http://www.dclabor.org Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO Tue, 13 May 2008 10:43:37 CDT en-us http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69103 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69103 Mon, 12 May 2008 10:34:28 CDT Montgomery County workers plan to turn out in full force today at the County Council meeting to vote on whether to recommend full funding of Montgomery county union contracts, reports UFCW 1994 MCGEO. “Members of UFCW 1994, IAFF 1664, FOP 35, SEIU 500 and MCEA are in serious jeopardy of having their contracts broken by a Council which would rather balance the budget on the backs of county employees than tap emergency surplus reserves,” reports Local 1994’s Doug Menapace. “We are... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69104 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69104 Mon, 12 May 2008 12:56:13 CDT Doing something about hunger is as close as your mailbox. Letter carriers in DC and across the nation will again bring the fight against hunger to millions of Americans mailboxes tomorrow as part of the 16th Annual "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive. This "drive plays a critical role in America's effort to aid families in need, especially in providing high-quality and high-protein food for their diets," says National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) President William H. Young. The NALC -... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69105 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69105 Mon, 12 May 2008 12:58:23 CDT The FBI is poring over computer records and documents seized in raids Tuesday on the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) and at the home of Special Counsel Scott Bloch. Instead of enforcing civil rights and whistleblower protections for federal workers, Bloch turned the OSC into "a launching pad for attacks on civil and workers' rights," according to Hans Johnson, President of Washington D.C.'s Pride At Work (PAW) chapter, which in March initiated a "Blow the whistle on Bloch" campaign. "The... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69107 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69107 Mon, 12 May 2008 13:00:21 CDT Delta Air Lines passengers are being urged to show their support for flight attendants trying to organize at Delta. The mail-in union vote is going on now and handy "Pro DELTA Pro AFA" cards can be downloaded here. Undeterred when Delta's anti-union campaign defeated a 2002 effort to organize the airline's 14,000 flight attendants, activists regrouped and last year filed for a new election with over half the membership signing authorization cards with the Association of Flight Attendants... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69108 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69108 Mon, 12 May 2008 13:01:38 CDT Harrison Wins Big in Prince George's Special Election: Labor-endorsed candidate Andrea Harrison won an overwhelming victory in Tuesday's Prince George's County Council special election. “The labor community is happy to have her on the County Council and we look forward to working with her on a working family agenda,” says Metro Council President Jos Williams. Harrison received the Metro Labor Council's endorsement last month (Harrison Gets Labor Nod in Prince George's 5th 5/5/08 UC).... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69109 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69109 Mon, 12 May 2008 13:03:45 CDT Ilana Lipsett is SEIU Local 32BJ's new Capital Area Political Director. Lipsett was previously the lead organizer at the DC Employment Justice Center, where she worked on the DC Living Wage, Paid Sick and Safe Days, and Retail Standards bills, among other issues. "We are excited to have her with us to continue the political and legislative work that Martin Thomas was responsible for until his departure," said SEIU 32BJ Area Director Jaime Contreras. Reach her at ilipsett@seiu32bj.org or... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69110 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69110 Mon, 12 May 2008 13:05:08 CDT Michael Artz (AFSCME), Renee Matthews (AFT) and Sara Dawson (IAMAW) are the winners of Thursday's random drawing for a free copy of the Labor Chorus' CD, Welcome Union Members. Click here to enter in today's drawing and you could be a winner too! Catch the Chorus live tonight in a benefit concert! Click here for details/tickets. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69111 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69111 Mon, 12 May 2008 13:06:43 CDT The Metro Washington Council Affiliate Directory - the popular "blue book" - is now posted online! The Council's nearly 200 affiliated union locals, constituency groups and allies are now just a click away: the searchable online database makes finding locals easy, and you can connect fast with clickable email and website links. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69099 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69099 Mon, 12 May 2008 09:18:59 CDT Burma Aid: The AFL-CIO Solidarity Center has launched an online relief fund, with contributions going to the Federation of Trade Unions of Burma so it can distribute clothing, medicine and non-perishable food for Burmese workers and their families. Click here to find out more and here to contribute. Help on Foreclosures: Many homeowners need help now to avoid foreclosures and can't wait for Congress to act . The AFL-CIO Now Weblog has collected tips from experts, including Union Privilege, on... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69100 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69100 Mon, 12 May 2008 09:21:02 CDT Saturday is the deadline to join the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) team for this year’s “Walk to Beat the Clock” against cervical cancer. CLUW is trying to assemble the largest team to get a shot at a $2,500 grant that they would use “for programs focusing on union members in DC.” The CLUW team is walking in honor of longtime DC labor and women’s rights activist Susan Holleran. Holleran passed away from cervical cancer last year. Members of any union, including men, can... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69101 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69101 Mon, 12 May 2008 09:22:37 CDT Fredric Cooper (JUFJ), Max Toth (Working America), Theresa Gillette (AFSCME), Virginia Rodino (OPEIU Local 2) and Doug McNeil (PeterCares House) are the winners of Wednesday's random drawing for a free copy of the Labor Chorus' CD, Welcome Union Members. Click here to enter in today's drawing and you could be a winner too! The CD includes the title cut, the Chorus' signature song, as well as Siyahamba, a freedom song from the South African trade union movement. Don't miss tomorrow’s benefit... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69102 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69102 Mon, 12 May 2008 09:25:53 CDT Hundreds of Indian workers will return to DC next week to launch an indefinite hunger strike to demand the federal government investigate the guest worker program and abuse of post-Katrina Gulf Coast workers. Next week’s launch follows a nationwide tour by the workers �" sponsored by the New Orleans Worker Center for Racial Justice (NOWCRJ) with support from Jobs with Justice �" in March and April that included stops in DC. In late 2006, the workers mortgaged their futures �" and $20,000... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69020 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69020 Thu, 08 May 2008 12:44:13 CDT DC City Council approved a noise bill Tuesday that Metro Council President Jos Williams immediately blasted as "a resounding slap in the face of free speech here in the nation's capital." The Council voted down compromise legislation crafted with labor support. "This preliminary vote by the City Council impinges on free speech,” said ACLU President Johnny Barnes, “and we are disappointed that the Evans compromise amendment -- which would have ameliorated the issues raised -- failed to... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69021 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69021 Thu, 08 May 2008 12:46:22 CDT "Many struggling workers are being forced to choose between buying gas for their car or food for their families," says Metro Council President Jos Williams who spoke at Tuesday's kick-off of Saturday's "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive. The annual national drive is organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC); NALC Branch 142 - which sponsored Tuesday's kick-off event - and 3825 are coordinating the local food drive. "This year's drive is particularly urgent," said Williams,... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69022 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69022 Thu, 08 May 2008 12:48:24 CDT Making METRO Safer: Congress “should swiftly approve” legislation to stiffen penalties for assaults on Metrobus workers, says ATU Local 689 Recording Secretary Anthony Garland in a Sunday Washington Post Editorial. “I operated a Metrobus for more than 20 years. I know firsthand what it's like to have your life threatened by a passenger wielding a gun or knife…While there is no silver bullet to end all attacks, the legislation before Congress moves the issue of safety in the right... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69023 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69023 Thu, 08 May 2008 12:50:06 CDT "Something is wrong out there," said Steven Greenhouse, "Corporate profits have doubled, productivity has increased, but wages are up barely 1%." Greenhouse, labor reporter for The New York Times, spoke about his new book "The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker" Tuesday at the Center for American Progress (CAP) before a standing-room-only crowd. The book explores what Greenhouse termed "the broken compact between employee and employer" - which once fueled decades of rising... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69029 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/69029 Thu, 08 May 2008 15:46:29 CDT Images of Workers By Workers: Workers stooping to their tasks, showing off their tools, resting, smiling, digging, hauling, shaping, squatting, marching. "Labor Around the World: Images of Workers by Workers" will be on display at the AFL-CIO through Friday, May 9. The Solidarity Center gave cameras to workers around the world to record the daily lives of their workplaces, communities, and families and the results are remarkable, complex, moving, informative, colorful and fascinating. What... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68984 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68984 Wed, 07 May 2008 11:44:49 CDT Bill Fletcher Jr and Omar Salazar led a wide-ranging discussion on "The Future of Labor Solidarity in the Western Hemisphere" Monday night, May 5. "We have a lot to learn, from our own long history of international solidarity work, as well as from other movements around the world," said Fletcher, director of Field Services Education for AFGE. "Unions have a hard time understanding that things change," added Salazar, director of the Asociacion Servicios de Promocion Laboral (ASEPROLA) in... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68985 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68985 Wed, 07 May 2008 11:46:56 CDT Last Thursday night 15 DC Jobs with Justice members and leaders piled into two vans and embarked on an overnight road trip to Providence, Rhode Island where more than a thousand labor, community, student, and religious activists from across the United States and around the world gathered for the annual Jobs with Justice conference. The May 2-4 conference combined plenary sessions with skills-building workshops which provided a space to share skills such as grassroots fundraising and media... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68987 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68987 Wed, 07 May 2008 11:52:11 CDT New York Times reporter Steven Greenhouse speaks today at 12:30 on "The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for the American Worker." In his new book, Greenhouse "takes a fresh, probing, and often shocking look at the stresses and strains faced by tens of millions of American workers as wages have stagnated, health and pension benefits have grown stingier, and job security has shriveled." From software engineers in Seattle and hotel housekeepers in Chicago to call center workers in New York and janitors... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68988 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68988 Wed, 07 May 2008 11:53:15 CDT Northern Virginia union members were recognized for their volunteer achievements in 2007 at Friday's Northern Virginia Central Labor Council (NoVA CLC) Volunteer Recognition Dinner. "We had about 300 people in attendance, including local elected officials and congressional candidates as well as many union members and their families," NoVA Central Labor Council President Dan Duncan tells UNION CITY! United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts and his own "Amen Chorus" - featuring... