Some nurses at Johns Hopkins Hospital are working to form a union, claiming overwork and low pay contribute to high turnover — a situation ICU nurse Kate Phillips describes as “unsafe.” “When we don’t have a voice or a way to stand up to the administration, they can basically make all the decisions and they don’t look at things from the perspective of patient care like we do,” added Phillips. The nurses, who reached out to National Nurses United for help, need a majority of the hospital’s 3,200 nurses to sign cards in order to hold a union vote.

On today’s labor calendar, the Metropolitan Washington Council’s, Prince George’s and Montgomery County Committee on Political Education meet this morning starting at 9am for primary election candidate interviews; complete details, as always, on our website, dclabor.org, click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1868, San Francisco brewery workers began a 9-month strike as local employers followed the union-busting lead of the National Brewer’s Association and fired their unionized workers, replacing them with scabs. Two unionized brewers refused to go along, kept producing beer, prospered wildly and induced the Association to capitulate. One contract benefit since having unionized two years earlier, and certainly worth defending, was free beer for the workers.
​
Today’s labor quote is by Martin Luther King Jr., who said:
“We may all have come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.”

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Over a thousand teachers in Prince George's County Public Schools missed class on Monday, with some purposely calling out sick to protest problems in the school system, including unauthorized raises for employees in the District's central office. “Just hearing about the secret raises, that’s a real slap in the face to teachers,” said teacher Samantha Bardoe. While the teachers' union told members not to call out sick, the Prince George’s County Educators’ Association did vote on a “Work to Rule” Action for two weeks, which means teachers should not do anything beyond bare minimum duties.

Lots on today’s labor calendar, including a noontime Rally to Close the "Carried Interest" Loophole and then tomorrow the March For Our Lives at noon at the US Capitol and a Frontier Communications strike rally starting at 1pm in Charleston, West Virginia. Complete details on our website, dclabor.org, click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1970, five days into the Post Office’s first mass work stoppage in 195 years, President Richard Nixon declared a national emergency and ordered 30,000 troops to New York City to break the strike. The troops didn’t have a clue how to sort and deliver mail and a settlement came a few days later.

​Today’s labor quote is from the founding mission statement of the Coalition of Labor Union Women, founded on this date in 1974. The Coalition’s four goals were – and continue to be -- organize the unorganized; promote affirmative action; increase women's participation in their unions; and increase women's participation in political and legislative activities.

Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which provides unique products and discounts for working families. Check them out at unionplus.org!

SPECIAL 2-HOUR EDITION! Click on top for Hour 1 and bottom for Hour 2.
Hosts:  Chris Garlock and Ed Smith 
Also, if you miss our live show – or want to hear a past show – Your Rights At Work is now available as a podcast! Just search for Union City Radio on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts; subscribe and you’ll get our shows right on your phone!

Today’s guests: 
HOUR 1 (1-2p)
Elissa McBride, AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer, on her recent discussion with women leaders on the pervasive harassment both women and men confront at work and strategies to fight back. 
Elizabeth Hempowicz, Project on Government Oversight (POGO) on the whistleblower at the Department of Housing and Urban Development who says she was demoted in part for refusing to spend more than was legally allowed to redecorate Secretary Ben Carson's new office.
HOUR 2 (2-3p)
Roy Gross, Director of Operations at the Atlas Theater and DC rep for Actors Equity on what makes DC one of the nation’s “best cities for live theatre.” 
Judy Conti, Government Affairs Director, National Employment Law Project, on how restaurant workers won ownership of their tips. 
Plus listener calls!

Labor Songs: 
Dixie Chicks: Not Ready To Make Nice 
Warren Zevon; Lawyers Guns and Money
BK Anderson - Minimum Wage
The Triumphs - Workin'

CREDITS: Produced by Pete Pocock and Chris Bangert-Drowns; engineered by Mike “The Man” Nasella; Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus. UnionPlus is committed to improving the quality of life of working families. Find out more at unionplus.org. And we’re supported by you, our listeners.

Just hours after hundreds of teachers, other school employees and supporters rallied in Annapolis on Monday, the State Senate passed the “Fix the Fund” Act, which would guarantee that money from casinos goes to funding education — an unfulfilled decade-old promise. Maryland delegates must now pass the same version before voters decide its fate in November.

On today’s labor calendar, there’s a special 2-hour edition of Your Rights At Work today from 1 to 3pm here on WPFW. Elissa (E-Lee-Sa) McBride, AFSCME Secretary-Treasurer, will report on a recent discussion with women leaders on the pervasive harassment both women and men confront at work and strategies to fight back. We'll also be joined by Roy Gross, DC rep for Actors Equity, on their recent report revealing that DC is a top union theater town.
Complete details, as always, on our website, dclabor.org, click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1990, a 32-day lockout of major league baseball players ended with an agreement to raise the minimum league salary and to study revenue-sharing between owners and players.

​Today’s labor quote is by Mark Twain, a lifelong member of the International Typographical Union – which is now part of the Communication Workers of America – who on this date in 1886 praised the Knights of Labor ’s commitment to fair treatment of all workers, regardless of race or gender.
Mark Twain, who said of the Knights of Labor:
“This king is born the enemy of them that scheme and talk and do not work…He will see to it that there is fair play, fair wages, fair working hours.”

Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which provides unique products and discounts for working families. Check them out at unionplus.org!