Exciting news for book lovers! A new labor bookstore has just opened online — laborsbookstore.com — that’s bringing back into print a number of the valuable union-building tools lost to the labor community when Union Communication Services shut down last year.
One of the most popular titles, “The Union Steward’s Complete Guide,” is being brought back in a brand-new updated edition, along with a healthy selection of used labor books, from Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Nickel and Dimed” to Juliet Schor’s “The Overworked American.” Check them out at Laborsbookstore.com

For the latest labor events listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

In today’s labor history, on this date in 1978, the United Farm Workers of America officially ended its historic table grape, lettuce and wine boycotts.
And on this date in 2002, union and student pressure forced Harvard university to adopt new labor policies raising wages for lowest-paid workers.  

Today’s labor quote is by Emma Tenayuca, who led 12,000 pecan shellers – mostly Latino women – on a 3-month strike in San Antonio, Texas that began on this date in 1938. Emma Tenayuca, who said:
"I was arrested a number of times. I never thought in terms of fear. I thought in terms of justice."

Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Hey, if you’re thinking about buying a car soon, you can use the Union Plus Auto Buying Service to see what others are paying for the car you want – new or used -- and lock in your price so there's no haggling at the dealership. Plus, you can get a free Carfax report for most vehicles and rebates on new union made vehicles. Visit unionplus.org/autobuying.

Hosted by Chris Garlock and Ed Smith
DC’s call-in show about worker rights: those you have, those you don’t, how to get them and how to use them.

On today's show:
DC Attorney General Karl Racine & Assistant AG Randy Chen on recent wins against wage theft. 
Music: 9 To 5, Dolly Parton; on January 29, 1981, Dolly Parton hit number one on the Billboard Country Chart with this song from the film "9 to 5". 
Case Closed, with Bob Samet, Senior Partner at Ashcraft and Gerel

Produced by Chris Garlock; engineered by Michael Nasella
photo (l-r): Asst DC AG Randy Chen, DC AG Karl Racine, YRAW hosts Chris Garlock and Ed Smith. 

Workers at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on Monday ratified the first collective bargaining agreement between CBPP and the staff union.
Union bargaining representative and CBPP staff member Paul Jones said that “We are proud of this agreement and excited about the direction it will take the organization as we work to advance CBPP’s mission.”
The workers are represented by the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union, IFPTE Local 70.
The contract expands worker voice, increases transparency in management practices, promotes equity, and increases compensation, paid time off and benefits particularly for new and lower-paid employees.

On today’s labor calendar, tune in right here on WPFW at 1 o’clock this afternoon when our special guest on Your Rights At Work will be DC Attorney General Karl Racine, with the latest on his efforts to battle wage theft here in DC.
And for complete details on all the latest labor events listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

In today’s labor history, on this date in 1919, the Paris Peace Conference established the Commission on International Labour Legislation to draft the constitution the International Labour Organization, or ILO. Today, as part of the United Nations, the ILO is charged with drafting and overseeing international labor standards.

Today’s labor quote is by Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg, speaking last year at the ILO’s Centenary International Labour Conference. Erna Solberg, who said:
“For 100 years, the ILO has been a champion of tripartite cooperation, bringing international regulation, worker rights and equality, conditions for competition and social justice. The term ‘decent work for all was coined by the ILO’.”
 
Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Hey, if you’re thinking about buying a car soon, you can use the Union Plus Auto Buying Service to see what others are paying for the car you want – new or used -- and lock in your price so there's no haggling at the dealership. Plus, you can get a free Carfax report for most vehicles and rebates on new union made vehicles. Visit unionplus.org/autobuying.

(audio) “The people are the best people, salt of the earth, and they want what everybody wants which is a way to succeed and achieve and to make your children’s futures brighter. And they just want the tools and the resources to be able to live their lives in dignity.”
That’s Reverend Leah Daughtry, CEO of "On These Things," about Reconnecting McDowell, a project of the American Federation of Teachers that takes a holistic approach toward revitalizing the education and community of McDowell, West Virginia, and how her faith informs her activism.
(audio) “I think our success in McDowell, and we’re not done; we got a lot more work to do--the economic development pieces of it are really tough to crack but I think to the extent we’ve had successes it’s because we saw (a) the Unions as part of the community, right. We weren't people that were just coming in--it’s our children. It’s our workers. We’re invested. Our members, whether they’re AFT(ers) or the trades or the mine workers, we’re not just these Union people that stand on the sideline, right. We are part of the community. These are our schools. These are our roads.” 
Hear more about the project on the latest episode of State of the Unions, the podcast from the AFL-CIO.

