Jan 15, 2008Stewarding the Movement
David Prosten can’t sit still. The founder and head of Union Communication Services (UCS) keeps jumping up to fetch another publication to show me. And with more than 100 books and dozens of editions of Steward Update , UCS’ flagship publication, Prosten’s got plenty to show....
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Jan 15, 2008School Closings Prompt Lesson in Activism
School was in Monday morning…on the steps of the Wilson Building in downtown DC. The lesson was in activism as a large crowd of parents, students and concerned citizens gathered in the wind and rain to protest the proposed closing of 23 DC public schools. "We have to be concerned about making...
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Jan 15, 2008Bowling into the New Year
Looking to ease into that New Year's resolution to lose weight and get healthy? The upcoming Bowling for Gold Tournament is the perfect way to get some exercise, have a lot of fun and raise money for a great cause! The January 27 event benefits the Community Services Agency's Emergency...
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Jan 14, 2008Paid Sick Bill Under Employer Attack
Legislation that would guarantee DC workers paid sick days is under attack by the business lobby, which is trying to scuttle or water down the bill, due to be voted on tomorrow. "Councilmembers are under pressure from business interests who want to weaken the bill with exemptions, and to slow...
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Jan 14, 2008Waiting for Montco Worker Safety
Over a year after the Montgomery County Commission on Health endorsed a sweeping set of worker safety recommendations, supporters are still waiting for county officials to implement the plan's proposals. One of the key elements of the Worker Health & Safety Initiative involves training...
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Jan 14, 2008Using Art & Creativity to Build the Movement
"Just feeling the energy of so many creative and dedicated people lifts my spirit," says AFGE’s Charles Bernhardt about the Great Labor Arts Exchange (GLAE) () and Conference on Creative Organizing . Organized by the Labor Heritage Foundation and the National Labor College, the Arts...
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Jan 14, 2008A Hero Any Way You Spell It
"Wobbly is spelled with a Y," writes the ever-eagle-eyed Saul Schniderman, Library of Congress Professional Guild, AFSCME Local 2910), correcting our 1/10 labor history item on Joe Hill, who Schniderman also notes "did not hang. He was shot by a firing squad." Hill was a radical songwriter,...
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Jan 11, 2008Labor Updates (1/11/08)
CSA Receives National Harbor Grant: The Community Services Agency (CSA) announced yesterday that it is the recipient of a grant from the National Harbor Community Outreach Grant Fund. These funds are provided to Prince George’s County from the developers of the National Harbor Project and...
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Jan 11, 2008Wynn's Record Lauded
"What would you say to an employer who wanted to throw out a worker with an exemplary record after 15 years?" Metro Council President Jos Williams asked the crowd of union members packed into the IBEW Local 26 lobby Thursday morning. “Hell no!” they roared back. "Well, Al Wynn has an...
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Jan 11, 2008Labor on the Move: Mariya Strauss New Media Coordinator at ILCA
The International Labor Communications Association (ILCA) has hired Mariya Strauss as its new media coordinator to help staff the Washington office along with continuing Office Administrator Barbara Irwin. A former organizer (AFSCME Maryland) and union workplace educator (SEIU...
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Jan 10, 2008DC Council Strips Workers of Rights
Turning a deaf ear to efforts to protect school employees, the DC City Council on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved legislation enabling DC Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Michelle Rhee to fire non-union employees "without cause." The legislation may face legal challenges from affected workers;...
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Jan 10, 2008Finishing Up with Mason's 891
If you want to catch up with Keith Hickman you’ve got to get up early in the morning. Really early. UNION CITY caught up with Hickman – Business Manager for the Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons Local 891 – before dawn on a recent Monday morning. Though the day had barely begun...
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Jan 10, 2008Labor Updates (1/10/08)
Liberian Firestone Workers Win a Union Voice: Liberian Firestone rubber workers at a Bridgestone-Firestone rubber plantation celebrated a Liberian Supreme Court ruling last month legitimizing a July union election. The ruling upholds the historic union election where workers elected their...
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Jan 10, 2008Labor on the Move: Alya Mbamba Joins CSA
Alya Mbamba is the new Assistant Program Coordinator at the Community Services Agency of the Metropolitan Washington Council. Mbamba's most recent position was as Community Liaison/Special Events Coordinator for Congressman Al Wynn since 2002; she previously worked as a political organizer for...
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Jan 9, 2008DC Security Officers, Federal Workers Get Raises
Thousands of DC security workers and over 300,000 Washington-Baltimore region federal workers got boosts in their paychecks as part of recently approved District and federal legislation. The DC City Council passed a bill on Tuesday setting minimum wage and benefit levels for union and non-union...
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Jan 9, 2008Keepin' Up with the Feds
AFSCME Council 26 continues to keep their new website up to date with regular postings on news affecting federal workers. Recent postings include "Area Federal Workers Get 4.49% Raise" and "Promises Tracked" which talks about how "The Democratic candidates for president are taking aim at...
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Jan 8, 2008Labor Updates (01/08/08)
Ad Campaign Supports Stadium Workers: “My future is better because of the stadium work,” says DC resident Neisha Harris in an ad appearing in the Washington City Paper over the next three weeks. The ad – part of the Laborers Local 657 We Build the Stadium campaign -- is in response...
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Jan 8, 2008Voter Registration Deadlines
Voter registration deadlines are coming up fast. Virginia residents who want to vote in the February 12 primary must register by the end of this week . The District primary is also February 12 and residents must be registered by January 14 . Maryland residents must register by January 22 ;...
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Jan 8, 2008Strikes (And Spares) Benefit Emergency Fund
Dozens of unions will roll out strikes on Sunday, January 27. Bowling strikes, that is. The annual Community Services Agency's (CSA) "Bowling for Gold" Tournament raises funds for CSA's Emergency Assistance Fund. "Lanes are still available but they are going fast, especially for the 1P...
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Jan 7, 2008Mazzochi Biographer Speaks
There are two opportunities today to hear Les Leopold discuss – and sign – his new biography of Tony Mazzocchi, who Pulitzer Prize winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin calls "an extraordinary man-an incorruptible fighter for the rights of labor-an historic figure who should never be...
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Jan 7, 2008DC Transit Safety Issues Hit Youtube
Transit workers are taking advantage of the latest online technology as they push a transit worker safety bill in the DC City Council. One YouTube video produced by ATU Local 689 uses dramatic archival footage to tell the story of how the local pioneered transit safety in 1968 after a...
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Jan 7, 2008Labor Updates (1/7/08)
Board Nixes Union Emails: In yet another anti-worker ruling, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said on December 30 that employers can ban workers from using the company's e-mail system to send out union-related messages. "Anyone with e-mail knows that this is how employees...
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Jan 4, 2008Smithfield Chair Named 'Grinch of the Year'
He doesn't live in the mountains above Whoville and he's probably not green, but Smithfield Foods Chairman Joseph Luter III is 2007's "Grinch of the Year." Luter gained top honors as the greediest Grinch for Smithfield Food's continued intimidation of workers and ten years of unionbusting...
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Jan 4, 2008Balto Hospital Workers Win Contract
Christmas came early for the 250 1199SEIU members at Maryland General Hospital in Baltimore who won a new contract on December 20. “This is a very exciting contract and I am proud to have been a part of this bargaining committee,” said Joyce Dukes, a central sterile technician at the...
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Jan 4, 2008Labor Updates (1/4/08)
Wash Gas Rate Increase Slashed: A year-long union and community campaign against a Washington Gas petition for a rate increase in DC resulted in substantial cuts to the final increase approved by the DC Public Service Commission (DCPSC) last Friday, reported Michael Neibauer in Tuesday's...
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Jan 3, 2008Labor on the Move (1/3/08)
The Jews United for Justice has hired Jacob Feinspan as its first full-time Executive Director. A rising star in the progressive Jewish Community, Feinspan was recently named one of five "New Jewish Leaders to Watch" by the Professional Leaders Project. His career includes public policy advocacy...
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Jan 3, 2008Post Workers Take Complaints Public
Production workers at the Washington Post, fed up with the paper's attacks on their pension plan and five-year refusal to raise their wages, took the battle public on New Year's Eve with an ad campaign highlighting the Post's unfair treatment of workers. "No raises. No parity. No help on health...
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Jan 3, 2008Janitors Clean up with New Contracts
A New Year's strike by area janitors was averted late last week when 7,000 cleaners won new contracts with major wage increases and employer-paid health benefits. "These contracts provide tens of millions of dollars in wage gains and health benefits," said Jaime Contreras, Local 32BJ Capital...
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Dec 21, 2007Manor Care Says Bah Humbug
Manor Care Health Services kicked out Santa Claus Wednesday in Wheaton. Healthcare advocates had donned a Santa suit to deliver rubber gloves, diapers, and wipes to Manor Care to express their concern that the CEO windfalls from the Carlyle buyout could come at the cost of service for residents....
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Dec 21, 2007Council Highlights
Contract victories, campaign reports and 2008 primary endorsements were among the highlights of Monday's Metro Council Delegate meeting. SEIU 500's Merle Cuttitta reported that 1,200 part-time faculty at GW finally won a tentative contract, and a settlement is expected soon at the National...
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Dec 21, 2007Labor Updates (12/21/07)
GW PT Faculty Finally Get Pact: After a long organizing, legal and negotiating struggle, part-time faculty at George Washington University have finally achieved a tentative pact with "salary increases, job security, benefit improvements, an open and transparent evaluation process, faculty...
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Dec 21, 2007AFSCME Shop Stewards Recognized
Over 70 local AFSCME shop stewards got their time in the spotlight last month at AFSCME Council 20’s first annual "Salute to Local Union Shop Stewards." Being a shop steward is "often a thankless, exhausting job," AFSCME Council 20 President Geo T. Johnson - a former shop steward at AFSCME...
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Dec 21, 2007Giving Thanks
Though the happiness brought by the help provided to needy families through this year's Community Services Agency's Holiday Basket Project can't be quantified - a child's smile is priceless - many organizations and individuals helped made a difference to 75 area families, the local labor...
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Dec 20, 2007Activists Protest Carlyle "Grinch" at Manor Care
Healthcare advocates donned a Santa suit and delivered rubber gloves, diapers, and wipes to Manor Care Health Services in Wheaton on Wednesday to express their concern that the CEO windfalls from the Carlyle buyout could come at the cost of service for residents. With Carlyle still trying to...
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Dec 20, 2007Caroling for Farmworker Justice
The reason for the season was farmworker justice for students and labor activists who caroled outside a downtown DC Burger King Wednesday. The carolers - armed with a guitar, tambourine, and carols of justice set to the tune of famous Christmas songs - held the lunchtime event to draw attention...
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Dec 20, 2007How to Make a Good Thing Better
“UNION CITY is terrific! … the best source for labor news in DC…offer ways to get involved…more job postings… cartoons would rock… more bios of local labor activists.” Our latest UNION CITY Reader Survey drew hundreds of responses, once again confirming UNION CITY’s enthusiastic...
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Dec 20, 2007Party Raises Funds for Tri-County COPE
Over 75 people attended a holiday party on December 7 that helped to raise funds for the Tri-County Committee on Political Education (COPE). “We had great representation from county and state officials and all of the locals from the Tri-County area,” said long-time Tri-County COPE Chairman...
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Dec 20, 2007Labor on the Move (12/20/07)
The Washington Teachers' Union has a new address: 490 L'Enfant Plaza East, S.W. Suite 7200, Washington, DC 20024. The phone number - 202-293-8600 - remains the same.
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Dec 19, 2007DC Laborers Speak Out for PLA
"The training I got through my union was great," says DC resident Daniel Royal, "as soon as I finished training I got a job." Royal, 26, a construction worker in the District and the father of three children, is joining DC workers and labor leaders speaking out in support of the Project Labor...
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Dec 19, 2007Dunton & Newman Win U.N. Awards
Bruce Dunton and Elaine Newman - two Washington area labor activists - were among over a dozen winners of human rights awards at the recent United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UCA-NCA) Human Rights Luncheon. Newman and Dunton received the awards "for their remarkable work in...
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Dec 19, 2007School "Reforms" May Threaten All DC Public Workers
In what opponents termed “a harbinger of union busting of public employees in DC," the DC City Council voted 10-3 Tuesday to approve legislation that gives school Chancellor Michelle Rhee, the State Superintendent, and the Director of Financial Modernization power to unilaterally fire employees...
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Dec 19, 2007Knockin' Em Down in '08
Strike into the New Year with the Community Services Agency’s Bowling for Gold Tournament Sunday, January 27 at the Crofton Bowling Centre. Lanes are still available for the annual tournament, which raises funds for the CSA’s Emergency Assistance Fund. The Laborers National Office, IBEW...
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Dec 18, 2007School "Reform" Gets Worse for Workers
A bad situation got much worse late yesterday when City Council Chair Vincent Gray disclosed his long-awaited school reform proposal. Gray's proposal would strip hundreds of DC school workers of their rights by creating an "employment without tenure" status. Echoing "the draconian reform bill...
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Dec 18, 2007DC Council Acts on Paid Sick Bill
After a year-long campaign and months of pressuring the DC City Council to act, supporters of paid sick and safe days for DC workers celebrated the passage of the Accrued Sick and Safe Days Act (formerly the “Paid Sick and Safe Days Act’) out of committee Monday evening. "What a great early...
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Dec 18, 2007Labor Updates (12/18/07)
Residents Keep DC Vote Fight Brewing: Nearly one hundred activists braved the cold weather Sunday to rally for DC voting rights on the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, reports David Nakamura in Monday’s Washington Post. “Organizers doled out hot cups of orange pekoe tea and...
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Dec 18, 2007Last Chance for Reader Survey Prizes
"Update us on organizing struggles"."More job postings"."Include cartoons!" These are just a few of the dozens of suggestions readers have made in our annual Reader Survey. Response has been so great that we've extended the deadline through 5P today to enable as many of you as possible to get...
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Dec 18, 2007Labor on the Move: In Memoriam (12/18/07)
SUSAN ELLEN HOLLERAN , 66, a long-time union member and activist, died of cancer December 15 at the Capital Hospice in Arlington, VA. Holleran championed worker and women’s rights, economic justice and peace throughout a long career in the labor movement. Holleran was the founding director of...
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Dec 17, 2007On the Air for School Reform
As the council gets set to take up the school reform issue tomorrow, union leaders and supporters of fair school reform hit the airwaves for back-to-back interviews Friday morning. “The Mayor must include all stakeholders – parents, teachers, unions, Councilmembers – in this process,”...
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Dec 17, 2007Labor Chorus Hits High Notes at Tonight's Delegate Meeting
The DC Labor Chorus – fresh off their holiday concert – sings labor into the holidays at a special performance at tonight’s Metro Council Delegate meeting. Also, catch up on the latest local labor news before the holiday break, including updates on DC school reform, paid sick days, the...
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Dec 17, 2007Keeping an Eye on the NLRB
With the recent deluge of anti-worker decisions, American Rights at Work (ARW) will increase their eye on the NLRB with the launch of the "Workers' Rights Watch: Eye on the NLRB” blog. For over three years, ARW has published "Workers' Rights Watch: Eye on the NLRB," “exposing the...
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Dec 17, 2007Teamsters & OPEIU Team Up for Toy Drive at Wash Gas
Staff and union members at Teamsters Local 96, OPEIU Local 2 and Washington Gas collected over 300 toys this year for area needy families in the annual joint toy drive for the Community Services Agency’s Holiday Basket Program. "Approximately 75 families will be provided toys for their kids...
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Dec 14, 2007This Just In (12/14/07)
Seventy white-collar DC Public Schools employees - architects, project managers and others in the DCPS Facilities Division -- voted to join Teamsters Local 730 on Tuesday. "We've been working with this group for some time," Local 730 Secretary-Treasurer John Woodall told UNION CITY late Thursday,...
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Dec 14, 2007Union Parents Protest School Closing
Union activist parents of children at Stevens Elementary School in downtown DC will march on Monday to protest the proposed closing of the school. The Mayor’s school reform proposals would “close Stevens and force our children into classes with junior high school children,” says SEIU 32BJ...
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Dec 14, 2007A World of Cheer in a Shoebox
Wrap up some holiday cheer this year for those most in need at the DC Coalition of Black Trade Unionists shoebox gift-wrapping this Saturday. The annual gift-wrapping event assists So Others Might Eat's (SOME) holiday shoebox handout to needy families in the Metro DC area. Last year, volunteers...
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Dec 14, 2007Free Tea for DC Voting Rights
DC voting rights activists will commemorate the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party with their own version on the Potomac River this Sunday. "If we have to keep fighting for our rights, we might as well have some fun doing it," says Ann Hoffman of DC Vote. DC voting rights activists will...
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Dec 14, 2007Filling the Cupboard
Holiday Basket contributions will aid a 36-year-old mother of twin 2-year-olds who suffered a stroke earlier this year and has been in and out of comas ever since. Insurance covers health care but not food, transportation and child care, leaving the cupboards bare as the holidays approach. Help...
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Dec 13, 2007Transit Worker Hopes for Happy Holidays
If enough contributions come in for the Community Services Agency’s (CSA) ongoing Holiday Basket drive, the holidays will be a little brighter for a local transit worker and her three children. After four surgeries kept her out of work – and without an income – the transit worker’s water...
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Dec 13, 2007WPFW Gala Tix Available
Tickets and tables are still available for WPFW Radio’s 30th Anniversary Gala and Pacifica Peace and Justice Awards on Saturday, December 15. Singer and activist Harry Belafonte and Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! will be honored, and performers include Sweet Honey in the Rock and jazz legend...
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Dec 13, 2007Grinch of the Year Nominees Announced
So many Grinches, so little time. Vote now in Jobs With Justice’s seventh annual online Grinch of the Year election to determine the national figure who does the most harm to working families. This year's candidates are Smithfield Chairman Joseph Luter III, Verizon Business VP for Human...
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Dec 13, 2007Labor Updates (12/13/07)
Exposing the Bush Anti-Labor Department: In a recent report from the Center for American Progress, Scott Lilly exposes the politicization of the Labor Department by the Bush Administration. " Beyond Justice: Bush Administration's Labor Department Abuses Labor Union Regulatory Authorities "...
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Dec 13, 2007Labor Stocking Stuffers: New CDs from Labor Heritage
The Labor Heritage Foundation has five brand new CD's that’ll make perfect gifts for your favorite union activist: "I Feel Like Going On" from the DC Labor Chorus, "The Candle & The Flame" just out from Joe Jencks, "Altar of the Bottom Line" by Tom Juravich, "Bread & Roses" new from...
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Dec 12, 2007Janitors Defy Cold and Bosses
As temperatures and twilight fell on the city Tuesday night, music, balloons and spirited union chants filled the chilly air at Farragut Square Park. “Si se puede, si se puede!” chanted hundreds of purple-clad janitors as they massed in the center of the park for a rally and march....
