Although Fast Track has passed in the Senate, “we still have a chance to stop the bill in the House,” reports Maya Goines at the AFL-CIO, which is working with the Stop Fast Track Coalition to plan a Memorial Day picnic at Congressman Steny Hoyer’s district office in Greenbelt today at 11am. Go to dclabor.org and click on calendar for complete details.

If your union or social justice organization has interns working for you this summer, the Metro Council would like to help them connect and network. Part of Metro Washington Council summer intern Sivan Rosenthal's work will be to invite interns from unions – internationals and/or locals -- and partner social justice organizations for a series of evening gatherings throughout the summer. These informal events will be an opportunity for summer interns in the DC area to meet other folks doing good work in the labor movement, learn about each others' work, and build a strong network of young -- and future -- leaders committed to advancing worker rights. Email [email protected] if you have interns.

On today’s labor calendar, our featured event is the free noontime screening of the film Anne Braden: Southern Patriot  with filmmaker Anne Lewis at the AFL-CIO; go to dclabor.org and click on calendar for complete details.

Here’s today’s labor history: in 1941, animators working for Walt Disney began what was to become a successful 5-week strike for recognition of their union, the Screen Cartoonists' Guild. The animated feature “Dumbo” was being created at the time and, according to Wikipedia, a number of strikers are caricatured in the feature as clowns who go to "hit the big boss for a raise."
And on this date in 1996, the United Farm Workers of America reached agreement with Bruce Church farms on a contract for 450 lettuce harvesters, ending a 17-year-long boycott. The pact raised wages, provided company-paid health benefits to workers and their families, created a seniority system to deal with seasonal layoffs and recalls, and established a pesticide monitoring system.

Today’s labor quote is by Cesar Chavez:
“From the depth of need and despair, people can work together, can organize themselves to solve their own problems and fill their own needs with dignity and strength.”

This is Chris Garlock, with Union City Radio’s Your Rights at Work tip of the day:
If your primary language is not English, you have a right to receive information from DC government entities in your native language, also known as language access. This includes the right to receive interpretation services and vital documents in your own language at no cost to you.
Find out more about your rights at work from the Employment Justice Center, at DCEJC.ORG or call 202-828-9675.

Honoring America’s fallen warriors and their families, four union members presented a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers on Memorial Day. The group included Pamela Donato of the Letter Carriers, Eric Packard from the Plumbers, Will Fischer, executive director of the AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council, and Daniel Duncan of NoVA Labor.

The Library of Congress Professional Guild celebrated a victory recently when it was announced that the Library’s Science and Business Reading Room will not be relocated into the Main Reading Room. The Guild had opposed the consolidation effort based on concern that it would have “adversely affected reference services, collections and specialized subject expertise,” according to Saul Schniderman, Guild President.

On today’s labor calendar, the featured event is the DC Labor411 Launch Party and Happy Hour from 5 to 7pm at the Beacon Hotel, with free drinks & munchies. Go to dclabor.org and click on calendar for complete details and more local labor events. 

Here’s today’s labor history: in 1912, fifteen women were dismissed from their jobs at the Curtis Publishing Company in Philadelphia for dancing the Turkey Trot. They were on their lunch break, but management thought the dance too racy. And on this date in 1946, at least 30,000 workers in Rochester, New York – my hometown -- participated in a general strike in support of municipal workers who had been fired for forming a union .

Today’s labor quote is by Emma Goldman, the Russian-born American writer, feminist, anarchist, and atheist, who wrote in her autobiography that "Our Cause could not expect me to behave as a nun and the movement should not be turned into a cloister. If it meant that, I did not want it. I want freedom, the right to self-expression, everybody's right to beautiful, radiant things."
This was later paraphrased more succinctly as: "If I can't dance I don't want to be in your revolution.

This is Chris Garlock, with Union City Radio’s Your Rights at Work tip of the day:
If you are pregnant, you have the right to request an accommodation to do your job. Under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, an employer must treat pregnancy in the same way that it treats other temporary disabilities. A pregnant employee cannot be forced to use sick leave, for example, unless non-pregnant employees with temporary disabilities are required to use sick leave.
Find out more about your rights at work from the Employment Justice Center, at DCEJC.ORG or call 202-828-9675. 

Unite Here Local 23 on May 19 was recognized for 52 Aramark food and beverage workers at Georgetown University, who join the 160 union Aramark workers already on campus. In April, the union workers won their second contract, which included a better health insurance plan, 40-hour language, raises that are moving up to the DC standard, immigrant worker protection, and more. “In addition, the union workers made it clear to Aramark that everyone on campus deserved the right to organize,” the local said. “Congratulations to the Georgetown workers and students who made this happen!”

Today’s labor calendar includes a screening of the film “Blood Fruit” at the AFI tonight at 7; This moving documentary explains how a strike over the sale of South African fruit in Ireland became the focus of world attention as a key battleground in the fight against apartheid. There’s also a free screening of “Chavez” at Georgetown tonight, and a reading: Out in the Union: A Labor History of Queer America, at Red Emma's Bookstore Coffeehouse in Baltimore. Complete details on all these events is at dclabor.org; click on calendar.

