Following months of negotiations, workers at Colonial Williamsburg voted unanimously on Wednesday, December 22 to ratify their new contract. The contract is a near-complete re-write of the previous one, affecting almost every aspect of the work UNITE HERE Local 25 members perform at Colonial Williamsburg’s hotels and restaurants. The contract language, which the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and union negotiators agreed to on Tuesday afternoon, “is a direct result of union members’ tireless organizing and persistence over the past several months,” said Local 25. Over the course of the campaign, Local 25 members had countless conversations with co-workers, organized petitions, delegations, rallies, picket lines, leafletted outside their places of work, and called for a boycott of the properties where they had a labor dispute. “Workers stood up for the rights and respect they deserve, and they won,” said Local 25. Following Wednesday’s ratification, the union has lifted its boycott of the properties where it had a labor dispute. “We have said throughout this campaign that teaching history should not mean re-living it at work,” said John Boardman, Executive-Secretary Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 25. “Now, our members can take pride in the fact that they have won 21st Century working conditions at Colonial Williamsburg.” With the Special Election for the Prince George’s County Council District 8 vacancy coming up in just 13 days, the Metro Washington Council’s Member-to-Member phonebanks are up and running for labor-endorsed candidate Edward Burroughs. CLICK HERE for the schedule – which runs through the holidays – leading up to the January 4 Election Day. Burroughs, who spoke to Metro Council delegates Tuesday night while out door-knocking, reiterated his “strong, strong support for labor” and promised to “stand shoulder to shoulder with you on your issues and concerns.” With thousands of union members in the district, “We can win this,” said Metro Council president Dyana Forester. photo by Kayla Mock/UFCW 400 click here for latest listings Union City Radio: 7:15am daily WPFW-FM 89.3 FM; click here to hear today's report Union City Radio: Your Rights at Work: Thu, December 23, 1pm – 2pm WPFW 89.3 FM or listen online. Today’s show: “A Red Carol,” from the San Francisco Mime Troupe. 022 PG County Council Special Election Member-to-Member Phonebanking 4pm – 8pm on 12/23, 12/27, 12/28, 12/29, 12/30. RSVP here to sign up to phonebank for labor-endorsed candidate Edward Burroughs. NOTE: the room is also open starting at 9a. Union members who were working at the Shoppers supermarket at Fair City Mall in Fairfax, Virginia, are now Safeway employees with same pay and benefits working at the same location. That’s because when Shoppers’ parent company, United Natural Foods, announced plans to close the store, their union, UFCW Local 400, reached out to Safeway and helped make the sale happen, with full protection for all workers. “It’s a win-win-win result,” said Local 400 president Mark Federici. “Good for Safeway, good for the store’s customers, and good for our members.” Read more here. |