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Dec 12, 2007Paid Sick Days Battle Goes Online
Workers are being invited to join Rep Rosa DeLauro (D- CT) and Senator Edward Kennedy (D- MA) this Friday to give brief personal video testimonies about the importance of paid sick days for all workers. The video testimonies will be featured in an online rally on the National Partnership for...
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Dec 12, 2007Labor Updates (12/12/07)
Ed Week Blogger Weighs In On Dc Reform: Education Week blogger Marc Dean Millot – echoing similar concerns voiced by DC labor leaders -- equates Mayor Fenty’s and Chancellor Rhee’s school power grab to a bid for a “political fiefdom.” Existing rules require the Chancellor “to have...
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Dec 12, 2007Worker Voices Ring Out at Capitol
Kelly Beringer, a registered nurse at West Suburban Hospital in Chicago, had come a long way since having to meet clandestinely in a closet with colleagues worried about being seen with “the troublemaker” who was organizing her fellow nurses. Tuesday afternoon she was front and center at a...
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Dec 12, 2007Union Holiday Giving
With the deadline fast approaching, contributions continue to arrive for the Community Services Agency’s (CSA) Holiday Basket donation drive. Donations must be in by next Monday, December 17. CSA has received financial contributions and toys and food donations from the Baltimore/Washington...
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Dec 12, 2007Labor Stocking Stuffers (12/12/07)
This holiday season find a great gift for everyone on your list for less with these gift savings ideas from Union Plus ; centerpieces, holiday poinsettias, gorgeous bouquets and more are 20% off the regular price with the Union Plus Flower Service ; Shop union and save up to 10% on union-made...
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Dec 11, 2007Labor School Reform Gaining Support
Tomorrow’s vote on school reform has been postponed a week, giving union activists more time to push for support for the labor alternative. Emails urging support for labor’s bill – which Council member Harry Thomas Jr. plans to introduce later this week -- have been flooding DC...
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Dec 11, 2007Back-to-Back Rallies Today
Over one thousand janitors and communications workers take to the streets in two back-to-back rallies this evening. At 4P, janitors from DC, Montgomery County, Northern Virginia, and Baltimore will march and rally to demand improved wages and benefits in their new contract. At 5:30P,...
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Dec 11, 2007Defense Workers Win Back Rights
The four-year battle over workers' rights at the Department of Defense (DoD) may finally be over. House and Senate negotiators unveiled legislation Friday that would restore collective bargaining rights to DoD workers and give workers a majority of their cost-of-living raise, reported Stephen...
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Dec 11, 2007Going Global on Human Rights Day
“What we’re going to try to do in these next two days has never been done,” AFL-CIO Organizing Director Stewart Acuff told UNION CITY Monday morning at the "Going Global: Organizing, Recognition and Union Rights" conference. “We want to develop a common analysis of the crisis affecting...
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Dec 11, 2007Thinking Locally, Acting Globally
“Live entertainment artists are facing the same global issues,” Actors’ Equity Executive Director (and DC Labor FilmFest Advisory Committee member) John Connolly told UNION CITY in an exclusive interview. “We face international employers like Disney and international tours of plays and...
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Dec 11, 2007Eat, Drink & Save a Life
A special holiday edition of Drink with Labor on December 12 will benefit the Clément Solidarity Fund. Clément, a member of the Teamsters – and General Secretary of his union at the National Printing House for 13 years before he fled Côte d'Ivoire in 2005 -- is fighting to gain political...
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Dec 10, 2007Janitors Rally Tomorrow
Over a thousand area janitors and labor activists are expected to converge on Northwest DC tomorrow for a 4P rally and march to demand new contracts for the region’s janitorial workforce. “In addition to improving healthcare and training for our members, we’re looking at some significant...
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Dec 10, 2007Rally Targets Verizon
Communication workers will rally Tuesday at 5:30P to draw attention to Verizon's poor service. The communications giant is also being hit for not offering its high-speed fiber optic service (FiOS) in the District. The rally is part of CWA's "Speed Matters - Connect D.C." campaign and is also...
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Dec 10, 2007Tales of Dreams Shattered by "No-Match Letters"
"I have been a citizen of the United States for 18 years," testified Fernando Tinoco at last Wednesday's National Workers' Rights Board (WRB) Hearing about Social Security No-Match Letters. "I have a home and a family. I have son born and raised in the United States, too. You can say that I have...
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Dec 10, 2007Helping WPFW Build a New Home
Tickets and tables are still available for WPFW’s 30th Anniversary Gala and Pacifica Peace and Justice Awards on Saturday, December 15. The event will feature performances by Miss Gloria Lynne, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and jazz legend Sonny Rollins and will honor singer and activist Harry...
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Dec 10, 2007Labor Updates (12/10/07)
Strategies to Promote Women's Activism & Leadership: “Unions are good for women workers, but they could be much better at promoting women into leadership positions,” according to 'I Knew I Could Do This Work,' a new report released December 5. Based on interviews with women union...
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Dec 10, 2007Rolling into 2008
Bowling lanes are going fast for the Community Services Agency’s Bowling for Gold Tournament January 27. Lanes have been snapped up by staff at the Laborers National Office, IBEW International, Laborers from Philly, the Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel, Teamsters...
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Dec 7, 2007Sick Days Bill Languishing
As we enter flu season, DC workers still don't have paid sick days. DC Jobs With Justice, the DC Employment Justice Center and the Metro Washington Council yesterday launched an e-activist campaign urging Councilmember Carol Schwartz to move quickly to pass the Paid Sick and Safe Days Act. The...
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Dec 7, 2007Unions Launch Radio Blitz for School Reform
With anger and resentment growing among DC Councilmembers, community leaders and parents over Mayor Adrian Fenty's school reform tactics, DC union leaders launched a $20,000 radio blitz Thursday to rally public support for an alternative package of reforms that they say stress flexibility and...
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Dec 7, 2007World Labor Leaders Gather in DC
The world's top labor leaders will gather in Washington next week for an unprecedented 2-day conference on Global Workers' Rights. On Monday, December 10 and Tuesday December 11, the AFL-CIO will host more than 200 trade union leaders from the United States and 63 countries around the world in...
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Dec 7, 2007Dogging Paula Deen Online
The Justice at Smithfield campaign is welcoming celebrity chef Paula Deen home to Savannah on Monday - International Human Rights Day -- with a rally you can join online . Working conditions at Smithfield's Tar Heel Plant rank among the most brutal in the United States, and, in years past, were...
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Dec 7, 2007Labor Chorus Concert Saturday
The DC Labor Chorus will release its second CD at its annual "Evening of Favorite and Sacred Songs" this Saturday, December 8. The concert playlist covers a range of musical interests, from the CD title song, Sweet Honey in the Rock's "I Feel Like Going On" to Laura Nyro's "Save the Country" and...
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Dec 7, 2007Holiday Life Savers
Give the gift of life this holiday season at Monday's blood drive at the AFL-CIO. The drive is being hosted by the AFL-CIO and the unionized Washington Hospital Center. "Giving blood is reasonably painless and there is a huge need," says Bonnie Oakes of the AFL-CIO and coordinator of the drive....
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Dec 7, 2007Help for the Holidays
The Community Services Agency will help brighten the holidays for families in need throughout the metro Washington area: can you help too? CSA has received financial contributions from AFGE 3615, OPEIU 2, Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild 35/CWA, and NoVA CLC President Dan Duncan. Food and...
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Dec 7, 2007Stocking (Un)Stuffer
The new documentary, What Would Jesus Buy? -which opens this Friday at the Cineplex Odeon DuPont Circle - not only rejects the commercialization of the holidays, but encourages those who do shop to "be conscientious consumers and consider where your products are made, rather than merely...
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Dec 7, 2007Unblocking Union City
We're very happy to welcome back over 1,000 UNION CITY readers who had not been getting their daily fix of local labor news because of technical issues. If you - or any of your colleagues - suddenly stop receiving UNION CITY (we publish every weekday), please advise us immediately so that we can...
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Dec 6, 2007Labor Pushes School Reform Alternatives
DC labor leaders presented their school reform alternative legislation Wednesday in a meeting with City Council Chairman Vincent Gray. The proposed amendments clarify who can be unilaterally fired and how they may be disciplined under the school reform legislation backed by Mayor Adrian...
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Dec 6, 2007Small Blessings
Sometimes, it’s the little things that count most. Lip balm. A comb. Chewing gum. These are among the items DC-CBTU is collecting for their annual Shoe Box Gift Wrapping program , which is set for Saturday, December 15th. Also needed: travel size shampoo, soap, shower caps, tooth paste, etc.,...
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Dec 6, 2007How to Avoid Foreclosure
Do you have an adjustable rate mortgage (ARM)? Do you know when it resets and how much interest you could be paying? If you're not sure, you're not alone; many union members and their families face similar confusion. The monthly payments on many adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) are rising...
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Dec 5, 2007Labor Goes Online and On-Air to Save School Reform
Saying that reform of DC public schools "has been hijacked by DC Mayor Adrian Fenty and his gang of outside consultants," the Metro Washington Council – in coordination with affiliates who represent employees in the DC school district – yesterday launched an E-Activist campaign urging City...
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Dec 5, 2007DC Represents at Farmworker Demo in Miami
Wearing bright yellow t-shirts reading "Burger King exploits farmworkers," over 1,500 members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and their allies - including DC-based leaders and activists -- marched through Miami last Friday, November 30, to demand that Burger King work with the CIW...
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Dec 5, 2007Remember CSA
Contributions to the Community Services Agency return to union members and working people in the form of emergency financial assistance, lay-off workshops, strike support, holiday baskets and more. Remember CSA during the United Way, Combined Federal, and DC One Fund campaigns now going on at...
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Dec 5, 2007Workers Say No to "No Match" at Hearing
Workers and labor and community leaders from across the country will testify on how "no match" letters – notices the Social Security Administration (SSA) sends to employers about discrepancies between their employment records and SSA database – are used to intimidate workers and prevent them...
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Dec 4, 2007Kids Demand Justice for Security Guards
Demanding a fair contract and appreciation for their work, security officers, at Lafayette Centre in Northwest DC, and their children delivered cards and a box of pictures and notes from children last night to the offices of Cassidy and Pinkard Colliers – who manage Lafayette Centre. “I came...
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Dec 4, 2007Outsourcing Hurts Utility Service
As predicted, customer service at Washington Gas has already begun to suffer as the utility outsources local call center, credit, and accounting jobs. Washington Gas users couldn't get through on the company's customer service non-emergency lines last month, reports OPEIU Local 2, which...
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Dec 4, 2007Labor Updates (12/4/07)
Pay System Causing Turbulence At The FAA: "Employees at the Federal Aviation Administration have been operating under a performance-based pay system for the last decade," wrote Stephen Barr in the Washington Post Monday. "Some still don't like it." Barr reports that Tim O'Hara, an AFSCME...
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Dec 4, 2007Labor Stocking Stuffers
Whether you're looking for a computer, a digital camera, a plasma TV or more, the folks at Union Plus have got you covered. Save up to 12% on the latest technology with the Union Plus Dell discount. Save even more when you browse the latest Dell specials . TIP: Because TVs in retail showrooms...
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Dec 3, 2007Prince George's County Council Supports Smithfield Workers
The Prince George's County Council passed a resolution on November 20 supporting workers at Smithfield Foods, reports UFCW Local 400’s Tony Perez. Introduced by Council Members Exum, Dean, Harrington, Bland, Olson, Campos, Knotts, Turner and Dernoga, the resolution notes that “the evidence...
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Dec 3, 2007Janitors Hit Streets
Hundreds of area janitors demanding new contracts will hit the streets of downtown DC on December 11 . More than 10,000 janitors in the District, Montgomery County, Northern Virginia and Baltimore are affected by the contract negotiations now taking place between SEIU 32BJ and area employers....
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Dec 3, 2007Workers' Rights and the Church
The connection between Catholic social teaching and workers' rights is the subject of a free discussion session on "The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers" Tuesday night at St. Mary of Sorrows Church in Fairfax, VA. The session will examine the "broad elements of work as a collaboration...
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Dec 3, 2007Labor Stocking Stuffer
Bring Paul Robeson, Woody Guthrie and friends home for the holidays this year! The Labor Heritage Foundation has music, movies and tons more labor culture just a click away including the popular “Classic Labor Songs” CD for just $10 (for a limited time only). So don’t mourn, sing along...
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Nov 30, 2007Future of UDC in Doubt
The future of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) may be in question following the recent ouster of President William Pollard and issues with funding, reports the NEA-UDC Faculty Association. Union members testified at a DC City Council meeting Tuesday about the future of the...
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Nov 30, 2007U-Liners Bring Hope, Peace, and Justice for the Holidays
Longtime labor organizer Joe Uehlein's band, The U-Liners, will celebrate the release of their first full-length recording on Saturday, December 1 at the IOTA Club in Arlington, VA. "We'll play the tunes from the CD, including new originals, new arrangements of old, and rare, gems, and...
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Nov 30, 2007Labor Stocking-Stuffers
“The Man Who Hated Work and Loved Labor: The Life and Times of Tony Mazzocchi,” by Les Leopold. “Required reading for those who believe in taking risks and making the world a better place,” says Russ Davis of AFGE Council 1. “While Mazzocchi's story is so full of peril and...
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Nov 30, 2007Dogging Paula II
Stories from Inside: While two dozen activists leafleted outside Wednesday night's booksigning by popular TV cooking personality Paula Deen, ten more joined the line of fans waiting to have their books signed at the Dupont Circle Books-A-Million. "A woman standing near me in line asked a...
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Nov 29, 2007Deen Dogged in DC
Popular TV cooking personality Paula Deen was dogged by labor activists throughout DC-area appearances to promote her new book today. Almost 15 minutes of her appearance on this morning’s Diane Rehm show on WAMU was devoted to discussing the issue of worker rights at Smithfield Foods, the...
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Nov 29, 2007Ritz-Carlton Workers Get Contract
At $500 a night and up, guests at the posh Ritz-Carlton on 22nd Street expect everything in the hotel to work and the union engineers - members of IUOE Local 99 - who work there are happy to oblige, especially since they finalized their first contract there last week. Not only does the contract...
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Nov 29, 2007Fairfax Dems OK Union Label Resolution
The Fairfax County Democratic Committee approved a Union Label Resolution earlier this week, reports Shannon Sullivan, a Virginia labor and political activist who chairs the FCDC Labor Committee. The resolution "recognizes the importance of organized labor within our workplace, community, and the...
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Nov 29, 2007Safe Gifts for Union Kids
Find the perfect gifts for your young organizers at the Union Shop Online and be sure that their gifts are safe and sweat-free. The Union Shop offers a wide-variety of kid-friendly holiday gifts for under the tree and in their stockings. Warm them up this winter with a unique Union Bug...
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Nov 28, 2007Brown Walks for Better Guard Wages
Last week, D.C. Council member Kwame Brown "donned gray slacks, a blue shirt and a navy blazer and walked in the shoes of a security guard - 'black with rubber soles,' Brown noted -- to bring attention to the low wages received by the workers," reported Nikita Stewart and David Nakamura in the...
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Nov 28, 2007Georgetown Students Take on Nike
Completing a trifecta of taking on top corporate abusers, Georgetown students will confront Nike this afternoon. The students held counter-demonstrations on campus in September against Wal-Mart and Starbucks representatives, and today will counter a Nike executive's claims of social...
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Nov 28, 2007Labor Chorus to Release New CD
The DC Labor Chorus will release its second CD at its annual " Evening of Favorite and Sacred Songs " on December 8. The concert playlist covers a range of musical interests, from the CD title song, Sweet Honey in the Rock’s “I Feel Like Going On” to Laura Nyro’s “Save the Country”...
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Nov 28, 2007The Return of the Grinch
Corporate greed; trampling workers rights; abusing working families; the Grinch must be back in town. It's time once again to nominate the Grinch of the Year, organized annually by Jobs with Justice. The 7th Annual Grinch of the Year contest 'awards' the national figure who does the most harm to...
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Nov 28, 2007Labor on the Move (11/28/07)
JOE KAHRAMAN , the Metro Washington Council's first UNION CITIES Coordinator (1998-99) is back in DC after a stint on the West Coast. Kahraman - who has been working for AFSCME since leaving the Council - is now the Lead Organizer/Local Representative for the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper...
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Nov 27, 2007MD/DC State Fed Leg Conf Today
Hundreds of Maryland and DC union members will gather today at the Maryland State/DC AFL-CIO Legislative Conference to put together a legislative action plan to grow the union movement across the region. "All local unions are encouraged to send a representative to this important legislative...
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Nov 27, 2007Loach Gets Labor Filmfest "Tony" Award
Director Ken Loach shows off his 2007 Tony Mazzocchi Labor Arts Award after receiving it at his office in London, England (left, holding award) . Illness prevented Loach from attending the DC Labor FilmFest last month, when the award was presented. "I still have the rather unfashionable view...
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Nov 27, 2007Union Shopping Made Easy
Now you can shop from the comfort of your home and pass up the mob scene at stores that overstress and underpay workers. Purchase your holiday gifts at the Union Shop Online and you'll not only avoid the crowds, but you can be assured that all your holiday gifts are union-made in the...
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Nov 27, 2007Labor on the Move (11/27/07)
WILLIAM E. SCHEUERMAN has been appointed President of the National Labor College. “The National Labor College has come a long way in the last 10 years and we sought a presidential candidate who could continue our progress and lead the college to new heights,” said John Sweeney,...
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Nov 26, 2007Post Trial Echoes Writer's Strike Issues
In a case that echoes the issues driving the current writer's strike in Los Angeles and New York City, a grueling 7-day trial against the Washington Post ended last Monday. The Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild challenged the Post when the publishing giant required employees to do work for...
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Nov 26, 2007PG Dems Begin Patching Rift with Labor
The Prince George's County Democratic Central Committee (PGCDCC) took a major first step toward patching the recent rift with local labor ( PG DEMS HIT FOR ATTACKING LABOR 11/2 UC) last week when it passed two key resolutions demanded by labor activists. The resolutions affirmed the PGCDCC's...
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Nov 26, 2007DC Board Demo Makes News
The November 15 demonstration at the National Labor Relations Board was featured on NPR, in the Washington Post and on YouTube. Post columnist Harold Myerson likened the Bush NLRB appointees to "the heavies in the novels of Charles Dickens, who invoke Victorian nostrums as they treat their...
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Nov 26, 2007CBTU Seeks Donations for Gift-Wrap
The DC Coalition of Black Trade Unionists' (DC-CBTU) is collecting donations now for its annual shoebox gift-wrapping on Saturday, December 15. "We still need shoeboxes and other items," including personal hygiene, non-perishable food, gloves, small sewing kits, and extras for kids, like...
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Nov 21, 2007Labor Updates (11/21/07)
FINE UPHELD AGAINST WASH GAS : The DC Public Service Commission Thursday upheld a $350,000 fine against the Washington Gas Light Company (WGL) for stonewalling, for three months, the Commission’s repeated requests for all documents about the company’s outsourcing of 250 Metro DC...
