The House of Representatives was expected to debate a bill this week that would undermine worker rights at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
However, it appears that the bill has been pulled from floor consideration because Republican leaders lack the votes needed for approval. 
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer said that “This legislation unfairly targets federal employees in the Department of Veterans Affairs by significantly limiting their ability to be adequately represented by their unions, interfering with union leadership elections, and severely limiting the ability of union representatives to communicate with Members of Congress."

On today's labor calendar,
MAGPIE performs tonight at the DC LaborFest. Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner will be Live@5 from the Takoma Busboys and Poets and then will do another set from 6:30-8p; both performances are free and they’ll also be the official release of Magpie's new CD "When We Stand Together: Songs of Joe Hill, the IWW, and Fellow Workers."
Complete details, as always, at dclabor.org. click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1903, an estimated 100,000 textile workers, including more than 10,000 children, struck in the Philadelphia area. Among the issues: 60-hour workweeks, including night hours, for the children.
In 1934, the Battle of Toledo began today: a five-day running battle between roughly 6,000 strikers at the Electric Auto-Lite company of Toledo, Ohio, and 1,300 members of the Ohio National Guard. Two strikers died and more than 200 were injured. The battle began in the sixth week of what ultimately became a successful two-month fight for union recognition and higher pay.
On this date in 1946, a U.S. railroad strike started, but was later crushed when President Truman threatened to draft the strikers.

Today’s labor quote is by George Carlin
American stand-up comic, actor, author, and social critic George Carlin, who said:
“Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that.”

Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.

Unless AT&T Mobility came to the bargaining table with a fair proposal last Friday, communications workers are on strike today. You can get details on which metro-area stores are being picketed on our website at dclabor.org
The Communication Workers of America was preparing a three-day strike to begin last Friday that will affect some 40,000 workers at AT&T, which made $13 billion in profits last year; CEO Randall Stephenson alone made $28 million. 
"The clock is ticking for AT&T to make good on its promise to preserve family-supporting jobs," said CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor late last week. 
"We have made every effort to bargain in good faith with AT&T but have been met with delays and excuses. Our message is clear: fair contract or strike. It's up to AT&T now." 

On today's labor calendar, 
Get the latest on the strike at AT&T at dclabor.org, click on Calendar.
And tonight’s DC LaborFest screening is “Native Land” at 7:15pm at the AFI Silver Theatre. Narrated by Paul Robeson, Native Land employs a cast of familiar character actors in a story of how certain enemies within the US have done their best to suppress their fellow citizens' rights to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly and freedom from want. This 1942 film directed by Leo Hurwitz and Paul Strand, echoes today's depictions of capitalism’s war on the common man.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1895, Eugene V. Debs was imprisoned in Woodstock, Illinois for role in the Pullman strike
And in 1920, the Civil Service Retirement Act of 1920 gave federal workers a pension.

Today’s labor quote is by Eugene V. Debs, who said
“The issue is Socialism versus Capitalism. I am for Socialism because I am for humanity. We have been cursed with the reign of gold long enough.”

Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.

Three former employees of Certified Building Services have won over $16,000 in back pay and other benefits they lost when CBS illegally fired them for engaging in protected union activity.
The National Labor Relations Board approved a settlement earlier this month in which CBS must also compensate UFCW 1994/MCGEO for expenses incurred during the campaign to organize employees working under the janitorial company's contract with Montgomery County.
The workers were fired and threatened with deportation in response to a union organizing campaign by Local 1994.
CBS also agreed to stop its anti-union campaign and allow NLRB representatives to train its supervisors and managers on employee rights under the National Labor Relations Act.

On today's labor calendar,
Alexandria-based filmmaker Aldo Bellow will present excerpts from his award-winning film “DREAM – An American Story” at noon today at the AFL-CIO as part of the ongoing DC LaborFest. The 1-hour screening is free; you can bring your lunch.
And at 5:30 the Labor Heritage Foundation hosts their annual Solidarity Forever Awards, also at the AFL-CIO; go to laborheritage.org for ticket info.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1920, a shootout took place in Matewan, West Virginia between striking union miners (led by Police Chief Sid Hatfield) and coal company agents. Ten died, including seven agents. This was the inspiration for John Sayles classic labor film “Matewan,” which was released 30 years ago and featured in this year’s DC LaborFest, along with an appearance by Sayles.
And in 1950, dozens of dockworkers were killed, and hundreds more injured when four barges carrying nearly 500 tons of ammunition blew up at South Amboy, New Jersey. They were loading mines that had been deemed unsafe by the Army and were being shipped to the Asian market for sale.

Today’s labor quote is by writer and director John Sayles
"The people I read about in the history books and the people I met in the hills of Kentucky and West Virginia had important stories to tell and I wanted to find a way to pass them on."
 
Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.

The packed audience at Tuesday night's 30th anniversary screening of the labor classic "Matewan" gave director John Sayles an extended standing ovation as he accepted the Tony Mazzocchi Labor Arts Award, named after the co-founder -- with Jos Williams -- of the 17-year-old DC Labor FilmFest, which anchors the DC LaborFest, now in its fourth year.
"What I was able to get into the film is that the process of working people organizing, the process of creating a union with a small 'u,' has been really, really important culturally to this country," said Sayles.
"What it gets to is the concept of 'we.'  Employers throughout history have tried to separate people...it might be race, it might be ethnicity, it might be religion, it might be sex; they've always used that as a tool against working people. What I've seen over the years is that the most successful unions are the ones with the widest definition of 'we.'"
Read the rest of our story and see photos, at dclabor.org

On today's labor calendar,
It’s open phones for your calls today on Union City Radio’s Your Rights at Work from 1 to 2pm,
then at 5pm there’s a NoVA YELL Social hour before the monthly meeting of  NoVA Labor, both in Annandale,
and don’t miss the DC LaborFest’s first Labor 411 Union Beer and Whiskey Tasting tonight at 5:30 at the Phoenix Park Hotel.
Complete details at dclabor.org, click on calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1912, in what may have been baseball’s first labor strike, the Detroit Tigers refused to play after team leader Ty Cobb was suspended: he had gone into the stands and beat a fan who had been heckling him. Cobb was reinstated and the Tigers went back to work after the team manager’s failed attempt to replace the players with a local college team: their pitcher gave up 24 runs.
In 1917, the Amalgamated Meat Cutters union organizers launched a campaign in the nation’s packinghouses, an effort that was to bring representation to 100,000 workers over the following two years.
In 1928, Big Bill Haywood, a founding member and leader of the Industrial Workers of the World, died in exile in the Soviet Union.
And in 1950, Atlanta transit workers, objecting to a new city requirement that they be fingerprinted as part of the employment process, went out on strike.

Today’s labor quote is by "Big Bill" Haywood, who said
“Every dollar that the boss did not work for, one of us worked for a dollar and didn't get it.”
William Dudley "Big Bill" Haywood, who said
“I haven't read Marx's Capital but I've got the marks of capital all over my body.”
 
Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.