Washington Post employees staged a social media action last Tuesday, tweeting messages of solidarity for a contract under the hashtag “WaPoStrong.”
“I stand by the Washington Post Guild’s fight for equitable pay and against deep severance cuts,” tweeted India bureau chief Annie Gowen. “Contract now!” The employees, organized with the Baltimore-Washington News Guild, have spent the last eight months bargaining a new contract, but the Guild says management is digging in their heels. Employees are bargaining for fair pay raises, greater pension contributions from the company, and longer parental leave. On today's labor calendar, DC Jobs with Justice will hold a Community Meeting tonight from 5:30 to 8pm at St. Stephen's Church, details on our website, dclabor.org, click on calendar. Here’s today's labor history: On this date in 1894, union miners in Cripple Creek, Colorado began a five-month strike that started when mine owners slashed wages to $2.50 a day. The state militia was called out in support of the strikers—the only time in U.S. history that a militia was directed to side with the workers. The strike ended in victory for the union. Today’s labor quote is by Bayard Rustin, who said: "Let us be enraged about injustice, but let us not be destroyed by it." Union City Radio sponsor UnionPlus wants you to know that they’re committed to improving the quality of life of working families through their unique products and services. Find out more at unionplus.org! And we’re supported by listeners like you, who make all the great programming here on WPFW possible: please call now to pledge: 202-588-9739 or 1-800-222-9739 or give online at wpfwfm.org. Thank you!
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Graduate worker unionization efforts at Georgetown made progress late last week after the university committed to recognizing the student workers’ right to unionize. Georgetown said that it’s prepared to sign a groundbreaking agreement for a third-party union election for graduate students, and that it will respect the outcome regardless of whether the NLRB reverses its ruling on the eligibility of graduate students to join a union. The grad workers have been organizing with the Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers.
For the latest local labor events, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. Here’s today's labor history: On this date in 1919, the Seattle General Strike began. The city was run by a General Strike Committee for six days as tens of thousands of union members stopped work in support of 32,000 striking longshoremen. Today’s labor quote is by Rose Schneiderman, an organizer for the Women’s Trade Union League, after the 1909 Triangle Shirtwaist strike. Rose Schneiderman, who said: “a good many girls in this fight have come to know each other’s names and to know a sisterly feeling for the first time in their lives.” Union City Radio sponsor UnionPlus wants you to know that they’re committed to improving the quality of life of working families through their unique products and services. Find out more at unionplus.org! And we’re supported by listeners like you, who make all the great programming here on WPFW possible: please call now to pledge: 202-588-9739 or 1-800-222-9739 or give online at wpfwfm.org. Thank you! Nine years ago, then-President Barack Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law, restoring working women’s right to sue over pay discrimination.
But that fight is far from over. Women continue to face discriminatory pay practices—and the problem is even worse for women of color: Women overall make 80 cents on the dollar that men make. African American women make 63 cents. Native American women make 59 cents. Latinas make 54 cents. This outrageous pay disparity doesn’t just hurt women. Some 40% of working women in the United States are the sole breadwinner for their families. The AFL-CIO is fighting to end this injustice. The first step is collecting and releasing data on gender pay discrimination. Go to dclabor.org for a link to a petition urging the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to collect equal pay data. On today’s labor calendar, there’s a “Save Our System” rally today at 4pm at the Wilson Building, celebrating Transit Equity Day. For details, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. Here’s today's labor history: On this date in 1937, the movie Modern Times premiered. The tale of the tramp, played by Charlie Chaplin, and his paramour, played by Paulette Goddard, mixed slapstick comedy and social satire, as the couple struggled to overcome the difficulties of the machine age, including unemployment and nerve-wracking factory work. Today’s labor quote is by Charlie Chaplin, who said: "We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost." Union City Radio sponsor UnionPlus wants you to know that they’re committed to improving the quality of life of working families through their unique products and services. Find out more at unionplus.org! And we’re supported by listeners like you, who make all the great programming here on WPFW possible: please call now to pledge: 202-588-9739 or 1-800-222-9739 or give online at wpfwfm.org. Thank you! Local labor candidates Gabriel Acevero (UFCW 1994, candidate for State Delegate for Maryland's 39th legislative district), Wala Blegay (DCNA, candidate for Delegate in District 25, Prince George's County and Marlin Jenkins (AFGE, candidate for Maryland House of Delegates District 19) spoke out on prioritizing working family issues in the State Assembly on the February 2 edition of “Arise!” on WPFW, guest-hosted by Union City Radio’s Chris Garlock, and joined by Metro Washington Council Director of Legislative/Political Affairs David Dzidzienyo. photo (l-r): Dzidzienyo, Blegay, Acevero, Jenksins and Garlock; photo by Chris Bangert-Drowns |
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