Pastors Urge Daycon To Return To Table

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

A trio of local pastors met with Daycon management Tuesday to urge a speedy return to the bargaining table to resolve the 2-week-old strike against the local cleaning supplies company. After meeting - and praying (r) - with the striking members of Teamsters 639 picketing outside the company's plant in Upper Marlboro, Rev. Raymond Bell - pastor at the First Rising Mt. Zion Baptist Church and Chair of the DC Worker's Rights Board - Rev. Graylan Hagler, Plymouth Congregational Church, and Rev. C.H. Johnson, Christ Missionary Baptist Church, went into Daycon's offices to deliver a letter to company management, and met for more than 30 minutes with Daycon HR Director Jodie Kendall and company Controller Dave Wallace to share the workers' concerns and urge Daycon to return to contract negotiations, which broke off nearly three weeks ago when Daycon declared impasse and imposed their final offer. Afterwards, noting that Daycon claimed to be conducting "business as usual" despite the strike and indicated willingness to negotiate only if the union accepts the company's major contract provisions, the three urged the strikers to "stand fast" and to "mount a major action to disrupt Daycon's business." Rev. Hagler, speaking at the prayer session earlier, told the strikers that "The secret to winning anything is to stand there one day longer." - report/photo by Chris Garlock