In today's labor history, the CIO-affiliated Insurance Workers of America on this date in 1959 merged with its AFL counterpart, the Insurance Agents International Union to form the Insurance Workers International Union. The union later became part of the United Food and Commercial Workers, or UFCW.

Today's labor quote is by Nelson Mandela:
“Young workers in Dublin who in 1984 refused to handle the fruits of apartheid provided inspiration to millions of South Africans that ordinary people far away from the crucible of apartheid cared for our freedom.” 


This is Chris Garlock, with Union City Radio’s Your Rights at Work tip of the day:
If you are disabled, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation to do your job. Employees with disabilities that affect major life activities can request a reasonable accommodation from their employers, and their employers must engage in an interactive dialogue in order to find an accommodation for that disabled employee.
Find out more about your rights at work from the Employment Justice Center, at DCEJC.ORG or call 202-828-9675. 

A Cumberland police officer and union steward told the mayor and City Council last week that 100 percent of the rank and file members of the Cumberland Police Department wish to retain the representation of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1994. City officials announced recently that they have sent a letter of intent to the UFCW stating they no longer wished to work with the union. Numerous police officers, many with their wives and children, all wearing yellow UFCW T-shirts, filled council chambers at City Hall last week. Read more in the Cumberland Times-News on our website at dclabor.org

This year’s DC Laborfest continues through the end of May with more labor film screenings this week; check out dclabor.org for the complete line-up.

In today's labor history, men and women weavers in Pawtucket, Rhode Island staged nation's first "co-ed" strike in 1824. In 1894, Western Federation of Miners members struck for 8-hour day in Cripple Creek, Colorado. And on this date in 1913, the Actors’ Equity Association was founded by 112 actors at a meeting in New York City’s Pabst Grand Circle Hotel. 

Today's labor quote is by George M. Cohan, who responded to the organizing of the Actors’ Equity Association by saying:
“I will drive an elevator for a living before I will do business with any actors’ union.”  Later a sign appeared in Times Square reading: “Elevator operator wanted.  George M. Cohan need not apply."

Help WPFW collect a $1,000 challenge grant, pledge today and mention Union City Radio and your contribution will go twice as far: call 202-588-9739


This is Chris Garlock, with Union City Radio’s Your Rights at Work tip of the day:
If you work over 30 hours per week for a company with more than 50 employees, you have the right to receive health insurance through your job. The Affordable Care Act – also known as ACA, or Obamacare -- requires that employers with a certain amount of full-time employees offer health insurance to all full-time employees. Currently, if qualifying employers with 100 or more full-time employees do not offer health insurance, they will face a tax penalty.
Find out more about your rights at work from the Employment Justice Center, at DCEJC.ORG or call 202-828-9675. 

Happy Memorial Day, another paid holiday brought to you by the American labor movement. 

While Memorial Day weekend is considered the unofficial start to summer, our friends at Labor 411 remind us that more importantly, it’s a time to remember those soldiers we have lost in service to our country. In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day can also be a time to honor those who made it home. This means giving those who have served something to come home to, including a job. The Helmets to Hardhats program was designed by the building and construction trades so that soldiers returning home have an option for a fruitful post-duty career, no experience necessary. It can often be difficult for veterans to make the transition from military life to the civilian workforce, and this program assures they will not be left behind or forgotten by giving them an opportunity to train for a good-paying job in the construction industry. If you are a veteran or know one who is looking for a career, check out helmetstohardhats.org to learn more.

Here’s this week's Labor Quiz: what type of workforce was involved in the 1909 New York labor strike known as the “Uprising of the 20,000”? Was it miners; longshoremen; garment workers; teamsters or ironworkers? Go to unionist.com and click on Labor Quiz and you could be next week's winner!

In today's labor history, thousands of unemployed World War 1 veterans arrived in Washington on this date in 1932, to demand early payment of a bonus they had been promised. They built a shantytown near the U.S. Capitol but were burned out by U.S. troops after two months.

Today's labor quote is from the 1931 song “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?”
Once in khaki suits, gee, we looked swell, full of that yankee doodle de dum.
Half a million boots went slogging through Hell and I was the kid with the drum.
Say don’t you remember, they called me Al, it was Al all the time.
Say don’t you remember, I’m your pal, brother can you spare a dime?
“Brother Can You Spare a Dime?” was written by E. Y. “Yip” Harburg and Jay Gorney.

Help WPFW collect a $1,000 challenge grant, pledge today and mention Union City Radio and your contribution will go twice as far: call 202-588-9739.


This is Chris Garlock, with Union City Radio’s Your Rights at Work tip of the day:
If you have an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have the right to be informed about the terms of your retirement plan. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act – also known as ERISA -- protects retirement plans of private sector employees from certain bad acts by their employers or the plan administrators, and requires that employers provide information about the plan’s investments.
Find out more about your rights at work from the Employment Justice Center, at DCEJC.ORG or call 202-828-9675.