Discussions about how labor needs to stand with immigrant workers and against the criminalization of minorities were the highlights of Tuesday night’s DC COPE meeting and this month’s edition of the DC LaborFest’s Bread and Roses series.
At the COPE meeting at IATSE Local 22’s union hall, workers and union activists agreed to stand together, to speak out, and to attend the Metro Council’s upcoming March 10 training on immigrant rights. A few miles away, more than 50 union members and community allies gathered at the Takoma Park Busboys and Poets to watch and discuss the new documentary “13th,” Ava DuVernay’s searing exploration of the "intersection of race, justice and mass incarceration in the United States." On today’s labor calendar, our guests on this week’s edition of Your Rights at work are Russell Hebron, the NIH shuttle bus driver fired for wearing a union button on the job, and David Cay Johnston, author “The Making of Donald Trump.” Plus we’ll take listener calls; the show starts at 1p here on WPFW. Here’s today's labor history, On this date in 1868, educator and civil rights activist W.E.B. DuBois was born. In 1904, the San Francisco Examiner began publishing articles on the “menace” of Japanese laborers, leading to a resolution in the California legislature that action be taken against their immigration. And in 1940, Woody Guthrie wrote “This Land Is Your Land” following a frigid trip—partially by hitchhiking, partially by rail—from California to Manhattan. The Great Depression was still raging. Guthrie had heard Kate Smith’s recording of “God Bless America” and resolved to himself: “We can’t just bless America, we’ve got to change it.” Today’s labor quote is by W.E.B. DuBois “We must complain. Yes, plain, blunt complaint, ceaseless agitation, unfailing exposure of dishonesty and wrong – this is the ancient, unerring way to liberty and we must follow it.” Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus. UnionPlus is committed to improving the quality of life of working families; find out more at unionplus.org.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Union City Radio is proud to be supported by UnionPlus, which has been working hard for union families since 1986.
Union City Radio is part of The Labor Radio/Podcast Network
Listen now...UC Radio airs weekdays at 7:15a on WPFW 89.3 FM; subscribe to the podcast here. |