This is Chris Garlock, with the latest labor news, updates and history from the Metro Washington Labor Council.
(audio) “I feel like we are being held hostage.” That’s American Federation of Government Employees president J. David Cox, on the latest “State of the Unions” podcast from the AFL-CIO, talking about what it’s like for federal workers to be used as political bargaining chips: (audio) “That we have been taken hostage. That it’s our pay, our benefits. Every time, if there’s a need to balance the federal budget, they go after our retirement, go after our pay. They shut the government down, require us to work, to not pay us. We’re being held hostage for political purposes and that just needs to stop. It needs to stop and be brought to an end. That is no way to treat the professional apolitical workforce. That decision was made 150 years ago in this country, to have a professional civil service that no matter who is elected to president or Congress, they continue to process social security checks, operate the bureau of prisons, and provide for homeland security. They’re not into a political situation. That’s why we have to take oaths of office to serve and pledge and defend the Constitution of the United States. This is a terrible thing. We pay our taxes, yet currently the president is saying I refuse our taxes to be spend to pay for the services Congress has set.” Subscribe to the "State of the Unions" podcast on your favorite podcast platform. For the latest local labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1995, the Pennsylvania Superior Court ruled that bosses can fire workers for being gay. Today’s labor quote is by Thomas Carlyle, the Scottish historian and critic, who said: “A fair day’s wages for a fair day’s work: it is as just a demand as governed men ever made of governing. It is the everlasting right of man.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. To learn more about how Union Plus is helping federal workers impacted by the government shutdown and to apply for assistance, visit unionplus.org.
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