The House Education and Labor Committee on Wednesday passed the Protect the Right to Organize Act, the most-comprehensive pro-worker rewrite of U.S. labor law in decades. All the committee’s Democrats voted for it and all the Republicans voted against it.
“What is keeping” workers from unionizing, said Committee Chairman Bobby Scott, “are toothless labor laws, aggressive employer opposition to unions, and relentless political attacks that have dismantled workers’ right to organize.”
While the Pro Act is also expected to pass the Democratic-run House, the Republican-run Senate is another matter. Corporate contributors to congressional Republicans are expected to mount a large and expensive lobbying campaign against it, just as they spent millions of dollars a decade ago to stall the last labor law rewrite try, the Employee Free Choice Act.

For the latest local labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

In today’s labor history, on this date in 1892, 29 strike leaders were charged with treason – plotting, quote, "to incite insurrection, rebellion & war against the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" unquote – for daring to strike the Carnegie Steel Company in Homestead, Pennsylvania. Jurors refused to convict them.  

Today’s labor quote is by Mother Jones, who on this date in 1899 organized the wives of striking miners in Arnot, Pennsylvania to descend on the mine with brooms, mops and clanging pots and pans. They frightened away the mules and their scab drivers and the miners eventually won their strike.
Mother Jones, who said:
“No matter what the fight, don't be ladylike! God almighty made women and the Rockefeller gang of thieves made the ladies.”

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.

(rally/march audio)
Those were some of the sounds from just two of the six union rallies and marches this past Tuesday. The first was Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer at the noontime rally of federal workers on Capitol Hill; the second was janitors marching for a contract in Ballston later that afternoon. The day began with the UAW strike picket line at the White Marsh transmission plant, and later that morning, bus drivers picketed in Lorton, Virginia, fighting for higher pay and respect on the job. Then members of UNITE HERE 23 picketed at USDA as they geared up for a contract fight. And SEIU members rallied to support GMU workers that afternoon. Six different events, but they’re all linked by one thing: workers are fed up with being pushed around, with being disrespected, with being taken advantage of. They’re fighting back and here on Union City Radio we’ll continue to spread the word of their struggles.

Speaking of which, on today’s labor calendar, the UAW strike picketing continues from 6am to 2pm today in White Marsh, SEIU janitors will rally at 4:30 in Arlington and tonight at 7 you can welcome the Baltimore Symphony Musicians back home at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall.
And this just in: the UAW has expanded their pickets and will be out this weekend from 10am to 2pm on Saturday and Sunday.
For complete details and all the latest labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.
In today’s labor history, on this date in 2002, twenty-nine west coast ports locked out more than 10,000 workers, closing the ports for 10 days.

Today’s labor quote is by Clara Lemlich, one of the leaders of the Uprising of 20,000, the massive strike of shirtwaist workers in New York's garment industry thaty began on this date in 1909. Clara Lemlich, who said:
"I have listened to all the speakers, and I have no further patience for talk. I am a working girl, one of those striking against intolerable conditions. I am tired of listening to speakers who talk in generalities. What we are here for is to decide whether or not to strike. I make a motion that we go out in a general strike." 

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.

​photo by Chris Garlock/Union City

Broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM

Hosted by Chris Garlock and Ed Smith
DC’s call-in show about worker rights: those you have, those you don’t, how to get them and how to use them.

On today's show:
Carl Goldman (AFSCME, ret) and UAW 229 shop steward Guy White, reporting live from the UAW picket line in White Marsh, MD.
“Case Closed” with David Schloss, injury attorney and partner in the law firm of Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis LLP
Mark Gruenberg, PAI News, on the passage of the Pro Act by a key House panel.
Plus listener calls -- including Raymond reporting on the successful strike by LiUNA 1310 at Advanced Auto -- and these headlines: A French Worker Died After Sex on a Business Trip. His Company Is Liable; Express, commuter newspaper published by The Washington Post, shuts down after 16 years.

Produced by Chris Garlock and Peter Pocock; engineered by Ciera Shine. 

Kaiser Permanente has reached a tentative agreement with its workers on a four-year contract, averting planned strikes across the country. The contract agreement affects 83,000 workers in seven states – including Virginia and Maryland -- as well as the District of Columbia. The agreement includes across-the-board raises, protects healthcare benefits, and makes no changes to pensions or retiree medical coverage. It also insures that all future Kaiser workers get the same wage rates and benefits as existing workers and includes strong protections against subcontracting and outsourcing jobs. If ratified by coalition members, the contract will take effect October 1.

On today’s labor calendar, tune in at 1 o’clock this afternoon for this week’s edition of Your Rights At Work, when Ed Smith and I will take your calls about workplace rights and catch up on the latest labor news.
For complete details and all the latest labor calendar listings, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar.

In today’s labor history, on this date in 2013, teachers in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – on strike since early August over proposed wage cuts and loss of job security – occupied the City Council chambers before a vote on the proposed plan. A series of further actions led to an agreement that included raises for the teachers, a review of workload and curriculum requirements, and the reinstatement of all teachers who had been fired during the strike.

Today’s labor quote is by Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa, who said
"Rome wasn't built in a day, but man, did they get a break on the labor."    

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.