On today’s labor calendar, there’s a Labor Meet-up tonight at 6 at the Mill Creek Clubhouse in Spotsylvania, Virginia; for complete details and all the latest labor events listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

In today’s labor history, on this date in 1834, responding to unrest among Irish laborers building the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, President Andrew Jackson ordered the first use of American troops to suppress a labor dispute.

Today’s labor quote is by Dolly Parton, from "9 to 5," which hit number one on the record charts on this date in 1981; here’s a funky cover by Love Raptor:
Workin' 9 to 5, what a way to make a livin'
Barely gettin' by, it's all takin' and no givin'
They just use your mind and they never give you credit
It's enough to drive you crazy if you let it
9 to 5, for service and devotion
You would think that I would deserve a fat promotion
Want to move ahead but the boss won't seem to let me
I swear sometimes that man is out to get me!
 
Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Hey, if you’re thinking about buying a car soon, you can use the Union Plus Auto Buying Service to see what others are paying for the car you want – new or used -- and lock in your price so there's no haggling at the dealership. Plus, you can get a free Carfax report for most vehicles and rebates on new union made vehicles. Visit unionplus.org/autobuying.

​The new year hasn’t brought any progress in negotiations with Giant and Safeway, reports UFCW Local 400, which represents thousands of workers at the supermarkets. “We remain far apart on nearly every single issue,” the union said late last week after another round of negotiations, which they called “difficult, complicated, and frustrating.”
Local 400 noted that negotiations between these companies and UFCW locals throughout the country have taken far longer than usual. And while Local 400 said they’re eager to get a new contract, “We will not be rushed into a bad deal.” More negotiations are scheduled for this week.

On today’s labor calendar, AFT President Randi Weingarten and Diane Ravitch with discuss Diane’s new book SLAYING GOLIATH: The Passionate Resistance to Privatization and the Fight to Save American’s Public School today at 3:30pm at AFT headquarters; details and all the latest local labor events listings are at dclabor.org; click on Calendar.

In today’s labor history, on this date in 1932, the first U.S. unemployment compensation law was enacted in Wisconsin.

Today’s labor quote is by Bill Clinton, who said:
“About half our problems would go away overnight if everybody in this country who wanted to work had a job.”    
 
Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Hey, if you’re thinking about buying a car soon, you can use the Union Plus Auto Buying Service to see what others are paying for the car you want – new or used -- and lock in your price so there's no haggling at the dealership. Plus, you can get a free Carfax report for most vehicles and rebates on new union made vehicles. Visit unionplus.org/autobuying.

A year after the end of the federal government shutdown, over 600 janitors and security officers still haven’t received back wages.
Contracted workers, who earn much less than direct federal employees, “can’t afford to miss even a day of pay,” said Jaime Contreras, Vice President of 32BJ SEIU, “and yet,” he added, “they are still paying the price for a shutdown they had nothing to do with.”
Unlike direct government employees, the modestly-paid contracted janitors and security officers who were furloughed are excluded from receiving back wages.
“Time may heal all wounds, but it doesn’t pay the bills,” Contreras said.

On today’s labor calendar, today is Labor Lobby Day at the Virginia General Assembly, starting at 8am in Richmond; details and all the latest local labor events listings are at dclabor.org; click on Calendar.

In today’s labor history, on this date in 1969, a group of Detroit African-American auto workers known as the Eldon Avenue Axle Plant Revolutionary Union Movement led a wildcat strike against racism and bad working conditions. They were critical of both automakers and the UAW, condemning the seniority system and grievance procedures as racist.  

Today’s labor quote is by Samuel Gompers, founder of the American Federation of Labor; a 3-cent postage stamp honoring Gompers was issued on this date in 1950.
Sam Gompers, who said:
“We do want more, and when it becomes more, we shall still want more. And we shall never cease to demand more until we have received the results of our labor.”
 
Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Hey, if you’re thinking about buying a car soon, you can use the Union Plus Auto Buying Service to see what others are paying for the car you want – new or used -- and lock in your price so there's no haggling at the dealership. Plus, you can get a free Carfax report for most vehicles and rebates on new union made vehicles. Visit unionplus.org/autobuying.

Ukraine has been in the news for months thanks to the impeachment of President Trump, but labor movements around the world are also watching with concern.
Ukrainian union leaders and members are planning emergency mobilizations to protest draft labor law amendments that would gut worker rights and allow the state to unilaterally seize union property.
"These laws ... undermine the welfare of average Ukrainians, and are little more than a New Year’s gift to oligarchs and corruption,” says Inna Kudinska, a legal expert with Labor Initiatives, a Solidarity Center-supported Ukrainian NGO that provides legal assistance to workers.
Find out more on the Solidarity Center’s website at solidaritycenter.org
 
On today’s labor calendar, the Catholic Labor Network is meeting tomorrow at 9am at the Omni Shoreham Hotel; for complete details and all the latest labor events listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

In today’s labor history, on this date in 1952, the Federal minimum wage increased to 75¢ an hour. 68 years later it’s been stuck at $7.25 an hour for over a decade now, even as local communities around the country increase their minimum wages. In DC the minimum wage will increase to $15 an hour on July 1.

