In addition to the many woes and missteps that have led to questions about its viability, DC Streetcar now stands accused of illegally firing a third of their employees in retaliation for union organizing. The Amalgamated Transit Union is calling on Metro to take over the beleaguered streetcar agency. “Not only have the Streetcar managers failed in almost every aspect of the development of this new system, but they want to muzzle any criticism by their employees.” said Transit Union President Larry Hanley. “The managers should be fired, not the workers who are trying to make an impossible project work.”
In today’s labor calendar, Dave Zirin – who writes about the politics of sports – will join Etan Thomas and Kevin Blackistone at a WPFW fundraiser tonight at 6:30pm at the Takoma Park Busboys & Poets; go to wpfw.org for details. Here's today's labor history: On this date in 1917, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Adamson Act, a federal law that established an eight-hour workday, with overtime pay, for interstate railway workers. Congress passed the law a year earlier to avert a nationwide rail strike. In 1981, three workers were killed and five were injured during a test of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Today's labor quote is by Robert Alan: “Today, although there are still sweatshops and other inhumane working conditions for many workers around the world, the labor movement has won numerous victories that many of us take for granted, such as the 5-day work week, 8-hour work day, paid holidays and the end of child labor.”
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Maryland state workers rallied last night against cuts by Governor Hogan. The AFSCME Maryland Council 3 members were protesting Hogan’s $144 million dollar cut to education and pay cuts for Maryland state and University employees.
"We have a long road ahead of us," warned Teamsters Local 639 president Tommy Ratliff Saturday night as he accepted the 2014 Award for Outstanding Trades Unionist of the Year. "Everyone here knows what's going on around us; we see what's happening. We have a big fight on our hands. But," Ratliff pledged, "we'll all be in it together." Go to dclabor.org to see photos from the event. In today’s labor calendar, catch a free screening of "Food Chains" with DC Fair Food at 4 pm at Georgetown University; Go to dclabor.org and click on calendar for details. Here's today's labor history: On this date in 1968, staffers at San Francisco progressive rock station KMPX-FM struck, citing corporate control over what music was played and harassment over hair and clothing styles, among other things. The Rolling Stones, Joan Baez, the Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and other musicians requested that the station not play their music as long as the station was run by strikebreakers. In 2000, Boeing and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace came to terms on a new contract, settling the largest white-collar walkout in U.S. history. Today's labor quote is by Joan Baez: “I think music has the power to transform people, and in doing so, it has the power to transform situations - some large and some small.” Joan Baez, who said, “Someone had to change the world. And obviously I was the one for the job.” “Even with a strong union, we often have to confront racism in our workplaces,” writes UFCW 400 shop steward Laverne Wrenn in Labor Notes. “I’ve worked for the Kroger grocery chain in Portsmouth, Virginia, for 16 years, and I know from personal experience what it’s like to fight racism on the job.” Wrenn describes how she and her coworkers took notes, kept records and confronted a racist manager, gaining union solidarity and more membership in her store, as well as eventually ousting the manager. Go to labornotes.org to read Laverne’s complete post.
In today’s labor calendar, 1199SEIU's "We Care for DC" Town Hall Meeting with Tom Perez will take place at 6pm at the Plymouth Congregational Church; Go to dclabor.org and click on calendar for details. Here's today's labor history: On this date in 1970, the Post Office’s first mass work stoppage in 195 years began in New York City. An immediate trigger for the strike was a Congressional decision to raise the wages of postal workers by only 4%, at the same time as Congress raised its own pay by 41% Mail service was virtually paralyzed in several cities, and President Richard Nixon declared a state of emergency. It was two weeks before a settlement was reached. In 1997, the Los Angeles City Council passed the first living wage ordinance in California. And in 2005, Walmart agreed to pay a record $11 million dollars to settle a civil immigration case for using undocumented immigrants to do overnight cleaning at stores in 21 states. Today's labor quote is by Moe Biller, president of the Postal Workers in 1970: “We will not back away from our determination to achieve justice and dignity for all the Postal Workers we represent.” News: Local union members -- members of IATSE Local 487 -- walked off the DC set of the movie “Sharknado 3” last Wednesday in solidarity with the film’s crew now on strike in Los Angeles. Filming on the latest satirical disaster film was underway near the White House when the strike occurred. The LA crew is striking for union representation to ensure health and pension benefits, which the crew of “Sharknado 2” had. “Representatives of the IATSE and its local unions will be present whenever and wherever this production attempts to film in and around Washington, D.C.,” said IATSE’s Dan Mahoney.
In today’s labor calendar, author Hilary Klein speaks on her new book "Compañeras: Zapatista Women’s Stories" at 4pm at Georgetown University, and tonight’s Metro Washington Council Delegate Meeting starts at 6:30pm at the AFL-CIO. Go to dclabor.org and click on calendar for complete details. Here's today's labor history: Refusing to accept a 9-cent wage increase, the United Packinghouse Workers of America on this date in 1948 initiated a nationwide strike against meatpacking companies Swift, Armour, Cudahy, Wilson, Morrell, and others. Packinghouse workers shut down 140 plants around the country. Today's labor quote is by Eleanor Roosevelt: “I have always felt that it was important that everyone who was a worker join a labor organization.” Eleanor Roosevelt, who said, “I am opposed to ‘right to work’ legislation because it does nothing for working people, but instead gives employers the right to exploit labor.” |
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