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Nov 21, 2007MD General Assembly Expands Healthcare Coverage
After a year-long grassroots campaign, several progressive healthcare measures were passed during the Special Session of the Maryland General Assembly, reports 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. “These victories are for the working families of Maryland, people like our members who know...
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Nov 21, 2007Labor on the Move (11/21/07)
Longtime Community Services Agency staffer JACKIE BARNES was showered with effusive and heartfelt thanks for a dozen years of commitment and dedication at a special reception following Monday night’s Delegate’s meeting. “This is not farewell but thank you,” said Metro Washington...
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Nov 21, 2007Sharing Blessings
As we count our blessings with family and friends tomorrow, let’s be sure to think of others in our community who are not so fortunate. "Help us set up Santa's Shop and distribute food baskets and toys to needy local union members and their families this holiday season," urges Community...
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Nov 21, 2007Stress-Free Holiday Shopping
Avoid the Black Friday shopping mob this weekend and buy your holiday gifts online at the Union Shop , where you’ll find a labor-friendly assortment of union-made holiday gift ideas, including cards, stocking stuffers, clothing, music, and movies.
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Nov 20, 2007Cleaning Up for a Fair Contract
Contract talks between Metro DC commercial cleaners and employers began last Thursday, reports SEIU Local 32BJ. The negotiations affect nearly 7,000 commercial cleaners in Montgomery County, Baltimore and the District who are represented by SEIU Local 32BJ. Contracts for most of the workers are...
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Nov 19, 2007Voices from Work (11/19/07)
SECURITY GUARD CHARLA FLETCHER : “I am more than Charla Fletcher the officer. I am also Charla Fletcher the mother and woman.” Fletcher, a security guard in downtown DC, is also a proud mother of three – five-year-old Chaquira, Damarcus 2, and 2-month-old Chaniya. Chaquira wants to take...
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Nov 19, 2007DC School Employees Demand Resources
"You can't have a top-rated school system unless you invest the money in people and resources," Teamsters Local 730 Secretary-Treasurer John Woodall testified at a Nov. 15 public hearing on the DC school system's budget. School employees urged Chancellor Michelle Rhee to double the operations...
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Nov 19, 2007Delegate Meeting Tonight!
Don't miss tonight's Metro Council Delegate meeting! Get the latest updates on upcoming labor actions and events at tonight's short meeting, which will run from 6:30 to 7:30P. Immediately following the meeting, long-time Community Services Agency (CSA) Program Coordinator Jackie Barnes will be...
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Nov 19, 2007Transit Workers Take to Airwaves
Under attack by the Heritage Foundation and some of its Congressional allies, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 has begun airing a television ad on WUSA, Channel 9 that runs through the middle of December. US Representative Tom Davis (R-VA) and the Heritage Foundation, a...
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Nov 19, 2007Labor Updates (11/19/07)
DEMOS FOR LUNCH : The votes are in and it’s a landslide for noontime demos. An impressive 70% of UNION CITY readers preferred to rally, march or picket at lunchtime, while 30% prefer to hit the streets after work. BLOGGIN’ IT : The Metro Washington Council’s website – updated daily...
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Nov 16, 20071,000 Demand NLRB "Close for Renovations"
Freezing rain did not deter more than 1,000 workers and labor leaders from marching to the National Labor Relations Board's Washington, DC headquarters Thursday, calling for the NLRB to be closed for renovation until the Board is more balanced. The protest drew unionists, religious allies,...
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Nov 16, 2007Macy's & Wal-Mart Linked by Sweatshops
What do high-end Macy's and low-cost Wal-Mart have in common? They both sell sweatshop goods and they're both being targeted in demonstrations this Saturday, including one at the downtown DC Macy's. “Many big box chain stores look the other way when their products are produced under sweatshop...
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Nov 16, 2007Fire Burns But Cannot Destroy
Friends of AFSCME member Chuck Hicks are organizing a fundraiser this Saturday. for the longtime DC labor and community activist after the Hicks family home in Bogalusa, Louisiana burned to the ground on October 23. "Everything was lost, including precious items from the Civil Rights Movement,"...
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Nov 16, 2007Voices from Work
Watch Monday’s edition for the first installment of a new series, Voices from Work. This new series presents mini portraits of DC-area workers. We’ll begin with District security officers – like Charla Fletcher at left – who joined SEIU 32BJ earlier this year and are currently...
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Nov 16, 2007Helping WPFW Build a New Home
For 30 years, WPFW has brought the voices of workers to the metro Washington airwaves. “Now it’s time for us to guarantee that our voices continue to be heard,” says Metro Washington Council President Jos Williams, who’s serving as Co-Chair -- along with Co-Chair Roscoe Dellums and...
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Nov 15, 2007Noon Demo Targets Bush, Board & Bosses
Rain or shine, hundreds of activists will march on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) headquarters today while thousands of workers do the same at Board offices in more than 20 cities across the country. Activists have mobilized in nationwide demonstrations in the wake of the recent...
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Nov 15, 2007Glover Rallies with B’More Hotel Workers
Actor Danny Glover is heading up this afternoon’s hotel worker rally in Baltimore. Hospitality workers from the Sheraton Baltimore City Center Hotel will protest owner Columbia Sussex’s demands that workers agree to work without adequate rights, job security, decent wages, affordable...
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Nov 15, 2007OSHA Finally Orders Employers to Buy Protective Equipment for Workers
It took an AFL-CIO lawsuit, congressional intervention and an appellate court ruling, but the Bush government's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has finally ordered employers to buy personal protective equipment -- such as hardhats and protective garments -- for workers. The...
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Nov 15, 2007Winter Term at Labor College
A college degree may be closer than you think. At the National Labor College, you can get academic credit for previous work experience, union or military training, apprenticeships and transferred credits from other colleges. The Labor College is located in Silver Spring, MD and offers courses in...
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Nov 14, 2007Board Members Bicker, Workers Leaflet
If there was a shred of doubt remaining that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is now completely dysfunctional - demonstrations against last month's anti-worker decisions are set for this week, including this Thursday in DC - now comes news that "Not only are National Labor...
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Nov 14, 2007Helping Those in Need This Holiday
With the holidays approaching, the Community Services Agency (CSA) is gearing up for its Annual Holiday Basket Project for needy area families. The project provides food and toys to dozens of local unions members struggling with unexpected financial hardships. "There are three ways you can...
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Nov 14, 2007Making the Switch
"I want to switch from non-union Verizon to union AT&T," says UNION CITY reader Harold. "But I'm not sure how to go about switching." Everything you need to switch is available online , from how to deal with an existing contract, how to get 10% off as a union member, and a link to AT&T...
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Nov 14, 2007Oct E-Board, Delegate Minutes Posted
The draft minutes of the October Metro Council Executive Board and Delegate meetings have been posted online . And do not forget this month’s Delegate meeting on Monday, November 19.
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Nov 13, 2007Community-Labor Alliance Celebrated
"If it wasn't for students, we wouldn't still have our jobs," an American University (AU) shuttle driver said at last Thursday's DC Jobs with Justice (DC JWJ) "I'll Be There" Awards. Dozens of area workers, activists, and community leaders celebrated labor solidarity and raised over $9,900 for...
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Nov 13, 2007Labor Updates (11/13/07)
"GET UNION WIRELESS" CAMPAIGN GAINS MOMENTUM IN MD : The campaign to get Verizon Wireless customers to switch to union AT&T is picking up steam in Maryland, reports the latest Unity at Verizon newsletter. The Maryland AFL-CIO sent a letter to all affiliated unions to switch to...
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Nov 13, 2007Putting Labor Back in the NLRB
More than 1,000 metro-area activists are expected to turn out for Thursday's big noontime demo at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). "They've taken labor out of the equation," says Metro Council President Jos Williams. "The Board has promoted a corporate agenda so much that they...
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Nov 13, 2007Labor on the Move (11/13/07)
Douglas Brooks, Program Officer with the AFL-CIO’s Solidarity Center for 23 years retired at the end of September. Brooks coordinated the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP), training over 3,500 foreign trade union leaders and government officials from 66 countries about the...
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Nov 13, 2007Free Mortgage Help
Do you know when your ARM resets? Having trouble making mortgage payments? Receive free, confidential advice by calling the Union Plus Save My Home Hotline at 1-866-490-5361 and talking to a HUD-certified housing counselors. Hotline counselors help union members establish a budget, set...
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Nov 9, 2007Sweeney: Off-Year Election Results Show Unionists Energized for 2008
By Mark Gruenberg PAI Staff Writer WASHINGTON (PAI)--Off-year election results in state and municipal races on Nov. 6 show union voters are already energized for 2008, AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney says. And they also show unionists and the country want “a clear...
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Nov 9, 2007Labor Updates (11/9/07)
NOVA JANITORS WALK OFF JOB TO PROTEST UNIONBUSTING : Dozens of janitors in Northern Virginia walked off the job Wednesday to protest management unionbusting and intimidation, reports William Flook of the Examiner. "This is the largest strike we have had in Virginia," SEIU Local 32BJ capital...
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Nov 9, 2007Labor Reader (11/9/07)
READ IT AND REAP : Harvest a wealth of information in the latest edition of the Labor Books Catalog, which includes more than 125 classic and new titles on topics ranging from negotiating and grievance handling to organizing, health and safety, labor law and labor history. Published by Union...
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Nov 8, 2007Labor Candidates Win Big in VA, MD
Months of door-knocking and phone banking by union members paid off Tuesday - voters elected labor-endorsed candidates in Virginia and Maryland. "I am very proud of all the unions and union members that contributed time to this successful election drive," Northern Virginia Central Labor Council...
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Nov 8, 2007Final Day for 'Unembedded'
Today is the final day to catch “Unembedded” at the AFL-CIO. The exhibit includes 60 images from four “unembedded” photojournalists and facts on the war's effect on human health and the environment in Iraq, as well as its impact on returning American veterans, their families, and...
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Nov 8, 2007CLUW Hosts Women's Health Fair
The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) of Metro DC’s Second Annual Women’s Health Fair is set for Saturday, November 10. “Join us for fun and fitness!” says CLUW’s Carolyn Jacobson. Participants can learn yoga and tai-chi, as well as get a massage. Tips for a healthier, happier life...
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Nov 8, 2007Demo Targets Bush Board
In the wake of the recent deluge of anti-worker decisions, the Bush-dominated National Labor Relations Board will be the target of a major rally on Thursday, November 15. The Bush Board recently released over 60 decisions, “the vast majority of which are virulently anti-worker and...
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Nov 8, 2007Labor Reader (11/8/07)
DIGITAL DISCONTENTS : Readers of Anthony Grafton’s “Future Reading: Digitization and its Discontents” in the November 5 New Yorker will want to check out Thomas Mann’s essay on "The Peloponnesian War and the Future of Reference, Cataloging, and Scholarship in Research Libraries,"...
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Nov 7, 2007VA Labor Gets Out the Vote
“We’re seeing Presidential year turnout this year,” Northern Virginia Labor Council President Dan Duncan said jubilantly as the NOVA CLC office hummed with Election Day activity Tuesday. Enthusiastic crews of union members shuttled in and out throughout the day, door-knocking union...
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Nov 7, 2007Paid Sick Days Rally Wakes up DC City Hall
Shaking pill bottle noisemakers and chanting “What do we want? Paid sick days! When do we want them? Now!,” dozens of supporters of the Paid Sick and Safe Days Act rallied early Tuesday morning outside the Wilson Building to demand that the DC City Council pass the act. Activists with...
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Nov 7, 2007Organizing Across the Americas
Union leaders from Mexico, Brazil and Uruguay will talk about the challenges and victories of their work this Thursday at SEIU. A dozen Latin American union leaders will address issues like how Brazilian unions are tackling Wal-Mart, how progressive presidents in Brazil and Uruguay affect...
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Nov 7, 2007Security Officers Among Those Honored at DC JwJ Awards
Newly-organized DC security officers will be honored Thursday night at the 5th Annual DC Jobs with Justice “I’ll Be There” Awards. The security officers, who won their fight for union recognition, will receive an award along with DC Councilmember Phil Mendelson, Howard University Professor...
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Nov 7, 2007"Unembedded" Opens to Packed House
Well over one hundred people packed the lobby of the AFL-CIO Monday night for an opening reception for the “Unembedded” photo exhibit. The exhibit only runs through this Thursday, November 8.
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Nov 6, 2007MontCo Unions Host Budget Summit
Unions representing the families of more than 30,000 public employees in Montgomery County are hosting a “Budget Summit” and rally this Wednesday. State Senators and Delegates have been invited to join County residents, union members and leaders to discuss concerns and priorities in the...
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Nov 6, 2007Labor Hits Streets for E-Day Votes
Labor activists throughout the region will be on the phones and at the doors all day today, getting out the union vote for labor-endorsed candidates. Keep up with the action online or click here to find out how to get involved. All VA labor activities are being coordinated and run out of the NoVa...
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Nov 6, 2007Paula Deen Heartless?
Country cookin' needs heart. More than 50 activists welcomed celebrity chef Paula Deen to the Washington Convention Center Saturday with a rally supporting Smithfield workers who have been harassed and intimidated for trying to organize a union. Wearing chef's hats, holding heart-shaped signs...
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Nov 6, 2007Salvadoran Unionist Reports on Attacks on Labor, Social Movements
"The reality is the right to organize does not exist" in El Salvador, Salvadoran labor leader Ricardo Calderon told a captivated crowd Friday night at St. Stephens Church in Columbia Heights. Calderon was in DC as part a speaking tour organized by the Committee in International with the People...
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Nov 6, 2007Labor Culture (11/6/07)
Ramon Ballve will play solo piano this Wednesday in a Jazz at the Corcoran performance made possible by the support of the recording industry's Music Performance Fund, as arranged by American Federation of Musicians local 161-710, which represents metro-area musicians.
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Nov 5, 2007VA Hotel Workers Demand Contract
A sea of angry red protest surged around the Crystal City Hilton Thursday night as rush-hour traffic crawled past on Jefferson Davis Highway. “We're fired up, can't take it no more!” chanted hundreds of hotel workers, “No justice, no peace!” Clad in bright red union t-shirts and waving...
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Nov 5, 2007DC School Workers Vow to Fight
"Union leaders representing D.C. public school teachers, bus drivers, custodians, teachers aides and other workers testified today that they fear proposed legislation to give Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee the authority to fire nonunion central office employees ‘at will’ would eventually reach...
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Nov 5, 2007VA Labor Hits Streets for E-Day Votes
Labor activists in northern Virginia will be on the phones and at the doors all day Tuesday, getting out the union vote for labor-endorsed candidates in Virginia's elections. All labor activities are being coordinated and run out of the NoVa CLC office, starting at 9A until the polls close. Click...
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Nov 5, 2007Iraq War Photo Show Opens Tonight
A reception tonight marks the opening at the AFL-CIO of “Unembedded,” a nationally touring photographic exhibit and book that includes 60 images showing the war’s impact on the Iraqi people “on the ground” where the war is being waged. A special program tonight begins at 7P and...
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Nov 2, 2007Crunch Time in Virginia
“We are on the verge of changing the majority party in the Virginia Senate,” NoVa CLC President Dan Duncan tells UNION CITY, “and a few hundred labor votes definitely will make the difference.” Union activists in Northern Virginia will hit the doors again Saturday starting at 9A from...
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Nov 2, 2007Paula Deen's Broken Promise
Smithfield workers and supporters will demonstrate this Saturday against television celebrity chef Paula Deen -- the public face of unionbuster Smithfield Foods — who has not made good on her promise on Larry King Live three months ago to meet with Smithfield workers on his show. Despite...
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Nov 2, 2007The Iraq War, As Seen From the Ground
A reception Monday marks the opening at the AFL-CIO of “Unembedded,” a nationally touring photographic exhibit and book that includes 60 images showing the war’s impact on the Iraqi people “on the ground” where the war is being waged. The exhibit at the AFL-CIO features...
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Nov 2, 2007Labor Updates (11/2/07)
PG DEMS HIT FOR ATTACKING LABOR : "A deep dispute has erupted between union leaders in the Washington region and the leadership of the Prince George's County Democratic Party," reports Rosalind S. Helderman in the Washington Post "a fight that highlights broader conflicts over both the...
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Nov 2, 2007AFSCME Council 20's Johnson Puts "Africa in Focus"
Born and raised in DC, AFSCME Council 20 Director George T. Johnson has been around awhile and seen a few things, “Some good, some bad, some bizarre.” But nothing had prepared Johnson for what he would see, hear and feel on his first trip to Africa last August. It was, Johnson said, “like...
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Nov 1, 2007GW Students Cook-Out to Kick Out Coke
Order up: burgers and hot dogs, hold the coke. The George Washington (GW) Progressive Student Union held a cook-out and petition drive Tuesday to demand that GW dump Coca-Cola and switch to local vendors who respect worker and environmental rights. Over 100 students pledged support for the...
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Nov 1, 2007Salvador Unionist Reports on Increasing Repression
Salvadoran unionist Ricardo Calderon is the featured guest at Friday’s lunchtime discussion about the current struggles against privatization and the implementation of CAFTA, as well as the increasing repression directed at the labor movement in El Salvador. In recent months, reports...
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Nov 1, 2007Labor Updates (11/1/07)
DISCRIMINATION CHARGED AT JUSTICE : Charges of discrimination persist at the Justice Department's voting rights section. "Employees feel that [voting rights section chief John Tanner] has decimated the voting rights program, and they're glad that he is being called to task by Congress,"...
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Oct 31, 2007Prince George's Council Condemns Wash Gas Outsourcing
The campaign to fight the outsourcing of 250 local Washington Gas jobs has received the support of the Prince George’s County Council, reported Rosalind Helderman last Wednesday on the Washington Post website . The Council unanimously passed a resolution last Tuesday “condemning...
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Oct 31, 2007AFL-CIO Files Complaint against Bush Board
The AFL-CIO has filed yet another in a series of complaints against recent anti-worker decisions by the Bush-dominated National Labor Relations Board. The AFL-CIO filed the complaint last Thursday with the International Labor Organization (ILO) Committee of Freedom of Association based on the...
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Oct 31, 2007On the Phone for Paid Sick and Safe Days Act
Activists will hit the phones Thursday to get the word out about the November 6 rally in support of the Paid Sick and Safe Days Act . The Act – currently before the DC City Council – would provide all DC workers with a limited number of paid days to use when they or a family member falls ill...
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Oct 30, 2007CWA and Verizon to Begin Early Negotiations
Negotiations will begin next month for 55,000 CWA-represented workers at Verizon. After the company asked to begin early bargaining for the Verizon "East" contract which expires next August, the affected locals - including metro-DC area workers in CWA District 2 - agreed to begin talks in...
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Oct 30, 2007Wal-Mart Puts the Scare in Halloween
Claiming that Wal-Mart's "scary relationship" with China puts families, children and pets at risk, local activists will leaflet the Germantown WalMart on Halloween. Supporters in over 30 cities and towns across the country, many in Halloween costumes, will be protesting at Wal-Mart stores in...
