Hundreds of supermarket workers and their allies rallied and marched through downtown Washington last Thursday, demanding fair contracts with Giant and Safeway. Negotiations officially started on Friday.
“Our members make Giant and Safeway profitable and the dominant grocery chains in the Washington, D.C. area,” said UFCW 400 president Mark Federici, adding that “It speaks for itself that we’re out here today with such big numbers and such enthusiasm before there’s even a crisis.” A number of other area unions and allies turned out for the rally and march, including a major contingent from AFGE. “We’re experiencing some of the same issues in contract negotiations as UFCW Local 400,” AFGE District 14’s Eric Bunn said, “That’s why we’re here in solidarity, supporting them.” On today’s labor calendar, The Metro Washington Council meets tonight at 6:30 at the AFL-CIO; all are welcome. And at 7 tonight, singer-songwriter Billy Bragg discusses his new book “The Three Dimensions of Freedom” at Politics and Prose. For 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 2009, Richard Trumka was elected president of the AFL-CIO. He had served as secretary-treasurer from 1995 to 2009, and prior to that was president of the United Mine Workers for 13 years. Today’s labor quote is by Richard Trumka, from his interview on this week’s Labor History Today podcast: (audio) I’m more excited about the labor movement right now, then I was in 1967, when I said ‘I swear allegiance to the United Mine Workers of America.’ I see more, I feel more and I’m excited by all the collective action.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. The Union Plus Car Rental Program can save you up to 25% off car rental rates. With several companies to choose from union members can hit the road for less. Visit unionplus.org/carrental.
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Hosted by Chris Garlock, sitting in for Bill Fletcher. Interview conducted by Joe McCartin. Thirty years ago, on September 17, 1989, ninety-eight members of the United Mine Workers of America – accompanied by a minister -- occupied the Pittston Coal Company's Moss 3 preparation plant in Carbon, Virginia, beginning a year-long strike. The successful occupation and strike came at the end of a decade of brutal union-busting that had begun with Ronald Reagan firing 11,000 striking air traffic controllers. Labor History Today’s Joe McCartin sat down earlier this week with AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka to discuss this historic strike. Trumka, a third-generation coal miner, rose to lead the Mine Workers during the Pittston strike and went on to be elected president of the AFL-CIO on September 16, 2009. Produced/edited by Chris Garlock for Labor History Today; engineered for WPFW by Mike Nasella. (audio) “You can't know where you are going if you don't understand where you came from; there are no new strategies in this world, they only are adapted to what you have.”
That’s AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka. He sat down with Labor History Today’s Joe McCartin earlier this week to discuss the historic Pittston strike, which began on September 17, 1989, when ninety-eight members of the United Mine Workers of America and a minister occupied the Pittston Coal Company's Moss 3 preparation plant in Carbon, Virginia. The year-long occupation and strike came at the end of a decade of brutal union-busting that had begun with Ronald Reagan firing 11,000 striking air traffic controllers. Trumka led the Mine Workers during the Pittston strike and went on to be elected president of the AFL-CIO on September 16, 2009. Tune in at 9am this morning here on WPFW to hear our complete interview with president Trumka, which includes some personal memories of working in the mines with his father. On today’s labor calendar, locked-out Baltimore Symphony Orchestra musicians picket today at 9am; and the monthly NoVA Coalition of Labor Union Women Happy Hour is tonight at 6:30; Plus, selected screenings at the AFI Latin American Film Festival are being co-presented by the DC Labor FilmFest, and you can show your union card and get the AFI member discount. For 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 1971, eleven AFSCME-represented prison employees and 33 inmates died in four days of rioting at New York State’s Attica Prison and the retaking of the prison. The riot caused the nation to take a closer look at prison conditions, for inmates and their guards alike. Today’s labor quote is by John L. Lewis, who led the United Mine Workers of America from 1920 to 1960. John L. Lewis, who said: “You can’t dig coal with bayonets.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. The Union Plus Car Rental Program can save you up to 25% off car rental rates. With several companies to choose from union members can hit the road for less. Visit unionplus.org/carrental. Broadcast on WPFW 89.3FM
Hosted by Chris Garlock and Peter Pocock 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: LIVE report from the UFCW 400 Giant/Safeway march and rally. Brian Prechtl, co-chair of the Baltimore Symphony Musicians Players’ Committee, with a BSO lockout update 1199 SEIU's Yahnae Barner on the NLRB ruling that Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) at George Washington University Hospital engaged in unfair labor practices POGO's Becca Jones on the effect of SharpieGate on federal workers “Case Closed” with David Schloss PAI's Mark Gruenberg with the latest labor news Produced by Chris Garlock; engineered by Ciera Shine Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus, FIND OUT MORE AT UNIONPLUS.ORG |
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