In December of 2001 the Quad City Federation of Labor, along with 13 other central labor councils was presented the Union City award by the AFL-CIO at its national convention. This award was presented to central labor councils that are fulfilling the seven strategies for becoming a Union City and have become powerful winning forces fighting for working people in their communities.

What is a Union City?

A Union City is a city where union members get elected to office, and union members hold elected officials accountable. It is where unions strive to get out their message and to organize the unorganized. Picture a city where everyone wants to live and raise a family. Workers make a living wage and get decent benefits. Families are happier because parents have enough time left over from work to take their kids to a ball game or read to them. Elected officials stand with working families on issues that matter most to their communities.

Picture a city where we are joining together to make sure that working families have a place to live where they are treated with dignity and respect. A janitor in a Union City has just as much value as the CEO of a major corporation. Picture a place where unions and other community groups fight for social justice-where we can work together to fight for what we know is right for the families who live here.

The Union City program is a process of rebuilding the union movement from the bottom up. Picture our "Union Cities" and lets strive to make a better place for working families.