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Oct 30, 2007WPFW's Minott to Host JwJ Awards
WPFW radio personality Gloria Minott has been confirmed as master of ceremonies for DC Jobs With Justice's " I'll Be There" Awards on November 8th, which honors labor and community activists. Minott is the Public Affairs director for the Pacifica station, and host of the weekday Metro...
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Oct 30, 2007Labor Reader (10/30/07)
“ ’Apollo's Fire ’ tells the stories of real people who are working to make the world a better place, stop global warming, and create good union jobs in the process,” reports the Solidarity Center’s Joan Seidman Welsh. The forthcoming book is written by Rep. Jay Inslee (D-WA) and...
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Oct 30, 2007Labor on the Move: In Memoriam (10/30/07)
United American Nurses President Cheryl Johnson has passed away. Calling Johnson "a real pioneer for nurses," AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said "She provided forceful and respected leadership to build a nurses' union that simply refused to sit quietly by as health care came under greater and...
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Oct 29, 2007MD State Fed Calls for Long-Term Deficit Solution
The Maryland State Fed voted last Thursday to support Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley's call for a special session and the goal of arriving at a long-term solution to Maryland's budget deficit. "Maryland is the wealthiest state in the United States, yet we spend the lowest percentage of...
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Oct 29, 2007Cook Endorsed for College Park Council
The Metro Washington Council has endorsed Mark Cook’s candidacy for College Park (MD) City Council. “Mark has been someone we have been watching over the past few years,” said Council President Jos Williams. “He supports labor goals of improving the quality of life for residents of...
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Oct 29, 2007Telling New Orleans Stories
Seventy one labor reporters teamed up with representatives from local labor organizations and community groups at last week’s International Labor Communications Association (ILCA) convention to find and tell the stories of New Orleans workers and their communities in the post-Katrina era. From...
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Oct 26, 2007School Unions Unite on Concerns
The unions representing DC school employees are uniting around serious concerns about the Chancellor and Mayor's push to make most Central Office workers "at-will" employees. Leaders of the Teachers, School Officers, Teamsters and AFSCME Council 20 unions met with Metro Washington Council...
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Oct 26, 2007PG Library Workers Rally at Trustee Meeting
More than 65 Prince George’s County Memorial Library System (PGCMLS) workers – joined by a dozen more members in solidarity from the Montgomery County Library system and Executive Board members of the UFCW 1994/MCGEO, which represents the workers – rallied at the monthly meeting of the...
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Oct 26, 2007Labor Updates (10/26/07)
OT Keeps Wheels Turning : "It's easy to blame excessive overtime as the cause of a Metro fare increase ["Discussion of Metro Fare Hike Postponed," 9/14 Washington Post]," wrote ATU 689 President Jackie Jeter in a 10/7 letter published in the Post. "But do Metro's patrons really want to reduce...
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Oct 26, 2007Why We Walk
“Why do union members and their families get up on Saturday mornings to visit other union members’ houses?” writes Eileen Toback, AFL-CIO political organizer/Voice at Work campaign. Toback has been out walking with dozens of union activists in Northern Virginia on recent weekends. “I...
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Oct 25, 2007Faith, Community Leaders Rally Behind Security Officers
More than 30 faith, community, and labor leaders gathered at First Rising Mt. Zion Church on Tuesday morning for a breakfast to discuss the progress of security officers in winning a first contract. More than 1,000 officers formed a union with SEIU Local 32BJ earlier this year. "We aren't asking...
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Oct 25, 2007Georgetown Workers Win Contract
More than 300 maintenance, service and facility management workers at Georgetown University ratified a new three-year contract last week, reports the workers’ union, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East. The new contract includes a two percent wage increase every six months over the next...
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Oct 25, 2007Winston Salem Seats Going Fast
Going, going, but not gone yet. Free seats are still available on the AFL-CIO's bus to the October 28 rally in Winston Salem supporting tobacco harvesters. The Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), has begun a campaign to organize more than 25,000 tobacco harvesters in North Carolina....
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Oct 25, 2007Brazilian Unionists Visit
Three Brazilian trade unionists met Tuesday with Metro Council and Community Services Agency staff to learn about issues facing immigrant workers in the Metro Washington area. The Brazilian delegation included Valclecia de Jesus Trindade of the Força Sindical, Otton da Costa Mata Roma of the...
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Oct 25, 2007Labor Updates (10/25/07)
House Opens Inquiry Into Investor-Owned Nursing Homes : Representatives John Dingell (D-MI) and Barney Frank (D-MA) announced Tuesday that they would investigate the effects of private equity investments in nursing homes on care, staffing, and conditions at facilities around the country,...
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Oct 24, 2007Learning English & Math
More than 50 area workers have participated in the Community Services Agency's (CSA) " Speaking of Math " program, designed for workers learning English and focusing on construction math. Funded by a generous grant from the Community Foundation, CSA has been running a multi-focused program which...
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Oct 24, 2007Ad Deadline for DC JWJ Awards Event Extended
The deadline for submitting program book ads for the November 8th " I'll Be There Awards " has been extended to this Friday, October 26th. The annual fundraiser event for DC Jobs with Justice honors labor and community leaders for their solidarity work. This year’s honorees include Karen...
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Oct 24, 2007Labor Updates (10/24/07)
Is Copyright Still Necessary? National Writers Union President Gerard Colby debates Center for Economic and Policy Research Co-Director Dean Baker today at 12:15P about the relevance of copyrighted material in the internet age. “This is an important issue for all workers involved in...
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Oct 24, 2007Labor Reader
Journalist Philip Dine - author of the just-published "State of the Unions" - appears this Saturday, October 27 at Politics & Prose Bookstore at 6P to discuss his new book, subtitled "How Labor Can Strengthen the Middle Class, Improve our Economy, and Regain Political Influence."...
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Oct 24, 2007Labor on the Move
IN MEMORIAM : Frank Barnes, Jr., father of Community Services Agency Program Coordinator Jackie Barnes, died Sunday, October 21st after a long illness. Mr. Barnes was an independent over-the-road truck driver for 18 years. Condolences can be sent to Slinger Hasgill Funeral Home, Amityville,...
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Oct 23, 2007Labor, Community Holds Summit on Opening of National Harbor
Nearly 60 Prince George’s County labor and community activists filled the auditorium of the Indian Queen Elementary School Saturday to discuss the effects of the upcoming opening of the massive National Harbor project at the first Prince George’s Community/Labor Summit. The 300-acre...
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Oct 23, 2007Labor Updates (10/23/07)
Prince George’s Hospitals May Soon be Off Life Support, but Need Long-Term Solution : The bitter fight over funds for the Prince George’s hospitals, between Dimensions Healthcare System – which manages the hospital system – and Prince George’s County officials may be heading toward...
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Oct 23, 2007Film as Organizing Tool
As part of this year’s DC Labor FilmFest, SEIU Local 500 and the George Washington University Progressive Student Union sponsored a showing of "I'm on Strike Because..." a 21-minute documentary on the recent NYU graduate assistant strike. The filmmaker, Steve Fletcher, was on hand to...
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Oct 23, 2007Save Your Home Hotline
Nearly half the homeowners who have adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) don’t know how their ARMs adjust or reset, and most don’t know how much their monthly mortgage payments will increase when they do, a new national survey has revealed. To provide quick, accurate information, the AFL-CIO has...
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Oct 22, 2007DC Vote Updates
MCCAIN & BROWNBACK URGED TO "STOP THE HIPPO-CRISY" : Chanting "Hippos against hypocrisy" and "Hippos need a vote," a dozen spirited DC Vote activists demonstrated at the Washington Hilton Friday morning as presidential candidates appeared before Republican 'Values Voters' gathered by the...
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Oct 22, 2007State Fed Legislative Conf Rescheduled, Convention Still On
Because of the upcoming Special Session of the MD General Assembly, the November 2 Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO Legislative Conference has been rescheduled for November 27 at the National Labor College from 9A-4P. The 26th Biennial Convention is still scheduled...
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Oct 22, 2007Winston Salem or Bust
Free seats are available on the AFL-CIO’s bus to the October 28 rally in Winston Salem supporting tobacco harvesters. The Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), has begun a campaign to organize more than 25,000 tobacco harvesters in North Carolina. Reynolds American CEO Susan Ivey has...
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Oct 22, 2007SEIU 32BJ "Fastest-Growing" Local
SEIU Local 32BJ is a local on the move. Literally. When I showed up for an interview at their 11th Street offices recently, local staff was in the midst of reorganizing the office to accommodate the local, which is already outgrowing the space they moved into just over...
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Oct 19, 2007DC Vote Calls on McCain & Brownback to "Stop the Hippo-Crisy":
Join the hippos this morning as they call on Senators John McCain and Sam Brownback to "Stop the Hippo-crisy" and end their filibuster of DC voting rights. DC Vote is organizing "Hippos Follow Hypocrites" from 9-10A outside the Washington Hilton Hotel. "The Senators both changed their...
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Oct 19, 2007DC Vote Calls on McCain & Brownback to "Stop the Hippo-Crispy"
Join the hippos this morning as they call on Senators John McCain and Sam Brownback to "Stop the Hippo-crisy" and end their filibuster of DC voting rights. DC Vote is organizing "Hippos Follow Hypocrites" from 9-10A outside the Washington Hilton Hotel. "The Senators both changed their...
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Oct 19, 2007This Just In
The AFL-CIO is sending a bus down to the big Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) rally on Sunday, October 28 in Winston Salem, NC. FLOC is kicking off a campaign to organize more than 25,000 tobacco harvesters in North Carolina. Seats are free but space is limited; first come first...
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Oct 19, 2007Labor Updates
BUSH TO KIDS: WHO CARES? The House failed to overturn President Bush’s veto of healthcare for kids yesterday, reports Mike Hall of the AFL-CIO Now Blog. “It is truly devastating for America’s working families that a small faction in Congress put party politics above their obligation to...
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Oct 19, 2007SEIU 32BJ "Fastest-Growing" Local
SEIU Local 32BJ is a local on the move. Literally. When I showed up for an interview at their 11th Street offices recently, local staff was in the midst of reorganizing the office to accommodate the local, which is already outgrowing the space they moved into just over a year ago. Look for our...
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Oct 19, 2007Labor on the Move (10/19/07)
Cathy Feingold, Director, Global Programs and Public Outreach at the Solidarity Center, will become Country Director for the Dominican Republic and Haiti – based out of Santo Domingo -- for the Solidarity Center on November 1. Dianne Tamuk will take over as Acting Director for Global...
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Oct 19, 2007Home Energy Expo
District residents can learn how to save money – and the environment – at the 12th Annual Fall/Winter 2007 Home Energy Efficiency Expo on Saturday, November 10. The Expo’s motto is “Helping to Make DC Green: One Resident At A Time.” Co-Sponsored by the Office of the People’s Counsel,...
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Oct 19, 2007Save $50 on a New Phone
Get a new phone and save $50! Through October 31, union members can receive a $50 in-store savings on new phones or accessories from AT&T. Union members can also receive a special 10% discount on wireless service from AT&T (formerly Cingular), the only wireless company that can, and...
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Oct 18, 2007Defending Worker Rights at the Library of Congress
The Library of Congress Professional Guild, AFSCME Local 2910 is holding an Open Forum on "Defending Employee Rights and Union Rights at the Library of Congress" this Thursday, October 18. J. Kent Dunlap, Guild Chief Negotiator and Barbara Kraft, Attorney at Law, Kraft, Eisenmann and Alden, will...
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Oct 18, 2007DC Rallies for Kids Healthcare
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, SEIU Healthcare Chair Dennis Rivera and hundreds of activists, parents and children gathered Tuesday evening on Capitol Hill for a rally demanding Congress override President Bush’s veto of healthcare for kids. “Nearly 10 million of our children can’t see a...
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Oct 18, 2007Funk for Peace Friday
The Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band – with Working America staffer Robert Fox on bass -- hosts “Funk For Peace” this Friday, October 19th at The Rock And Roll Hotel . Two dollars of every ticket sold goes to the DC Chapter of Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW). Veterans will be at the...
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Oct 18, 2007Labor on the Move (10/18/07)
Susan Holleran has won the 2007 Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) Clara Day Award. Currently the DC CLUW Assistant State Vice President, Holleran – who is retired from AFSCME -- was recognized by the national organization for her many years of work inspiring and educating women to...
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Oct 18, 2007State Fed Legislative Conference
Register now for the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO Legislative Conference, scheduled for Friday, November 2 at the National Labor College. “All local unions are encouraged to send a representative to this important legislative strategy and planning session,” says Political...
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Oct 18, 2007CLUW Hosts Women's Health Fair
The Coalition of Labor Union Women’s (CLUW) Second Annual Women’s Health Fair is set for Saturday, November 10. “Join us for fun and fitness!” says CLUW’s Carolyn Jacobson. Participants can learn yoga and tai-chi, as well as get a massage. Tips for a healthier, happier life will...
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Oct 17, 2007Labor Filmfest Held Over!
Three more screenings of Ken Loach’s award-winning drama "The Wind that Shakes the Barley" have just been added to the DC Labor FilmFest schedule. The film will be shown on Thursday, October 18 at 4:30, 7 and 9:25P. Loach's biggest box office success to date won the 2006 Palme d'Or at the...
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Oct 17, 2007Yes, Virginia, There is a Phonebank
Phone banks to turn out the union vote in the upcoming Virginia elections are now up and running at the AFL-CIO. “The Senate races are so important because there is a possibility of taking back the state Senate in Virginia,” reports Karla Garland. “This can only happen if we turn out our...
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Oct 17, 2007Labor Updates (10/17/07)
DC ACORN’s 23rd annual Anniversary Celebration will honor Roger Newell and Mackenzie Baris of DC Jobs with Justice. Tickets for the November 19 event are $30 (tables $300); RSVP by October 19 to Rachel Pope 202-547-9292.
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Oct 16, 2007Vigil Tonight for Kid's Healthcare
Children's healthcare advocates are holding a National Vigil tonight at 5P on Capitol Hill to support efforts by Congressional leaders to override President Bush's veto of the Child Health program. "Congress can ensure that 10 million children have hope for healthier lives and a brighter...
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Oct 16, 2007Labor Updates (10/16/07)
SMITHFIELD WALKS AWAY : Smithfield Foods abruptly ended talks with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union yesterday morning. The union had been engaged in lengthy talks with the meatpacking company to try to find a free and fair process for workers to vote for a union. "We will continue...
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Oct 16, 2007DC Labor Filmfest Continues
DC Labor FilmFest Co-Chairs Jos Williams (far right) and Mark Dudzic (far left) present Labor FilmFest t-shirts to visiting Irish trade unionist Paul Bell (2nd from right) and a lucky raffle winner Saturday night at the 7th annual event, which continues through Wedesday at the American Film...
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Oct 16, 2007An Economy That Works for All
Why is it so hard for so many workers to make a good living in the richest country in the world? The AFL-CIO’s “An Economy That Works for All” project will hold a training session on Monday, October 22 , at the National Labor College in Silver Spring, Md. to address that...
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Oct 16, 2007JWJ Ad Deadline Approaching
The deadline for space in this year's "I'll Be There" DC Jobs with Justice program book is this Friday, October 19. "Space is going fast," reports JWJ's Mackenzie Baris. "The law firm of Olender and Associates already grabbed the back cover, but the inside covers are still available." The annual...
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Oct 16, 2007LA Hotels Boycotted
The workers of the Hilton LAX , the Glendale Hilton , and the Wilshire Plaza hotels have called for boycotts of their own hotels, asking customers not to eat, meet, or sleep at their hotels “until disputes have been settled and workers are treated with dignity,” writes Tom Walsh,...
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Oct 16, 2007Union Plus Scholarships
The 2008 Union Plus Scholarship applications are now available for download . Over 1,700 union families have already received $2.4 million in education assistance. Application deadline is January 31, 2008.
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Oct 15, 2007Insulators Local 24 Marks Centennial
More than 450 turned out last Saturday, October 6 for Insulators Local 24’s 100th anniversary celebration. The local was first chartered in 1907 by just 11 organized insulation and asbestos workers from the metro area. The local successfully increased wages for heat, frost, asbestos and...
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Oct 15, 2007Delegate Meeting Tonight
Give and get the latest local labor updates at tonight’s Metro Washington Council Delegate Meeting. Don’t miss this chance to report on your local and find out what’s going on at other locals around town!
Oct 15, 2007Vigil Set for Kid's Healthcare
SEIU Healthcare is holding a National Vigil for Children’s Healthcare tomorrow at 5P on Capitol Hill to support a veto override. “By overriding President Bush’s SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) veto, our Congress can ensure that 10 million children have hope for...
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Oct 15, 2007United Way Packed and Delivered
A dedicated core of volunteers stuffed and delivered United Way bags early Friday morning. The bags will go out to over 100 unions and labor organizations throughout the Metro DC area. “This material helps unions run their in-house charitable giving campaigns,” says Community Services Agency...
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Oct 15, 2007A Letter From Ken Loach
"I still have the rather unfashionable view that the most progressive force in society is the organised working class," said director Ken Loach. DC Labor FilmFest Co-Chair Jos Williams read the letter from Loach - who was unable to attend due to illness -- at Thursday night's DC Labor FilmFest...
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Oct 15, 2007County Workers Want Troops Home
The Montgomery County worker’s union – UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO – wants the troops to come home. While honoring the men and women fighting in Iraq, Local 1994’s resolution calling for withdrawal of the U.S. military from Iraq says that “every dollar spent in the Iraq War is a dollar added...
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Oct 15, 2007Labor on the Move (10/15/07)
Former IAM District 70 Communicator and Local 639 member Kiley Hernandez brings a solid union background and extensive web expertise to IAM headquarters as the newest member of the IAM Communications Department staff. An IAM member since 1998 when he began work as a Materials...
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Oct 12, 2007Domestic Workers Demand Rights
Domestic workers, students, and activists take to the streets Saturday at 12:30P to demand rights and respect for domestic workers and an end to diplomatic immunity in cases of domestic worker abuse. “Domestic Workers do important work and provide essential help to millions of families across...
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Oct 12, 2007Post Previews Filmfest
"While the working class may be embattled in real life, it's enjoying something of a golden age on the big screen," wrote Ann Hornaday in the Washington Post on Thursday. "I must have screened 150 films," FilmFest Director Chris Garlock told the Post, "and for the first time, it was really...
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Oct 12, 2007Baris Recognized as EJC Community Partner
Calling her "the hardest working activist in Washington," DC Employement Justice Center (DC EJC) Deputy Executive Director Karen Minatelli awarded DC Jobs with Justice Coordinator Mackenzie Baris the DC Employment Justice Center's Outstanding Community Partner Award on Thursday, noting that...
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Oct 12, 2007Sept Council Minutes Now Online
Draft minutes from September’s Metro Council Executive Board and Delegate meetings are now available online. You can access the September minutes, the Metro Council Constitution and minutes dating back to the 2006 on our website . Also, don’t forget the October Metro Council Delegate meeting...
