This Sunday, individuals filing for unemployment benefits in the District of Columbia will see the first increase in their weekly Unemployment Insurance benefits in over ten years. “At a time when more and more people are struggling to get by in the District, we know just how scary suddenly finding yourself without employment can be for working people,” said Metro Washington Labor Council Executive Director Carlos Jimenez. “Critical programs like Unemployment Insurance were created so that no working person will be thrown off the ‘economic cliff’ when they find themselves without a job.” In addition to increasing the maximum weekly UI benefit amount, individuals with part-time earnings are now able to receive a larger portion of their weekly benefits, and seasonal workers and those with inconsistent work histories are now eligible to get up to 26 weeks of benefits. Along with recent increases to the DC minimum wage and other policy proposals like paid-family leave, Jimenez says the UI improvements “will go a long way to making our economy one that allows working families to work and live in the District.”

On today’s labor calendar, author Rana Foroohar will discuss her book “Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business” today at noon at the AFL-CIO; complete details on our website at dclabor.org, click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1899, seventy-year-old Mother Jones organized the wives of striking miners in Arnot, Pennsylvania to descend on the mine with brooms, mops and clanging pots and pans. They frightened away the mules and their scab drivers and the miners eventually won their strike.
In 1919, black farmers met in Elaine, Arkansas to establish the Progressive Farmers and Householders Union to fight for better pay and higher cotton prices.  They were shot at by a group of Whites, and returned the fire. News of the confrontation spread and a riot ensued, leaving at least 100, perhaps several hundred, Blacks dead and 67 indicted for inciting violence.
And in 1962, Cesar Chavez, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later was to become the United Farm Workers of America.

Today’s labor quote is by Dolores Huerta
“Professional farmworkers who know how to do a number of different jobs, whether it be pruning or picking or crafting, they see themselves as professionals, and they take a lot of pride in that work. They don't see themselves as doing work that is demeaning.”

Metro Washington Labor Council Executive Director Carlos Jimenez; author Tula Connell; The Case of the Missing Evidence and American Worker by The Bus Boys. Chris Garlock and David Stephen host; produced by Peter Pocock, engineering by Michael Nassella.

Guests: Metro Washington Labor Council Executive Director Carlos Jimenez on the increase in Unemployment Insurance benefits in DC;  Tula Connell discusses her new book "Conservative Counter-Revolution" and also reports on how a million nurses, teachers, students and state employees in Uzbekistan are forced, through systematic coercion, to leave clinics and classrooms and toil for weeks picking cotton. 

Labor Song: American Worker - The Bus Boys 

FROM THE CAP FILES: The Case of the Missing Evidence
With Lolita Martin of the Claimant Advocacy Program. 
They say that honesty is the best policy but it cost a housekeeper at a major DC hotel her job. Find out how an attorney for the Claimant Advocacy Program won unemployment benefits for the housekeeper. 

Black women voters are the key to electing Hillary Clinton president in November, according to data released Tuesday by the AFL-CIO. The data reveal that black women turn out to vote in higher numbers than other women and, just as they helped President Barack Obama win in 2008 and 2012, can secure the presidency for Hillary Clinton. "Black women cannot afford to sit this election out," said Carmen Berkley, AFL-CIO director of civil, human and women’s rights. "A loss for Secretary Clinton is a loss for the black family, from the White House to the Supreme Court,” said Berkley. “We need to let our communities know what's at stake if we let a divisive fear monger like Donald Trump make decisions that affect everything from our families to our jobs." The AFL-CIO plans large-scale outreach to women union members across the country in key states where black women made the difference in the past presidential election. The new AFL-CIO data indicates that black women participate in leadership in America’s unions at a greater percentage than their actual unionization rates, making these women a force and the foundation for political change.

On today’s labor calendar, check out this week’s edition of “Your Rights At Work” at 1pm here on WPFW, when we’ll take your calls about worker rights, plus we’ll visit with Rana Foroohar – author of “Makers and Takers: The Rise of Finance and the Fall of American Business” and Tula Connell – author of “Conservative Counterrevolution: Challenging Liberalism in 1950s Milwaukee” -- and we’ll hear about the power of black women’s vote from Carmen Berkley. It all starts here on WPFW 89.3 FM at 1pm; get complete details on our website at dclabor.org; click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 2010, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of Europe, striking against government austerity measures. Workers in more than a dozen countries participated, including Spain, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, Ireland, Slovenia, and Lithuania, protesting job losses, retirement deferments, pension reductions, and cuts to schools, hospitals, and welfare services.

