Worker-led movements like Fight for 15, labor unions and community groups have been gathering momentum for several years on this issue.

The Supreme Court today rejected an attempt by wealthy special interests to restrict the voices of America’s teachers, firefighters, police officers, nurses and others who provide vital services for our communities. The court issued a 4-4 decision in Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, upholding a lower court ruling in favor of working people and their right to join together to build a better future for their families.

Each week, we take a look at the biggest friends and foes of labor. We celebrate the workers winning big and small battles, and we shame the companies or people trying to deny working people their rights.

Every week, we'll be bringing you a roundup of the important news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here's this week's Working People Weekly List.

I have a hard time watching this and not getting terribly angry. Those 123 young women and 23 men who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on March 25, 1911, deserve to be remembered. But we're watching it happen all over again in developing countries that supply Walmart, Gap, and other marketing and retail giants. Sorry/not sorry, I'm mad as hell, and I wish we could live in a world where we didn't have to take this anymore. Warning: some violent images.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership sets up private “corporate courts,” with few rules, that are only open for multinational companies to sue countries. Nearly all the winnings in these "corporate courts" go to the world’s biggest corporations and richest people—and most of the rest goes to the lawyers who work in these tribunals, according to a new study.

It’s March and, though the old adage is that the month comes in like a lion and goes out as a lamb, for women, this is also a month to celebrate our strength and to remember our sisters who helped pave the way for us.

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued the following statement in response to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issuing new workplace silica standards.

SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard passed away this week at the age of 71. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka issued the following statement.