A young Fredericksburg mother and union member is facing deportation back to the abuse that she fled 14 years ago. Wendy Contreras, a Washington-Baltimore News Guild member who works at CASA de Maryland, is in deportation proceedings after being picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement recently. She fled Spain in 2002 after enduring years of abuse from her alcoholic stepfather. She's now married and has two young children born here in the United States. CASA is leading a campaign on Contreras' behalf, reaching out to organizations and institutions she has worked with for letters of support and on Sunday the Guild sent a letter of support to the Department of Homeland Security. "Wendy has been a model employee at CASA fighting for the benefits of all people," wrote Guild Executive Director Cet Parks, "Wendy is a huge contributor to our American community." Metro Council Executive Director Carlos Jimenez has also sent a letter of support and nearly 500 people have already signed a petition supporting Contreras. You'll find that petition on our website at dclabor.org
For the latest local labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. Here’s today's labor history: On this date in 1877, 30 workers were killed by federal troops in Chicago, and more than 100 wounded at the "Battle of the Viaduct" during the Great Railroad Strike. In 1894, President Grover Cleveland appointed a United States Strike Committee to investigate the causes of the Pullman strike and the subsequent strike by the American Railway Union. Later that year the commission issued its report, absolving the strikers and blaming Pullman and the railroads for the conflict. In 1948, President Harry Truman issued Executive Order 9981, directing equality of opportunity in armed forces. And on this date in 1992, the Americans With Disabilities Act took effect. It requires employers to offer reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities and bans discrimination against such workers. Today’s labor quote is by president George Herbert Walker Bush, when he signed the Americans With Disabilities Act "Many of our fellow citizens with disabilities are unemployed. They want to work, and they can work."
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The DC Zoning Commission took an important step last week to expand affordable housing in the District, with a vote to strengthen the city’s Inclusionary Zoning program.
The Commission’s action largely adopts the recommendations of the DC Campaign for Inclusionary Zoning, a group of affordable housing advocates and supporters. Carlos Jimenez, Executive Director of the Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO, said that “By strengthening this affordable housing policy, the Zoning Commission helps ensure working people can still call DC home." As a result of the Commission’s action, IZ will generate over 2,600 affordable apartments for low-income families over the next five to ten years, based on the pace of new development which has climbed to a 25-year high. For the latest local labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. Here’s today's labor history: On this date in 1877, workers staged a general strike—believed to be the nation’s first—in St. Louis, in support of striking railroad workers. The successful strike was ended when some 3,000 federal troops and 5,000 deputized special police killed at least eighteen people in skirmishes around the city. In 1937, fifteen “living dead women” testified before the Illinois Industrial Commission. They were “Radium Girls,” women who died prematurely after working at clock and watch factories, where they were told to wet small paintbrushes in their mouths so they could dip them in radium to paint dials. A Geiger counter passed over graves in a cemetery near Ottawa, Illinois still registers the presence of radium. Today’s labor quote is by Frederick Douglass “The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.” Jennifer Bryant and Chris Garlock sit in for Bill Fletcher on "Arise!"
Guests include: Ken Zinn, National Nurses United (DNC delegate serving on the Rules Committee) discusses this week's Republican Convention and previews next week's Democratic Convention. Kate Miller-Byrne, Organizer, Kentucky Workers League, Steering Committee Member, DNC Socialist Convergence: previews plans for the DNC Desiree Kane, Democracy Spring: previews plans for the DNC Union City Radio’s Chris Garlock hosts, with co-host Ed Smith, Executive Director of DCNA. This week's guests: Adam Yalowitz, Unite Here 27: D.C. airport food and retail workers and Ethiopian community leaders held rallies Tuesday at National Airport Julius Getman, author of the new book “The Supreme Court on Unions: Why Labor Law is Failing American Workers” (he also wrote “The Betrayal of Local 14”) Labor Song of the Week: The Supremes “These Boots Are Made for Walking” |
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