Today’s labor quote is by Petee Talley
"Black women are born organizers. We know what our families and communities need to thrive, and we vote for candidates who can deliver."
Petee Talley is secretary-treasurer of the Ohio AFL-CIO, the first black woman to hold that position.

Nearly 300 janitors who clean and maintain the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center have ratified a new contract that maintains their employer’s contributions into the workers’ pension fund. A week ago, the workers – members of SEIU 32BJ -- voted to authorize a strike to protest Ace Janitorial Services’ previous proposal to undermine retirement security for cleaners, many of whom have worked at Walter Reed for decades. “Protecting the health and safety of our nation’s veterans is a job we take very seriously,” said Helen Ávalos, a janitor at Walter Reed. “We are happy to put this ordeal behind us knowing that we can someday retire with dignity.” 
Read more on our website at dclabor.org, where you can also find out about the latest local labor events and actions by clicking on Calendar. 

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1864, the International Workingmen’s Association was founded in London. It was an international organization trying to unite a variety of different left-wing, socialist, communist and anarchist political groups and unions. It lasted for about 12 years, growing to a membership of eight million, before disbanding at its Philadelphia conference in 1876, victim of infighting brought on by the wide variety of members’ philosophies. 

Today’s labor quote is by Karl Marx
“The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it.”
Marx was a somewhat obscure 46-year-old émigré journalist when he attended the 1864 founding of the International Workingmen’s Association, but he soon come to play a decisive role in the organization.

If you're feeling inspired by last night's debate to help get out the vote, the AFL-CIO and NoVA Labor are running phonebanks all week; details are on our website at dclabor.org; click on calendar. 

On today's local labor calendar, check out “Pray for the Dead-A Musical Tale of Morgues, Moguls and Mutiny” tonight at 7:30pm. The performance benefits Reverend Graylan Hagler’s Plymouth Congregational Church. “Reverend Hagler and Plymouth have played a central role in many of the most progressive movements in our area for years," says the musical’s author, Gene Bruskin. "The church is undergoing extensive and expensive renovation to make it fully accessible and deserves the community’s full support.” 
For complete details and all the latest local labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1875, striking textile workers in Fall River, Massachusetts demanded bread for their starving children. 
In 1909, the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union began a strike against the Triangle Shirtwaist Company. This would become the "Uprising of the 20,000," resulting in 339 of 352 struck firms—but not Triangle—signing agreements with the union. The deadly Triangle fire that killed 246 -- mostly young women -- would occur less than two years later.
And in 2002, twenty-nine west coast ports locked out more than 10,000 workers. The ports were closed for 10 days, reopening only when President George W. Bush invoked the Taft-Hartley Act.

Today’s labor quote is by 19-year-old New York City textile worker Clara Lemlich, during the strikes and debates that led to the "Uprising of the 20,000":
“I have no further patience for talk as I am one of those who feels and suffers from the things pictured. I move that we go on a general strike...now!” 
The audience rose to their feet and cheered, then voted to strike.

Millions will be watching tonight’s debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, but the more union members hear about Donald Trump the less they like him. Trump supports dangerous "right to work" laws, refuses to negotiate with working people who formed a union at his hotel and ignores union issues.
One of the latest internal polls by the AFL-CIO shows that Trump has plummeted 12 points among union members in the battleground state of Ohio. How bad is that? Trump is now performing five points worse than Mitt Romney did in the 2012 presidential election when he received 37 percent of the union vote in Ohio.
That’s at least in part because America’s labor movement has unleashed the most comprehensive and sophisticated electoral program in the labor movement’s  history. “We are cutting through Trump’s bluster and getting to the heart of his record,” AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka told the Ohio AFL-CIO Convention last week. “Trump may be loud, but we are clear.”

