As Donald Trump maintains a high standing in Republican primary polls, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka had to speak out about the reality TV star's negative campaign that includes racism, attacks on workers and attempts to divide Americans and treat them differently because of their religion. In Trumka's words, "We deserve better."

We're back! In our regular weekly feature, we’ll be taking a look at the winners and losers of the week in the struggle for the rights of working families. The winners will be the people or organizations that go above and beyond to expand or protect the rights of working families or working people who have fought for or won a significant victory. The losers will be whomever went above and beyond to limit or deny those rights or the working people who have lost a right or a battle for expanding or keeping their rights. 

Happy New Year from America's unions. 

Here's to 2016 being filled with working-people wins and a union voice on the job.  

It's been a busy year here on the AFL-CIO Now blog where we try to cover the issues that are important to working people. The stories, from TPP to anti-worker rhetoric from presidential candidates and governors to the growing momentum in efforts to organize workers, raise wages and expand the collective voice of working people, that most affect working families. Here are the 10 stories that were most read by you, our readers.

America's working people in unions wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. 

In Solidarity, 

The AFL-CIO. 

Each year, Corporate Accountability International asks the public to vote for the “worst of the worst” corporations, and the leading vote getter is added to its Corporate Hall of Shame. The non-profit organization then launches grassroots actions at the “winning” company.

As we enter the home stretch of the holiday season, there are many ways for thoughtful San Francisco residents and visitors to have fun while making their communities better, instead of battling fellow shoppers for those desperate last-minute gifts. Whether it’s visiting the theater, the zoo or even Six Flags, residents and visitors to the City by the Bay have plenty of opportunities to support good, local jobs while having fun over the holidays.

If it’s December in the nation’s capital, it means residents and visitors alike are gearing up to celebrate the holiday season with family, friends and loved ones. But before we do, let’s take a moment to thank our Washington, D.C., union brothers and sisters on the front lines fighting for better wages, hours and benefits for all of us.  

It’s the holiday season in Southern California. Not only can you count on residents complaining about the weather dipping below 60 degrees, you can also bet on Angelinos and visitors alike getting in the spirit of the holidays—by the beach. It’s a good time of year to kick back and have some fun with friends and family, all while supporting good local jobs.

Working people won big in 2015. Whether it was coming together and voting “union yes,” or winning legislation for paid sick and family leave, we can say it was a very good year. 

We’ve covered many of these “worker wins” stories over the last year on the AFL-CIO Now Blog. Here are some highlights you don’t want to miss (after the jump).

Every year young activists from across the country choose to make theirs a Union Summer. They are an inspired group of social justice activists who go on to become the future union organizers and leaders of the labor movement. 

Transport Workers (TWU) members across the country helped raise more than $72,000 in donations and gifts for Operation Military Embrace and the Wounded Warrior Project this holiday season. Working people belonging to TWU collected countless Christmas gifts, including toys, clothing and shoes, for veterans and their families in honor of Brother Hank Trujillo, former chairman of the TWU Veterans Committee and a Vietnam veteran, who passed away earlier this year.  

The Trump International Hotel Las Vegas has filed objections to a vote held by their employees, nine days after a majority of workers at the hotel have voted “YES” to be represented by the Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and the Bartenders Union Local 165 of UNITE HERE.

Union leaders in Korea face surveillance, harassment and imprisonment simply for standing up for workers’ rights. This crackdown on dissent is reaching new heights with the investigation of 1,531 people who recently attended a rally, protesting changes to labor laws.

As holiday travel ramps up a week before Christmas, United Airlines flight attendants are marching at nearly 20 airports around the world to call attention to severe delays by management in contract negotiations.

The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) held its 18th Biennial Convention in November. Among the wide array of activities during the convention, the delegates passed numerous resolutions related to issues that affect and concern women in the workforce. 

AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka released the following statement in response to yesterday’s vote by the Seattle City Council allowing drivers for “ride-share” companies such as Uber and Lyft to organize.

Drivers in Seattle’s for-hire industry won the right to collectively bargain over their wages and working conditions through a historic first-in-the-nation ordinance passed unanimously by the Seattle City Council on Monday. The measure, sponsored by Council member Mike O’Brien, will now move to Mayor Ed Murray’s desk for his signature.

In anticipation of the Federal Reserve raising interest rates, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka made the following statement.

The AFL-CIO applauds the U.N. Paris climate change agreement as a landmark achievement in international cooperation that is both sensible and achievable. We support the use of “nationally determined contributions” and recognize the importance of the transparency mechanisms, which allow appropriate responses if commitments are not met.