The People’s Climate Movement March is this Saturday, April 29th at noon. Here’s a quick rundown on labor-related events over the next few days. 
On Friday at 7pm, Joe Uehlein and the U-Liners are hosting a Reception for the Labor Contingent and Friends. That's at Johnny Pistolas, 2333 18th St NW. 
Saturday at 11am, the Labor Network for Sustainability meets at the U.S Department of Labor at 200 Constitution Ave. NW before joining the main march at noon. 
And on Sunday at 10am the People’ Climate Movement will meet to discuss strategies of how to build on the momentum of the march.
Complete details, as always, at dclabor.org, click on calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1914, a coal mine collapse at Eccles, West Virginia killed 181 workers... 
In 1924, 119 died in the Benwood, West Virginia, coal mine disaster... 
And in 1971, Congress created OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The AFL-CIO set April 28 as “Workers Memorial Day” to honor all workers killed or injured on the job every year.

Today’s labor quote is by Tony Mazzocchi, the primary force behind enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970
Tony Mazzocchi, who said
"Movements grow in desperate times. We are being born."
Mazzocchi was also a founder of the DC Labor FilmFest 17 years ago, which now anchors the annual DC LaborFest. He died in 2002. 

Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.

​Virginia Delegates Alphonso Lopez and Paul Krizek will join hundreds of contracted service workers at both Reagan National Airport and Dulles who will walk off the job this morning on strike to protest federal labor violations charged against their employer, Huntleigh Corporation. The union is charging that the company surveilled, interrogated, arbitrarily disciplined a worker and fired a worker for lawfully protected activities. This will be the second time these Huntleigh workers have gone on strike.  
 
Today's labor calendar is jam-packed; here's a quick run-down: 
Clergy and community supporters will join the airport worker strike for a rally at 11 AM; get complete details on our website at dclabor.org, click on calendar. 
At noon, there's a free book event at the AFL-CIO, “Rethinking Economic Policy for Social Justice: The Radical Potential of Human Rights,” 
And then at 1 pm here on WPFW, catch this week's edition of “Your Rights at Work,” with me and Ed Smith and your calls, of course. 
At 2pm, find out about the “Fix It, Fund It, Make It Fair” campaign at Metro 
and at 6 tonight ONE DC and Empower DC team up for a People's Platform Forum: Wellness For People And The Earth. 
Details as always, on our website; dclabor.org, click on Calendar. 
 
Here's today's labor history: 
On this date in 1825, Boston carpenters staged the first strike for the 10-hour day;
In 1911, James Oppenheim's poem “Bread and Roses” was published in the IWW newspaper Industrial Solidarity.
In 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower signed Executive Order 10450, which listed “sexual perversion” - code for being gay -- as a condition for firing a federal employee and for denying employment to potential applicants.
And in 1978, a cooling tower for a power plant under construction in Willow Island, West Virginia collapsed, killing 51 construction workers in what is thought to be the largest construction accident in U.S. history. OSHA cited contractors for 20 violations and the cases were settled for $85,000--about $1,700 per worker killed.

​Today's labor quote is by James Oppenheim, from his poem “Bread and Roses”  
As we come marching, marching, we bring the Greater Days 
The rising of the women means the rising of the race 
No more the drudge and idler--ten that toil where one reposes 
But sharing of life's glories: Bread and Roses, Bread and Roses!” 
 
Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org. 

“I like to be where the action is,” Joyce Graham says. If anything, that’s an understatement. But it goes a long way toward explaining why the UFCW Local 400 member has kept working as a nurse at Kaiser Permanente into her late 70s, and is only now retiring this May. The decision wasn’t easy because Joyce loves nursing, her employer and her union so much. “It’s so nice to take care of people and see them get better, it’s rewarding,” she said. You can read our complete story at dclabor.org

