Labor Updates (4/7/08)

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Labor Pulls Out of DC Labor-Management Program: Labor told the DC City Council Friday it was pulling out of DC Labor-Management Partnership Programs. Stymied by the administration's unilateral decision-making, lack of information-sharing and continued refusal to meet with labor representatives for over a year, frustrated labor leaders testified Friday that they were pulling out of the previously successful partnerships. "You cannot have a partnership without a partner," Metro Council President and Labor-Management Programs Co-chair Jos Williams (right of NAGE President Rosemary Davenport in photo) told DC City Council members at the hearing. Labor leaders - hoping to re-invigorate the program - had voiced their concerns about the program at a Council hearing in February but reported Friday that no progress had been made (Labor-Management Partnerships Stalled 2/14/08 UC). "The work of the DC Partnership has been acclaimed at all levels of government and labor," and has received national recognition said AFSCME Council 20's Al Bilik (right of Williams in photo). "It is a shame, a crime to see top officials renege on their commitment." AFGE Council 211 President Eric Bunn (pictured far right) also questioned the City's commitment to continue funding the program - which over its ten years has resulted in 54 department partnerships in 27 different agencies - pointing out that agencies were being given the opportunity to opt out of funding the program in the 2009 budget. "Clearly the city had demonstrated they don't want to partner," Bunn said. - report by Andy Richards