Union City Radio for Tuesday, May 23

The House of Representatives was expected to debate a bill this week that would undermine worker rights at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
However, it appears that the bill has been pulled from floor consideration because Republican leaders lack the votes needed for approval. 
House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer said that “This legislation unfairly targets federal employees in the Department of Veterans Affairs by significantly limiting their ability to be adequately represented by their unions, interfering with union leadership elections, and severely limiting the ability of union representatives to communicate with Members of Congress."

On today's labor calendar,
MAGPIE performs tonight at the DC LaborFest. Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner will be Live@5 from the Takoma Busboys and Poets and then will do another set from 6:30-8p; both performances are free and they’ll also be the official release of Magpie's new CD "When We Stand Together: Songs of Joe Hill, the IWW, and Fellow Workers."
Complete details, as always, at dclabor.org. click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1903, an estimated 100,000 textile workers, including more than 10,000 children, struck in the Philadelphia area. Among the issues: 60-hour workweeks, including night hours, for the children.
In 1934, the Battle of Toledo began today: a five-day running battle between roughly 6,000 strikers at the Electric Auto-Lite company of Toledo, Ohio, and 1,300 members of the Ohio National Guard. Two strikers died and more than 200 were injured. The battle began in the sixth week of what ultimately became a successful two-month fight for union recognition and higher pay.
On this date in 1946, a U.S. railroad strike started, but was later crushed when President Truman threatened to draft the strikers.

Today’s labor quote is by George Carlin
American stand-up comic, actor, author, and social critic George Carlin, who said:
“Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that.”

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