Nurses, Hotel Workers Link Causes

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

The mood was festive on the picket line yesterday as locked-out nurses at Washington Hospital Center celebrated a sunny, warm Fat Tuesday and looked forward to returning to work this morning. Sporting colorful Mardi Gras beads, feathers on their hospital scrubs, the nurses, who struck for 24 hours last Friday and were then locked out through 7A this morning, were joined on the line by 50 UNITE HERE 25 members from the Madison Hotel, in solidarity with the nurses’ visit to the Madison picket line Monday. “Our struggles are the same,” said Local 25’s Jen Shykula. “Just like they’re fighting for their rights here at Washington Hospital Center, the workers at the Madison are standing up for theirs.” And the local struggles are connected to those generating national news in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana. “The attacks on unions around the country is also galvanizing our members,” Shykula added. “They see that’s what's happening in Wisconsin are the exact same thing their employer is trying to do to them and they’re inspired by seeing other union members stand up.” Daily picketing from 7A-7P continues at The Madison Hotel; stay tuned for next steps in the NNU contract campaign at WHC. - report/photo by Chris Garlock