In early April, the St. Mary’s County Health Department awarded its prestigious Gold Star Award to the kitchen staff at the IAM’s William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center, located in Hollywood, MD. “I am incredibly proud of the W3 kitchen staff," said IAM International President Bob Martinez. "They do a remarkable job week in and week out for the membership." The kitchen staff are members of IAM Local 193, a Metro Washington Council affiliate. The county’s award is given annually to food service facilities that achieve superior food safety standards. Read more here. “Bring on your tear gas, bring on your grenades, your new supplies of Mace, your state troopers and even your national guards. But let the record show we ain't going to be turned around.”
The New York Times declares the struggle for an 8-hour workday to be “un-American” and calls public demonstrations for the shorter hours “labor disturbances brought about by foreigners.” Other publications declare that an eight-hour workday would bring about “loafing and gambling, rioting, debauchery and drunkenness” - 1886 IWW Marine Transport Workers begin West Coast strike - 1923 The Reverend Ralph David Abernathy and 100 others are arrested while picketing a Charleston, S.C., hospital in a demand for union recognition - 1969 Supreme Court rules that employers may not require female employees to make larger contributions to pension plans in order to obtain the same monthly benefits as men - 1978 Compiled/edited by Union Communication Services Graduate student workers at American University voted earlier this month to organize a union with SEIU Local 500, which also represents AU’s adjunct faculty. It will be the District’s first union for working graduate students. “Forming a union was never about quick fixes to issues, but about creating a space for developing long term solutions to issues like economic and academic uncertainty," said Scott Patrick, a first-year doctoral student in government and comparative politics. The National Labor Relations Board said last summer that graduate student employees at private institutions are entitled to collective bargaining. While a number of private institutions have challenged the NLRB’s decision and their students’ right to collective bargaining, AU spokesperson Camille Lepre said via email that the university "respects the choice of the majority of the graduate students who voted, and it does not intend to file a legal challenge to the election results. We look forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue with the union about issues related to our graduate students." - adapted from reports in Inside Higher Ed and AU's The Eagle. photo by Christopher Honey |