Metro Washington Council president Jos Williams joined more than 60 people from Latin America last week in Brazil to affirm labor’s continued commitment to racial equality through a broad-based economic justice movement. The occasion was the 20th anniversary of the Inter-American Union Institute for Racial Equality, a labor coalition dedicated to fighting for racial justice in the Americas. The group has worked with trade union partners and likeminded allies across the Americas to combat racial and ethnic discrimination in the workplace and give union leaders tools to promote equality in their organizations and society since its founding in 1995 by the AFL-CIO, three Brazilian national union centers and the Trade Union Confederation of the Americas.
Today’s Cool Labor Site is politicalmoneyline.com. Political MoneyLine is the leading source of comprehensive, timely and objective campaign finance and lobbying information. Political MoneyLine helps you analyze the flow of money through the political system by providing campaign donation and expenditure data from the 1979-80 election cycle through the most recent filings. If you want to know who gave what to which Federal candidates, politicalmoneyline.com is the place to go. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1819, Allan Pinkerton was born; Pinkerton’s strike-breaking detectives, also known as "Pinks" gave us the word "fink". And in 1925, the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters was founded at a meeting in New York City. A. Philip Randolph became the union's first organizer. Today’s labor quote is by A. Philip Randolph: “The essence of trade unionism is social uplift. The labor movement has been the haven for the dispossessed, the despised, the neglected, the downtrodden, the poor.”
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To get the inside scoop on all things union in our nation’s capital, check out the brand-new Washington DC edition of Labor 411. The print and online directory – now with editions in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington, DC -- boasts more than 8,500 DC-area union listings, including hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues and a vast array of consumer products whose producers treat their workers well with fair wages, good benefits and safe working conditions. “We want the average consumer to be able to focus his or her spending power in a way that advances and strengthens the middle class in America,” says Labor 411 publisher Cherri Senders. “Harnessing our consumer buying power is a powerful tool to build a stronger, fairer America,” adds Jos Williams, President of the Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO. Go to labor411.org to check it out. For a printed copy of the book, call 202-974-8150.
In this week's Labor Quiz, who wrote labor's anthem, "Solidarity Forever"? Was it Woody Guthrie; Ralph Chaplin; Joe Hill; or Florence Reece? Go to unionist.com and click on Labor Quiz to submit your answer and you could be next week's winner! Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1877, the Gatling Gun Company—manufacturers of an early machine gun—wrote to B&O Railroad Co. President John W. Garrett during a strike, urging their product be purchased to deal with the "recent riotous disturbances around the country." Said the company: "Four or five men only are required to operate (a gun), and one Gatling ... can clear a street or block and keep it clear." And in 1970, the United Farm Workers Union began their lettuce strike. Today’s labor quote is by Cesar Chavez, who said: “If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him... the people who give you their food give you their heart.” Union City Radio’s Chris Garlock and Ed Smith discuss worker rights with local activists/organizers and take listener calls.
Guests on today’s show include ATU’s Elana Kessler on how local transit workers won enforcement of DC’s paid sick days law and forced their employer to re-hire unjustly fired workers, and the Employment Justice Center’s Emma Cleveland, on the upcoming Community Speak-Out about Unjust Firing. As WPFW’s August pledge drive -- call 202-588-9739 or pledge online at wpfwfm.org -- we have a special thank-you gift for listeners to Your Rights at Work: everyone who pledges $50 or more will get a 2015 DC LaborFest t-shirt, a real collector’s item, because these t-shirts are never available for sale; we only give them to LaborFest volunteers and now we’re making them available to WPFW supporters for a pledge of $50 or more. You’ll look great and you’ll be supporting a great community radio station! Garlock, Union Cities Coordinator for the Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO, hosts the daily Union City Radio feature on WPFW. Smith is a labor lawyer, Executive Director of the DC Nurses Association and lead vocalist for the Judge Smith Band. Click here for an archive of previous “Your Rights At Work” preview shows. Next time you’re in Mt. Olive, Illinois, be sure to check out the new Mother Jones Museum. The museum’s website includes the local connection to Jones, who often came to the Washington D.C. area. She not only had friends who took care of her in the final days of her life but she came to D.C. with the army of the unemployed in 1894, returned in 1897 with petitions to President McKinley and refused to leave until he saw her. After 1907, she testified before Congress and met with Presidents, advocating the release of labor prisoners and Mexican revolutionists. Also noted is the annual May 1 wreath-laying at the Mother Jones Marker in Silver Spring, which is part of the DC Labor Fest.
On today’s Labor Calendar, there’s a Community Speak-Out tomorrow, Saturday, August 22, about unjust firings in the District, from 3 – 4pm in Lamont Park. For complete details on this and other upcoming local labor activities, go to dclabor.org and click on calendar. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1831, the slave revolt led by Nat Turner began in Southampton County, Virginia. Today’s labor quote is by Mary Harris “Mother” Jones: “I will tell the truth wherever I please.” Mother Jones, who said “I'm not a humanitarian, I'm a hell-raiser.” |
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