On today’s labor calendar, phonebanks at the AFL-CIO and NoVA Labor continue throughout the day and there’s a discussion on “Global Women/Global Work” at 4pm at Georgetown University. Get complete details on our website at dclabor.org; click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 2013, Teachers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – on strike since early August over proposed wage cuts and loss of job security – occupied the City Council chambers before a vote on the proposed plan. A series of further actions led to an agreement that included raises for the teachers, a review of workload and curriculum requirements, and the reinstatement of all teachers who had been fired during the strike.
And in 2001, Graduate student employees at Temple University in Philadelphia won union recognition. The Temple University Graduate Students Association ratified its first contract in May 2002, significantly improving graduate employment in terms of healthcare and wages, and marking the first time that graduate students in the state bargained a contract with their employer.

Today’s labor quote is by George Meany
“The labor movement's political activity is aimed at encouraging the greatest possible participation in elections. Democracy cannot succeed if only the rich and powerful have and use the votes.”
George Meany was the key figure in the creation of the AFL-CIO and served as the AFL-CIO's first president, from 1955 to 1979.

Workers at Howard University Hospital will rally to “Save The Hospital” tomorrow at 11am. Recent layoffs have the workers and their unions worried about the hospital’s future. “If we don’t fix this problem, Howard will be forced to have more layoffs until the hospital finally closes,” says Wanda Shelton-Martin, Area Director for 1199 DC. 
Shelton-Martin notes that Howard University Hospital, previously known as Freedmen's Hospital, “is a historical institution” and, she says, “has served the black community in the District of Columbia for over 150 years, having been established in 1862 to cater for the medical needs of the thousands of African Americans who came to Washington during the Civil War, seeking their freedom.” Howard later became the major hospital for the area's African-American community and is one of the largest employers in the Shaw community.
“Our message is that Howard is open for business,” says Shelton-Martin. “Our members are ready to serve the patients and we take pride in working at Howard.” In addition to 1199 DC, Howard University Hospital workers are represented by the DC Nurses Association and SEIU’s Interns and Residents.
Read more on our website at dclabor.org, where you can also find out about the latest local labor events and actions by clicking on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1868, The Workingman's Advocate of Chicago publishes the first installment of “The Other Side,” by Martin A. Foran, president of the Coopers' International Union. It’s believed to be the first novel by a trade union leader and some say the first working-class novel ever published in the U.S.
In 1886, a coalition of Knights of Labor and trade unionists in Chicago launched the United Labor party, calling for an 8-hour day, government ownership of telegraph and telephone companies, and monetary and land reform. The party elected seven state assembly men and one senator.
And in 2002, California Governor Gray Davis signed legislation making the state the first to offer workers paid family leave.

Today’s labor quote is by Edmund Burke
“When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”
This quote appears at the very beginning of Martin Foran’s novel, “The Other Side.”

Saying that "We must build a more just system for migrants and refugees," AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Tefere Gebre addressed the United Nations on Tuesday. Gebre, a refugee from Ethiopia who walked 93 days through the desert as a teenager to find his freedom in America, said that "As trade unionists, we know firsthand that the protection of migrant rights is essential to achieving decent work. We continue to demand that our world leaders use this global process to help build a more equitable and prosperous world."
You can read his entire address on our website at dclabor.org 

On today's local labor calendar, Michael McSorley talks about how the labor movement saved him from a life of drugs, alcohol and crime, today at noon at the AFL-CIO. And then at 1, here on WPFW, this week's edition of "Your Rights At Work" features Joanna Blotner from Jews United for Justice and DC Jobs with Justice Executive Director Elizabeth Falcon on the future of the DC Paid Family and Medical Leave and Just Hours campaigns. 
For complete details and all the latest local labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation warning that he would order the emancipation of all slaves in any state that did not end its rebellion against the Union by January 1, 1863. 
In 1910, eighteen-year-old Hannah Shapiro -- called "Annie" by her fellow workers -- led a spontaneous walkout of 17 women at a Hart Schaffner & Marx garment factory in Chicago. It grew into a months-long mass strike involving 40,000 garment workers across the city, protesting 10-hour days, bullying bosses and cuts in already-low wages. 
In 2005, OSHA reached its largest-ever settlement agreement, $21 million dollars, with BP Products North America following an explosion at BP's Texas City plant earlier in the year that killed 15 and injured 170.
And on this date in 2006, eleven Domino's employees in Pensacola, Florida formed the nation's first union of pizza delivery drivers. 

