D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is urging the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority to ensure contracted workers at both National and Dulles airports get paid $15 an hour.
Airport Authority board members will vote on Wednesday to determine wages for over 6,000 contracted baggage handlers, wheelchair attendants, lobby agents, skycaps and cabin cleaners. In a letter to the Airport Authority, the Mayor pointed out that the DC minimum wage will go up to $15 an hour on July 1, 2020, and urged the Authority to follow suit and raise airport worker wages to $15 an hour by 2022. Sixteen Virginia Delegates also sent the Authority a letter recently on behalf of the workers, joining other high-profile supporters, including actor/activist Danny Glover, DNC Chairman and former U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez, Virginia Congressmen Gerry Connolly and Don Beyer, D.C. Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton and former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. On today’s local labor calendar, catch our free screening of the 1992 Disney musical “Newsies” tonight at 6 at the Takoma Busboys and Poets; for details go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1996, the International Union of Aluminum, Brick & Glass Workers – the product of a merger between the United Glass and Ceramic Workers of North America and the Aluminum Brick and Clay Workers International Union -- merged with United Steelworkers of America. Today’s labor quote is by Ella Reeve "Mother" Bloor, the American labor organizer and long-time activist in the socialist and communist movements who said: “The capitalist class shoots down mothers and children. It stops at nothing, no matter how monstrous, to prevent the organization of the workers.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Are you hoping to continue your education in the new year? Complete your Bachelor’s degree online at little cost with the Union Plus Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program. The program is available to union members and families. Visit unionplusfreecollege.org.
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(AUDIO) “The far-right has been stronger in the last two decades than it has been in the post-War era.”
That’s Cas Mudde (KAS MUDA), a political scientist from the University of Georgia. His new book, "The Far Right Today," takes a look at the resurgence of right-wing politicians and activists across the globe, much of it cloaked in populist, worker-friendly rhetoric. (audio) “And electorally one might even argue that it’s stronger than it’s ever been…. One of the most important things and why I call it The Far Right Today is that the role of the far-right in western democracies has changed pretty much at the starting of the century, and they were much more outsiders until pretty much 2000. And now they are increasingly becoming part of the mainstream.” Political scientist Cas Mudde (KAS MUDA), on State of the Unions, the AFL-CIO podcast, available wherever you get your podcasts. For the latest local labor calendar, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1977, eight female bank tellers in Willmar, Minnesota, fed up with being paid little more than half of what male tellers were paid, began the first strike against a bank in U.S. history. The strike ended in moral victory but economic defeat two years later. Today’s labor quote is by Mary Kenney O'Sullivan, the first female organizer for the American Federation of Labor, who said: “I refused to do a man’s job without a man’s pay.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Are you hoping to continue your education in the new year? Complete your Bachelor’s degree online at little cost with the Union Plus Bachelor’s Degree Completion Program. The program is available to union members and families. Visit unionplusfreecollege.org. The AFL-CIO endorsed the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement earlier this week, calling it "a vast improvement over both the original NAFTA and the flawed proposal brought forward in 2017.
President Trump may have opened this deal," said Labor Federation President Richard Trumka, "But working people closed it. " Trumka said the new trade deal "is far from perfect," noting that by itself, it's not a solution for outsourcing, inequality or climate change. "Successfully tackling these issues," Trumka said, "requires a fullcourt press of economic policies that empower workers, including the repeal of tax cuts which reward companies for shipping our jobs overseas." On today’s labor calendar, “9 to 5” star Jane Fonda and “Norma Rae” star Sally Field will lead the Fire Drill Friday civil disobedience action on the Capitol steps at 11am this morning, along with union members talking about how the climate crisis affects them in their jobs. For complete details, go to dclabor.org and click on Calendar. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1924, Samuel Gompers, president and founder of the American Federation of Labor, died in San Antonio, Texas. Today’s labor quote is by Sam Gompers, who said: “What does Labor want? We want more schoolhouses and less jails; more books and less arsenals; more learning and less vice; more leisure and less greed; more justice and less revenge; in fact, more of the opportunities to cultivate our better natures, to make manhood more noble, womanhood more beautiful, and childhood more happy and bright.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. If you’re giving the gift of a new phone this holiday season, look no further than AT&T. Take advantage of member-only discounts on service plans, wireless accessories, and more with Union Plus AT&T Discounts, and stack your savings with other AT&T deals like $700 off select smartphones. Visit unionplus.org/att to get started. 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: Labor news headlines: ATU Fairfax Connector striker over (for now); Lorton strike continues; ATU 689 tentative contract brings work in-house; AFL-CIO endorses new trade deal. Plus: the craziest things people put on expense reports; most sleep-deprived professions in the U.S. Guests: Al Neal: Marvin Miller (finally) elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame! “Case Closed” with David Schloss, Koonz McKenney Johnson & DePaolis Produced by Chris Garlock and Peter Pocock; engineered by Michael Nasella |
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