On today's labor calendar:
Join Senator Bernie Sanders, progressive leaders, and striking low-wage workers for a rally this morning at 9:15am to “Tell Trump: workers need $15 and a union!” at First and Constitution Ave in Northeast DC.
Then at 11:30, check out “Muslim Americans in the Workplace: Melting Pot or Boiling Cauldron?” at the Woman's National Democratic Club. Tickets for the DC Labor and Employment Relations chapter luncheon are $30; go to dclera.org to order.
Last but not least, the 2017 DC LaborFest launches next Monday and you can get full details on the line-up of films, labor arts tours, musical performances and more at dclabor.org, click on LaborFest.
Monday night’s screening at AFI in Silver Spring is the brand-new film “In Dubious Battle,” based on the John Steinbeck novel and starring James Franco. And Tuesday don’t miss the free R&B and Jazz Night with Bev Holton and Lee Anderson at the Takoma Busboys and Poets.
Details, links and trailers on our website at dclabor.org, click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1924, the U.S. House of Representatives passed House Joint Resolution No. 184, a constitutional amendment to prohibit the labor of persons under 18 years of age. The Senate approved the measure a few weeks later, but it was never ratified by the states and is still technically pending.  
In 1944, on the orders of President Roosevelt, the U.S. Army seized the Chicago headquarters of the unionized Montgomery Ward company after management defied the National Labor Relations Board.

Today’s labor quote is from “In Dubious Battle,” by John Steinbeck:
"They didn't hate a boss or a butcher. They hated the whole system of bosses, but that was a different thing. It wasn't the same kind of anger. And there was something else, Mac. The hopelessness wasn't in them. They were quiet, and they were working; but in the back of every mind there was conviction that sooner or later they would win their way out of the system they hated."

Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.

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," said AU grad student Scott Patrick, "but about creating a space for developing long term solutions to issues like economic and academic uncertainty." 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, AU spokesperson Camille Lepre said 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." Lepre added that "We look forward to engaging in a constructive dialogue with the union about issues related to our graduate students." 

On today's labor calendar:
DC Jobs with Justice is hosting a May Day Art Build to prepare for next Monday's May Day march and rally. The Art Build runs from 6:30 to 9:00pm at the Jobs with Justice offices at 3412 Connecticut Avenue NW; you'll find more details and an RSVP link on our website at dclabor.org, click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1886, the New York Times declared the struggle for an 8-hour workday to be “un-American” and called public demonstrations for the shorter hours “labor disturbances brought about by foreigners.”  Other publications declared that an eight-hour workday would bring about “loafing and gambling, rioting, debauchery and drunkenness.” 
In 1969, the Reverend Ralph David Abernathy and 100 others were arrested while picketing a hospital in Charleston, South Carolina,  in a demand for union recognition. 
And in 1978, the Supreme Court ruled that employers may not require female employees to make larger contributions to pension plans in order to obtain the same monthly benefits as men. 

Today’s labor quote is by Ralph Abernathy, who said: 
“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.”

Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.

Metro’s biggest union, ATU Local 689, last week called General Manager  Paul Wiedefeld’s proposal for WMATA “bad for riders, bad for workers and bad for the region.” 
Instead of offering real proposals to improve the system and win riders back, the union said Wiedefeld has “pitted riders against workers in an attempt to balance the agency’s budget on the back of WMATA’s hardworking employees.”  
Wiedefeld’s proposal to outsource services “will make the system less safe, less reliable, more costly and demoralize the workforce in a race to the bottom,” said Local 689, which last month released proposals to “fix WMATA, fund it and make it fair for riders.” 
A meeting is scheduled for this Thursday at the AFL-CIO to review and discuss the campaign; details on our website at dclabor.org, click on calendar. 

On today's labor calendar:
There's a free screening of the film "Workers' Voices" to mark the fourth anniversary of the Rana Plaza building collapse that killed more than 1,100 garment workers in Bangladesh. That's happening tonight at 6:30 at the Institute for Policy Studies at 1301 Connecticut Ave NW; 
Full details are on our website at dclabor.org, click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1999, the International Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen’s Union halted shipping on the West Coast in solidarity with Mumia Abu-Jamal, a Philadelphia journalist whom many believed was on death row because he was an outspoken African-American.