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Oct 11, 2007Great Movies, Cheap Popcorn & Disounted DVDs
In addition to a terrific line-up of great labor films from around the world, DC Labor FilmFest attendees will get a 50-cent discount on popcorn at the AFI, thanks to premiere sponsor American Income Life . Plus, the Labor Heritage Foundation (LHF) is offering special FilmFest discounts on...
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Oct 11, 2007Drivers Needed for Friday Pack and Drop
The Community Services Agency is still looking for drivers for Friday’s United Way Pack and Drop, reports CSA Executive Director Kathleen McKirchy. Drivers should meet at the United Way office (1725 Eye St NW) at 10:30A. "Only a few hours required. We will assign folks to a particular county or...
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Oct 11, 2007Union City Draws Nat'l Attention
The Union City e-zine is featured in the latest edition of the ILCA Reporter, the quarterly publication of the International Labor Communications Association. Now bringing DC labor news to over 8,000 readers every weekday, "Union City plays an important role in informing, uniting and mobilizing...
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Oct 11, 2007Honorees Named for JWJ "I'll Be There" Awards
For the fifth year running, DC Jobs with Justice will honor labor and community allies for their solidarity during its "I'll Be There" Awards. This year's awardees include DC Councilmember Phil Mendelson, Karen Minatelli of the DC Employment Justice Center, Walda Katz-Fishman of Howard...
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Oct 11, 2007Inspirational Loach
Amalgamated Limo's Perry Levin credits Ken Loach for sparking his lifetime love of movies. "I saw Loach's 'Poor Cow' in October of '68 while on leave in Australia as a 21-year-old serving in Vietnam, says the DC Labor FilmFest sponsor. "I didn't know anything about Loach, but the girl I went...
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Oct 11, 2007Labor's New Search Tool
Unionists now have a new tool to help them search for information on the Internet. SoliComm is a specialized Web search engine focusing on over 400 labor and labor-related web sites. If you're looking for training material on labor's polices and action plans about HIV/AIDS, for example, a...
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Oct 10, 2007Hightower Kicks Off Labor Filmfest
Sunday's free screening of China Blue - introduced by nationally syndicated radio personality Jim Hightower - kicked off the official start of the 2007 DC Labor Filmfest. "Let's take this show on the road!" Hightower (right, with FilmFest Co-Chair Mark Dudzic) told the "China Blue" audience at...
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Oct 10, 2007Labor Board Undercuts Workers
"The Republican-dominated National Labor Relations Board is at it again" reports James Parks of the AFL-CIO Now Blog. In a September 29 ruling that will undercut worker rights, the Board ruled that employers who voluntary agree to card-check recognition must notify employees about a 45-day...
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Oct 10, 2007Free Filmfest Doubleheader Today!
Two free films screen today as part of the ongoing DC Labor FilmFest: catch the painfully hilarious "Fired!" at 12 noon today at SEIU - in which actress Annabelle Gurwitch explores the ups and downs of being fired by cultural icon Woody Allen - and meet the makers of "Made In L.A." at 6P at AU,...
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Oct 10, 2007Director's Pick
There's plenty to choose from at this year's DC Labor FilmFest, but here are a few top picks from FilmFest Director Chris Garlock: "It's A Free World…" (10/12 7P) is Ken Loach's latest and a U.S. premiere; "Outsourced" (10/13 7P) is a funny and surprisingly touching take on an issue facing...
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Oct 10, 2007Walkin' & Talkin' Union in NOVA
More than 80 activists turned out last Saturday in Northern Virginia to door-knock for working family candidates. "We are literally walking the walk and talking the talk to support working families on issues that matter,” said AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker , who was...
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Oct 9, 2007Takeover Threatens Nursing Home Care
In an effort to improve nursing home care in Maryland, one of the state's healthcare workers unions last week launched a new campaign calling on global buyout giant the Carlyle Group to put care above profits in the $6.3 billion takeover of nursing home chain HCR Manor Care. "Nursing homes...
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Oct 9, 2007'07 Labor Filmfest Highlights
A U.S. premiere, free screenings and the main FilmFest line-up highlight this week's 7th annual DC Labor FilmFest, one of the only such film festivals in the world. GW students, faculty and workers are sponsoring a screening this afternoon of " I'm On Strike Because... " about graduate student...
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Oct 9, 2007Baris Honored at EJC Lunch
Mackenzie Baris, Coordinator of DC Jobs with Justice - a strong Metro Council community ally -- is being recognized as an "Outstanding Community Partner" at the DC Employment Justice Center's (EJC) Annual Labor Day Luncheon Thursday at noon . The EJC is dedicated to securing, protecting, and...
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Oct 5, 2007Burma Freedom March Saturday
Protest and march with the US Campaign for Burma in support of the Burmese peoples' struggle for freedom this Saturday, a Global Day of Action for a Free Burma called by the International Trade Union Confederation. "We need to show the Burmese people that we will not tolerate this bloody...
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Oct 5, 2007Labor Updates (10/5/07)
The Coalition of Labor Union Women is co-sponsoring the " 2nd Annual Girlfriends Retreat " to raise awareness about cervical cancer. Guest speakers include Dr. Estelle Whitney, motivational speaker and founder of WeSpeak Loudly, Jacci Thompson-Dodd and Nancy R. Berman, one of the nation's...
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Oct 5, 2007Ken Loach's World
"They call it flexible labour," said director Ken Loach in a recent interview. "What that means is it’s good for the employers but not good for the people who work. And I think this shift from stable employment to casual labour has not been explored significantly yet." The U.S. premiere of...
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Oct 4, 2007Wash Gas Forced to Open Books
Washington Gas blinked. A months-long campaign by gas company workers paid off when the utility was forced to turn over a copy of a contract this week that will outsource hundreds of workers at the gas company's call center. "What are they hiding?" OPEIU Local 2 President Dan Dyer asked...
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Oct 4, 2007Labor Updates (10/4/07)
Negotiations have broken down concerning the use of representational time by stewards and officers at the Library of Congress (LOC), reports the LOC Professional Guild, AFCSME Local 2910. "The parties are headed for the Federal Services Impasses Panel," the Guild's Saul Schniderman tells UNION...
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Oct 4, 2007Labor Filmfest Updates
The good news: the '07 FilmFest t-shirts and cups are in and they look great! The bad news: director Ken Loach has had to cancel his Opening Night appearance due to unforeseen personal circumstances. "While we're disappointed," said FilmFest Director Chris Garlock, "we wish Ken the very best and...
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Oct 4, 2007New Exec VP to Door-Knock in VA Saturday
Newly-appointed AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker will join Northern VA CLC President Dan Duncan, AFL-CIO Political Director Karen Ackerman, Metro Washington Council President Jos Williams and other area labor leaders and activists this Saturday, October 6th to knock on labor...
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Oct 3, 2007AU Bus Drivers Win Union
Shuttle bus drivers at American University (AU) have won recognition at AU, report Teamsters Local 922, which will represent the workers. AU agreed to recognize the union after the NLRB rejected the school’s appeal of the representation election won by the local, and “the school and its top...
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Oct 3, 2007Golf Tourney Updates
Monday's CSA Golf Tournament raised a much-needed $19,000 for CSA's Emergency Assistance Fund, "Thank you! To all our sponsors, golfers and volunteers" said CSA Executive Director Kathleen McKirchy. McKirchy reported that the leftover banquet food was donated to DC's Central Union Mission...
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Oct 3, 2007CSA Pack & Drop Rescheduled
The Community Services Agency’s (CSA) annual “ Pack & Drop ” – originally scheduled for today – has been rescheduled for next Friday, October 12 from 9:30A-11A at the United Way, 1725 Eye St NW. Volunteers are still needed. “Packers should meet at the United Way office at...
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Oct 3, 2007DC Green Festival Honors Workers
At this weekend's DC Green Festival , you can learn how to reduce your environmental impact at home and in the workplace, enjoy live music from local bands, kick back in the organic beer and wine garden, network with others from groups such as DC Jobs with Justice and the DC Employment Justice...
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Oct 3, 2007Filmfest Opening Night Screening Benefits DC EJC
Next Thursday's Opening Night of the 2007 DC Labor Filmfest -- featuring the U.S. Premiere of the newest film from award-winning director Ken Loach, "It's a Free World..." -- will benefit the work of the DC Employment Justice Center . "We're thrilled to be able to honor Ken Loach this...
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Oct 2, 2007Filmfest Adds New Screening!
A film about the NYU grad student strike -- "I'm On Strike Because..." – has been added to the DC Labor FilmFest line-up, screening on Tuesday, October 9. The short documentary film will be followed by a discussion about part-time faculty’s campaign for respect at GWU. Co-sponsored by the...
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Oct 2, 2007Just the Fax
Got an old fax machine you’re not using any more? The DC Labor FilmFest wants it! We’ll be raffling off chances to take a baseball bat to a fax machine onstage at the upcoming screenings of the ever-popular Office Space and need a couple of sacrificial fax machines for the cause. If you’ve...
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Oct 2, 2007Golf Tourney Recharges Emergency Fund
Eighty-three golfers turned out Monday for a perfect fall day on the course at the 12th annual Community Services Agency’s Golf Tournament. The tournament raised urgently-needed funds for the CSA’s Emergency Assistance Fund, which is out of money and has had to seriously curtail direct...
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Oct 2, 2007Door-Knocking for Paid Sick Days
The DC Employment Justice Center (EJC) is coordinating a door-knocking campaign to spread the word about the Paid Sick and Safe Days Act now in DC City Council. Volunteers will circulate petitions beginning tomorrow, October 2 and continuing on October 5, 10 & 12. Currently, no State or...
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Oct 2, 2007Ingleside Workers Finally Get Contract
Almost 200 workers at the Ingleside nursing home finally have a contract. “This contract gives us power to take better care of our patients, to advocate for us and them,” said Aliette Bastien, a Certified Nursing Assistant who’s worked at Ingleside for 12 years and was instrumental in the...
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Oct 1, 2007Kids Demand Healthcare
As part of a demonstration in support of health care for kids, dozens of children will pull red wagons overflowing with petitions to the White House gates today at 11A. Hundreds of healthcare workers, consumers and kids will gather at McPherson Square at 10A to protest President Bush’s...
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Oct 1, 2007Labor Filmfest Tickets Now Available
Tickets to the biggest and best DC Labor Filmfest -- October 7-17 -- are now available! Don't get left out in the October chill; order your tickets online now and enjoy films like "Outsourced,” "Strike," and "Which Side Are You On?" Order online and get the union discount by...
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Sep 28, 2007Death in the Forest
A brand-new film about the loggers of British Columbia will be screened this Friday at the AFL-CIO as part of the National Day of Action to support 7,000 striking loggers and mill workers, members of the Steelworkers union. The film, Death in the Forest -- part of the DC Labor FilmFest...
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Sep 28, 2007Labor Updates (9/28/07)
"How does one go about organizing like GAO has done?" asked a poster from Arlington, Va. "What union do you call, or do they come see you?" Click here for more of WashingtonPost.com columnist Steve Barr's online discussion about organizing government workers today, which includes a mention...
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Sep 28, 2007Women at Work on Sunday
Three documentaries at the National Museum of Women in the Arts this Sunday -- Maid in America , Nalini by Day Nancy by Night and Work and Respect -- are part of a "Women at Work" program that traces the transnational pathways of modern labor, complemented by an experimental...
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Sep 26, 2007MD Child Care Providers Vote in Union
Home-based child care providers in Maryland have voted overwhelmingly to form a union. "Now we have the strong voice we need to stand up for affordable, quality child care in Maryland," District Heights provider Madie Green said at a press conference on Tuesday announcing the results of the...
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Sep 26, 2007CSA's Annual Pack & Drop
The Community Services Agency's annual "pack & drop" is set for next Wednesday beginning at 10:30A. "If you can volunteer for an hour or so it makes a huge difference," says CSA's Kathleen McKirchy. Volunteers will help package up and deliver Labor Division United Way materials to national...
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Sep 26, 2007Rally for State Children's Health Insurance
Mark your calendar for Monday's " Healthcare NOT Warfare " Rally at McPherson Square. SEIU is organizing the rally and press conference to deliver petitions to the White House demanding better access to healthcare for children. If you're able to bring your children to this event, email...
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Sep 26, 2007Just the Fax
Got an old fax machine you've been meaning to get rid of? The DC Labor FilmFest wants it! We'll be raffling off chances to take a baseball bat to a fax machine onstage at the upcoming screenings of the ever-popular Office Space (readers who have seen the film know why) and need a couple of...
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Sep 25, 2007PG Hospital Update
County and hospital officials moved closer yesterday to ending the deadlock over the fate of the Prince George's Hospitals, which has kept healthcare workers and patients in limbo for months. Dimensions Healthcare Systems - which manages the Prince George's County hospitals - announced it...
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Sep 25, 2007Questioning the Economy
What's the economy for, anyway? Is it just about having the biggest GDP or the highest Dow Jones Average? Or is it about providing for a healthy, happy, fair and sustainable society? If you think quality of life matters, and wonder how the United States compares to other countries when it comes...
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Sep 25, 2007Desperately Seeking Older Women
If you're a woman still working past retirement age because you need the health insurance and extra income, Swedish television wants to talk to you! This trend - one out of three 65 to 69-year-olds are still working in the U.S. - is starting to spread to Sweden and they're interested in finding...
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Sep 24, 2007Playing Favorites with New Teachers
New teachers are being favored over veteran teachers throughout DC schools says the Washington Teachers Union Local 6 (WTU) in Friday’s Examiner. WTU is focusing particularly on favoritism of new teachers at Frank W. Ballou Senior High School but the union sees this as a growing problem...
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Sep 24, 2007Holt-Baker Elected New AFL-CIO Exec VP
The AFL-CIO Executive Board Friday elected long-time union and grassroots organizer Arlene Holt-Baker as the new Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO. Holt-Baker is the first African-American to hold one of the top three positions in the AFL-CIO. Holt-Baker fills the unexpired term of Linda...
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Sep 24, 20072 Free Filmfest Screenings
Films about longshoremen and loggers highlight this week's free noontime DC Labor FilmFest screenings. The dramatic 2002 showdown between longshoremen, shippers and the Bush Administration is depicted in Eye of the Storm, which screens Thursday, while a brand-new film about the loggers of...
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Sep 24, 2007Labor Day Only Beginning for Area Congregations
September was the month for labor for dozens of congregations throughout the Metro DC region, reports DC Jobs with Justice Organizer MacKenzie Baris. “Altogether, 55 congregations participated in this year’s Labor on the Bimah and Labor in the Pulpits program,” says Baris. “This year’s...
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Sep 21, 2007Workers Aren't Bosses
This just in: workers aren't bosses, after all. At least that's what the House Education and Labor Committee said yesterday, when it voted to overturn the National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) "workers are supervisors" decisions. The NLRB, in what are called the Kentucky River decisions, named...
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Sep 21, 2007Workers Hail DC Hospital Sale
Healthcare workers hailed this week's agreement between Specialty Hospitals of America and the District of Columbia to sell and revitalize Greater Southeast Community Hospital (GSCH). "We are pleased that our workers, the community and the patients of Greater Southeast can look forward to...
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Sep 21, 2007Chavez-Thompson Tends Her Roots
After she retires today, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson says she plans to do something she has not been able to do for a very long time -- grow a garden. Chavez-Thompson informed AFL-CIO President John Sweeney Sept. 10 that she planned to retire effective Sept. 21 and...
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Sep 21, 2007Labor on the Air Today (9/21/07)
Gloria Minott discusses the recent payday lending victory and the defeat of the DC Voting Rights Act in the US Senate with Metro Council President Jos Williams at 9:35A on WPFW radio's "Metro Watch" show. Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's health care plan and the upcoming AFGE Hispanic...
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Sep 21, 2007Driving for Help
Golfers can drive, chip and putt while helping raise much-needed funds for the Community Services Agency's (CSA) Emergency Assistance Fund. Proceeds from the October 1 CSA Golf Tournament benefit the Fund, which is out of money. "This year's event is critical to maintaining the important...
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Sep 21, 2007Labor Filmfest Updates
The 9/26 screening of Morristown is being rescheduled; stay tuned for updates. Meanwhile, GW's Progressive Student Union will host a screening of a title to be announced on Tuesday, October 9. Volunteer slots are still available! Help staff the FilmFest and get a free pair of tickets! Email...
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Sep 20, 2007Transit Workers Battle Assaults
With assaults on transit workers increasing dramatically in recent years, ATU Local 689 members are demanding stiffer penalties for such crimes. The local is backing the “Transit Operator Protection Act” and seeking to extend the DC City Council bill to Metro station managers. “Crimes such...
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Sep 20, 2007Dirty Tricks Come Up Short
Stealing a page from anti-union campaigns, DC's payday lenders pulled out their bag of dirty tricks Tuesday, siccing the cops on former employees who blew the whistle on their exorbitant practices. After Check 'n Go issued a press release yesterday falsely accusing whistleblower Michael Donovan...
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Sep 20, 2007Labor on the Move (9/20/07)
DC Employment Justice Center (EJC) Executive Director JUDI CONTI is joining the staff of the National Employment Law Project (NELP). Conti, who co-founded the DC EJC seven years ago with Kerry O'Brien, will help open the DC office of NELP, which does much the same type of work as the DC...
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Sep 19, 2007DC Voting Rights Killed, Payday Loans Capped
Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Senate killed DC voting rights Tuesday, while DC City Councilmembers overwhelmingly approved caps on predatory payday loans. In what Metro Council President Jos Williams called "an appalling act of political dishonesty and moral bankruptcy," the DC Voting Rights...
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Sep 19, 2007Pride at Work Explores Immigration Issues
Pride At Work members will get reacquainted and revitalized at tonight's meeting, which features a screening of the film "Dangerous Living - Coming Out in the Developing World." The one-hour film examines the struggles and triumphs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the...
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Sep 19, 2007Council Delegates OK Teamster, CWA Campaigns
The Fall labor season kicked off with a flurry of reports and actions at Monday night's Delegate's Meeting. Tommy Ratliff of Teamsters Local 639 reported on his local's campaign against union-busting by Waste Management (WM), and the delegates approved supporting this campaign by asking area...
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Sep 19, 2007Filmfest Adds Screenings
A free screening of “Eye Of The Storm” and a second screening of “Morristown” have just been added to the Labor FilmFest, which has already offered four free screenings this month, including Monday’s “The Great Pretenders” with director Jeremy Cohen (right in photo below)...
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Sep 18, 2007Women at Work
Women workers' role in the labor movement and immigration debate is the focus of three events today and tomorrow organized by STITCH - an organization of women united for worker justice in the Americas. A panel discussion on the need to include Latina women in the labor movement and immigrant...
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Sep 18, 2007Laboring Folk
There were a number of labor singers at the Takoma Park Folk Festival this year, held yesterday. Pam Parker, Joe Uehlein and the U-Liners, and Emma's Revolution all had hour-long sets and from 12 to 2P there was a special tribute to Labor's Troubadour Joe Glazer, which included the DC Labor...
