Activists Tell Smithsonian to Keep Wings Away from African American Museum

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)The fight for workplace rights hit the National Mall last week as dozens of protesters gathered at the main offices of the Smithsonian Institution. With a banner reading “Smithsonian the community is watching you!” members of the faith, labor, and human rights communities came together to demand the Smithsonian not hire Wings Enterprises to construct the National Museum of African American History and Culture. “We’ll not cease targeting the Smithsonian Institution until there is assurance that Wings Enterprises will not work at the African American Museum,” Ronnell Howard, a striking Wings worker and union iron worker, told Linda St. Thomas, a spokesperson from the Smithsonian. “I worked for Wings for four years and regardless of my hard work, Wings underpaid me, owing me over 10 thousand dollars. As an African-American and member of this community, I would be offended if the Smithsonian allows a company with such a bad record to build the African American museum.” Wings employees like Howard have been on strike since October 2009 protesting the company's history of safety violations, unfair wages, and retaliation against workers. Click here for more information on the Wings campaign. - report/photo by Natali Fani-Gonzalez