Thousands of nurses at Washington Hospital Center walked out on strike yesterday to demand that MedStar address patient safety at the hospital. The nurses – members of National Nurses United -- have been raising serious concerns about safe staffing and clinical practices but Washington Hospital Center RN Mindy Blandon says “we have received no serious response from hospital executives.”
The nurses – joined by local labor, community and religious allies -- picketed and rallied in the freezing rain, saying they’re fed up with being ignored, and insisting that patients’ lives are at stake. They staged the 24-hour strike to try to force hospital managers to negotiate about issues of health, safety, and equity. The nurses plan to return to work this morning, even though the hospital has threatened to lock them out for an additional nine days. Go to dclabor.org to see a short video and sign a petition to show your support. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1908, officers of the American Federation of Labor were found in contempt of court for urging a labor boycott of Buck's Stove and Range Company in St Louis, where the Metal Polishers were striking for a 9-hour day. And in 1970, construction workers topped out the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 1,368 feet, making it the tallest building in the world. Today’s labor quote is an old African proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.
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NEWS: DC fire fighters won a significant victory last week when the DC Court of Appeals ruled in their favor in a long-running dispute over overtime. The Court affirmed Local 36's position that DC fire fighters should receive overtime after 42 hours of work in a week, as negotiated in their contract.
And today’s the deadline for contributions to the Community Services Agency’s Labor’s Holiday Basket project. Non-perishable goods, gift cards or cash will go directly to help area working families in need during the holidays; contact Kathleen McKirchy at 202-974-8221 or check out CSA’s page on the dclabor.org website for details. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1907, an explosion in the Darr Mine in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania killed 239 coal miners. Seventy-one of the dead share a common grave in Olive Branch Cemetery. December 1907 was the worst month in U.S. coal mining history, with more than 3,000 dead. And on this date in 1983, the 47-day strike at Greyhound Bus Lines ended with members of the Amalgamated Transit Union accepting a new contract containing deep cuts in wages and benefits. Striker Ray Phillips died during the strike, run over on a picket line by a scab Greyhound trainee. Today’s labor quote is by Criss Jami: “Every job from the heart is, ultimately, of equal value. The nurse injects the syringe; the writer slides the pen; the farmer plows the dirt; the comedian draws the laughter. Monetary income is the perfect deceiver of a man's true worth.” Criss Jami is a poet, singer, essayist and existentialist philosopher. NEWS: Contracts talks between IATSE Local 22 and the National Theatre are going down to the wire this week.
The current contract expires at midnight on Friday and negotiations are set for today and tomorrow. Local 22 president Chuck Clay said that “While we have made some significant progress during the last five months there are still some significant points that need resolution.” However, he added that “if there is no substantial positive movement” in this week’s talks, the local’s members have approved other options. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1830, the trial of nearly 350 agricultural laborers got underway in England. Facing land enclosures and mechanization, farm workers rioted in the autumn of 1830 in what came to be called the Swing Riots, demanding higher wages, destroying machinery, and threatening landowners. Of the nearly 2,000 people tried and convicted, 19 were executed and over 500 deported to New South Wales and Tasmania. Today’s labor quote is by “Captain Swing”, the name signed to threatening letters tenant farmers sent to English landowners in 1830: “Sir, This is to acquaint you that if your threshing machines are not destroyed by you directly we shall commence our labours.” Captain Swing, who also wrote: “Sir, this is to advise you and the like of you to make your wills. You have been the Blackguard Enemies of the People on all occasions, You have not yet done as you ought.” The mythical Captain Swing was described as a hard-working tenant farmer driven to destitution and despair by social and political change in the early nineteenth century. News: Calling it “a major step forward to make sure workers’ rights to organize are protected in the 21st century workplace,” the Newspaper Guild-CWA last week hailed a National Labor Relations Board decision that makes clear the right of workers to use their work email accounts during non-work hours to discuss workplace issues. Cet Parks, Executive Director of the Washington-Baltimore Newspaper Guild, said that “We think the decision is great for the future of union organizing campaigns and plan to take advantage of the new ruling.”
Here’s today’s labor history: on this date in 1918, 1,000 members of the Australian Workers’ Union, protesting unemployment, lack of political representation, and taxation without representation, marched on the Government House in Darwin, Australia, demanding the resignation of John Gilruth, Administrator of the Northern Territory. Gilruth left under military protection, never to return, and Harold Nelson, who led the protest, went on to win the first Territory seat in Australia’s House of Representatives. Today’s labor quote is by artist Ralph Ransom: "Before the reward there must be labor. You plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy." |
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