Transdev workers at the Cinder Bed Road facility in Northern Virginia have voted unanimously to strike if ongoing negotiations stall. The workers belong to ATU Local 689 and drive the same routes, on the same roads, with the same buses as WMATA, but earn $12 less per hour than other operators in the region because they work for a private contractor. The workers are also demanding improvements to safety and working conditions. “The workers at Cinder Bed have stood together for almost a year to fight Transdev and WMATA to make sure that they’re treated with respect,” said ATU Local 689 President and Business Agent Raymond Jackson. For the latest local labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1963, the march for jobs and freedom—the Martin Luther King, Jr. "I Have A Dream" speech march—was held in Washington, D.C. with 250,000 participating. Today’s labor quote is from Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech: Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children. Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. If you’re thinking about hitting a theme park with your family this summer, visit unionplus.org/entertainment to get savings at America’s favorite theme parks.
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(audio) We were dismayed to be notified frankly through an email that a program, a grant that we had been partnering with Department of Labor on since 2016 was going to be terminated without explanation...”
That’s Mike Monroe, Chief of Staff at North America's Building Trades Unions, on the latest edition of the AFL-CIO’s “State of the Unions” podcast. NABTU is a federation of 14 North American unions in the building trades… (audio) “This has been focused on communities of color, women and veterans in particular the apprenticeship readiness and in 2007 we had about a handful of those. We have over 175 of these programs now nationwide. And again, an acknowledgement from the Department of Labor that this work has been successful. Here is $1 million grant over multi-year phase that we want to expand this work. We want to target some areas, right? So we did, and for the past three years, we moved nearly 5,000 people into apprenticeship. Under that program, 3,800 of them were from communities of color, over a thousand were women. So, we saw the success, and we were continuing the work and to get the notification that was canceled as abruptly as it was without conversation was startling…. So, it looks like they've had a change of heart. We brought that again to the light of day and maybe that's the moral of the story here. Bringing these things out and let the people decide. 'cause I don't think this is what people signed up for when we went to the voting booth.” On today’s labor calendar, locked-out Baltimore Symphony Musicians picket today from 8:30am to 10:00am at the BSO in Baltimore; and mark your calendar now for the BSO musician’s fundraiser coming up Tuesday, September 17 at the Takoma Busboys and Poets. You can RSVP and get all the latest local labor calendar listings at dclabor.org; click on Calendar. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1950, President Truman ordered the U.S. Army to seize all the nation's railroads to prevent a general strike. The railroads were not returned to their owners until two years later. Today’s labor quote is an African proverb, which says that “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Union members get exclusive savings on award-winning SimpliSafe with the new Union Plus Home Security Program. Protect what matters most. Visit unionplus.org/homesecurity. Dozens of Maryland state workers rallied in Ocean City last week, protesting understaffed and underpaid working conditions throughout government institutions across the state. Wearing their green union shirts and with packets of info in hand, members of AFSCME Council 3 gathered in the parking lot outside Ocean City's Convention Center, calling on Maryland Governor Larry Hogan to improve conditions. Some say the staffing crisis is a matter of life and death, becoming alarmingly common among many places like correctional facilities and state hospitals. "Tell Governor Hogan to provide us with services, with staffing, and of course, provide state employees with more salary increases," said Flo Jones, AFSCME's Secretary-Treasurer.
For all the latest local labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1819, Allan Pinkerton was born. His company’s strike-breaking detectives were known as "Pinks," which gave us the word "fink." Today’s labor quote is by A. Philip Randolph, the first organizer for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, founded on this date in 1925 at a meeting in New York City. A. Philip Randolph, who said: “At the banquet table of nature, there are no reserved seats. You get what you can take, and you keep what you can hold. If you can't take anything, you won't get anything, and if you can't hold anything, you won't keep anything. And you can't take anything without organization.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Did you know you can help support the labor movement when you choose your wireless plan? AT&T is the only nationwide unionized wireless carrier, and union members can save with special discounts. Visit unionplus.org/att. (audio) We are in dire need of infrastructure investment.”
That’s Mike Monroe, Chief of Staff at North America's Building Trades Unions, on the latest edition of the AFL-CIO’s “State of the Unions” podcast. NABTU is a federation of 14 North American unions in the building trades… (audio) Everybody says they agree. There seemed to be a little glimmer of hope. There were some White House meetings with Dem leadership. Those broke down. You could argue whether or not that was sincere or manufactured. There are some people that don't want to pay for infrastructure and I would put at the top of the list acting chief of staff, Mick Mulvaney and some of those folks, and I think that Democrats were worried about pay-fors? Let's put it this way...I don't think you're going to balance a $22 trillion deficit on the backs of infrastructure bill, so we should look to what ways are going to actually drive growth, and we've always been a believer in that. I think people sitting in traffic would be a believer in that. People that are sending their kids to schools that are falling down, I think would be a believer in that. Clean water, folks that can't get clean water, I think would be a believer in that. Being able to retrofit buildings and put us on a path to a cleaner, greener economy. I think people would believe in that. Resiliency measures with more extreme weather events. These are all things that we can invest in now and move forward on. So, we need it to be a priority. Check out “State of the Unions” wherever you listen to podcasts. On the weekend labor calendar, the Working While Black Expo takes place tomorrow and Sunday at Coppin State University in Baltimore; for details and the latest local labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1966, the Farm Workers Organizing Committee – which later became the United Farm Workers of America -- was granted a charter by the AFL-CIO. Today’s labor quote is by legendary farm worker organizer Cesar Chavez, who said: “Fighting for social justice, it seems to me, is one of the profoundest ways in which man can say yes to man’s dignity, and that really means sacrifices. There is no way on this earth in which you can say yes to a man’s dignity and know that you’re going to be spared some sacrifice.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Did you know you can help support the labor movement when you choose your wireless plan? AT&T is the only nationwide unionized wireless carrier, and union members can save with special discounts. Visit unionplus.org/att. |
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