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Sep 18, 2007AFSCME Council 26 Launches Website
"Congress approves student loan forgiveness for public servants" and "Congress Looks Ready To Approve 3.5% Raise" are just two of the news items on AFSCME Council 26's brand-new website . Calling it "a work in progress," Council 26 Executive Director Carl Goldman tells UNION CITY he expects to...
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Sep 18, 2007Labor Filmfest Online
A number of UNION CITY readers have written to ask for more details about the films in the DC Labor FilmFest. The complete calendar of FilmFest screenings is now available online, as are detailed descriptions which include what the film’s about and who directed it. Tickets to the...
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Sep 17, 2007DC Says No to Loansharks
"Lenders have finally got religion, but I think the church doors are closed," declared Metro Council President Jos Williams after the community Town Meetings last week on curtailing payday lender rates. At the Town Meetings, hosted by the Washington Informer and Washington Afro-American,...
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Sep 17, 2007Filmfest Starts Week with a Laugh
Join director Jeremy Cohen at today's free noontime Labor FilmFest screening exploring the dubious joys of the outplacement office, where everyone just looks like they're working. In Cohen's darkly comic short film "The Great Pretenders," laid-off manager Scott Matter (Kelly Miller) desperately...
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Sep 17, 2007Metro Council Meets Tonight
The first Metro Council Delegate meeting of the season is jampacked with local labor updates, including the latest on the CWA Verizon campaign and the Teamsters fight to unionize the waste-hauling industry. Plus, the CSA golf tournament and pick up DC Labor Filmfest stickers and discount passes!...
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Sep 17, 2007CSA Golf Tourney Spots Filling Up Fast
Only a few spaces remain for the 2007 Community Services Agency (CSA) Golf Tournament , reports CSA Executive Director Kathleen McKirchy. “We still have a few spots for foursomes and sponsorships,” say McKirchy. “But you better hurry!” All proceeds benefit the CSA’s Emergency...
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Sep 17, 2007Labor Updates (9/17/07)
NLRB Union Protest Cancels Anniversary Event : An event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the NLRB was cancelled last week. NLRB workers – members of the NLRB union – announced they would picket outside the event, reported James Parks on the AFL-CIO Blog. The picket was in response...
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Sep 14, 2007Predatory Loan Vote Set for Tuesday
Loansharks are "swarming all over" DC City Council on the eve of Tuesday's vote to cap rates by payday lenders in the District, says Councilmember Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), one of the sponsors of legislation that will limit the annual percentage rate charged for such loans. While the D.C....
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Sep 14, 2007Sunday in Morristown
The 2007 DC Labor Filmfest continues its free screenings this Sunday with "Morristown: In the Air and Sun" hosted by SEIU. Anne Lewis' Morristown tackles the issues of immigration, capital flight, and the organized demand for economic justice from a working class perspective. Lewis shot the film...
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Sep 14, 2007Council Meetings Resume After Summer Break
Updates on local campaigns, including the CWA campaign against Verizon and the Teamsters fight to unionize the waste-hauling industry, the latest on the CSA golf tournament, and more will be on the agenda at the first Labor Council Delegate Meeting of the fall on Monday at 6:30P. PLUS! Get...
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Sep 14, 2007Joe Glazer Tribute at TP Folkfest
Catch the DC Labor Chorus, Joe Uehlein, Laurel Blaydes, Emma's Rebellion and more Sunday at the September 16 Joe Glazer Tribute at the Takoma Park Folk Fest. Songs include "Too Old To Work," "Corporate Stomp," "The Horse With the Union Label" and of course Glazer's classic "The Mill Was Made of...
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Sep 14, 2007Filmfest Volunteers Wanted
Volunteer at the upcoming DC Labor FilmFest and get free FilmFest tickets and a t-shirt (not available for sale)! A limited number of volunteer slots are available for the October 7-14 FilmFest; email FilmFest Volunteer Coordinator Andy Richards at arichard@dclaborarchives.org for details.
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Sep 13, 2007Union Women Urge Cancer Awareness this Month
A new campaign, "Know the Facts About Cervical Cancer Prevention," has been launched in conjunction with Gynecological Cancer Awareness Month this September, reports the Coalition of Labor Union Women. "No women should suffer or die from cervical cancer, since this disease is preventable," notes...
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Sep 13, 2007Labor Updates (9/13/07)
Library of Congress management is up to its unionbusting tactics again. Now the target is the confidentiality and privacy rights of employees seeking assistance from their union, reports the Library of Congress Professional Guild, AFSCME Local 2910, which represents the workers. After a major...
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Sep 13, 2007AFGE 12 Celebrates 75th Anniversary
"Three cheers for Local 12, happy anniversary!" exclaimed a beaming Senator Barbara Mikulski (D, MD) as she greeted the cheering crowd in the Department of Labor's Great Hall Wednesday. Mikulski was the featured speaker at AFGE Local 12's luncheon celebrating its 75th anniversary. Recognized by...
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Sep 12, 2007State of Working Maryland in Decline
Recently the US Census Bureau announced Maryland has the highest median income in the US. But this may come as a surprise to hundreds of thousands of Maryland workers whose wages have remained stagnant, according to a recently released report by Progressive Maryland. The report – “State of...
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Sep 12, 2007Linda Chavez-Thompson Steps Down as AFL-CIO Exec VP
Long-time union leader and activist Linda Chavez-Thompson will step down as AFL-CIO Executive Vice President next Friday for personal and family reasons. AFL-CIO President John Sweeney made the announcement at yesterday’s Executive Council meeting. “Since coming to DC, Linda Chavez-Thompson...
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Sep 12, 2007Union Leaders Scholarship Deadline Next Friday
Union Plus has launched a new scholarship to help increase the number of women and people of color in union leadership positions. The “Union Leaders of the Future Scholarship” offers annual awards to recipients of $500-$3,000 to use towards educational and training costs for leadership and...
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Sep 12, 2007$2 Nats Tix
Check out the last Nationals games at RFK stadium for as little as $2! Click here and choose tickets for any of the three games between September 21st and September 23rd and type “ Brian ” in the “ Enter Discount Code Here ” box.
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Sep 11, 2007Payday Loans Topic of Two Town Hall Meetings This Week
As the DC City Council gets set to vote next week on reeling in payday loan sharks, two town hall meetings this week will focus on the debate over payday lending in the DC. The Washington Informer will host a meeting on Wednesday night and the Afro-American Newspaper will hold a forum on...
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Sep 11, 2007DC Hotel Workers Ratify Contract
An overwhelming majority of hotel workers voted to ratify a new three-year master hotel contract Friday, reports the workers’ union UNITE HERE Local 25. The contract includes a $1.70 wage increases over two years, continued employer-paid healthcare coverage, progress on key demands, such as...
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Sep 11, 2007Baltimore Stadium Workers Win Living Wage
Camden Yard workers have hit a grand slam. After weeks of negotiations with the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) and a threatened hunger strike, workers received confirmation Thursday that the MSA would increase workers' wages to $11.30 an hour - the new state living wage - reports James Parks...
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Sep 11, 2007Spots Still Open for 2007 CSA Golf Tourney
The Community Services Agency (CSA) is looking for a few good golfers to ‘tee-off’ at this year’s Annual Golf Tournament fundraiser on October 1, reports Kathleen McKirchy. “There are still spots open to join national and local labor leaders and friends of labor for this fun event,”...
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Sep 10, 2007Screeners Win in Free Speech Ruling
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screeners won a big victory last Wednesday when a San Francisco appeals court ruled in their favor. The court ruled unanimously that a TSA screener who was fired in 2004 after receiving a warning about his union activities can sue TSA for violation of...
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Sep 10, 2007Another Brick in the Wal-Mart
"A presentation of business ethics and international development became a confrontation over Wal-Mart's business practices when students protested a lecture by a Wal-Mart executive on Wednesday," reports Louisa Aviles in The Georgetown Voice. "Rajan Kamalanathan, the Vice President for Ethical...
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Sep 10, 2007Whistle While You Lunch
The DC Labor FilmFest sneak previews continue today with a free lunchtime screening of Whistle While You Work beginning at 12 noon at the AFL-CIO. Ryan Claypool directs this brief (20-minute) critique of capitalism that highlights the problems that it has created within the working class....
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Sep 10, 2007Fall Labor Political Season Kicks Off
The DC COPE and Prince George's County COPE kick-off the fall labor political season this week. Tuesday's DC COPE meeting will review current legislation before the DC City Council, including the upcoming votes on the Paid Sick Days and Payday Loans bills, as well as the Retail Standards...
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Sep 10, 2007With the Banana Workers
"It takes several hot and bumpy hours to drive to the town of Morales more than 128 miles from Guatemala City," writes Denise Riley, Political Director of the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO. "It is the home of the banana workers" union, Sindicato de Trabajadores Bananeros...
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Sep 10, 2007Be a Friend of the Labor Filmfest!
Let folks know you support labor culture with an ad in the popular DC Labor FilmFest Program Guide! Distributed to all FilmFest attendees and featuring an essay by populist Jim Hightower, rates start at $100 for a Friend of the FilmFest listing, $250 for a quarter-page, $500 half-page and $1,000...
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Sep 7, 2007Hotel Workers Reach Tentative Agreement
DC hotel workers have reached a tentative 3-year agreement, sources tell UNION CITY. The workers won significant pay and benefit increases -- including a 70-cent wage increase for the first year, a $1 increase over the following two years and continued employer-paid healthcare -- as well as...
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Sep 7, 2007"No Sweat" with Your Lunch Today!
The 2007 DC Labor Filmfest unofficially kicks off TODAY with a free noontime screening of "No Sweat" at the AFL-CIO. Grab your lunch and join us for this hour-long documentary following American Apparel and Sweat X and their workers for one year as they grapple with trying to maintain...
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Sep 6, 2007AFL-CIO Launches Healthcare Drive
The AFL-CIO launched a nationwide drive for healthcare on Labor Day, pledging "to put the full force of its 10 million members and nearly 3 million union retirees behind winning secure, high-quality health care for all by 2009." A new website provides the latest health care news, videos...
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Sep 6, 2007"No Sweat" Screens Friday
The 2007 DC Labor Filmfest unofficially begins this Friday with a free noontime screening of "No Sweat" at the AFL-CIO. The hour-long documentary follows American Apparel and Sweat X and their workers for one year as they grapple with trying to maintain "sweat-free" practices in the...
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Sep 6, 2007Credit Mistakes & Managing Debt
Did you know that collection or charge-off accounts can be reported for 7 years from the date you first fell behind? Find out more about common mistakes with credit on the Union Plus "How To Manage Your Debt" page which reports that American households are carrying an average of more than...
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Sep 5, 2007Wal-Mart 'Ethics VP' Protested at G'Town Today
Georgetown students and faculty will rally this afternoon against a visit by Wal-Mart's Vice-President of Ethical Standards. "We won't be distracted by smooth talk and empty promises about 'ethical standards,'" says the Georgetown Solidarity Committee (GSC) - which organized the rally. This...
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Sep 5, 2007Balto Hunger Strike Delayed
Preaching the importance of respect, dignity and justice for low-wage workers at a Labor Day prayer service and rally, the men and women who clean Camden Yards called off a planned hunger strike yesterday to give the Maryland Stadium Authority a few more days to sign a binding "living wage"...
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Sep 5, 2007Nannies on a Quest for Rights
They'll change the diapers, wash the clothes and cook the dinner. But nannies want a little respect. They don't need "Nanny Diaries" luxuries. But a contract would do. So would minimum wage, paid vacation, sick leave and overtime pay. And notice before firing. That's the message a group of...
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Sep 5, 2007Court Blocks Flawed Immigration Rule
A federal judge issued an order last Friday temporarily blocking the government from implementing a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule that would cause U.S. citizens and other authorized workers to lose their jobs, and which would illegally use error-prone social security records as a...
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Sep 4, 2007Free Screening Friday Kicks-Off 2007 DC Labor Filmfest
The 2007 DC Labor Filmfest unofficially begins this Friday with a free noontime screening of "No Sweat" at the AFL-CIO. The hour-long documentary follows American Apparel and Sweat X and their workers for one year as they grapple with trying to maintain "sweat-free" practices in the cutthroat...
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Sep 4, 2007Hotel Workers Chart Own Future
Drama. Thrills. Laughs. Suspense. The best show in town is free to anyone with a union card. A UNITE HERE 25 union card. Hundreds of UNITE HERE Local 25 members turned out last week at the latest round of contract negotiations with local hotels. The current contracts - which cover over...
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Sep 4, 2007Smithfield Workers Take Battle to Streets of Williamsburg
The quaint, quiet streets of historic Williamsburg, VA reverberated with noisy chants of "Hey, hey, ho, ho, unionbusting has got to go!" on Wednesday as hundreds of workers, clergy, and activists - including a busload from the Metro DC area - protested Smithfield's unionbusting tactics outside...
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Sep 4, 2007Labor Updates (9/4/07)
Prince George’s County officials and representatives of Dimensions – operator of the Prince George’s Hospital System – both asked last week for the postponement of hearings on a $2 million payment to Dimensions, reports Daniel Fowler of The Examiner . Hearings were scheduled to begin...
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Aug 29, 2007Deal Keeps Greater Southeast Hospital Open, For Now
Workers at Greater Southeast Hospital - which avoided shutdown last week - are not quite ready to break out the Champagne. The potential closure of Greater Southeast was averted last week when the Specialty Hospitals of America agreed to a tentative purchase of the facility, reported Susan...
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Aug 29, 2007Dozens Participate in Labor in the Pulpits, Labor on the Bimah Programs
More than 50 churches and synagogues across the DC Metro area will be holding special programs and services this weekend and later in September as part of the Labor in the Pulpits and Labor on the Bimah programs. Congregations will honor labor and raise awareness about workers' struggles by...
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Aug 27, 2007Get on the Bus for DC Voting Rights
Activists will be “getting on the bus” in mid-September to support DC voting rights. The three-day DC Freedom Ride will move from DC to Kentucky with stops in West Virginia and Virginia to pressure Senators to support the DC Voting Rights Act. “We expect to leave Washington with 100...
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Aug 27, 2007Activists Rally Against Rite Aid Unionbusting
More than 100 Baltimore-area activists rallied Tuesday to demand that Rite Aid stop its unionbusting tactics at newly-acquired stores. The action at a Rite Aid industry event in Baltimore was the second time in a week that the company was targeted at a industry function for cutting workers’...
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Aug 27, 2007Major Rally for Smithfield Workers Wednesday
Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Danny Glover and Susan Sarandon will add their voice to hundreds at a demonstration this Wednesday in Williamsburg, VA to support Smithfield workers fighting for the right to organize. Despite 12 years of employer opposition – including assaults, intimidation,...
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Aug 27, 2007CSA Raises Over $400 For New Orleans Teachers
The Community Services Agency (CSA) raised over $400 in office supply gift cards from Metro DC union members to help New Orleans teachers purchase school supplies for their students, reports CSA Executive Director Kathleen McKirchy. The CSA donation drive was part of a larger national drive...
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Aug 22, 2007NLRB Employees Picket NLRB
Union members held a rally last Wednesday outside the National Labor Relations Board's Washington headquarters to protest the refusal of Ronald Meisburg, the board's general counsel, to negotiate with a consolidated bargaining unit, reported Anika Gupta on the GovernmentExecutive.com website....
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Aug 22, 2007Labor Updates (8/22/07)
'CAN WE BUST A UNION': ABC'S NEW REALITY SHOW? More than 150 ABC employees, members of NABET-CWA and Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE), rallied outside ABC headquarters in New York City last week to call attention to their need for new contracts and protest the recent loss of 17 union...
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Aug 22, 2007All Welcome at NoVa Labor Day Picnic
"Come join your union brothers and sisters for an old-fashioned Labor Day picnic!" urges NoVa CLC President Dan Duncan. The Northern Virginia Central Labor Council's Annual Labor Day Picnic on Monday, September 3 features plenty to eat and drink, a large covered pavilion, softball,...
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Aug 22, 2007Working America's "Bad Boss" Winners Announced
A cancer victim cheated out of paid leave and a worker forced to stay - and work - in a burning building are this year’s winners in the 2nd annual “My Bad Boss” contest , sponsored by the AFL-CIO’s Working America. “Of the hundreds of stories we received, virtually all left you...
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Aug 20, 2007Customers Hang Up on Verizon Union-Busting
Nearly a hundred wireless customers posed with union cell phone mascots Cingy and Flippy at lunchtime on Friday, pledging to "hang up" on Verizon Wireless for their union-busting practices. Chinatown pedestrians -- many of them Verizon customers -- initially wanted to know "why they should hang...
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Aug 20, 2007Ban on Iraqi Unions Protested
Under overcast skies Thursday afternoon, dozens of activists chanted "Iraqi unions under attack; what do we do, stand up, fight back!" and "Hands off Iraqi oil" outside the Iraqi Embassy in northwest Washington. The rally was a response to a ban on unions by the Iraqi Oil Minister, who...
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Aug 20, 2007MD Childcare Providers Win Breakthrough
Almost 6,000 family childcare providers in Maryland won a major breakthrough this month when Gov. Martin O'Malley signed an executive order that will give providers the chance to vote to join the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Kids First. "With a united voice for all Maryland...
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Aug 20, 2007Latest Loach Film to Premiere in Labor Filmfest
Ken Loach's latest film, "It's a Free World…" will get its U.S. premiere at the DC Labor FilmFest, report FilmFest organizers. "We're tremendously thrilled," said FilmFest Director Chris Garlock, "This is the proverbial icing on the cake and tops a terrific FilmFest line-up that includes a...
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Aug 20, 2007Filmfest Extends Ad Book Deadline
To accommodate the increased demand for participation in this year's DC Labor FilmFest popular Program Guide, organizers have extended the deadline for ads to Friday, August 31. All Program Guide sponsors receive FilmFest tickets and - depending on sponsorship level - also receive invitations to...
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Aug 20, 2007Labor Updates (8/20/07)
Nothing says Labor Day like a " Kicking Ass for the Working Class " T-shirt! Bright red letters on a 100 percent cotton, black, short-sleeve T-shirt available now from the Union Shop Online (or pick one up at the Union Shop at the AFL-CIO). Or show that you're ready for the 2008...
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Aug 20, 2007Labor on the Move (8/20/07)
MALCOLM AMADO UNO is the new Deputy Director at the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA). Uno will develop and manage APALA's organizing and political programs and participate in executive level management of the organization. Uno previously worked as the National Organizing...
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Aug 15, 2007Lessons From Across the Border
By Jack Mahoney "When we are together we are stronger, because alone we are easier to exploit." Not what you'd expect to hear from a 16-year-old middle-schooler. We were sitting in the grass beneath the green mountains of southern Mexico discussing the worker-run cooperatives that sustain...
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Aug 15, 2007Labor Updates (8/15/07)
"I am glad that my community will no longer suffer a disadvantage against Arlington and Alexandria in the competition to attract and retain quality public workers," says Clayton Sinyai, Political Director of Laborers' Local 11 and Chairman of the Campaign for a Living Wage, congratulating the...
