MontCo Bargaining Rights Protected

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Hundreds of county workers -- a sea of gold-shirted union members -- jammed the Montgomery County Council chambers Tuesday morning in a show of force supporting UFCW 1994's opposition to proposed changes they said would undercut collective bargaining rights (Unions Blast Ervin Plan to Dilute Arbitration). "This is just the beginning," Local 1994 President Gino Renne warned his members as they gathered before the hearing. "This battle will continue until the budget is passed next May." "You're not alone in this struggle," Metro Council Political Coordinator Rick Powell told the massed union members before they trooped upstairs to the Council chambers. "What happens in Montgomery County goes far beyond the borders of this county. We must stop this here, and you have the power." The immediate crisis was averted when the Council approved the original collective bargaining bill without the more damaging amendments. "The bill that was passed is manageable and one that all parties could live with," said Renne. "Thanks to everyone for standing up!" - report/photo by Chris Garlock