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68989 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68989 Wed, 07 May 2008 11:55:40 CDT With rising food prices squeezing already-struggling working families, the National Association of Letters Carriers (NALC) will again lead the march to "stamp out hunger" with their annual food drive this Saturday, May 10. This year "the need is very great, with many, many food pantries reporting record numbers of men, women and children seeking assistance," said NALC President William H. Young. "And it will only get worse if our economy continues to decline." Over 70 million pounds of... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68990 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68990 Wed, 07 May 2008 11:58:39 CDT The popular Metro Washington Council Affiliate Directory has just been updated and posted online. Now, the Council’s nearly 200 affiliated union locals, constituency groups and allies are just a click away! The searchable online database makes finding locals easy, and you can connect fast with clickable email and website links. All the information in the printed directory is included, from mailing addresses, phone and fax numbers to major employers. The Online Directory will be updated... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68992 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68992 Wed, 07 May 2008 12:03:04 CDT '38, Not '74 for FLSA: The Fair Labor Standards Act was enacted in '38" (not 1974, as reported in the 5/1 UC), writes Ann Hoffman. "There were Fair Labor Standards Amendments in 1974, the most prominent of which covered state and local government employees - which actually didn't take effect until 1985, because of court challenges and big problems writing regs." We apologize for the error and award Hoffman a Labor Chorus CD for the catch. Hoffman goes on to note that "The federal minimum... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68956 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68956 Tue, 06 May 2008 10:47:37 CDT Bill Fletcher, Jr. and Costa Rican labor activist Omar Salazar will discuss “The Future of Labor Solidarity in the Western Hemisphere” today from 5-7P. Inspired by the forthcoming book Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path toward Social Justice, Fletcher and Salazar “will discuss past challenges to solidarity between North American and Latin American workers, corporate expansion throughout the hemisphere, and what needs to be done to unite workers in the... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68957 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68957 Tue, 06 May 2008 10:49:04 CDT This week is packed with free local labor events. On Tuesday at 12:30P, American Rights at Work hosts New York Times reporter Steven Greenhouse at the Center for American Progress as he discusses his new book - The Big Squeeze: Tough Times for American Workers - about the shrinking and stressed US middle-class. The DC Labor Filmfest free monthly screening series continues Wednesday with a showing of "Grassroots Rising" on Wednesday at 12P at the National labor College. And on Friday, the... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68958 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68958 Tue, 06 May 2008 10:50:02 CDT Proclaiming her "labor's candidate," Metro Washington Council President Jos Williams presented Prince George's County Council candidate Andrea Harrison with a check from the Metro Council on May 2. Harrison, the Democrat nominee running to fill the seat vacated by David Harrington in the 5th Councilmanic District, was endorsed by the Metro Council last month. "Andrea's a longtime community activist who will bring her dedication to Prince George's working families," said Williams, who urged... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68959 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68959 Tue, 06 May 2008 10:53:53 CDT Tickets are still available for this Friday’s benefit concert by the DC Labor Chorus. The May 9 concert benefits the Emergence Community Arts Collective, a non-profit organization working “to foster a spirit of community” in DC’s Pleasant Plains neighborhood, through social activities, traditional arts classes, support groups and educational seminars. Click here to enter in this week’s daily drawing for free Labor Chorus Welcome Union Members CDs! http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68960 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68960 Tue, 06 May 2008 11:00:28 CDT Local labor supporters will host a reception and fundraiser for US Congressmember Eleanor Holmes Norton on Thursday, May 22. "Congressmember Norton has been an exceptional advocate for DC's working families," says Metro Council President Jos Williams. "Her work has brought DC billions of dollars in economic development with jobs and training opportunities." The reception will be held from 5:30-7:30P at the National Democratic Club Townhouse and will feature food, drinks and a live jazz band.... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68905 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68905 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:27:22 CDT "The response to globalization is global unionism." That's how Fred Redmond of the United Steelworkers summed up his union's reasons for joining forces with trade unionists in countries such as Liberia and Mexico at Thursday night's panel discussion at the National Labor College. The 2-hour discussion on “Global Capital--Global Unions" commemorated International Workers Day and featured panelists Redmond, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, and President Harold Alegria Gamboa of the... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68907 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68907 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:33:57 CDT Hundreds of immigrant rights activists rallied and marched through the streets of Northeast DC Thursday evening. The march capped a day of action in DC for immigrant rights that included pickets outside the offices of the Democratic and Republican National Committees earlier in the day. The actions called for an end to raids and deportations, immigration reform with justice and dignity for all, the establishment of worker centers in the Metro DC area, for Prince William County to rescind its... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68908 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68908 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:35:36 CDT Bill Fletcher, Jr. and Costa Rican labor activist Omar Salazar will discuss “The Future of Labor Solidarity in the Western Hemisphere” on Monday, from 5-7P. Inspired by the forthcoming book Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path toward Social Justice, Fletcher and Salazar “will discuss past challenges to solidarity between North American and Latin American workers, corporate expansion throughout the hemisphere, and what needs to be done to unite workers in the... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68898 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68898 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:12:05 CDT Immigrants rights activists will rally, march and picket today to call attention to their demands. The May 1st 2008 Coalition is calling for immigration reform, stopping raids, deportations, and use of No-Match Letters, rescinding the anti-immigrant resolution in Prince William County, declaring DC a Sanctuary City for immigrants, and establishing and supporting Workers Centers in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. Activists will picket the national offices of the Republican and Democratic... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68899 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68899 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:13:24 CDT Local labor activists will celebrate International Workers Day with a symposium on building a global labor movement from 5-8P tonight at the National Labor College. Speakers will include AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka, Steelworkers VP Fred Redmond and Harold Alegria Gamboa of the Colombian Dock Workers Union. Barbara Shailor, Director of the AFL-CIO International Department, will moderate the symposium. The event is being organized by the Maryland State and District of Columbia... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68900 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68900 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:15:14 CDT Big pink chanting pigs rallied outside the Washington Hilton Hotel early Wednesday morning to protest billions in handouts to corporate homebuilders. Serenaded with chants of “corporate welfare on the rise, a bunch of pigs in disguise” and “off to the trough,” representatives of the homebuilders industry boarded shuttle buses outside the Hilton to lobby Congress for passage of the Foreclosure Prevention Act. The Act - currently before the House - would provide billions in bailout to... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68901 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68901 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:20:25 CDT “Union Island,” a home for trade unionists in the virtual world Second Life launches on May 1st, when Union Island will host a day of training, networking and celebration. LabourStart - which will cover worldwide May Day activities - reports that “this will include �" we’re told - a dance party hosted by a live DJ, a photo and video exhibition, even a virtual bar.” Click here for more information and a full program of events. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68902 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68902 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:21:46 CDT Does your local need a website? Find out at the "Does Your Local Need A Website? Taking the First Steps" workshop on Friday, May 9. Free for locals with no website but space is limited: click here to register now! "Without proper planning, a website can be a big drain on your financial and staff resources," notes Mariya Strauss of ILCA, which is organizing the workshop with the Metro Council. Highlights of the free 3-hour workshop include how to assess your local's communication needs,... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68903 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68903 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:22:38 CDT The new Charm City Labor Chorus of Baltimore, MD is recruiting members. “Minimum requirements are that you be pro-union, pro-worker's rights, pro-peace and justice, willing to work with and be respectful of all peoples, ability to hold pitch - with or without accompaniment - ability to hold your part while harmonizing, and are eager to make new friends and have fun,” says singer Pam Parker. “It is a bonus if you are currently in a union, can play an instrument other than voice, or can... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68904 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68904 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:25:19 CDT DC Jobs with Justice is looking for a few great activists. For the first time, DC JwJ is opening up the selection process for the annual “I’ll Be There” Awards, and is looking for nominations of individuals or organizations that have “demonstrated exceptional solidarity over the past year, or victories that should be celebrated.” The “I’ll be There” awards celebration, scheduled for June 12th, “is an opportunity to celebrate the many JwJ victories won in this past year,”... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68892 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68892 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:05:47 CDT With the housing crisis still in full swing and hundreds of thousands of construction workers out of work, members of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) will rally early this morning at the Washington Hilton Hotel to protest billions in proposed corporate handouts to the homebuilders' industry. "Through their subprime and high-risk mortgage lending subsidiaries, corporate home builders helped create the current crisis which has contributed to the loss of 359,000... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68893 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68893 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:06:55 CDT National labor leaders symbolically broke ground for a workers memorial at the National Labor College (NLC) on Workers Memorial Day, Monday, April 28th. The memorial will be located in the center of the campus and will feature a plaza of bricks surrounded by granite benches and pavers. Supporters will sponsor the bricks, pavers and benches with the names of workers who have lost their lives on the job. "This will be the only place in America where workers from all industries, all crafts, all... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68894 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68894 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:08:18 CDT The Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild will honor the work of its membership this Monday, May 5 at its annual Front Page and Guild Service Awards. This year’s top Front Page award recipients include Baltimore Sun writers Gadi Dechter and Greg Garland �" who will receive the Bill Pryor Memorial Grand Prize for Writing for their “Bowling Brook” series �" and photographer Lloyd Fox �" who will take home the Bill Pryor Memorial Grand Prize in Photography for his photo, “Cal... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68895 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68895 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:10:13 CDT Find out all about how blogs can help build the labor movement at a free workshop this Saturday, May 3. Kirsten Burgard �" who blogs as uniongal - is facilitating the 411 on Blogging workshop at the DC Democratic State Committee City-Wide Convention. Also featured are Tula Connell of the AFL-CIO Now blog, Richard Negri from Union Review and Joseph Welsh from Joes' Union Review. Click here to register. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68887 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68887 Mon, 05 May 2008 09:57:34 CDT Monday's downpour didn't deter members of the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) from rallying in Arlington to protest intimidation and attacks against workers at the US Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) by Arlington-based Stanley Inc. After taking over two USCIS centers in Vermont and California last December, Stanley and five other subcontractors slashed workers' pay and cut benefits. "When workers objected to these attacks on their already inadequate... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68890 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68890 Mon, 05 May 2008 09:59:01 CDT Immigrant rights activists will rally, march and picket this Thursday to call attention to their demands. The May 1st 2008 Coalition is calling for immigration reform, stopping raids, deportations, and use of No-Match Letters, rescinding the anti-immigrant resolution in Prince William County, declaring the District of Columbia a Sanctuary City for immigrants, and establishing and supporting Workers Centers in D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. “With national elections underway, this is a... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68891 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68891 Mon, 05 May 2008 10:00:32 CDT Time is running out to get your tickets for Friday's Northern Virginia Central Labor Council (NoVA CLC) Volunteer Recognition Dinner. "Wednesday is the deadline to place ticket orders," reports Lynn Clark of the NoVA CLC. This year's event will recognize the volunteer efforts of union members during the 2007 elections and features United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil Roberts. Individual tickets are $75; tables are $750. To purchase tickets, contact Clark,... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68832 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68832 Thu, 01 May 2008 09:15:29 CDT The National Labor College commemorates Workers Memorial Day today starting at 1P with a panel discussion on workers made ill during the World Trade Center clean-up, a candlelight ceremony and ground-breaking for a permanent Workers Memorial honoring fallen workers, and ending with a reception. Community and union members from around the world will participate in hundreds of events today to remember local workers and draw attention to the problem of unaddressed workplace hazards. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68833 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68833 Thu, 01 May 2008 09:24:49 CDT Nearly hundred people packed the AFL-CIO’s Gompers Room Friday for a free lunchtime screening of Michael Moore’s Academy Award nominated film “SiCKO.” Our healthcare system “is costing thousands of lives every year,” said US House Representative John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) in his introduction to the film. Conyers (middle left in photo) is author of the HR 676 bill, which would create a US universal single-payer healthcare system. Calling film “the way to educate for the future,”... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68834 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68834 Thu, 01 May 2008 09:26:32 CDT Local activists will celebrate May Day with a symposium on global capital and global unions. The event runs from 5-8P and features AFL-CIO Secretary Treasurer Richard Trumka, Steelworkers VP Fred Redmond and Harold Alegria Gamboa of the Colombian Dock Workers Union. Barbara Shailor Director, AFL-CIO International Department, will moderate. The symposium is organized by the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO in conjunction with the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO,... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68756 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68756 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:52:18 CDT The struggle for justice by Smithfield Packing workers is having an effect. The Virginia-based meatpacking giant sent a PR rep out to the Prince George’s County Council this week to complain about the Council’s resolution of support for workers. The resolution �" passed last November (Prince George’s County Council Supports Smithfield Workers 12/3/08 UC) �" pledged Council support for Smithfield workers against the meatpacker’s campaign of “intimidation, fear and violence” as... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68758 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68758 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:57:07 CDT Senate Republicans Kill Equal Pay Bill: A minority of Senate Republicans blocked a vote on a bill, Wednesday, that would have re-established workers’ rights to sue their employer over pay discrimination, reports James Parks on the AFL-CIO Now Weblog. The bill �" the Fair Pay Restoration Act �" would have reversed a 2007 US Supreme Court ruling that sets a 180-day limit for workers to file a claim from the time their employer decides to discriminate against them. “This standard is nearly... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68762 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68762 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:59:01 CDT CWA Secretary-Treasurer Barbara Easterling and the late Susan Ellen Holleran, former CLUW State Vice President of DC, will be honored for their labor activism Sunday at the DC Chapter of the Coalition of Labor Union Women’s Gloria Johnson Awards Luncheon. Tickets are $40. For more info and to RSVP, contact Brenda Savoy, essenceof@earthlink.net; 301-233-2169. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68763 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68763 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:00:57 CDT The National Labor College commemorates Workers Memorial Day Monday starting at 1P. The commemoration comes on the heels of the AFL-CIO's annual Death on the Job report, released Thursday, that concludes US workers are at risk because of weak workplace safety laws and penalties. “Our nation’s system of rules and enforcement has fallen embarrassingly short of its goal of ensuring workplace safety,” says AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. The annual report provides statistics on how many... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68764 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68764 Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:03:24 CDT Today’s free screening of “SiCKO” �" introduced by HR 676 author Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) �" is part of the AFL-CIO Health Care Campaign's Spring Lift-Off Action Plan, with hundreds of Labor Councils nationwide focusing on this issue during the month of April. Academy Award winning filmmaker Michael Moore applies his usual sharp-edged satirical style to America's dysfunctional healthcare system, using humor to tell compelling stories of everyday people faced with... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68723 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68723 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:00:13 CDT The Montgomery County Worker Health and Safety Initiative “is smart, innovative and it will help protect workers’ lives,” says Dr. David Michaels, Ph.D., Associate Chairman at George Washington University's Department of Environmental and Occupational Health. The Initiative is an action agenda for mobilizing Montgomery County government to promote workplace health and safety: click here to download a new brochure that explains the Initiative, which Metro Council President Jos Williams... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68724 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68724 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:03:21 CDT Dozens of labor activists picketed outside the headquarters of the Carlyle Group in downtown DC Wednesday to protest the company’s abuse of No-Match Letters and the faulty Social Security database, E-Verify, to target workers at its subsidiary Dunkin Brands (Carlyle Group Picketed Today 4/23/08 UC). Protestors chanted “Dunkin Brands, what do you say? No-Match Letters gotta go away” and “Hey hey, ho ho, E-Verify has got to go” and handed out flyers to passing tourists and... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68725 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68725 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:05:18 CDT Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI) will introduce tomorrow's free noontime screening of Michael Moore’s “SiCKO” at the AFL-CIO. Conyers is a sponsor of HR 676, the United States National Health Insurance Act. The screening is the latest in the DC Labor FilmFest’s free monthly series. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68728 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68728 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 09:08:18 CDT Montgomery College students, adjunct professors and members of the DC Student Labor Action Project participated in a “Lunch with Adjuncts” day Wednesday. The event raised awareness about the struggle by part-time faculty to form a union, and provided outreach for an upcoming action at the Montgomery College Board of Trustees meeting on April 28. Student organizers added over 400 signatures to their petition supporting the adjunct’s right to organize. Adjuncts have been organizing with... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68657 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68657 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:57:26 CDT The Low Wage Immigrant Worker Coalition hosts a picket at noon today against the Carlyle Group's abuse of Social Security No-Match Letters to target workers. The Carlyle Group - one of the largest private equity firms in the US - owns Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins, two companies that require workers' immigration status to be verified by faulty No-Match Letters and the Social Security Administration (SSA) E-Verify database. Both E-Verify and No-Match Letters are notoriously faulty (Tales of... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68677 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68677 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:35:28 CDT Highlights of Monday night’s Metro Council meeting included the swearing in of six new Council delegates -- Vance Ayres (WBCTC), Mark Coles (WBCTC), Hugh Weathers (ASASP), Roosevelt Limes (SEIU 400), Gerald Green (SEIU 400) Trent Holmes (SEIU 400) -- a preliminary report that the 2008 Evening With Labor will net nearly $16,000, updates on the DC Noise Bill, Maryland/DC State Fed political activities, endorsement of Andrea Harrison in Prince George’s 5th Councilmanic District and a report... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68678 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68678 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:38:29 CDT Contract Talks to Resume for DOL Cafeteria Workers: Cafeteria Workers at the Department of Labor (DOL) �" who have been without a contract for nearly a year �" will resume contract negotiations after the workers’ employer �" FAME �" yielded to a pressure campaign from other DOL workers, reports Josh Niederman of UNITE HERE Local 25. Local 25 represents the workers. DOL Workers �" outraged about FAME’s refusal to bargain and demands for worker concessions (DOL Cafe Workers Fight... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68679 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68679 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:39:28 CDT The global shrimp industry has become the largest seafood industry in the world at the expense of worker and human rights, claims a new report released by the Solidarity Center, AFL-CIO. The report �" “The True Cost of Shrimp” �" will be released at a panel discussion today at 9:30A on Capitol Hill. “The true cost of shrimp is not what is seen on a supermarket price tag or restaurant menu,” says the Solidarity Center. Our research uncovered “pervasive worker and human rights... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68680 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68680 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:41:44 CDT Although Congress passed legislation over 40 years ago recognizing equal pay for equal work, pay equity remains a dream for many workers, particularly working women. DC labor and civil rights activists will hold a press conference �" with US Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Representatives George Miller (D-CA) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) �" on Capitol Hill today at 11A to highlight the continued struggle for pay equity and to urge the Senate to pass legislation to... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68681 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68681 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:43:09 CDT The growing US income inequality gap will be discussed at DC Labor and Employment Relations Association (DC-LERA)’s luncheon today at 11:45A. “The gap has been widening for nearly three decades,” says DC-LERA. “Today that gap is greater than at any time in living memory.” Dr. Alernon Austin �" Director of the Economic Policy Institute’s Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy Program �" will discuss the issue and the role government policy plays. For more info, contact Lorenzo Di... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68682 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68682 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:44:17 CDT With healthcare an increasingly important issue in the 2008 elections, the National Labor College (NLC) will hold its First Annual Health Care Forum tomorrow. The forum will focus on preserving quality of care and protecting union benefits and will feature presentations AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, NLC President Bill Scheuerman, US Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and others. The event is funded by the Kaiser Permanente Health Care Institute at the National Labor College. For more... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68684 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68684 Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:48:41 CDT Filmmaker Joanna Raczynska, Fred Worden, Professor of Film at the University of Maryland, and KJ Mohr, Film and Media Arts Programmer at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, discuss Harun Farocki's "Workers Leaving the Factory in Eleven Decades" (Labor Arts: Factory Workers at the Hirshhorn 3/5/08 UC) in a podcast on the Hirshhorn website. You can see Farocki’s piece as part of the Hirshhorn’s exhibit, "The Cinema Effect: Illusion, Reality, and the Moving Image," through May 11. Got... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68644 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68644 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:47:57 CDT Workers at the DC-based Nursing Enterprises overcame a “vicious fear campaign” by management and voted overwhelmingly to form a union last Tuesday, reports 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers-East. “Now that we have our union, we can make the positive changes we all need,” said Nursing Enterprises worker Eula Sheffey. Sheffey and many of her colleagues in the homecare industry work for poverty wages and without affordable healthcare, sick days or other benefits, says 1199SEIU. “I... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68645 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68645 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:50:08 CDT Wednesday will be a whirlwind of activity for labor in the Metro DC area. The day starts off with a panel discussion at 9:30A on the exploitation of workers in the global shrimp industry. At 11A, labor activists and US Congress members will hold an event to celebrate Equal Pay Day and urge the US Senate to take action to re-affirm workers’ rights to sue their employers for pay discrimination. At 11:45A, the DC Labor and Employment Relations Association will host a luncheon discussion on... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68640 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68640 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:37:16 CDT Retired CWA staffer John Cusick takes over as president of the Metropolitan D.C. Federation of Musicians, Local 161-170 on May 1. A senior writer/editor in CWA's Communications Dept for the past 16 years, Cusick has also been working part-time as a professional musician. A drummer, Cusick heads up Jazz City Trio, which has performed at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Corcoran Gallery of Art an d private receptions (and has a free noontime performance scheduled for Wednesday, May 21 at... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68641 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68641 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:40:14 CDT Registration is now open for the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute’s June 6-8 organizer training in Baltimore. “The purpose of this training is to give activist members basic organizing skills,” TJ Marsallo tells UNION CITY. “If you’re looking to train members to help work on your organizing campaigns here’s your chance.” The session includes training on: one-on-one communication skills; how to move workers to take action; leadership identification and the basic elements of a union... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68642 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68642 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:41:59 CDT Websites are a very cost-effective and timely way to reach your members, the general public, the media, politicians and more. But are they right for your local? Metro Council affiliates can find out at the "Does Your Local Need A Website? Taking the First Steps" workshop on Friday, May 9. Highlights of the free 3-hour workshop include how to assess your local's communication needs, learning what a website can - and can't - do, and finding out what websites cost to design, launch and maintain.... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68643 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68643 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:43:56 CDT The 2004 film “A Day Without A Mexican” imagined life in California if all the immigrants vanished overnight. “The Job” - now playing on YouTube and being considered for the DC Labor FilmFest - takes a look at what happens when the tables are turned. The award-winning 3-minute short “plays role reversal, portraying what it might be like if white-collar workers were subjected to day-laborer treatment. Brilliant… " wrote John Razook in The Austin Chronicle. “The most you'll laugh... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68634 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68634 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:30:43 CDT AFSCME Locals 2477 and 2910, which represent workers at the Library of Congress, signed up 22 new members during National Library Workers Day on Tuesday, April 15. The two locals designated Tuesday Library of Congress Staff Appreciation Day as part of National Library Week, when communities across the nation honor the contributions of the employees who make libraries happen. The locals set up tables outside the Madison Snack Bar during lunchtime and distributed "fun tokens of appreciation"... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68635 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68635 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:31:40 CDT Noise Bill Revived: A bill to limit noise levels at demonstrations was unanimously voted out by DC City Council last Tuesday. The bill had been tabled after labor and civil rights advocates opposed it out of concern it may limit free speech rights, but with Chairman Vincent Gray changing his vote, "labor lacked the necessary votes to keep the Wells/Cheh Noise Bill from remaining tabled," reports Metro Council Political Coordinator Rick Powell. Councilman Jack Evans plans to introduce... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68638 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68638 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:34:27 CDT Women organizers across the U.S. - including here in Washington - are featured in "Women Organize," a 30-minute film about women who are involved in the global struggles for racial, social, and economic justice. The film - which screens for free at noon today shows five women organizers and explores the campaigns they wage, from working with high schools girls in a low-income neighborhood in Oregon to speaking out for Black lesbians and gays against homophobia or working with Asian immigrant... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68639 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68639 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:35:55 CDT Make sure your local is up to date! The deadline for updating Council affiliate's information and delegates has been extended to Friday, April 25. Affiliates can fax their updates to the Council at 202-974-8152 and should be sure to update delegates for the locals as well. Affiliate info and delegate lists were sent to all affiliates and can be re-sent if necessary: just email streetheat@dclabor.org or call Andy Richards at 202-974-8156. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68595 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68595 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 12:54:09 CDT Echoing a recent dispute at the Library of Congress (Library of Congress Cafeteria Workers Targeted 1/25/08 UC), Department of Labor (DOL) cafeteria workers - who have been working without a contract for over a year - are fighting employer demands for major concessions. FAME - the contractor who took over DOL cafeteria services in 2007 - has demanded workers agree to a 412% increase in their healthcare contributions, lower wages rates and wage freezes, reports the workers' union, UNITE HERE... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68628 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68628 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:20:50 CDT Nearly 200 local activists celebrated the struggle for freedom, workers' rights and voting rights in songs, speeches and stories at the seventh annual Labor Seder Tuesday night. Calling 2008 "A special time when all the pieces line up and can come together," Heather Booth - Director of the AFL-CIO's Health Care Campaign and President of the Midwest Academy - said that "We can win when we organize; in fact," she added, "We only win when we organize." Drawing parallels between the oppression... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68631 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68631 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:24:51 CDT "Across the country I can feel a spirit moving, soft as a whisper, loud as a roar" a hoarse UMWA President Cecil Roberts thundered at Wednesday's screening of "Mother Jones" at the Department of Labor's Great Hall to over 100 DOL employees. "Winds of change are blowing and working people are standing up and fighting back." Roberts spoke movingly of a Sago mineworker's widow "who is a modern Mother Jones, speaking truth to power" about the deadly conditions still facing coal miners. Metro... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68632 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68632 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:27:05 CDT Navarro Loses County Council Bid: Labor-endorsed candidate Nancy Navarro lost her bid to replace the late Montgomery County Council member Marilyn Praisner, narrowly defeated by Praisner's husband, Don, who won the Democratic nomination Tuesday to serve out his wife's term in District 4. "Thanks to tremendous support from our affiliates �" including UFCW 1994 and SEIU Local 500 �" we came very close to winning this race," said Metro Council COPE Coordinator Rick Powell. Congress Stands Up... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68633 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68633 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:28:09 CDT A discussion at American University tonight will focus on domestic workers in South Africa. Jennifer Fish, associate professor of Sociology and Women's Studies at Old Dominion University and author of Domestic Democracy: At Home in South Africa, will talk about the impact of the domestic labor industry on women workers and South African society. The event will also feature free refreshments and copies of Fish's book. For more info, contact Thalia Williams, thalia.williams@gmail.com http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68558 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68558 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 09:47:50 CDT District security officers have won union contracts after years of organizing, lobbying, and direct action. The contracts provide "significant wage gains to help these brave men and women better support their families and their communities," said SEIU Local 32BJ Vice President Valarie Long. "Furthermore, raising standards in the security industry translates into safer tenants, safer buildings and a safer city." Highlights of the contracts - affecting nearly 1,500 Admiral Security,... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68624 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68624 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:08:15 CDT Due to the level of interest, today’s screening of “Mother Jones: America’s Most Dangerous Woman” has been moved to the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Great Hall. United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) President Cecil Roberts will introduce and discuss the film. A sixth generation coal miner - both of his grandfathers were killed in the mines - and one of the labor movement's most stirring and sought-after orators, Roberts grew up in a UMWA household on Cabin Creek in Kanawha County,... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68625 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68625 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:12:26 CDT Getting fired by Woody Allen was just the beginning for actress Annabelle Gurwitch, who stars in "Fired!" screening today at noon at the National Labor College. Trying to cope with being fired by a cultural icon, Gurwitch discovered she wasn't alone and brings us side-splitting tales of being fired from Tim Allen, Felicity Huffman, Jeff Garlin and more, as well as the less-humorous aspects of job insecurity that include attending job fairs, career retraining classes, outplacement workshops... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68626 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68626 Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:14:44 CDT Cesar Chavez’ plaid shirt is there, along with Walter Reuther's tyrolean hat, Sam Gompers' gavel and Lane Kirkland's harmonica. You can see this and other labor memorabilia at the Labor Hall of Fame, founded in 1988 "to honor posthumously those Americans whose distinctive contributions to the field of labor have enhanced the quality of life of America's workers." Located inside the North Plaza (3rd and C Street) of the DOL's Frances Perkins Building on 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W, the Hall... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68487 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68487 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:30:22 CDT "The Wise Child Asks: 'What are the laws and precepts which prevent DC from having congressional representation?'" The traditional Four Questions at tonight's Labor Seder will focus on the way "our status as a free people is threatened by the fact that we in the District of Columbia have no voice in the way our government is run." The annual Labor Seder - hosted by Jews United for Justice - engages the DC community in a call to action each Passover to link the Jewish story of freedom to... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68489 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68489 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:36:12 CDT Websites are a very cost-effective and timely way to reach your members, the general public, the media, politicians and more. But are they right for your local? Metro Council affiliates will be able to find out at the "Does Your Local Need A Website? Taking the First Steps" workshop on Friday, May 9. "Without proper planning, a website can be a big drain on your financial and staff resources," notes Mariya Strauss of ILCA, which is organizing the workshop with the Metro Council. Highlights of... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68491 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68491 Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:40:18 CDT The chief executive officers of the firms most responsible for causing the current mortgage market crisis collected hundreds of millions of dollars in pay last year, reveals the AFL-CIO's 2008 Executive PayWatch. "When CEOs are paid obscene amounts to make bad decisions," said AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, "it hurts average Americans who hold mortgages, have bank accounts and who are invested, such as through their pensions." Launched Monday morning, this year's edition of... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68506 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68506 Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:53:52 CDT Family and friends of 21 newly-minted graduates filled the Gompers Room at the AFL-CIO Monday for the Washington Area Women in the Trades (WAWIT) graduation ceremony. Traci Pfeffer and Jhonnal Daniels spoke for many of their fellow-graduates when they shared the many challenges they faced to complete the 12-week building and construction trades pre-apprenticeship program. Congratulatory and supportive words were offered by keynote speakers including Channel 7 anchor Maureen Bunyan and YWCA... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68467 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68467 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:36:50 CDT With the Montgomery County District 5 special election tomorrow, union members hit the doors Saturday to make a final push for labor-endorsed candidate Nancy Navarro. Navarro �" current President of the Montgomery County School Board �" is running in the special election to fill the seat held by the late Marilyn Praisner. “We are hoping union members will go to the polls in full force tomorrow to elect Navarro, who will be a champion for working families on the Montgomery County... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68468 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68468 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:45:49 CDT Strategies for assisting members and mobilizing support for worker issues were the focus during last week’s Union Community Activist Network training. Union members and leaders from federal and DC government AFGE local unions participated in the three-day training, organized by the Community Services Agency (CSA), which covered topics ranging from helping members with financial issues and substance abuse, housing, medical and domestic violence problems to community mobilizing tactics for... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68469 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68469 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:53:29 CDT Photos from this year’s Evening With Labor are now posted online. To watch a slide show of the evening's festivities and order your own prints, click here! http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68470 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68470 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:05:19 CDT Family And Medical Leave Act Under Attack: President Bush is again setting his sights on workers’ rights, this time proposing changes to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The changes would make it harder for workers to take time off for medical and family emergencies. “These proposed regulations are nothing more than a goodbye gift from the Bush Administration to the business interests who have been trying to gut the Family and Medical Leave Act since it was enacted 15 years... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68471 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68471 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:14:34 CDT A new video contest �" launched by the AFL-CIO last week �" is putting the creativity of people across the country to work to discuss how to put America back on the right track. The video contest is part of the AFL-CIO’s “Turn Around America” mobilization that is working to build grassroots momentum among working families “to elect leaders who will fight for health care, workers’ freedom to form unions, fair trade and an economy that works for all,” reports Mike Hall on the... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68462 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68462 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:31:04 CDT Today is the deadline to enter the 2008 Labor Seder raffle to receive a DC Vote gift package. The annual Labor Seder �" hosted by Jews United for Justice �" engages the DC community in a call to action each Passover to link the Jewish story of freedom to present struggles. The topics of this year’s event �" set for next Tuesday, April 15 �" include DC voting rights and workers’ rights and will feature speakers, song, text study, discussion, action and ritual foods and... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68463 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68463 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:17:48 CDT House “Stops the Clock” on Colombia Trade Pact: The House of Representatives defied President Bush’s push for the Colombian Free Trade Agreement, voting to "stop the clock" on the pact, reported Ben Pershing on the Washington Post website Thursday. “Congress normally would have only 90 legislative days to vote up or down on the agreement, but [House Speaker] Pelosi noted the House has the right to set its own rules,” reported Mike Hall Wednesday on the AFL-CIO Now Weblog. Though... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68464 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68464 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:35:38 CDT Labor films are popping up all over town this month. “Mother Jones: America’s Most Dangerous Woman” was a big hit at in-house screenings last Friday at the UFCW and will be screened next Wednesday April 16 at the Department of Labor by AFGE Local 12. UMWA President Cecil Roberts introduces the film. Also next Wednesday, the National Labor College will show Fired! the comedy about getting the axe, with actress Annabelle Gurwitch, Tim Allen, Jeff Garlin and more. On Friday, April 18,... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68465 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68465 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:58:37 CDT Young filmmakers, musicians, poets, and artists from across the country will put their creative skills to work as part of the American Postal Workers Union's (APWU) "Make it a Family Affair" Contest. The contest - sponsored by APWU - is "designed to promote among youth a better understanding of the vital role unions and the APWU" play in the lives of the young contestants. Contestants can submit an original work of music, film, poetry, or art expressing this theme for a chance to win a laptop... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68377 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68377 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:19:27 CDT The battle over the proposed Colombian Free Trade Agreement escalated dramatically this week, with the AFL-CIO running full-page ads in The Hill, The Politico, Roll Call, and other DC publications in response to President Bush's decision to send the Free Trade Agreement to Congress yesterday. "The Colombia Free Trade Agreement is about even more than the wrong-headed trade policies that have cost our country millions of manufacturing jobs, boosted trade deficits to record levels and shredded... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68397 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68397 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:53:02 CDT AFGE Local 12 President Alex Bastani was officially installed by AFGE President John Gage on Wednesday, April 9 in a ceremony at the Department of Labor, where Local 12 members work. Also sworn in were Local 12's Agency Vice Presidents, delegates and alternate delegates, who were elected January 23 for a 2-year term. Eleanor J. Lauderdale is Executive Vice-President, John D. Vena II is Head Steward, Scott A. Paris is Secretary, Kevin McCarron is Treasurer and David C. Hershfield is Assistant... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68398 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68398 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:54:58 CDT Labor and health care leaders from across the country will explore ways to preserve quality of care and protect union benefits at a health care forum April 24 at the National Labor College. The forum includes a presentation by pollster Jeff Levine on the odds of passing universal health care and what voters are thinking about the issue, U. S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) on what’s going on in Congress on health care reform, and a dialogue on quality of care between AFL-CIO President... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68399 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68399 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:55:45 CDT The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) will have some office suites available this fall in their new building in Rockville, which is now being renovated. Inquiries can be directed to Tom Israel, Executive Director: tisrael@mcea.nea.org http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68342 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68342 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:32:42 CDT A showdown over pay and benefit increases for Montgomery County firefighters, police officers, and government workers may be brewing in the County Council following Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett’s recent approval of union contracts, reported Ann Marimow in Tuesday’s Washington Post. The contracts “would provide most firefighters with a 28 percent pay increase over three years and enhance retirement benefits for some police officers and other government workers,” Marimow... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68343 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68343 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:34:02 CDT "McSame as Bush! McSame as Bush!" chanted the nearly 100 activists who turned out for Tuesday's after-work demonstration outside a John McCain fundraiser at the posh Willard Intercontinental Hotel. As well-dressed attendees picked their way through the demonstrators, chants of "Hey McCain, what's to hide? Corporate lobbyists are inside" filled the spring evening air and echoed off the Willard's marbled façade. Similar demonstrations have been organized at McCain appearances across the... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68344 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68344 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:36:03 CDT The National Employment Law Project has re-launched its website. Designed to provide information to workers and their advocates "who are struggling to navigate today's tough economic times and to provide a voice for the unemployed in Washington," the website first went live 5 years ago. "With the job market continuing to take a turn for the worse, NELP has updated the materials on the website," reports NELP’s Federal Advocacy Coordinator Judy Conti , "with updates on the debate over... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68345 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68345 Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:38:05 CDT The lives of the farm workers who put food on our tables are vividly rendered in a photo exhibit on view through Friday at the Mexican Cultural Institute. In The Migrant Project, photographer and writer Rick Nahmias documents the work and lives of California farm workers, a "virtually invisible underclass whose days begin in darkness and involve unending hours of stoop labor under the blinding sun," says Nahmias in the text that accompanies the photographs. Nahmias succeeds brilliantly in... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68306 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68306 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:19:13 CDT “Every place I go,” Senator and Presidential candidate John McCain said recently, “there are AFL-CIO protestors saying I’m a Bush continuation with the war, etc…well, I am.” Labor activists will gather outside a high-dollar fundraiser for McCain tonight to highlight his support of President Bush’s economic agenda, including flawed trade deals like the one Bush is proposing this week with Colombia. As part of the AFL-CIO’s national “McCain Revealed” campaign, DC workers... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68307 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68307 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:21:09 CDT Dozens of Montgomery County union members hit the doors Saturday for labor-endorsed County Council candidate Nancy Navarro, who's running in a special April 15 election to replace the late Marilyn Praisner. “A majority of the union members we polled over the weekend are supporting Nancy,” reports Metro Council Political Mobilizer Rick Powell. “Turn-out will be low on the 15th so getting the union vote out for this terrific pro-working family candidate is the key to victory.” The next... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68308 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68308 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:22:32 CDT Ironworkers Local 5 has purchased 1,000 tickets for the Second Annual Labor Night with the Nats and will get to choose someone to throw out the first pitch, reports Community Services Agency Executive Director Kathleen McKirchy. “Local 5 has again stepped up to the plate to be one of the premiere sponsors of this year’s event,” says McKirchy. “Unions that purchase 50 or more tickets can still get their name on the new High Definition scoreboard.” To order your tickets, contact... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68309 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68309 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:23:47 CDT US Economic Woes Only Beginning for Workers: Following Friday's news that the US lost 80,000 jobs in March, the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) is predicting that job loss is likely to accelerate in coming months, reports Doug Cunningham of Workers Independent News. "CEPR economist Dean Baker says the March jobs loss report removes all doubt," that the US is already in recession, reports Cunningham. Over the past three months, workers' wages - growing by only 2.5 percent - have... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68303 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68303 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:58:33 CDT Metro transit workers won a year-long fight to increase worker safety last Tuesday when the DC City Council passed a bill that “increased penalties for assaulting a Metro transit operator by 50 percent,” reported Taryn Luntz in last Wednesday’s Examiner. “This will protect not only the bus operators, but also the riding public, because when that happens to a bus operator, the public is in danger also,” ATU Local 689 President Jackie Jeter told Luntz. Local 689 �" which represents... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68304 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68304 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:03:15 CDT Labor Pulls Out of DC Labor-Management Program: Labor told the DC City Council Friday it was pulling out of DC Labor-Management Partnership Programs. Stymied by the administration's unilateral decision-making, lack of information-sharing and continued refusal to meet with labor representatives for over a year, frustrated labor leaders testified Friday that they were pulling out of the previously successful partnerships. "You cannot have a partnership without a partner," Metro Council... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68305 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68305 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:04:35 CDT Bodine in at Sprinkler Fitters: John D. Bodine Sr. took over as Sprinkler Fitters Local 669 Business Manager earlier this year. “Local 669 has recently signed several contracts of newly organized contractors,” Bodine reports on the 669 website. “This doesn’t just happen. Our devoted Business Agents and Organizers have been taking care of our business. That is why our business is growing, because we are growing our business.” New Digs for DC-Balto AFTRA-SAG: Washington-Baltimore... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68298 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68298 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:48:36 CDT Negotiators for the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild won improved buyouts for Washington Post employees, report Rick Weiss and Allan Lengel on the Guild website. Buyout improvements and eligibility have become major issues as Post managers have been pushing workers to take the buyouts - which are voluntary -- or risk an "unsavory job change," the Guild reports. "Guild negotiators pressed hard to rectify the grossly unfair eligibility rules proposed by The Post," which would have... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68299 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68299 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:50:25 CDT This year's Labor Seder will focus on DC voting rights and workers' rights. The April 15 event �" organized by Jews United for Justice �" features an evening of speakers, song, text study, discussion, and action. Light refreshments and ritual foods will be provided, and childcare, a children's program, and Spanish translation are available. Pre-registration required: click here to register online; all those who pre-register online by Friday, April 11 will be entered in a raffle to receive a... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68300 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68300 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:53:23 CDT Republican presidential candidate John McCain's "sorry record on working family issues like the economy, jobs, trade, health care, retirement security and the freedom to bargain" will be exposed Tuesday when local activists leaflet a McCain finance reception at the posh Willard hotel in downtown DC. Wednesday, McCain was a no-show in Annapolis, when workers invited him to join them in a discussion about jobs, the housing crisis and the economy, and working families have been getting the word... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68301 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68301 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:54:51 CDT ACE-AFSCME Local 2250’s 2nd Annual Dinner and Appreciation Awards Night is scheduled for April 26 in Bowie. “Tickets and ad space in our program book are still available,” says Local 2250 President Faith Jones. Ads are due by April 11. Contact Renee Dixon at 301-809-0472 or renee.dixon@ace-afscme.org for more info. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68302 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68302 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:55:58 CDT While Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg accepted an industry award inside, dozens of red-clad CWA members and labor activists rallied and leafleted outside a downtown Marriott Hotel Wednesday night (r) to protest Verizon's refusal to bring improved high-speed FiOS technology to DC. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68230 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68230 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:47:11 CDT Hundreds of experienced DC teachers - tired of battling declining working conditions and School Chancellor Michelle Rhee's controversial initiatives - may soon be leaving in droves to take advantage of a proposed early-retirement program, Washington Teachers Union Local 6 President George Parker told V. Dion Haynes of the Washington Post last Thursday. "Parker and others said veteran teachers are particularly upset at Rhee over plans to close 23 under-enrolled schools and to overhaul 27... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68231 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68231 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:56:18 CDT "Soon it will be the workplace for Ryan Zimmerman, Dmitri Young and other members of the Washington Nationals. But for nearly two years, the sprawling site off South Capitol Street SE was the domain of men and women who wore hard hats instead of baseball helmets, leather boots instead of spikes," wrote Washington Post reporter Hamil R. Harris last week. "More than 2,700 people helped build the ballpark -- immigrants, war veterans, people on their first jobs, longtime D.C. residents,... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68232 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68232 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:59:04 CDT Union members will hit the doors in Montgomery County Saturday morning for labor-endorsed candidate Nancy Navarro. Navarro - who is running for the Montgomery County Council District 4 seat vacated by the recent death of Councilmember Marilyn Praisner - received the Metro Council's endorsement at last month's Delegate meeting (Navarro Wins Council Endorsement 3/19/08 UC). Walks will continue every Saturday leading up to the special election on April 15. To volunteer or for more info, contact... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68233 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68233 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 09:01:55 CDT Students from universities across DC picketed in solidarity with Florida farmworkers’ campaign for better wages and working conditions outside the K St NW Burger King Wednesday. The students chanted “Down, down with exploitation! Up, up with fair food nation!” and asked the rush hour crowds to sign petitions in support of the campaign. Following the picket students delivered a letter to the downtown BK’s management. The action was part of the DC Student-Labor Week of Action. The Week... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68208 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68208 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:13:29 CDT Area supermarket workers overwhelmingly approved a new 4-year contract Tuesday. Nearly 10,000 Safeway and Giant workers �" members of UFCW Local 400 �" turned out for the vote at the DC Armory on a contract proposal that maintained pension benefits and no co-pay on healthcare benefits, as well as guaranteeing that Safeway and Giant will cover any increases in healthcare costs. Pay raises over the life of the contract for those at the top of the wage scale - which includes 70% of the current... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68209 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68209 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:14:51 CDT Workers and labor activists will ask Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg tonight why the cable giant is leaving DC out of the high-speed loop. "Verizon is building a world-class, high speed network - called FiOS - throughout the metropolitan area - but not in DC," says the Connect-DC campaign. The activists will picket and leaflet Seidenberg tonight at 6P as he accepts an industry award. "Verizon is neglecting its customers by denying DC access to the best available technology," says Connect-DC.... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68210 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68210 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:16:40 CDT “I was disappointed that Daniel Day-Lewis won an Oscar for ‘There Will Be Blood,’” writes labor photojournalist David Bacon on the truthout website. “Not because he's not a great actor (he is), but because the movie was such a betrayal of the book on which it was based.” While Upton Sinclair's novel “Oil” “unearths a crucial part of the hidden history of our own working class movement,” Bacon says “the movie is devoid of the social conflict that is the book's main... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68211 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68211 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:17:55 CDT Honey on MLK Labor: Labor historian Mike Honey discusses his new book “Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King’s Last Campaign” Monday at the AFL-CIO. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68212 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68212 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:20:30 CDT Inspirational Mother: “What a fantastic film! I learned so much about Mother Jones,” writes Pamela Wilson about the 3/28 DC Labor FilmFest screening of "Mother Jones” at the AFL-CIO. “How admirable and incredibly inspiring she was! The music was wonderful, too. Many thanks for another terrific Friday lunch-time at the movies.” Getting Mojo: “Can you send me the info on how to get the MoJones film?” asks Chester Hartman. “I'd like to list it in the Resources section of the next... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68205 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68205 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:04:17 CDT Metro Council President Jos Williams and AFL-CIO Organizing Director Stewart Acuff will join students and labor activists for a rally tonight at 5:15P to kick-off the DC Student-Labor Week of Action. A picket outside the K St NW Burger King to support Florida farmworkers will follow the rally. "Farm workers who pick tomatoes for the fast-food industry are among this country's most exploited workers," says the AFL-CIO Working Families E-Activist Network. "They sometimes are held against their... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68206 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68206 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:09:06 CDT Nursing Home Workers Picket Manor Care: More than 50 1199SEIU workers and supporters picketed outside of Carlyle/Manor Care of Dulaney Nursing Home in Towson, MD last Friday, March 28 to protest management’s failure to reach a fair contract agreement. After months of negotiations, “management refuses to budge on key issues including affordable health care, decent pension benefits and contributing to a training and upgrading fund for workers,” reports Local 1199SEIU. “If the bosses... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68207 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68207 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:11:04 CDT Over one hundred Indian workers rallied outside the White House Monday afternoon to demand an end to human trafficking and the exploitation of workers under guest worker programs. Workers met with Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen on Thursday to pressure him to hold their employer - Signal International - accountable for human trafficking and forcing the workers to work in slavery-like conditions (Indian Workers March on Embassy 3/28/08 UC). For more info on the Indian workers campaign for justice,... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68201 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68201 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:58:05 CDT UFCW Locals 400 and 27 report they have reached a tentative agreement with Giant Food and Safeway which will be submitted to the membership on Tuesday, April 1. “Community support was vital to winning this agreement,” Local 400 President James Lowthers said Sunday. Activists and allies are urged to continue support activities �" especially the worker support cards �" through Tuesday, when the contract ratification vote will be held. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68202 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68202 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:59:24 CDT Today at noon, Mike Honey, one of America’s foremost labor and civil rights historians will speak and sign copies of his new book, "Going Down Jericho Road: The Memphis Strike, Martin Luther King’s Last Campaign." Honey will share the workers’ stories at a lunch discussion and book-signing at the AFL-CIO, where he’ll recount how the strike became a local movement and then coalesced into the Poor People’s Campaign. A question-and-answer session will follow Honey’s slide and film... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68203 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68203 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:01:01 CDT DC Vote Cancels March: Plans for a Voting Rights March on April 16 have been canceled, due to the visit by Pope Benedict XVI that day. “With disrupted traffic and public safety resources focused on the Pope's visit, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for thousands of DC citizens to gather in support of voting rights on April 16,” said Ilir Zherka, DC Vote Executive Director. “It is unfortunate that District residents will not have their voices heard on this special holiday,... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68204 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68204 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:02:01 CDT Now that the new Nationals Stadium is officially open, the next big day there is the 2nd annual Labor Night at the Nats! Mark your calendar for Friday, July 11 and stay tuned for details. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68139 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68139 Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:14:49 CDT Chanting "Inquilab, zindabad" ("long live revolution"), 70 Indian workers and their supporters marched into the Indian Embassy Thursday afternoon to demand the Indian government hold high-level talks with US officials to stop the abuses of the guest worker program and take legal action against Signal International. The workers - who arrived after a weeklong trek from New Orleans -- packed into the atrium of the Indian Embassy and told Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen their stories of exploitation... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68192 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68192 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:43:59 CDT Security officer Jaime Carrasco looked over his notes in the cold rain Thursday afternoon outside a downtown DC office building. "I have diabetes and need medication," said Carrasco, rehearsing what he planned to say to building property management officials. "Security officers need health coverage we can depend on for us and our families." Carrasco and a delegation of fellow security officers and faith leaders planned to tell their stories and ask officials of the building management... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68197 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68197 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:50:19 CDT Chanting "Inquilab, zindabad" ("long live revolution"), 70 Indian workers and their supporters marched into the Indian Embassy Thursday afternoon to demand the Indian government hold high-level talks with US officials to stop the abuses of the guest worker program and take legal action against Signal International. The workers - who arrived after a weeklong trek from New Orleans -- packed into the atrium of the Indian Embassy and told Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen their stories of exploitation... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68198 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68198 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:52:04 CDT Workers at Carlyle/Manor Care of Dulaney Nursing Home in Towson, Maryland will rally outside the facility today against management's refusal to the negotiate a fair contract. "After months of negotiations, management refuses to budge on key issues including affordable health care, decent pension benefits and contributing to a training and upgrading fund for workers," reports 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, which represents workers at the facility. The Carlyle Group - a DC private... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68199 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68199 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:53:20 CDT Women's History Month wraps up with film, poetry and song today and tomorrow. Today at noon, United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts introduces a special free DC Labor FilmFest screening of "Mother Jones: America's Most Dangerous Woman." The 23-minute documentary about labor heroine, Mary "Mother" Jones shows how Mother Jones' transformed her personal and political grief and rage into an effective persona that led workers into battles that changed the course of history.... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68200 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68200 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:55:23 CDT Secretary of Labor Chao Bars Labor B'Day Surprise: Department of Labor (DOL) workers - members of AFGE Local 12 - were barred from delivering 25,000 letters Wednesday to Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao demanding she stop trampling workers' rights, reports the Shame on Elaine website. DOL security told workers they "had been monitoring the Shame on Elaine website, and that [they] would not allow the letters to be delivered to Secretary Chao," reported Local 12. Security also told the workers... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68042 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68042 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:43:39 CDT Indian guest workers will hold a series of actions in the coming days to pressure Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen to take legal action against their employer for human trafficking and forcing workers into slavery-like working conditions. The workers claim that recruiters for Signal International -- a marine construction company -- promised them decent wages and "green cards" but, when they arrived in the US, were forced into "substandard housing with 24 men crammed into a small room for which... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68187 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68187 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:31:33 CDT Reporting “little progress,” UFCW Local 400 President C. James Lowthers told UNION CITY! Wednesday night that “the parties remain very far apart” after two straight days of contract talks with Giant and Safeway. “The support by area labor, community and religious activists has been a huge help,” Lowthers told UNION CITY! Wednesday. With negotiations continuing as Saturday’s contract expiration draws closer, “We urge all our supporters to step up their activities supporting... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68188 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68188 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:32:49 CDT MD House Funds State Worker Contracts: The budget passed last week by the Maryland House included funds for state employee contracts negotiated last year. “When some legislators called for a reduction of the pay raise, AFSCME members hit the phones and the emails,” reports AFSCME MD. “We spoke out about the need to recruit and retain state employees in order to assure that Maryland is safer and able to provide the educational, health and social services that are critical to so many.”... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68189 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68189 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:34:34 CDT When Deloah Roycroft first heard what her tax refund would be, she was sure that a mistake had been made by her tax preparer. After using a tax service for years, Deloah, a GNA at Rock Glen Nursing and Rehab Center in Baltimore, decided to use 1199SEIU’s free tax service after she got a brochure in the mail. Deloah and the 331 other people who used 1199SEIU’s free tax services received $573,000 in refunds for their 2007 taxes. Click here to read the full story. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68190 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68190 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:36:22 CDT Indian guest workers will hold a series of actions in the coming days to pressure Indian Ambassador Ronen Sen to take legal action against their employer for human trafficking and forcing workers into slavery-like working conditions. The workers claim that recruiters for Signal International -- a marine construction company -- promised them decent wages and “green cards” but, when they arrived in the US, were forced into “substandard housing with 24 men crammed into a small room for... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68191 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68191 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:40:37 CDT The FDR Memorial includes images of workers, but they’re easy to miss. While tourists �" especially school kids �" love to take pictures of each other on George Segal’s "The Breadline," few give more than passing glance to Robert Graham's bas-relief sculpture nearby. Barely visible to the eye, images slightly protrude from the weathered surfaces of six-foot-square panels and half a dozen columns. “They are the faces of a distant, desperate time. A time of withered farms and shuttered... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68183 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68183 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:23:37 CDT “After handing out flyers in front of the Burke [VA] Center Giant, I wanted to see if the customers were delivering the cards to the UFCW Giant employees,” says OPEIU Local 2 member Joyce Putnam about a solidarity leafleting action she participated in over the weekend. “Sure enough, there were stacks of cards on their registers! The cashiers were so appreciative and commented on the many customers that had wished them well.” Solidarity actions continue throughout the week. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68184 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68184 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:25:36 CDT The National Labor College will screen “Mother Jones: The Most Dangerous Woman in America” today at noon. The free NLC screening follows a showing of the film at the AFT earlier this month (Teaching Mother Jones 3/17/08 UC) and precedes an AFL-CIO screening of the film �" with an introduction by United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts �" this Friday. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68185 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68185 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:26:47 CDT The growing problem of worker misclassification by employers will be discussed at the Labor Employment Relations Association DC Chapter’s luncheon forum today. Judy Conti, Federal Advocacy Coordinator of the National Employment Law Project, and Erin Johansson, a Research Associate at American Rights at Work, will discuss how worker misclassification is used to deny workers’ rights, withhold tax revenue, and undercut businesses that follow the law. The forum comes on the heels of the... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68186 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68186 Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:28:49 CDT Labor Crashes Secretary of Labor Chao’s Birthday: Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao will get a surprise birthday present of over 20,000 letters condemning her disregard for workers today, reports American Rights at Work. “Elaine Chao hasn't given America's workers anything to celebrate about,” say American Rights at Work. She has “ruthlessly ignored safety standards, dispensed no-bid handouts to big business, and rolled back workers' rights…Why should she be allowed to cut the cake and... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67998 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67998 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:22:54 CDT "What! Safeway's hiring strike breakers?!...Apoye los trabajadores de Safeway y Giant!...That's right, grocery workers need fair contracts." These were some of the responses outside Giant and Safeway stores across the metro DC region last weekend as activists hit the streets to support supermarket workers. In Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights, Rhode Island Avenue, Tenleytown and Northern Virginia last Saturday, activists leafleted outside supermarkets in support of a good and fair contract that... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67999 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67999 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:49:33 CDT "We knew people were hurting but now we know so much more about who they are and how much pain they are in," says AFL-CIO President John Sweeney as the AFL-CIO releases the results of "one of the largest opinion polls ever conducted on health care in the U.S." this afternoon. "Person after person told us their heart-wrenching stories, saying they just want elected officials to understand what people are going through," says Sweeney. More than 26,000 union, non-union, insured, and uninsured... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68000 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68000 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 09:55:26 CDT Burton In As CSO Prez: L. Nelson Burton has been elected President of the Council of School Officers (CSO) Local 4. CSO members also elected Aona Jefferson Executive Vice President, Valoria Baylor Secretary and Otto Jordan Treasurer. JWJ Staff Updates: Treston Davis-Faulkner is the new national Jobs With Justice (JWJ) Interim Field Director; he's been JWJ's Southern Regional Field Organizer for the last 5 years, working with local coalitions throughout the southern region. New JWJ field... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68001 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68001 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:35:20 CDT Opening Day is coming and so is the 2nd Annual Labor Night at the Nats! Mark your calendar for Friday, July 11 and stay tuned for details. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68003 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/68003 Wed, 26 Mar 2008 11:19:23 CDT Access information on all labor mediation cases between 2002 and 2007 on the Bargaining at Work website where you can download the National Mediation Board (NMB) Database. Email the AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Department at cbd@aflcio.org for details. �" AFL-CIO Collective Bargaining Digest http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67983 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67983 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:15:51 CDT Doris Reed (with Metro Council President Jos Williams, r, and EWL Chairman Fred Allen), Executive Director of the Association of Supervisory Administrative School Personnel, received the JC Turner Award for Outstanding Trade Unionist of the Year at the Metro Washington Council's 31st Annual Evening with Labor Saturday night. Watch UNION CITY! and our website later this week for more event photos. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67986 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67986 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:23:24 CDT UFCW Local 400 reports "no progress" in ongoing supermarket contract talks and says "Strike preparations have gone very well and will be completely in place by Wednesday, March 26." Area labor, community and religious allies hit over a dozen area supermarkets with leafleting actions this weekend as well as passing out support cards to grocery workers throughout the area: click here to find out how to get involved in your neighborhood this week. "We've got a big fight on April 1," a checkout... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67987 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67987 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:31:41 CDT Connect-DC Campaign in The News: Connect-DC's campaign to get Verizon to bring high-speed Fios fiber optics service to DC was reported in the Washington Business Journal on March 14. "By highlighting Verizon's decision to deploy Fios first in Maryland and Virginia rather than in DC," reported Darlene Darcy, "the labor groups are accusing the telecom of neglecting the city's existing copper-based phone networks -- and of moving jobs from the city -- as it upgrades the suburbs with the latest... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67988 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67988 Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:36:19 CDT The Metro DC Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) is running their "Gotta CLUW Jeopardy" women's history contest again this year. Prizes include two free tickets to CLUW's Gloria Johnson Award Luncheon, a full-year CLUW membership for both the national and local chapter, and a CLUW sweater. Answers must be received by April 22. Winners will be announced at the Metro DC CLUW meeting on April 25. Winners must be present at the meeting to receive a prize. Click here to download the questions.... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67949 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67949 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:52:59 CDT UN Agency Finds NLRB Violating Workers' Rights: A key international agency ruled today that the Bush administration's National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is denying workers' rights in violation of international labor standards. The International Labor Organization's (ILO's) Committee on Freedom of Association held that the NLRB's definitions of "supervisor" in the Oakwood cases violates freedom of association standards by excluding staff that only occasionally perform supervisory duties... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67946 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67946 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:35:51 CDT "I told a check-out clerk at the Wisconsin Ave/Newark St Giant that I did not appreciate Giant having job fairs and interviewing workers while (contract) negotiations were under way," says activist Brian Powers in his grocery worker solidarity action report back. "She replied that interviewing was not the same thing as hiring and she expected to get a contract. Her confidence in her union was clear and she was equally clear that she expected a contract." Powers is one of hundreds taking... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67945 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67945 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:33:52 CDT This year's Outstanding Trade Unionist is Doris Reed of the Association of Supervisory and Administrative School Personnel (ASASP). Reed - who will receive the JC Turner Outstanding Trade Unionist Award at Saturday night's Evening with Labor -- has been "an active member of the Metro Council Executive Board, turning out the union members for endorsed-candidate campaigns, participating actively in endorsement interviews, supporting the Council's political initiatives, lobbying for labor in... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67950 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67950 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:01:56 CDT Uno New APALA Executive Director: Malcolm Amado Uno was unanimously chosen by the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance Board of Directors to become Executive Director. Uno joined APALA last August as its Deputy Director (Labor on the Move 8/20/07 UC). Photo courtesy of the APALA DC Chapter http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67951 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67951 Mon, 24 Mar 2008 10:11:23 CDT "We are deeply concerned that the [Iraqi] government is not taking the necessary steps to promote fundamental worker rights, which we regard as a cornerstone of a functioning democracy and a fair economy," say Congress members Jan Schakowski (D-IL) and Linda Sanchez (D-CA), in a letter this week to their House colleagues. The letter is part of a campaign to have Congress members call on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki to recognize and respect labor rights in Iraq. "Of particular concern... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67895 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67895 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:14:53 CDT Northern Virginia labor activists will kick-off a two-week blitz of solidarity actions for grocery workers throughout the Metro DC area by leafleting customers outside an Annandale Giant tonight at 6:30P. “Community support for grocery workers is the key to victory,” said Metro Council President Jos Williams. “It’s inspiring to see so many of our allies and activists stepping up in such a short time!” Grocery workers are fighting Giant and Safeway’s demands for give backs on... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67896 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67896 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:17:37 CDT Metro Council President Jos Williams and DC JWJ Director Mackenzie Baris (left) lead a workshop on "Working with Community Allies and Working America" at the AFL-CIO Northeast State Federation CLC Regional Conference, which wrapped up Wednesday at the National Labor College. http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67897 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67897 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:19:18 CDT This year’s Evening With Labor Organizing Awards will go to 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East for their work to organize DC homecare workers and SEIU Local 500 for their victories for home-based child care providers in Maryland and part-time faculty at George Washington University. More than 200 DC homecare workers voted to join 1199SEIU in July of last year, the first time such workers have organized in the District. Nearly 6,000 child care workers - who take care of some 70,000... http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67898 http://www.dclabor.org/ht/d/ArticleDetails/i/67898 Fri, 21 Mar 2008 09:20:28 CDT ATU 689’s James Allen, Jr’s political action activities will be recognized with the 2007 COPE Award at Saturday night’s 31st Evening With Labor. Allen, former president of ATU 689, has been extremely active since h