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Aug 13, 2007AFL-CIO Holds Off On '08 Endorsement
Following its Presidential Forum attended by 17,500 union members, the AFL-CIO Executive Council Wednesday chose to hold off making an endorsement of a single candidate for President. The 47-member top leadership body left the door open for an endorsement at a later date, leaving each of the...
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Aug 13, 2007Turning Up the Heat On Wal-Mart
More than two dozen labor activists leafleted the Germantown Wal-Mart in the midday heat Thursday, as part of a national "Send Wal-Mart Back to School" protest this week. The activists – most from UFCW locals 400 and 1994, along with several from Progressive Maryland – distributed hundreds...
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Aug 13, 2007Washington Gas' $20 Million Dollar Secret
What kind of papers are worth a cool $20 million? Washington Gas’ contract with Accenture, apparently. The utility’s $20.5 million rate increase was put on ice this week when Washington Gas refused to provide the outsourcing contract demanded by DC’s Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC)...
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Aug 8, 2007Wal-Mart Doesn't Make the Grade
School is a month away but Wal-Mart has already received a failing report card. Local community leaders, activists, teachers and students will hold a "Send Wal-Mart Back to School" protest on Thursday at the Germantown Wal-Mart. The local protest is one of dozens of events over the next two...
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Aug 8, 2007Labor Updates (8/8/07)
Two out of three Iraqis want the government to maintain control of Iraq’s vast oil reserves, reports John Hilary in an editorial Tuesday on the Guardian Unlimited blog website . In related news, the Iraqi oil minister recently banned “trade unions from participating in any discussion...
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Aug 6, 2007Labor Breaks Ground for Historic High School Revitalization
Breaking ground with golden shovels at the Hilltop Campus in Northeast DC last Tuesday, labor leaders and city and school officials celebrated the rebirth of the Phelps High School Architecture, Construction and Engineering Academy (PACE). The event marked the start of a $48 million project to...
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Aug 6, 2007Tenant Support Builds for Security Officers
Thursday afternoon, the Economic Policy Institute hosted a brown-bag lunch on working conditions for service workers in their large H Street office building. More than a dozen tenants from throughout the building sat down with downtown security officers, SEIU local 32BJ organizers and DC Jobs...
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Aug 6, 2007AFL-CIO Pres Forum Moderator Olbermann Discusses Labor and Politics
Keith Olbermann (r) – host of MSNBC’s “Countdown” and the moderator for next Tuesday’s AFL-CIO Presidential Forum – says he is not surprised by the overwhelming response to Tuesday’s forum, in an interview with Mike Hall of the AFL-CIO Now Blog . “An informed audience like...
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Aug 6, 2007Wal-Mart's Failing Grades Exposed Thursday
Workers, students, teachers and activists will be outside the Germantown Wal-Mart Thursday to inform back to school shoppers about Wal-Mart’s failing grades on treatment toward workers, children, and taxpayers. The action is part of a larger national “Send Wal-Mart Back to School” campaign...
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Aug 6, 2007Got a Bad Boss Story?
Send it in to the Working America’s “My Bad Boss Contest” and you could win a free weeklong vacation. Hundreds of bad boss stories have already been submitted to the second annual contest, including semi-finalists stories about a waitress whose boss hired her stalker and a woman whose boss...
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Aug 6, 2007Labor Updates (8/6/07)
DC hotel workers – members of UNITE HERE Local 25 – and employers began contract negotiations last Thursday , reported Gillian Gaynair Wednesday in the Washington Business Journal . Major contract issues are healthcare, retirement benefits, living wages, and establishing rules for...
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Aug 1, 2007Electricians Light Up Medical Shelter
Volunteer electricians – members of IBEW 26 -- replaced shower and bathroom fans and lights, put in new fluorescent light fixtures and ballasts and installed several exit signs and exterior lights last Saturday at Christ House, a homeless medical shelter in Adams Morgan. "This has been...
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Aug 1, 2007House Passes Fair Pay Bill
The House passed a measure Tuesday that would overturn a recent Supreme Court decision to revoke the rights of workers to sue over pay discrimination, reports Mike Hall of the AFL-CIO Now Blog . “Working people in America are one step closer to having their civil rights restored, thanks...
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Aug 1, 2007Union Membership a Sign of Terrorism?
Your union membership will be the newest information stored in a terrorist database, reports Mike Hall of the AFL-CIO Now Blog . Starting in August, airlines with flights from Europe to the US must turn over personal information of passengers to the Department of Homeland Security, including...
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Aug 1, 2007Presidential Candidates Take on Worker Issues
Democratic presidential candidates will gather in Chicago Tuesday night to answer questions relevant to working families at the AFL-CIO Presidential Candidate Forum. The event – being held at Stadium Field – will air on MSNBC from 7-8:30P and will be hosted by Keith Olbermann. Candidates...
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Aug 1, 2007Labor Updates (8/1/07)
The most recent developments in the Washington Gas outsourcing situation is the topic of Sunday night’s “Radio Inside Scoop.” Host Mark Levine, OPEIU Local 2 President Dan Dyer and others will discuss the fight to keep the company from outsourcing 300 jobs in the Metro DC area. As of...
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Jul 30, 2007DC PSC May Shut Off Washington Gas Rate Increase Request
In a rare move last Monday, the DC Public Service Commission (PSC) gave Washington Gas (WG) a day to provide evidence showing why the Commission should not dismiss the company’s case for a rate increase. Hearings were scheduled throughout last week but the PSC recessed them on Monday after the...
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Jul 30, 2007Frederick County Workers Say ‘Yes’ to Union
Over 100 correctional officers at the Frederick County Sheriffs Department won a card check victory conducted last Monday, reports their union, UFCW Local 1994. The win comes on the heels of a bill passed in April, by the Maryland State Legislature that granted the correctional officers...
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Jul 30, 2007New Women in the Trades Group Gets ‘Into the Mix’
Taronda “Joy” Graham is a DC resident working hard to turn her life around and support her mother. She and 14 other women have found a new start with the Washington Area Women in the Trades Program , (WAWIT). The 15 women recently finished a two week apprenticeship training with Operative...
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Jul 30, 2007DC JWJ Gets Wired
DC Jobs with Justice (JwJ) is the newest group to be added to our e xpanding list of local labor websites ! Now the latest DC JwJ news and events, including info on the Workers’ Rights Board and the Greater Washington Interfaith Worker Justice Committee, Building Benefits, and Student Labor...
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Jul 30, 2007A New Day for Liberian Firestone Workers
Fresh off the Stop Firestone Call-In Day, representatives of the AFL-CIO Solidarity Center and United Steel Workers (USW) will participate in a brown bag lunch discussion Tuesday on the recent union election victory at the Firestone Liberian rubber plantation. The July election marks the first...
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Jul 25, 2007LOC Workers Beat Unionbusting Efforts
Library of Congress (LOC) workers won a major victory last week when a federal abitrator rejected a grievance filed by management against union officials of the LC Professional Guild, AFSCME Local 2910. In his decision, Arbitrator James M. Harkless found union officials properly reported their...
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Jul 25, 2007Hundreds Celebrate Wage Increase and "New Direction for America"
A crowd of hundreds flocked to the Upper Senate Park Tuesday to celebrate the minimum wage increase and a "new direction for America." The federal minimum wage -- previously at $5.15 -- was raised to $5.85 Tuesday and will be raised to $7.25 in two stages over the next two years. The increase is...
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Jul 25, 2007PG Hospitals & Healthcare Forum Wednesday
Workers and communitymembers will come together TONIGHT to discuss supporting healthcare and the Prince George's County hospital system. "The system is sinking deeper into debt and is in danger of closing," says 1199/SEIU United Healthcare Workers East Political Coordinator Samuel Epps. "This...
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Jul 25, 2007Labor Updates (7/25/07)
The Montgomery County Council Health and Human Services Committee held its first hearing on the Worker Health and Safety Initiative on Monday, reports CWA member Jim Grossfeld. Grossfeld testified on behalf of the Metro Washington Council at the hearing. George Leventhal -- chair of the...
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Jul 25, 2007Labor Steps Up to the Plate
"A special thanks to Iron Workers Local 5 for their major support of this year's First Annual Labor Night with the Nats. In addition to the 1000 tickets they purchased, they also raised an additional $626 for the Community Services Agency at their recent raffle for the chance to throw out the...
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Jul 25, 2007MD Union Members Receive Labor Scholarships
Two Maryland union members were among five winners of this year's Union Plus National Labor College (NLC) Scholarship. Shannye Carroll, of AFSCME Local 2380, and AFGE Local 32 member Mazzie Simmons received the scholarships for the 2007 spring semester. "We are dedicated to the continued growth...
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Jul 25, 2007Stop Firestone Call-In Day Thursday
Hundreds of activistsaround the US will participate in a Stop Firestone National Call-In Day Thursday to ring in Liberia's 160th anniversary. "While Firestone rubber workers celebrate their nation's independence, they continue to fight for their own independence from Firestone's 80 years of...
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Jul 23, 2007Walter Reed Workers Get Union
Despite two cancelled elections and intense employer opposition , workers at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) voted last Wednesday to approve union representation. The 160 workers voted by a 2 to 1 margin for the union in the National Labor Relations Board monitored election, reports...
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Jul 23, 2007Labor Night With Nats a Homerun
Thousands of union members filled the upper levels of RFK Stadium Friday, on a perfect summer night, for the First Annual Labor Night with the Nats. With over 5,700 tickets sold, the first annual event -- sponsored by the Metro Council and the Northern Virginia Central Labor Council -- received...
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Jul 23, 2007Victory Rally for Minimum Wage Increase Tuesday
Hundreds of union members and advocates will join AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA), and other elected officials Tuesday afternoon to celebrate the first federal minimum wage increase in ten...
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Jul 23, 2007Call to Arms for MD Child Care Workers
Maryland childcare workers and SEIU are looking for volunteers to assist over the next two weeks in preparation for an upcoming union election. "For the past three years, Maryland childcare workers have been working to organize their union to improve the quality of childcare in Maryland and...
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Jul 23, 2007On the Phone and in the Streets for DC Voting Rights
Advocates for DC Voting Rights will be making calls and rallying this week to pressure the Senate to pass legislation that would give District residents their first-ever vote in the House of Representatives. On Tuesday, DC Vote will hold a National Call-In Day in the hopes of flooding Senate...
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Jul 18, 200721 Congregations to Celebrate Labor
Twenty-one churches and synagogues throughout the Metro DC area have already signed up to participate in the annual Labor in the Pulpits, Labor on the Bimah, and Labor on the Minbar programs. The annual programs celebrate worker justice during weekend Labor Day services. Participating...
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Jul 18, 2007DOL Workers Want Chao to Come Clean on Comments
Fresh from their victory over the attempted outsourcing of 250 Department of Labor jobs, DOL workers turned their attention today to cleaning up Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao’s recent comments about American workers. The workers – members of AFGE 12 – handed out bars of soap saying...
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Jul 18, 2007Labor Night With the Nats This Friday
Over 5,500 workers and their friends and family will fill the seats of RFK Stadium Friday night for the First Annual Labor Night with the Nats. The event is one of the largest Nationals group ticket sales program ever. “We are also asking people to bring a new unwrapped toy for the Nationals...
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Jul 16, 2007NoVA Janitors Strike
More than 30 janitors walked off the job Tuesday in Arlington, VA after being harassed for organizing a union. "Hardworking janitors in the Capital area are making their voices heard and standing up for the American Dream, just as DC janitors did in the late 1990s," said Jaime Contreras, SEIU...
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Jul 16, 2007Chao Urged to Clean Up Her Act
Workers at the Department of Labor (DOL) will have some good clean fun this week when they pass out bars of soap saying "Chao Thinks You Stink" and "Get Clean with Local 12". The workers, members of AFGE Local 12, are responding to DOL Secretary Elaine Chao's recent comments in Parade...
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Jul 16, 2007Post Says Unions "Best Thing Since Sliced Bread"
Sorry, that's a fake news headline, like those found in 'The Onion', an independent weekly newspaper that The Post publishes in Washington. Actually, the Post was accused last week of violating federal labor laws. The National Labor Relations Board's (NLRB) General Counsel filed a formal...
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Jul 16, 2007Labor Updates (7/16/07)
Looks like we may need a watchdog to keep an eye on the government's "watchdog," the Government Accountability Office (GAO). In what mirrors private-sector union-busting tactics-but paid for with our tax dollars-the GAO has hired private counsel to help the agency fight a unionizing drive by...
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Jul 11, 2007Noise Bill Gets Silent Treatment
In a spirited Noise Bill hearing Monday, the most effective testimony came from UNITE HERE Local 25 Executive Secretary Treasurer John Boardman, who simply left the microphone off, making it impossible for DC City Council members to hear what he was saying. Local labor leaders, residents, legal...
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Jul 11, 2007Labor Updates (7/11/07)
Iraqi Union Leaders Call for an End to the Occupation ; labor photojournalist David Bacon talks to Faleh Abood Umara, general secretary of the Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions, and Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein, president of the Electrical Workers Union of Iraq, in the July 6 American Prospect...
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Jul 11, 2007AFGE Blocks DOL Outsourcing
The Department of Labor (DOL) has canceled plans to outsource 258 administrative support jobs after well-organized opposition by AFGE Local 12, which represents employees in the DOL, and a strong lobbying effort by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). "We always knew that...
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Jul 11, 2007DC Homecare Workers Join Union
More than 200 DC homecare workers voted to join 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East on Tuesday, the first time such workers have organized in the District. "As homecare workers we are a positive force in the world," said Nursing Unlimited homecare worker Nicole Floyd. "We provide love and...
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Jul 11, 2007New Orleans: Still Hurting, Still Helping
Here's a chance to help rebuild the New Orleans school system shattered by the horrific Gulf Coast storms of ‘05. Many schools are closed and others struggling to re-open, while desperately poor and displaced families lack the resources to even purchase school supplies for their children. The...
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Jul 11, 2007Beat the Heat in a Cool Union Tee
With the dog days of summer here, it's time to beat the heat in union-made short-sleeved t-shirts from The Union Shop Online. Just $10 each, these T-shirts not only are affordable--they also let everyone know you support working families. Supplies are limited, and some sizes are already...
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Jul 9, 2007Speaking Out for Freedom of Speech
Is it really free speech if you can't hear it? "The ability to be heard goes hand in hand with the right to speak," Metro Washington Council President Jos Williams will testify today at the DC City Council hearing on the Noise Bill introduced by Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells. Calling it the...
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Jul 9, 2007Paid Sick Leave Overdue
The Paid Sick and Safe Days Act - introduced in DC City Council earlier this year - would give hundreds of thousands of DC workers a minimum of ten paid days per year. Workers who have been penalized for taking time off will testify at this afternoon's hearing. "This legislation would provide all...
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Jul 9, 2007Protection for Payday Loan Consumers
The DC Council Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs will vote TODAY on whether to institute stronger protections for District residents seeking short-term “payday” loans. The Payday Loans Consumer Protection Act of 2007 would set a ceiling on payday loan interest rates. “The...
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Jul 9, 2007Workers Celebrate 4th with VA Governor
More than 150 union members, their families, elected officials and candidates enjoyed a July 4 picnic at the Northern Virginia Central Labor Council’s (CLC) hall with Governor Tim Kaine. With just 4 days advance notice, the CLC’s officers and trustees organized the event and got the word out....
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Jul 5, 2007DC Council Takes Up Free Speech, Paid Sick Leave & Payday Loans
DC City Council has a full day Monday of hearings and votes on free speech, paid sick leave and "payday" loan protections. "The ability to be heard goes hand in hand with the right to speak," says Metro Washington Council President Jos Williams, who will testify Monday at the DC City Council...
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Jul 5, 2007Social Forum Looks to New U.S.
Under the slogan, "Another world is possible, another US is necessary" thousands of activists marched through Atlanta last week to open the first-ever United States Social Forum, stopping at rally points to connect national issues to local Atlanta campaigns around fair housing and a union...
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Jul 5, 2007Bottom of the 9th for Labor Baseball Tix
This Friday, July 6 is the absolute final deadline for tickets for the July 20 Labor Night with the Nationals! "It'll be a sea of union colors at RFK on the 20th," says Community Services Agency Executive Director Kathleen McKirchy, "with over 5,000 tickets sold so far." Proceeds from the...
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Jul 2, 2007Baltimore Nursing Home Workers Win Contract
Workers at the Catonsville Commons and Long Green Commons nursing homes approved a new contract on June 27. "We made a tremendous move, especially with the health insurance," said Cassandra Williams, a Certified Nursing Assistant at Catonsville Commons. "We pay out of our pockets and it was very...
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Jul 2, 2007Council Directory Updated
The 2007 Metro Council Directory of Affiliates - just released in May - has been updated in a brand-new PDF available online now . Entries have been updated for APRI, AFGE 12, AFSCME Locals 3925 and 3870, Progressive Maryland, and SEIU 500. New entries include AFSCME Locals 953, 1509, 2478,...
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Jun 29, 2007Justice Again Denied at Walter Reed
For the second time in two weeks, workers at The Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC) have been denied an opportunity to decide if they want to join a union. Late Wednesday afternoon, WRAMC Garrison Commander Col. Peter Garibaldi once again unilaterally cancelled a union vote scheduled...
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Jun 29, 2007Custodial Workers Keep PG Schools Clean & Safe
They’re the folks who keep Prince George’s County’s 230 public schools clean, safe and running smoothly. They clean and wax the floors, cut the grass, vacuum and shampoo the carpets, wash the windows, and clean chewing gum and graffiti off desks. SEIU Local 400’s 1,200 custodial workers...
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Jun 29, 2007Labor Updates (6/29/07)
Baltimore Sun workers approved a four-year contract on June 14. The contract was ratified by Guild members in a voice vote and includes signing bonuses, annual salary increases, retention of current pension, 401(k), and sick leave benefits, full protection of union rights, and the creation of a...
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Jun 29, 2007Can the Boss Do That?
Now you can find out with a click of your mouse. " Ask a Lawyer " is Working America's new free online service to help workers understand their rights and what the boss can - and can't -- do. Read answers from lawyers, browse topics and send in questions about your job, from "Can I get...
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Jun 29, 2007"Unworkable" Immigration Bill Fails
Saying that the failed Senate's draft immigration plan – voted down Thursday morning – was “in need of major reconstruction work from the get-go,” AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said Thursday afternoon that “Hard-working immigrant workers in this country deserve a real path to...
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Jun 28, 2007Katrina Workers Abused
Workers who headed to New Orleans in 2005 to help rebuild the Hurricane Katrina-devastated city were abused and exploited, according to a report by Interfaith Worker Justice and testimony from worker groups at a House hearing Tuesday. The IWJ report, Working on Faith: A Faithful Response to...
