Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO

Labor-to-labor adds phonebanks and walks

9/19/2018

The DMV labor-to-labor effort expanded this week, adding two phonebanks and canvasses in Annapolis and Baltimore, for a total of nine door-to-door efforts this weekend, six on Saturday and two on Sunday. Two of the local canvasses are hosted by Metro Washington Council affiliates, UFCW 1994/MCGEO and IBEW 26, and NoVA Labor continues their efforts in Northern Virginia. Click here for details and sign-up links. photo: labor canvassers last Saturday in Salisbury, MD; photo courtesy MD/DC AFL-CIO Facebook page

Labor Quote of the Day: Joe Glazer

9/19/2018

There’s no easy answer
there’s no easy cure
Dreaming won’t change it
That’s one thing for sure
But fighting together
we’ll get there someday
And when we have won we will no longer say:
Too old to work, too old to work
When you’re too old to work and you’re too young to die
Who will take care of you
How’ll you get by
When you’re too old to work and too young to die?

from his song “Too Old To Work”

Today's Labor History

9/19/2018

Click here to check out this week's Labor History Today podcast, which includes Solidarity Day memories from ATU's Chris Townsend.

Chinese coal miners forced out of Black Diamond, Wash. - 1885

Between 400,000 and 500,000 unionists converge on Washington D.C., for a Solidarity Day march and rally protesting Republican policies – 1981

Musician and labor educator Joe Glazer, often referred to as “Labor’s Troubadour,” died today at age 88. Some of his more acclaimed songs include "The Mill Was Made of Marble," "Too Old To Work" and "Automaton." In 1979 he and labor folklorist Archie Green convened a meeting of 14 other labor musicians to begin what was to become the annual Great Labor Arts Exchange and, soon thereafter, the Labor Heritage Foundation - 2006

Compiled/edited by Union Communication Services

Parallel meetings show labor engagement

9/18/2018

Delegates to the Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO packed into the President's Room at the AFL-CIO last night (right) for the first meeting of the Fall season. After the traditional summer Council meeting recess -- which was full of local and national labor activities -- the delegates and leaders had a lot to report and share, and the meeting stretched to after 9p. A few blocks away at the DC City Council a hearing (below) on repealing Initiative 77 -- One Fair Wage, which was also a topic of discussion at the Metro Washington Council -- also attracted a large crowd and testimony there also stretched into the evening hours. With the Fall political season well underway -- labor-to-labor walks took place last weekend throughout the region -- the sense of engagement and committed activism was palpable at both the Metro Council and DC City Council meetings. Watch this space for updates soon. photos by Chris Garlock (right) and ROC DC (below)

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