Solidarity Highlights May Council Meeting

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Monday night’s May Metro Council Delegate’s Meeting featured first-hand reports from the striking Teamsters at Daycon and the nurses negotiating for a fair contract at the Washington Hospital Center. The nurses – members of Nurses United of the National Capital Area – demonstrated their solidarity with the Teamsters and the Council by making a generous contribution of $5,000 to the Community Services Agency’s Emergency Assistance Fund (below), which has been depleted from helping local workers on strike or in financial crisis. Affiliate/ally reports included Sandy Falwell (right, speaking with Chairman Gray), DCNA, reporting that “not much has changed” at the former Greater Southeast Hospital; Lakeisha Harrison, DC Labor Chorus, led a round of Solidarity Forever to promote the Chorus’ upcoming concert on Saturday; Herbert Harris, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers/IBT, reported that if VRE goes non-union “We may need to borrow the Laborer’s rat and put it right out in front of Union Station…we'll stop non-union trains at the DC border”; Jessica Ingerick, AIL/OPEIU 277 reported on the June 10 Union Sportmen's Alliance event and the June 7 young trade unionists of Baltimore meeting; DC CBTU’s Gwend Johnson reported on the CBTU’s upcoming convention; DC CLUW’s Donna Brockington thanked the Council and affiliates “for attending and supporting the recent Gloria Johnson luncheon and fundraiser”; JWJ DC’s Mackenzie Baris thanked the DC Labor Chorus for supporting sending DC residents to the upcoming US Social Forum in Detroit, calling it “Inspiring and an amazing networking opportunity” and noting that DC JWJ is organizing a bus to go, to make it easier and less expensive for local folks to go; she also reported on the June 10 I'll Be There Awards, honoring Johnny Barnes, Christie Matthews, Justice at Wings and Mary Beth Maxwell; Fred Allen reminded delegates about the DC Democratic State Committee’s Kennedys-King dinner coming up June 7. Extensive reports on labor’s local political activities – including an appearance by “rising star” Howard County Executive Ken Ulman -- were capped with a unanimous vote to endorse the candidacy of Vincent Gray for DC Mayor, as previously reported (Metro Council Endorses Gray For DC Mayor 5/18 UC). Click here to review Gray’s responses to the Council’s questionnaire (choose the most recent, 5/17 version). Watch for draft Council minutes to be posted online soon. - Chris Garlock