This is Chris Garlock, with the latest labor news, updates and history from the Metro Washington Labor Council.
(audio) It’s a stressful situation. I mean those are stressful jobs to begin with. 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 how safety is affected during a government shutdown… (audio) “I’ve experienced government walkouts...the 1995-1996...my wife and I both worked for the VA. Come payday, we did not get paid and that created a real hardship in our lives. We were unable to pay our mortgage or car payment. The kids had to have lunch money to go to school. The list started compounding, and I thank God for parents and family and friends. Eventually we did get paid, but it’s really tough on folks out there.” Subscribe to the "State of the Unions" podcast on your favorite podcast platform. And for the latest on the shutdown – and how you can help – go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. On today’s labor calendar, free Shutdown Suppers continue this week out at the Tommy Douglas Conference Center in Silver Spring, hosted by the Amalgamated Transit Union and Congressman Jamie Raskin. Workers only need to bring their federal employee identification card to receive a free meal for them and their family. The suppers run from noon to 6pm daily through Friday. For complete details, and for all the latest local labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1883, the United States Civil Service Commission was established, created to select employees of the federal government on merit rather than political patronage. Civil Service reform became a national issue after President James Garfield was assassinated in July 1881 by a campaign volunteer who believed the president owed him a patronage position for helping Garfield get elected the previous year. By the way, Civil Service Commission was dissolved in 1979, replaced by the Office of Personnel Management and the Merit Systems Protection Board. Today’s labor quote is by New York Senator William L. Marcy, referring to the victory of Andrew Jackson in the 1828 election for president of the United States. Jackson supporters had been lavished with promises of positions in return for political support, or, as Marcy so crudely put it: "to the victor belong the spoils." This led to the patronage system that installed unqualified supporters, friends, and relatives in government civil service jobs. 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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