Today’s labor quote is by Hannah Shapiro
"We all went out. We had to be recognized as people."

A hospice worker, a young mother and a McDonalds worker were among the more than 100 community and labor activists who turned out Tuesday morning in front of the Wilson Building for a spirited rally urging returning lawmakers to “Put people first” by immediately resuming work to pass fair scheduling and paid family leave legislation. While scheduling and family leave were put on hold before the summer recess, speakers pointed out that they couldn’t so easily do the same with their lives. Kimberly Mitchell, a Ward 7 resident who works at Macy’s downtown, spoke powerfully and personally about the twin crises affecting many workers and why both bills must pass. “While the Council was out,” she said, “I had MRIs done to confirm my worst nightmare: the brain tumor my doctors have been monitoring for two years has spread. My hours at work were cut yet again this summer and on a part time, unpredictable salary with no paid medical leave and a teenage daughter to support, I still don’t know how I’m going to afford the medical care I urgently need.”

Read more about the campaigns on our website at dclabor.org, where you can also find out about the latest local labor events and actions by clicking on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1896, militia were sent to Leadville, Colorado to break a miners’ strike.

In 1912, Mother Jones led a march of miners' children through the streets of Charleston, West Virginia.

And in 1991, members of five unions at the Frontier Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas began the longest successful hotel strike in U.S. history. All 550 workers honored the picket line for the entirety of the 6-year, 4-month, 10-day fight against management’s insistence on cutting wages and eliminating pensions.

Today’s labor quote is by Mother Jones, from the speech she made on this day in 1912 to striking coal miners in Charleston:
“…this crime, starvation and murder of the innocents, so they can fill the operators’ pockets, and build dog kennels for the workers. Is it right?”

The DC City Council is coming back from summer recess today, and local activists will be on the front steps of the Council to ask that they get to work for working families.
Just Hours and Paid Family Leave, two of the priority campaigns supported by organized labor and our allies, will be back on the table this session.
For more than a year now, the labor-community coalition and folks working retail across the city have urged the Council to pass a "Just Hours" law to ensure full-time hours and stable work schedules in the local service industry. Similarly, the DC Paid Family Leave campaign has been waiting -- and waiting -- on the Council to pass a universal paid leave program.
Come on down to City Council this morning at 8:15am and help spread the word on this day of action; show your support for critical policies that will help DC’s working families.

Also on today’s labor calendar; NoVA Young Emerging Leaders is holding a Movie Night at 6pm in Annandale, Virginia; they’re showing "Dream On," a documentary that follows comedian John Fugelsang traveling the country to see if the American dream is still alive. And it’s a good night for labor films, as “Maestra” screens at 8pm at the Old Greenbelt Theatre in Greenbelt, Maryland, followed by Q&A with filmmaker Catherine Murphy. The film is about how 700,000 Cubans, mostly women, learned to read and write in just one year in 1961.
For complete details and the latest on local labor events and actions, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1878, Upton Sinclair, socialist and author of “The Jungle”—published on this day in 1906—was born in Baltimore, Maryland.

In 1887, according to folklorist John Garst, steel-drivin’ man John Henry, born a slave, outperformed a steam hammer on this date at the Coosa Mountain Tunnel or the Oak Mountain Tunnel of the Columbus and Western Railway (now part of the Norfolk Southern) near Leeds, Alabama. Other researchers place the contest near Talcott, West Virginia.

Today’s labor quote is from the work song "Take this Hammer"
This old hammer killed John Henry,
But it can't kill me.
Take this hammer, take it to the Captain,
Tell him I'm gone, babe, tell him I'm gone.
For almost a hundred years after the abolition of slavery, convicts, mostly African American, were leased to work as forced labor in the mines, railroad camps, brickyards, turpentine farms, and then on road gangs of the American South, where work songs like this were common.