Chris Garlock hosts Anne Feeney and The Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble; Angaza Laughinghouse, Nathanette Mayo and Rick Scott, in town for a concert benefit for Pam Parker.
CREDITS: Michael Vernon, WPFW’s Booking and Talent Coordinator; WPFW Engineers David “Mad Dog” Kelly and Rodney Black
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Tomorrow night’s benefit concert for singer Pam Parker boasts a star-studded line-up, including The Fruit of Labor Singing Ensemble, singer Luci Murphy, the DC Labor Chorus, the Charm City Labor Chorus, Anne Feeney, Joe Uehlein and Pam Parker herself. The longtime cultural worker is suffering from advanced kidney disease. Admission to the 7:30pm concert at the Takoma Park Community Center is $10 or you can go to dclabor.org to donate online.
In today’s labor joke, an understanding boss, his thoughtful HR manager and a hard-working shop steward were in a sailboat in a storm. The boat sprang a leak and when they went to fix it they discovered that there was no patch. Who saved the day? It was the hard-working shop steward, of course; the others are fictional characters. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1935, President Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, providing, for the first time ever, guaranteed income for retirees and creating a system of unemployment benefits. In 1980, members of the upstart Polish union Solidarity seized the Lenin shipyard in Gdansk. Sixteen days later the government officially recognized the union. Many consider the event the beginning of the end for the Iron Curtain. And in 1999, former AFL-CIO president Lane Kirkland died at age 77. Today’s labor quote is by Lane Kirkland: “Don't believe that winning is really everything. It's more important to stand for something. If you don't stand for something, what do you win?” The contract covering nurses at Howard University and Howard University Hospital has been extended to August 31. A number of major issues are still on the table, including Howard’s push to remove Nurse Practitioners from the union. The DC Nurses Association and Howard return to the table today and tomorrow.
Starting at 7a this morning, there are three local rallies supporting ongoing struggles for contracts. CWA Local 2222 mmebers at Verizon start things off with a 1-hour rally at 7a in Falls Church, VA. Some 40,000 Verizon workers in the Northeast – members of CWA and the IBEW -- have been working without a contract since August 1. Then at 3p, Operating Engineers Local 99 stages their latest picket at the CIA in McLean, VA, as their battle for a contract with an agency subcontractor continues. The day wraps up at 5p in Silver Spring, MD when CWA 2108 holds a rally and picnic, complete with hot dogs, the Carpenters' inflatable fat cat and music. For complete details, go to dclabor.org and click on calendar. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1892, striking miners in Tracy City, Tennessee captured their mines and freed 300 state convict strikebreakers. The convicts had been "leased" to mineowners by officials in an effort to make prisons self-supporting and make a few bucks for the state. The practice started in 1866 and lasted for 30 years. In 1936, Newspaper Guild members began 3-month strike of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, shutting the publication down in their successful fight for union recognition. And in 1963, civil rights leader and union president A. Philip Randolph strongly protested the AFL-CIO Executive Council's failure to endorse the August 28 "March on Washington." Today’s labor quote is by A. Philip Randolph, from his speech at the 1963 “March on Washington”: “Those who deplore our militants, who exhort patience in the name of a false peace, are in fact supporting segregation and exploitation. They would have social peace at the expense of social and racial justice. They are more concerned with easing racial tension than enforcing racial democracy.” A. Philip Randolph, who said “Look for the enemies of Medicare, of higher minimum wages, of Social Security, of federal aid to education and there you will find the enemy of the Negro, the coalition of Dixiecrats and reactionary Republicans that seek to dominate the Congress.” UFCW Local 400 filed for an election at Elizabeth Adam Crump Golden Living, a nursing home located in Richmond, Va. The 14 housekeepers, who work for Healthcare Services Group, are interested in joining their colleagues, who are already represented by Local 400. The election is scheduled for August 20.
For the latest local labor news and updates, go to dclabor.org; for up-to-date listings for labor activities, click on calendar. Here’s this week’s Labor Quiz: CIO founder and United Mine Workers president John L. Lewis first served the mineworkers’ union in what capacity? Was it steward, business representative, secretary treasurer, statistician or none of the above. Submit your answer at unionist.com and you could be next week's winner! Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1919, the chorus girls in the Ziegfield Follies created their own union, the Chorus Equity Association, after hearing that their boss was joining the Producing Managers’ Association, They were helped by a big donation from superstar and former chorus girl Lillian Russell. In 1955 the union merged with the Actor’s Equity Association. In 1992, the North American Free Trade Agreement—NAFTA—was concluded between the United States, Canada and Mexico, to take effect in January, 1994, despite protests from labor, environmental and human rights groups. And on this date in 1994, what was to become a 232-day strike by major league baseball players over owners' demands for team salary caps began on this day; 938 games were cancelled. Today’s labor quote is by Massachusetts Congressman Stephen F. Lynch: “Now, given the experience that we have had thus far, with our subsequent trade agreements with NAFTA and others, you would think that with our experience of job loss that we have had there that when you find yourself in a hole that you might stop digging.” Stephen F. Lynch, who said “Since NAFTA was put in place, Mexico has lost 1.9 million jobs and most Mexicans' real wages have fallen.” |
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