February 13, 2023

Lobbying for Good Jobs, Healthy Communities, and Shared Prosperity

Over 160 labor leaders and rank-and-file union members attended the 2023 North Carolina Labor Legislative Conference (LLC) in Raleigh last week. During the 2-day conference, the NC State AFL-CIO unveiled its 2023-2024 legislative agenda to create good jobs, healthy communities, and shared prosperity for working families, and attendees visited members of the North Carolina General Assembly to push for Medicaid and Broadband expansion in particular.

Click here to see photos from the 2023 NC LLC.

Not held since 2019 due to the pandemic, the in-person event this year combined training on how to effectively lobby lawmakers with lobby visits during the day followed by an opportunity to dine with lawmakers at an evening banquet, where two legislative champions, Senator Jay Chaudhuri and Bill Rowe, retired general counsel to the NC Justice Center, each received the 2023 Friend of Working People Award.

Featured speakers at the conference included Attorney General Josh Stein and Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson.

Closing out the conference, NC State AFL-CIO president MaryBe McMillan urged attendees to keep organizing and keep at it until there is justice for all workers.

“Let’s leave here and set the example. Let’s organize, organize, organize! And let’s take the message home that we can make a real difference. Together, we can and we will win better policies. Together we win!”

MaryBe McMillan, 2/9/23

Read “Good Jobs, Healthy Communities, and Shared Prosperity” (2023-24 Legislative Agenda) (PDF)

Read “Increase Access to Affordable Healthcare Through Medicaid Expansion” (factsheet) (PDF)

Read “Promote Digital Equity and Good Jobs Through Broadband Expansion” (factsheet) (PDF)