2012: DC Labor's Year In Review (July/August)

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)As Union City looks forward to reporting on a New Year of solidarity in 2013, we’re taking a moment to dip into the Union City archive and remembering some of the highlights of the past year...

July 5: Local 1900 Works to Keep the Lights On in Storm Aftermath: With soaring temperatures and storm damage still weighing on residents, Pepco employees -- represented by IBEW Local 1900 -- are working around the clock to restore electrical power across the DC metro area...

July 12: Shoppers Workers Ratify Strong New Contract (right): Members of United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 400 working at Shoppers Food & Pharmacy on Thursday ratified a new, two-year collective bargaining agreement that raises their living standards, protects their health and retirement security, and is comparable to the contract recently ratified by Giant and Safeway workers...

July 13: DC Residents Protest Discrimination by African American Museum Contractor: A coalition of black job seekers, community groups, faith leaders, and “mad-as-hell” District residents marched on the site of the future Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture on Wednesday to protest the treatment of black job seekers at the hands of Smithsonian  contractor Clark Construction...

July 19: Parents Say School Librarians Not Expendable (left): With hand-drawn signs reading “Have a Cookie, Save a Librarian” and “Show Good Taste, Support Our Librarians,” DC families gathered outside the Wilson Building last week to support school librarians...

July 24: Nurses Join AIDS March to "Heal America" (right): “Nurses heal America, that’s why we’re here today,” said RN Sandra Falwell, holding one end of a banner proclaiming “Nurses Say a Robin Hood Tax Can End HIV/AIDS” as thousands of health professionals -- many dressed in NNU’s bright red hospital scrubs and sporting green Robin Hood caps -- joined Tuesday’s “We Can End AIDS” march in downtown DC...

July 31: Civista Nurses Ratify New Contract: Last week nurses at Civista Medical Center in Maryland – represented by 1199SEIU – unanimously voted to ratify a new three-year contract...

Aug 6: 'Labor Night at the Nats' is a Hit: Thousands of union members headed to the ball park Friday with friends and family for the first double-header Labor Night at the Nats...

Aug 17: Fired WHUT-TV Worker "Disappointed" by Howard's Lack of Compassion: Tony Hawkins should be mad. The veteran broadcast technician was one of four WHUT-TV workers summarily fired last month after they rejected a contract offer from management at the Howard University’s public television station...