Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO

Today’s Labor Quote: Rose Farhoudi

12/12/2018

"The nurses, the caregivers, community, faith and labor are committed to fight to keep Providence Hospital open as a fully functioning hospital, with a fully operational emergency room and acute-care services. The people of east D.C. deserve no less.”

Rose Farhoudi is a registered nurse at Providence Hospital. photo from 12/11 rally by Chris Garlock

Today's Labor History

12/12/2018

Click here to check out this week's Labor History Today podcast. On this week’s show, Patrick Dixon interviews union organizer and labor historian Doug Nesbitt about the 1995 general strike by forty thousand workers in London, Ontario, Canada. Plus Noam Chomsky on general strikes and Leon Fink on the AFL-CIO's support for the Viet Nam war.

A U.S. immigration sweep of six Swift meat plants results in arrests of nearly 1,300 undocumented workers - 2006

Labor history courtesy Union Communication Services

Battle to keep Providence Hospital open continues

12/11/2018

“We need an ICU!” “We need an ICU!” “We need an ICU!” It was a bad news, sort of good news day yesterday as dozens of hospital workers and their allies gathered outside Providence Hospital. As Steve Frum of National Nurses United pointed out, the hospital will not close as planned on Friday. “The hospital will remain open in a very small footprint: an emergency department with ten in-patient beds. That’s because the community said ‘You can’t close this hospital.’ They were going to put a chain-link fence around here on Friday, and we stopped that. And we should be very proud.” While stressing that this is a very limited and short-term win, Frum and political, labor and community allies -- -- including 1199 AFSCME, DC Jobs with Justice, DC Councilman Kenyan McDuffie and DC DSA -- celebrated their David-and-Goliath victory. “Ascension is very angry that we stopped their plan; this multi-billion corporation did not want to go through what they had to go through in the last few months.” Metro Washington Council Political Coordinator David Dzidzienyo echoed the commitment of everyone who turned out on the chilly morning, saying that “We’re going to continue to stand up, we’re not going to fold, and we’re going to hold these cowards accountable.”
- report/photo by Chris Garlock

Double screening for "Union Maids"

12/11/2018

Sitdowns, scabs, goon squads, unemployment, hunger marches, red baiting and finally the energetic birth of the CIO: the 1930s were a landmark period for the American labor movement. “Union Maids” – screening free next Tuesday, December 18 at both the Takoma and Shirlington Busboys and Poets -- is the story of three women who lived that history and make it come alive today. It was the first film of its kind–an oral history, using a wealth of footage from the National Archives to chronicle the fight to form industrial unions as seen through the eyes of rank and file women. Nominated for an Oscar in 1978 for best feature documentary. “This inspiring film will be a classic,” said Pete Seeger.” It makes the 1930s live. It makes you laugh, makes you cheer. It’s going to be shown through the years, to millions.”

<<Previous