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Jun 28, 2007Diversity Dialogue Rolls Into Detroit
Close to 200 union leaders and activists met Saturday in Detroit for the AFL-CIO's third of four "Power in Diversity" dialogues, reports James Parks of the AFL-CIO Now Blog . Participants "looked at concrete ideas on how to increase diversity in the leadership of their unions" and determining...
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Jun 28, 2007Labor Updates (6/28/07)
International Rights Advocates (IRAdvocates) - a new organization to combat corporate worker and human rights abuses - holds a launch party Friday from 4-8P . IRAdvocates is currently representing the families of the three Colombian union leaders assassinated by paramilitaries hired by the...
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Jun 27, 2007Washington Gas Outsourcing Draws Second Protest
Despite the blazing sun and wilting humidity, two dozen activists picketed Washington Gas' Constitution Avenue headquarters at noon Tuesday to protest the utility's decision last week to lay off 300 employees, including 150 union call center workers. Singing "We are the union, the mighty mighty...
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Jun 27, 2007Security Workers Gear Up for First Contract Negotiations
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and DC City Councilmember Jim Graham joined security workers in the muggy early morning heat Tuesday to celebrate their recent union recognition win and to demand a fair contract for over 1,000 security workers in the District. "Nobody who believes in...
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Jun 27, 2007DC Sick Days Bill Hearing Set
"The Paid Sick and Safe Days Act would not only provide all DC workers with paid days off, but would enable survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking to use the days to address those issues," reports Karen Minatelli of the DC Employment Justice Center, which is lobbying...
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Jun 27, 2007Labor Updates (6/27/07)
REPUBLICANS BLOCK FREE CHOICE : A group of Republicans denied workers a free choice to join a union Tuesday, when the 51-48 Senate vote in favor of the Employee Free Choice Act fell nine short of the sixty votes needed to vote on the full bill. Both Maryland Senators Barbara Milkulski (D-MD)...
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Jun 26, 2007Ingleside Nursing Home Workers Take to Streets
Midday traffic on Military Road in northwest DC slowed to a crawl Monday as hundreds of labor activists demonstrated in front of the Ingleside nursing home. A purple-clad sea of SEIU healthcare activists – many of them fresh from last weekend’s Baltimore launch of a new healthcare worker...
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Jun 26, 2007Workers Rally Against Washington Gas Outsourcing
Dozens of workers rallied and handed out flyers to passing cars at noontime outside the Washington Gas Springfield, VA call center to protest the outsourcing of 300 jobs, including 150 call center workers who are members of OPEIU Local 2. Local 2 has planned three other noontime rallies...
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Jun 26, 2007Labor Updates (6/26/07)
Security workers rally to kick off their campaign for a first contract TODAY at 10A (moved up from 11A). Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, DC City Councilmembers Jim Graham and Kwame Brown, and SEIU 32BJ Vice-President Valarie Long will speak at the rally…Iraqi workers Hashmeya Muhsin...
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Jun 26, 2007DC Activists Head to US Social Forum
By bus, plane, van, and car, dozens of DC area activists are heading to Atlanta, GA today for the first-ever United States Social Forum . Building on the World Social Forums, which have brought together leaders from movements across the globe, thousands of workers, grassroots activists, and...
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Jun 25, 2007Stage Employees Settle at Strathmore & Ford's Theatre
Local stage employees scored a double-play earlier this month, settling contracts at both the Strathmore arts center in Bethesda and Ford's Theatre in the District, reports Chuck Clay, President of IATSE Local 22, which represents the workers. "The main issue at Strathmore was the need for...
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Jun 25, 2007Iraqi Workers Return to DC
Iraqi labor leader Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein returns to DC with Faleh Abood Umara -- General Secretary Southern Oil Company Union, Iraqi Federation of Oil Unions -- for a farewell public discussion Tuesday at 7P. This is Abood Umara's first visit to DC as part of US Labor Against the War’s...
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Jun 25, 2007Two Days, Four Rallies
Contracts and outsourcing are the main issues of four worker actions scheduled today and tomorrow. Today, hundreds rally with INGLESIDE HEALTHCARE WORKERS at 12P to demand a fair first contract. Workers have been fighting to get a contract since they voted in their union - SEIU 1199 -- over a...
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Jun 25, 2007Senate Immigration Bill Fails Workers, Families
Calling it "far from the kind of comprehensive immigration reform that would improve the situation of either U.S.-born or foreign-born workers or their families," the AFL-CIO has announced strong opposition to the Secure Borders, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Reform Act of 2007 (S.1348),...
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Jun 22, 2007Utility Board to Ask PSC to Act on Washington Gas Outsourcing
The DC Consumer Utility Board (CUB) wants the Public Service Commission (PSC) to prevent Washington Gas from outsourcing service center jobs "until the PSC has had a chance to review the public safety impact," CUB Chairman Herbert Harris tells UNION CITY. The CUB's formal request to the PSC will...
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Jun 22, 2007Walter Reed Cancels Union Election
Just hours before Walter Reed public works employees were scheduled to vote on union representation, top brass at the troubled Army Medical Center abruptly canceled the election and banned the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) from Center grounds. After protests by the union and the NLRB, the...
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Jun 22, 2007This Just In
In a welcome bit of good news, OPEIU Local 2 reported late Thursday afternoon that 60 workers at Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington have voted in the union overwhelmingly. Major factors in the pro-vote were patient quality of care issues, the need for adequate supplies and medication...
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Jun 22, 2007Activists Say No to Payday Exploitation
Chanting "we want the Council to know, payday lending had got to go!" community activists gathered outside the John A. Wilson Building Thursday to demand an end to payday lender exploitation. "Payday loan lenders deliberately target low-income communities," says Rick Powell, Metro Council...
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Jun 22, 2007Labor Music Celebrates ADA's 60th
Labor singer/songwriter Joe Jencks and the local roots-rock group, the U-Liners, take the stage tonight at 7:30P to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Americans for Democratic Action (ADA). "ADA fights for progressive values and has a great history of supporting labor issues," says...
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Jun 22, 2007500 to Rally For Nursing Home Workers
Over 500 workers and labor activists from around the country will mass at the Ingleside retirement home's Military Road entrance Monday afternoon (LINK). Ingleside workers voted in 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East as their union over a year ago, but management has dragged out contract...
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Jun 21, 2007Labor Graduates
Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) will address over 100 newly-minted graduates at the 9th Annual National Labor College (NLC) graduation commencement this Saturday at 10A. “We are enormously privileged to have Senator Harkin address our students,” says Susan Schurman, NLC President. Harkin – son...
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Jun 21, 2007Ingleside Workers to Rally
Healthcare workers at Ingleside at Rock Creek – a life care community in northwest Washington – will hold a major rally outside the Ingleside facility at 2P Monday to demand a contract. The workers – members of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East – voted in the union over a year ago...
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Jun 21, 2007Union Women Schooled
This year's Northeast Union Women Summer School will offer workshops ranging from "Basic Grievance Handling" to "Managing Stress in Challenging Times." Union women from across the Northeast will gather from July 8-13 at the National Labor College to learn and hone leadership skills, attend...
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Jun 20, 2007Turning Up the Heat for the Right to Organize
Despite sweltering heat – indexes topped 100 degrees – thousands of union activists and supporters gathered at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday afternoon to demand swift passage of the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). With AFL-CIO and Change To Win signs intermingling, the labor movement united...
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Jun 20, 2007Taking Back America at the Grassroots
Over 3,000 progressives have been attending this week's Take Back America conference in Washington, organized by the Campaign for America's Future. "I have been empowered to go back to my members and have courageous conversations about the movement and motivate members to be the voice for...
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Jun 20, 2007Thousands Rally for Fair Immigration Reform
Workers joined thousands of immigration activists and religious leaders for a prayer service, march and rally to the White House yesterday in support of humane immigration reform. Banners, flyers, pictures, live music, and chants filled the halls of Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal...
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Jun 20, 2007Diversity Dialogue Highlights Leadership's Role
In the latest in a series of frank discussions about ways to ensure that the leadership of the union movement is as diverse as its membership, nearly 200 union activists and leaders -- including a contingent from the Metro Washington Council -- met in Philadelphia Saturday, June 16, for the...
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Jun 19, 2007Thousands Rally Today for Free Choice
Dozens of Senators will join a huge crowd today at 2P at the US Capitol to support the Employee Free Choice Act. Debate on the bill – which would deal with worker harassment and firing for union activity, delays in the union election process and employer foot-dragging in negotiating a...
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Jun 19, 2007In Their Own Words: Workers' Stories
Debbie Fontaine operates forklifts and packs and moves boxes for shipping at the Rite Aid Distribution Center in Lancaster, CA…Greg Mendez is an office systems coordinator at New York’s Pace University… Bonny Wallace has been a nurse at Mercy Medical Center in Roseburg, OR for 20 years....
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Jun 19, 2007DC COPE Takes Up Action Agenda
The DC COPE held it's first meeting since the May DC City Council Special Elections last Thursday, adopting an action agenda through Fall 2007. One of the major issues discussed was developing a strategy to get the Council to move on the Large Retail Accountability Act of 2007 . The act "would...
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Jun 19, 2007Labor Day Faith Program Kicks Off
Each year more then 50 congregations from a variety of faiths honor workers with special services and programs over Labor Day weekend and throughout September. Nationally, hundreds of congregations in dozens of cities participate in similar programs. Interfaith Worker Justice of Greater...
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Jun 18, 2007You Have the Right to Protest…Quietly
Your free speech rights to protest in DC may be in jeopardy. The proposed Noise Law bill -- introduced by Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells and co-sponsored by Councilmembers Mary Cheh (Ward 3) and Kwame Brown (At-large) – currently being considered in the DC City Council “would ban the use...
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Jun 18, 2007Hard Labor: Laborer's 657 Builds a Bigger Union
Laborers Local 657 has dramatically increased their membership to 2,500 in just four years. But newly-elected Business Manager Anthony Frederick Sr. still isn't satisfied. "My goal is 5,000 members," says the 41-year-old leader -- who was first appointed in September 2005 -- "but our ultimate...
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Jun 18, 2007Workers, Religious Leaders Make Last Push for Employee Free Choice Act
With a Senate vote expected this week on the Employee Free Choice Act – legislation that would help restore workers' freedom to form unions and bargain for better lives – over 100 “religious leaders across the country have signed a letter urging the US Senate to pass” the act, reports...
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Jun 18, 2007Labor Updates (6/18/07)
Get new 2007 DC Labor Filmfest stickers and all the latest local labor news at TONIGHT’s Metro Council Delegate's meeting at 6:30P at the AFL-CIO…Burger King is refusing to negotiate with farm workers to improve wages and conditions, “even though it recently announced an initiative to...
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Jun 18, 2007Get Connected to Metro DC Unions
We have recently updated and expanded our list of links to websites of Metro Council affiliated locals. Updates on Metro DC’s wired unions are just a click away ! Keep up with local labor news online including stories like: NABET-CWA applauds Labor Board Ruling against CNN; Tell Tribune Do...
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Jun 18, 2007Nearly 500 "Make Some NOIse"
Despite the rain, nearly 500 DC progressives packed MCCXXIII on Tuesday for "Make Some NOIse!", a happy-hour event to benefit the year-old New Organizing Institute (NOI). "We raised several thousand dollars for the New Organizing Institute -- money that goes right into training progressives to...
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Jun 15, 2007DC Gov't Workers Say City Services Critically Understaffed
District government workers face critical staffing shortages and an increase in assaults and safety issues, say local leaders. AFGE Council 211 President Eric Bunn and AFGE 383 President Johnnie Walker will call on Mayor Adrian Fenty and the DC City Council to act quickly on AFGE's radio show...
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Jun 15, 2007Workers Hail Baltimore Inclusionary Housing Bill
Calling it "a great first step toward addressing Baltimore's affordable housing shortage," 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East and AFSCME Council 67 hailed the Baltimore City Council's passage of inclusionary housing legislation earlier this week. "It is outrageous that city workers are...
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Jun 14, 2007Baltimore Sun Workers Rally
More than 100 workers rallied outside the Baltimore Sun Tuesday afternoon in support of Sun worker contract demands. The Sun and the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild Local 32/CWA – the union representing Sun workers – have been negotiating since mid-May, after the expiration of the...
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Jun 14, 2007Searching for the New American Dream Starts Today
“ Searching for the New American Dream ” is the theme of the Labor and Employment Relations Association’s (LERA) 7th Bi-Annual National Policy Forum set to start TODAY at the Hotel Washington. The two-day national policy forum will examine how the old American dream has changed and explore...
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Jun 14, 2007Last Call for Labor Night with Nats Tickets
The deadline to order tickets for the July 20 Labor Night with the Nats is fast approaching, reports Community Services Executive Director Kathleen McKirchy. “We need to receive all ticket orders by June 30,” says McKirchy. Over 4,200 tickets have already been sold. Proceeds from the event...
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Jun 14, 2007Labor Updates (6/14/07)
Hold the Date: Thousands of workers and labor activists will join Senators and labor and community leaders for a rally next Tuesday, June 19 at 2P to support the Employee Free Choice Act . The act – expected to receive a Senate vote soon -- will “help restore workers' freedom to form unions...
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Jun 13, 2007DC Voting Rights Moves Forward
Supporters of DC Voting Rights will “pack the room” for the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee mark up of the DC Voting Rights Act at 10A TODAY, reports Ann Hoffman of DC Vote. The mark-up represents the last step in the legislative process before the act is sent to...
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Jun 13, 2007Black Labor Historians Revealed
Who were the major black labor historians and how did they come to produce groundbreaking work in economic and labor studies? In a free noontime talk today at the Library of Congress, nationally known historian Francille Rusan Wilson -- an associate professor in the African American Studies...
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Jun 12, 2007Demo Targets German Embassy in Deutsche Telekom Strike
With whistles blaring noisily, dozens of lunchtime activists marched and chanted outside the German Embassy in NW DC this afternoon to demonstrate solidarity with striking Deutsche Telekom workers who have been out since May 11. Deutsche Telekom -- parent of notorious union-buster T-Mobile -- is...
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Jun 12, 2007Labor Updates (6/12/07)
"The Bush administration has no love for unions anywhere, but in Iraq it has a special reason for hating them," reports labor journalist David Bacon in an editorial on Truth Out website . "They are the main opposition to the occupation's economic agenda, and the biggest obstacle to that...
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Jun 12, 2007Women at Work
The smiles said it all. Ten newly-minted tradeswomen graduated last Friday night, proudly making up the first class of the reinstated Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT) pre-apprenticeship training program. The low-income women -- many of whom are ex-offenders - all faced significant...
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Jun 11, 2007Happy Hour Benefits New Organizing Institute
More than 500 young progressive professionals will come together at Tuesday's happy hour benefiting the New Organizing Institute (NOI). "Expect an evening filled with great people, dancing, and the sounds and visuals of DC-based producers Reehee & Shred," promise organizers. The New...
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Jun 11, 2007ATU 689 Going Online
We're very pleased to welcome over 500 new UNION CITY readers today, members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, who work at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. Working with the Metro Council AFL-CIO, Local 689 has launched an ambitious effort to collect the email addresses...
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Jun 11, 2007Union Leaders of the Future Scholarship
Women and people of color can now get thousands of dollars for leadership training and education to help them in their union careers, thanks to the new Union Leaders of the Future Scholarship from the folks at Union Plus. Click here for full details on eligibility and to apply.
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Jun 8, 2007Organizing and Rockin'
He organizes workers and he sings, too! Catch the incomparable Baldemar Velasquez this Saturday night as he and Jesse Ponce celebrate the release of their second CD -- Justice Has No Boundaries -- this Saturday in Takoma Park. Velasquez, President of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC)...
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Jun 8, 2007Solidarity with German Telecom Workers
Walk the line Monday at noon to support striking Deutsche Telekom workers. The workers at Deutsche Telekom (parent of the notorious union-busting company T-MOBILE) have been on strike since May 11, fighting the company's attempts to outsource their work, cut their wages, and increase their...
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Jun 8, 2007Labor in the News
"The real problem is not government but the Minneapolis taxi industry's use of a particular regulation for its own private profit," wrote AFSCME Council 26 Executive Director - and former taxi driver - Carl Goldman in a June 5 response to Washington Post columnist George Will. "Business is...
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Jun 8, 2007Ken Loach to Kick Off 2007 DC Labor Filmfest
Famed director Ken Loach - whose films include Bread and Roses (LA janitors organize), Riff-Raff (English construction workers organize), and The Navigators (English rail workers fight privatization) - has just been confirmed for this year's DC Labor FilmFest Opening Night on Thursday,...
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Jun 7, 2007Federal Workers Rally Against DOL Ooutsourcing
"Whose house? Our house!" chanted more than 100 Federal workers and labor activists crowding the sidewalk in front of the Department of Labor (DOL) at Wednesday's noontime rally protesting the outsourcing of hundreds of DOL jobs. "For the last 30 years, the government has tried to get rid...
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Jun 7, 2007Forum on Korea-US Trade Agreement Monday
With the biggest trade agreement since NAFTA looming, labor and fair trade activists from the US and Korea will meet Monday, June 11, for a forum on the proposed US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS-FTA). "In both countries, serious concerns have been raised about the potential impact of the...
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Jun 7, 2007What's Hot at the National Labor College?
This summer, school is in at the National Labor College. Courses include Contract Negotiations in the Private Sector, Steward Training, Negotiating and Writing Contract Language and more. Learn about the role of the chief negotiator in the private sector, preparing initial proposals and...
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Jun 7, 2007Working and Living in Iraq
“We have to work so that life goes on,” Iraqi labor leader Hasmeya Muhsin Hussein told the standing-room-only crowd at Busboys & Poets Wednesday night. Under the watchful eyes of Langston Hughes, Mahatma Gandhi and Rev. Martin Luther King, the roomful of local activists listened eagerly...
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Jun 6, 2007Iraqi Worker, Activists Demand Hands Off Iraqi Oil
Dozens of activists joined Iraqi labor leader Hashmeya Muhsin Hussein for a rally and march Tuesday night to demand “hands off Iraqi oil” and to protest the proposed Iraqi oil law. The rally was the first public event of the National “Voices of Iraqi Workers Solidarity Tour.” The event...
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Jun 6, 2007Workers Protest Labor Dept Outsourcing
A noontime rally TODAY will protest the outsourcing of hundreds of union jobs at the Department of Labor. "Secretary Chao and her political staff think the government will save money by contracting out jobs," says AFGE Local 12, which represents the DOL workers. "Local 12 says we will save more...
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Jun 6, 2007Organizing and Rockin'
He organizes workers and he sings, too! Catch the incomparable Baldemar Velasquez this Saturday night as he and Jesse Ponce celebrate the release of their second CD this Saturday in Takoma Park. Velasquez is President of the Farm Labor Organizing Committee, AFL-CIO, (FLOC), which "is both...
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Jun 6, 2007Reeling in Loan Sharks
Religious and community activists will rally TOMORROW to protest exploitation of workers and the poor by payday lenders. "Payday lenders are legal loan sharks," say organizers, "doling out easy money at interest rates that drive already struggling people even deeper in debt." The Payday Loan...
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