Today’s labor quote is by Mumia Abu-Jamal, who said 
"Politics is the art of making the people believe that they are in power, when in fact, they have none."

Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.

Jennifer Bryant hosts DC LaborFest Director Chris Garlock and Labor Heritage Foundation Director Elise Bryant. Guests: David Gariff, Brian Bullen and David Fernandez-Barrial. 

Elise Bryant on LOVE SONGS FROM THE LIBERATION WARS
Wed, May 17, 5-8, Busboys and Poets Takoma, 235 Carroll St, Washington DC 20012
5-6p be part of the live audience for a [email protected] simulcast on WPFW 89.3 FM
6-8p concert
FREE but you must RSVP online here: bit.ly/dclf-liberation-wars
An original “labor jazz opera” by local activist/musician Steve Jones, “Love Songs” tells the moving story of a strike led by African-American women at the R J Reynolds factory in Winston-Salem, NC, which was an early victory against Jim Crow segregation. Tonight’s performance will feature selections from “Love Songs,” with local singers, directed by Elise Bryant.

David Gariff on IMAGES OF LABOR IN THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART 
Tue, May 23; 1:00-2:00pm; 6th & Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20565 
FREE but space is limited and you must RSVP here: bit.ly/dclf-images 
Senior Lecturer David Gariff explores the portrayal of work and workers in classic paintings at the National Gallery of Art, including works by Joseph M.W. Turner, Edgar Degas, George Caleb Bingham, Winslow Homer, and George Bellows. A visit to the special exhibition “The Urban Scene: 1920-1950” featuring prints by artists such as Reginald Marsh, as well as lesser-known printmakers who explored the power and anxiety of the modern city, industry, and labor will also be included in the tour. 
 
Brian Bullen on LABOR 411 UNION BEER AND WHISKEY TASTING
Thu, May 18, 5:30-7:30pm, The Dubliner, Phoenix Park Hotel, 4 F St NW, Washington, DC 20001
$25, order ticket here: bit.ly/dclf-whiskey
Buy union, shop union, drink union! DC Labor 411 and the DC LaborFest host our first-ever all-union beer and whiskey tasting, along with delicious appetizers at one of DC’s very finest union establishments (thank you Unite Here Local 25!). Labor 411 is the nation’s premier directory of union-made goods and services; find out more at labor411.org
The Mother Jones: 1 oz. Campari, 1 oz. sweet vermouth, 1.5 oz. Rye 
The Big Bill Haymaker (after Big Bill Haywood): 2 oz. single barrel, 1 dash of bitters, .5 oz of sweet vermouthThe Solidarity Sling: 2 oz. gentleman jack, .5 oz simple syrup, lemon juice, and 2 dashes of bitters
back-up/alternative: The Matewan Coal Miner
 
9:45a David Fernández-Barrial: (confirmed), 202-580-5802 cel then he’ll provide # for hardline
DIGGING WHERE WE STAND: UNCOVERING OUR OWN LOCAL LABOR HISTORIES
Wed, May 10, 6:00p; 330 7th St. NE, WDC
FREE but you must RSVP here: bit.ly/dclf-digging
A lively and fascinating exploration of how to use your local public library to uncover working people’s history in our own communities. With AFSCME Local 1808 (DC Public Library Employees) President and Education Specialist Anntoinette White-Richardson and AFSCME Local 2910 (Library of Congress Professional Guild) Steward Director and librarian David Fernández-Barrial, and David Gillette and Wendell Kellar of DCPL.
 



 
 
 
 
 

Seventeen labor films, 12 labor history tours, walks and bike rides, seven music events, five labor art tours,
plus the fourth DC United Labor Night and, new this year, a union beer and whiskey tasting. Yes, the annual DC LaborFest is right around the corner, a monthlong extravaganza of labor arts and culture events, many of them free, launching of course on May 1, celebrated around the world as May Day, a worker holiday. 
Get complete details on our website, dclabor.org, click on LaborFest, where you can RSVP for free events or order tickets online.

