UFCW Local 400 members on Tuesday delivered hundreds of letters from West Virginia members “to our representatives in Charleston letting them know ‘right to work’ is wrong for West Virginia,” reports Local 400.
And on Monday, union members from across Virginia turned out in force at the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond “fighting hard for issues affecting working families,” Local 400 reported in the union’s Wednesday Weekly email newsletter. Top priorities included stopping the "right to work" constitutional amendment -- which would make "right to work" permanent in the state -- along with raising the minimum wage, giving undocumented immigrants the opportunity to get driver's licenses, and creating a fair redistricting process. On the weekend labor calendar, AFL-CIO Deputy Chief of Staff Thea Lee and Washington Teachers Union Local 6 president Elizabeth Davis will lead a conversation about the current issues facing America’s unions following tomorrow’s 2pm matinee of “Sweat” at Arena Stage. The discussion – which starts at 4:30p -- is free and open to the public; union members can save 20% on tickets to "Sweat"; call Carmen Samuel at 202-488-4380. As always, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar for complete details. 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, and get along in modern times. In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed the Family and Medical Leave Act. The law requires most employers of 50 or more workers to grant up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for a family or medical emergency. And in 2003, Circuit City fired nearly 4,000 experienced sales people because they were making too much in commissions. Sales plummeted and six years later Circuit City declared bankruptcy. Today’s labor quote is by Bill Clinton “Family and medical leave is a matter of pure common sense and a matter of common decency. It will provide Americans what they need most: peace of mind. Never again will parents have to fear losing their jobs because of their families.”
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