Today’s labor quote is by Sojourner Truth, who addressed the first Black Women’s Rights convention on January 25, 1851. Sojourner Truth, who said:
“We do as much, we eat as much, we want as much.”      
 
Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Hey, if you’re looking for to ways manage your credit better in 2020, check out the Union Plus Credit & Budget Counseling program, which offers advice especially designed for union members. And you can get started with a FREE credit analysis session! To find out more, visit unionplus.org/creditcounseling.

Hosted by Chris Garlock and Ed Smith
DC’s call-in show about worker rights: those you have, those you don’t, how to get them and how to use them.

On today's show:
Robert “Bob” Williams, President, NABET-CWA Local 52031: NABET-CWA Members Win Historic $76m Back Pay Settlement with CNN.
PAI labor news headlines with Mark Gruenberg.
“My Hometown”; Bruce Springsteen; the eulogy for dying industrial cities was the country’s most listened-to song on January 20, 1986. 
Case Closed, with David Schloss, Partner at Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis
PLUS:
As remote work rises at U.S. companies, Trump is calling federal employees back to the office
Boeing’s departing CEO leaves company with $62 million amid 737 Max supplier layoffs

Produced by Chris Garlock and Peter Pocock; engineered by Michael Nasella

A record number of professionals are now in unions, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Professional union membership rose to 6.27 million last year, a gain of just over 90,000 members and a new all-time high.
Union membership among professionals has steadily increased over the last 20 years, however, there are many sectors and occupations with plenty of room for union organizing. Legal services; architectural, engineering and computer services, for example, employ millions of professionals and are largely unorganized.
 
On today’s labor calendar, tune in at 1 o’clock this afternoon for this week’s edition of Your Rights At Work when Ed Smith and I will take your calls about workplace rights.
For complete details and all the latest labor events listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

Here’s today’s labor history…
Hi, this is Linda Donahue, calling from Rochester, New York. On January 23, 1913, 10,000 clothing workers struck here in Rochester, NY for the 8 hour day, a 10% wage increase, union recognition, and some extra pay for overtime and holidays. Daily parades were held throughout the clothing district and there was at least one instance of mounted police charging the crowd of strikers and arresting 25 picketers. Six people were wounded over the course of the strike and one worker, 18 year old Ida Breiman, was shot to death by a sweatshop contractor on February 5. The strike was called off in April after manufacturers agreed not to discriminate against workers for joining a union. In was 1913, Rochester, New York.  

Today’s labor quote is by playwright Bertolt Brecht, who said:
“Who struggles can fail. Who doesn’t struggle has already failed!”      
 
Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Hey, if you’re looking for to ways manage your credit better in 2020, check out the Union Plus Credit & Budget Counseling program, which offers advice especially designed for union members. And you can get started with a FREE credit analysis session! To find out more, visit unionplus.org/creditcounseling.

OPEIU Local 2 made history last week – just days before this year’s Women’s March -- when Linda Bridges was nominated for president, the first time in the 124-year history of the local that a woman will head up the union.
And with Sarah Levesque elected secretary-treasurer – the position previously held by Bridges – both top officers will be women, in a local that is primarily female members.
The local’s executive committee will also include two African-American members, First Vice President Michael Spiller and Second Vice President Rian Howard. All the top officers are uncontested and will take office in April after the local’s next quarterly meeting.

On today’s labor calendar, Support Eulen Workers Right to Organize today at noon at DCA National Airport,
and then at 5, there’s a Speak Out on Workers and the Church in the DC Area at Georgetown University;
for complete details and all the latest labor events listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

In today’s labor history, on this date in 1826 Indian field hands at the San Juan Capistrano mission refused to work, engaging in what was probably the first farm worker strike in California.

Today’s labor quote is by Terence V. Powderly, leader of the Knights of Labor, born on this date in 1849. Terence V. Powderly, who said:
“In later life I was charged by many with being an agitator; some of my friends in defending me against assault denied that I was an agitator; they were wrong, I was an agitator and as such did all that lay in my power with voice and pen to agitate against the injustices practices on workingmen and women.”
 
Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Hey, if you’re looking for to ways manage your credit better in 2020, check out the Union Plus Credit & Budget Counseling program, which offers advice especially designed for union members. And you can get started with a FREE credit analysis session! To find out more, visit unionplus.org/creditcounseling.