 William J. Boarman, retired head of the Printing Sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), died on Sunday, August 22nd. He was 75. Boarman began his career as a proofreader at the GPO and eventually moved up to Linotype operator. He quickly became a shop steward and at age 30 was elected president of the Columbia Typographical Union, Local 101, his home local and a craft union that traces its beginning to before the Civil War. He also served on the Metro Washington Labor Council’s Executive Board. A fierce advocate for worker rights, Boarman attended labor rallies across the country, marching with Cesar Chavez in San Diego in 1990 and with Richard Trumka at the Detroit News strike in 1996. Read more here.
Services will be held Tuesday, August 31 at 11am at Our Lady of the Fields Roman Catholic Church, 1070 Cecil Avenue, Millersville, MD, 21108. The service will be livestreamed here. Striking Nabisco workers "decided this was their time to stand up together and fight, and that's exactly what they've done coast to coast."
Lisa Gregory is East-Central Regional Representative for the BCTGM -- the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union -- hear her on last Thursday's edition of Your Rights At Work on WPFW 89.3FM.  This week’s Labor History Today podcast: Marching on Washington: civil rights to voting rights. Last week's show: Sacco and Vanzetti; Midnight in Vehicle City.
John Reed forms the Communist Labor Party in Chicago. The Party’s motto: "Workers of the world unite!" - 1919 10,000 striking miners began a fight at Blair Mountain, W.Va., for recognition of their union, the UMWA. Federal troops were sent in, and miners were forced to withdraw 5 days later, after 16 deaths - 1921 The Trade Union Unity League is founded as an alternative to the American Federation of Labor, with the goal of organizing along industrial rather than craft lines. An arm of the American Communist Party, the League claimed 125,000 members before it dissolved in the late 1930s - 1929 Solidarity workers movement founded as a strike coordination committee at Lenin Shipyards, Gdansk, Poland. The strike launched a wave of unrest in the Soviet Union that ultimately led to its dissolution in 1991 - 1980 325,000 unionists gathered in Washington, D.C. for a Solidarity Day march and rally for workplace fairness and healthcare reform - 1991 Detroit teachers begin what is to become a nine day strike, winning smaller class sizes and raises of up to four percent - 1999 - David Prosten  click here for latest listings
Union City Radio: 7:15am daily WPFW-FM 89.3 FM; click here to hear today's report Your Rights at Work: Thu, August 26, 1pm – 2pm WPFW 89.3 FM or listen online. Arlington Dems Labor Caucus: Thu, August 26, 6pm – 8pm Meeting of union members and friends of labor in Arlington. For more information contact [email protected]. NoVA Labor Pride at Work: Thu, August 26, 7:15pm – 8:15pm Contact [email protected] for more information. March On for Voting Rights DC: Sat, August 28, 8am – 3pm McPherson Square, 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005, USA (map) CLICK HERE to listen to last week's WPFW Your Rights At Work radio show: Tales of the Resistance: Persistence (Episodes 6 & 7) |
