Steve Jones' jazz labor opera about a historic strike led by African-American women at the R J Reynolds factory in Winston-Salem, NC opens tonight at the ATU's Tommy Douglas Conference Center in Silver Spring (see Calendar at right). "Love Songs" tells the inspiring story of an early victory against Jim Crow segregation in the 1940s, through a mix of jazz, blues, and folk songs performed by a cast that includes professional and amateur actors and the DC Labor Chorus under the direction of Elise Bryant. The production is sponsored by the Labor Heritage Foundation, a non-profit cultural arts organization that works to strengthen the labor movement through the use of music and arts. photo: at last night's dress rehearsal; photo by Chris Garlock/Union City