Labor Updates (1/16/08)

DOD Workers Continue Fight for Union Rights: The battle for union rights at the Department of Defense (DoD) may soon be headed to the Supreme Court following an AFGE appeal filed last week, reported Stephen Barr in last Thursday's Washington Post. The appeal comes after President Bush's veto of the 2008 defense authorization bill "over an entirely different issue," Barr reported. Unions had hoped that the passage of the bill - which included language to restore collective bargaining rights for DoD workers - would end the four year fight (DEFENSE WORKERS WIN BACK RIGHT 12/11/07 UC). "The White House has not objected to the compromise, suggesting that it will remain in the next version of the defense authorization bill Congress sends Bush," reported Barr. "Legislation may remain the union's best chance of reversing the Pentagon workplace rules because the Supreme Court takes up a fraction of petitions filed every year." State Fed 2008 Events Calendar: The recently released Maryland State/DC AFL-CIO 2008 calendar of events is now available for download on our website. The calendar includes dates for specific State Fed events, including the State Fed COPE dinner and Executive Board meetings, as well as important Maryland General Assembly dates, federal holidays, and other dates of interest to the labor community.