On today's labor calendar:
two noontime events today:
“Work, Organize, Struggle: Student Perspectives” at Georgetown University addresses themes of systematic violence, social justice, organizing, and radical thought
and over at the World Bank, join the American Federation of Teachers as they demand that the World Bank “Stop funding Bridge Academies and educational experiments on children in Africa!”   
Details on our website at dclabor.org, click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1967, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller signed the Taylor Law, permitting union organization and bargaining by public employees, but outlawing the right to strike.
In 1997, some 12,500 Goodyear Tire workers struck nine plants in what was to become a 3-week walkout over job security, wage and benefit issues.
And in 2015, Mary Doyle Keefe, who in 1943 posed as “Rosie the Riveter” for famed painter Norman Rockwell, died at age 92. Published on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post in May 1943, Rosie came to symbolize women factory workers during World War II. The Rockwell painting is sometimes confused with “We Can Do It!” a similar poster by Pittsburgh artist J. Howard Miller, created the year before.

Today’s labor quote is by Mary Doyle Keefe, the young telephone operator who modeled for Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie the Riveter” painting, who said “There was a war on, and you did what you could. . . . I was proud that it helped the effort and that the Rosie poster went around the country to help sell war bonds.”

Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.

Hosts:  Chris Garlock and Ed Smith; JOIN US AT 202-588-0893
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On today’s show:
SEIU 32BJ Vice President Jaime Contreras on why airport workers need a union, even after winning a wage increase yesterday.
Chaumtoli Huq producer of “Sramik Awaaz (Worker Voices),” about the lives, work, and organizing efforts of Bangladesh’s garment workers. Screening April 24 at 6:30p at the Institute for Policy Studies 1301 Connecticut Ave NW 6th Floor Washington, DC 20036

Labor Song: Buffalo Springfield - For What It’s Worth (1967; 50th anniversary!).

CREDITS: Produced by Sid Dawson, engineered by Mike 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: call 202-588-9739 or 1-800-222-9739 or pledge online at wpfwfm.org.

Local airport workers won a huge victory yesterday when their two-year campaign for a living wage finally paid off. The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority approved a new policy ensuring that airport contractors pay their employees a living wage. The airport workers -- including wheelchair and checkpoint agents, terminal cleaners, cabin cleaners, sky caps and baggage handlers, many of whom now earn as little as minimum wage -- could see hourly wages increase to $12.75. "I never thought I'd live to see the day," said DCA airport worker David Tucker, who's worked at the airport for fifty years. While SEIU 32BJ Vice President Jaime Contreras called the move “a step in the right direction," he said that workers still need $15 an hour "to reach the light at the end of a long tunnel of poverty. These men and women," Contreras said, "continue to face intimidation and retaliation by employers and need the protection that only a union can provide."

On today's labor calendar:
Our guests on "Your Rights At Work" today at 1 o'clock here on WPFW are SEIU 32BJ Vice President Jaime Contreras, on why airport workers need a union, and filmmaker Chaumtoli Huq (Sham-toe-lee Huck), director of "Worker Voices," a new film about the lives, work, and organizing efforts of Bangladesh’s garment workers. Plus your calls about worker rights. 
Full details are on our website at dclabor.org, click on Calendar.

Here’s today's labor history:
On this date in 1912, nearly 10,000 demonstrators celebrated textile workers’ win of a 10-percent pay hike and grievance committees after a one-month strike in Lowell, Massachusetts. 
In 1914, the Ludlow massacre took place when Colorado state militia, using machine guns and fire, killed about 20 people—including 11 children—at a tent city set up by striking coal miners.
And in 1948, an unknown assailant shot through a window at United Auto Workers President Walter Reuther as he was eating dinner at his kitchen table, permanently impairing his right arm. It was one of at least two assassination attempts on Reuther. He and his wife later died in a small plane crash under what many believe to be suspicious circumstances.

Today’s labor quote is by Walter Reuther, who said "There is no power in the world that can stop the forward march of free men and women when they are joined in the solidarity of human brotherhood."  

Union City Radio is supported by UnionPlus, which is committed to improving the quality of life for all working families; find out more at unionplus.org.