Kroger employees voted unanimously Wednesday morning to reject the company’s “last best offer” and to authorize a strike at 41 stores in the Roanoke Valley region. Shortly after the strike vote, Kroger reopened negotiations with the union. The supermarket workers are members of United Food & Commercial Workers Local 400 and work as cashiers, meat cutters, stockers and clerks at Kroger stores. “It wasn’t an easy decision, but at the end of the day, we had to do it,” said Kevin Johnson, a Kroger associate and union member who voted in favor of the strike authorization. “Sometimes enough is enough.” The offer would have provided only slight wage increases and no paid sick days. It also fell short of renewing Kroger’s commitment to providing health insurance for its retirees. Negotiations resume next Monday.
On today’s labor calendar, a major Verizon strike "Day of Action" will be held this afternoon. After picketing from 4p to 5p at the 13 & F Verizon Wireless store, strikers and their supporters will march to Lafayette Park and rally up around 6p. The DC LaborFest continues today with a talk on the Haymarket handbills at 3p at the Library of Congress, and then at 5, Magpie and George Mann will perform a live concert at the 5th & K Busboys and Poets, which will be simulcast right here on WPFW. There’s also a benefit for striking Verizon workers tonight at 6pm with Polyon, Psychic Subcreatures and the Chill Parents. Full details on all these events, of course, at dclabor.org; click on calendar. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1902, two hundred sixteen miners died from an explosion and its aftermath at the Fraterville Mine in Anderson County, Tennessee. All but three of Fraterville’s adult males were killed. The mine had a reputation for fair contracts and pay—miners were represented by the United Mine Workers—and was considered safe; methane may have leaked in from a nearby mine. In 1920, ten died in a shootout in Matewan, West Virginia, between striking union miners -- led by Police Chief Sid Hatfield -- and coal company agents. In 1950, 31 dockworkers were killed, and 350 workers and others were injured when four barges carrying nearly 500 tons of ammunition blew up at South Amboy, New Jersey. They were loading mines that had been deemed unsafe by the Army and were being shipped to the Asian market for sale. Today’s labor quote is by Joe Kenehan, an organizer for the United Mine Workers in the 1987 film "Matewan, played by actor Chris Cooper “They got you fightin' white against colored, native against foreign, hollow against hollow, when you know there ain't but two sides in this world - them that work and them that don't. You work, they don't. That's all you got to know about the enemy.”
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Live from the Shirlington Busboys & Poets!
Judge Smith, a DC based rock/roots band, has been playing clubs, festivals and private parties in the DMV for over ten years. Judge Smith has released two full length CDs: 2012’s American Vista, a CD of originals nominated for best Roots/Rock CD by the Washington Area Music Association; and 2014’s CD, Live at King Street Blues, which presents the band in a live format at one its favorite joints. Judge Smith is fronted by Ed Smith, who also works for the District of Columbia Nurses Association and co-hosts “Your Rights at Work” Thursdays at 1p with Union City Radio’s Chris Garlock on WPFW. Lead guitarist Peter Eisler is a member of the Newspaper Guild, John David Coppola on bass and Evan Lintz on drums/percussion round out the lineup. Phil Donahue is coming. So is former NSA senior executive and whistleblower Thomas Drake. Dennis Kucinich and Jim Hightower will be there, along with food and safety pioneer Michael Jacobson, and Patti Smith (yes that Patti Smith). They're all coming to “Breaking Through Power," set for May 23-26 at Constitution Hall here in Washington, DC. The theme of this citizen mobilization is “elaborating ways to break through power to secure long-overdue democratic solutions,” says the Center for Study of Responsive Law, which is organizing the event with Ralph Nader. Over the course of the conference, a wide range of speakers will present “innovative ideas and strategies designed to take existing civic groups to higher levels of effectiveness,” the Center adds.
Go to breakingthroughpower.org for more details on the event’s agenda, speakers and how to attend and participate. On today's labor calendar, Verizon strike picket lines continue today throughout the metro Washington area; go to dclabor.org and click on calendar for the latest list of locations and times. The DC LaborFest continues with an IRON WORKERS HISTORY TOUR at noon and a screening of the great film CONCUSSION tonight at 7pm at the AFI Silver Theatre. And last but certainly not least, the American Federation of Teachers is hosting a panel at 4 this afternoon on the International Refugee Crisis. Full details on all these events, as always, at dclabor.org. click on calendar. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1912, in what may have been baseball’s first labor strike, the Detroit Tigers refused to play after team leader Ty Cobb was suspended: he went into the stands and beat a fan who had been heckling him. Cobb was reinstated and the Tigers went back to work after the team manager’s failed attempt to replace the players with a local college team whose pitcher gave up 24 runs. In 1917, the Amalgamated Meat Cutters union organizers launched a campaign in the nation’s packinghouses, an effort that was to bring representation to 100,000 workers over the following two years. Jerry Wurf was born on this date in 1919 in New York City. Wurf served as president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees from 1964 to his death in 1981, and the union grew from about 220,000 members to more than 1 million during his presidency. In 1928, Big Bill Haywood, a founding member and leader of the Industrial Workers of the World – or Wobblies -- died in exile in the Soviet Union. Today’s labor quote is by Jerry Wurf “Government workers have proved that when they are not dealt with justly, they will defy the law. And they have proved that, in such situations, government is powerless.” Verizon and its two striking unions agreed to return to the bargaining table after meeting with U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez on Sunday. “The best way to resolve this labor dispute is at the bargaining table, and I am heartened by the parties’ mutual commitment to get back to immediate discussions and work toward a new contract,” said Perez. “I was singularly impressed by the parties’ appreciation that time is of the essence, and their strong commitment to use the collective bargaining process to reach a mutually beneficial resolution.”
Negotiations resume today. Meanwhile, a major Verizon strike "Day of Action" has been scheduled for this Thursday, May 19. After picketing from 4p to 5p at the 13 & F Verizon Wireless, strikers and their supporters will march to Lafayette Park and rally up around 6p. The action is being organized by CWA Locals 2108, 2336, and 2222. On today's labor calendar, Verizon strike picket lines continue today throughout the metro Washington area; go to dclabor.org and click on calendar for the latest list of locations and times. The DC LaborFest continues with a performance by the JUDGE SMITH band tonight at the Shirlington Busboys and Poets. The first portion of the concert will be simulcast live on WPFW 89.3FM from 5 to 6pm and then continue from 6 to 8pm; WPFW listeners are invited to join us and I look forward to seeing you there tonight! Judge Smith is fronted by Ed Smith, who also works for the District of Columbia Nurses Association and co-hosts “Your Rights at Work” Thursdays at 1p with me here on WPFW. Tickets are just $10 each, available at dclabor.org, click on Calendar. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1954, the Supreme Court outlawed segregation in public schools. And in 2004, twelve Starbucks baristas in a midtown Manhattan store, declaring they couldn’t live on $7.75 an hour, signed cards demanding representation by the Industrial Workers of the World, or Wobblies. Today’s labor quote is by Harry Bridges “Why should we take it upon ourselves to pick up the pieces after industry discards people for machines? Isn’t it about time unions got in there before the fact to insist that there must be some obligation to people in all this?” Harry Bridges led the International Longshoremen's Association. Please support WPFW during the Spring Fundraising drive; call 202-588-0999 or online, click on Morning Brew’s Union City Radio in the drop-down! |
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