Homeward-bound commuters in Langley, Virginia last Thursday afternoon were greeted by hundreds of protestors outside CIA headquarters, many of them sporting American flags and other patriotic garb. The demonstration was organized by Operating Engineers Local 99, which is trying to reach a contract agreement with AECOM, a subcontractor at the agency. “Look, we love our country and we love working at the agency, but we feel disrespected,” said Robert Poe, an electrical specialist and Local 99 shop steward, wearing a t-shirt with “USA” emblazoned on across his chest. “Here we have a company that’s violating labor laws, and is trying to slash costs on our backs.” Another negotiating session has been scheduled for this Wednesday.
On today’s labor calendar, economist James Galbraith will discuss on the Greek debt negotiations and what their outcome is likely to mean for the Greek and European economies. The talk starts at noon today at the Economic Policy Institute; for complete details, go to dclabor.org and click on calendar. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1869, William Sylvis died. Sylvis was the founder of the National Labor Union. In 1918, Canadian coal miner and labor leader Albert “Ginger” Goodwin was shot and killed by Canadian police. Although he had been ruled unfit for military service during World War I because he had lung disease, the conscription board reversed its decision just days after Goodwin led a smelter workers’ strike for the eight-hour day. Opposed to the war, Goodwin fled and for months avoided capture by the authorities. His death, considered an assassination by many, inspired Canada’s first general strike on August 2 in Vancouver. Today’s labor quote is by Albert “Ginger” Goodwin: “We know that all this misery is the outcome of someone's carelessness, and that someone is the capitalists, those who own the machinery of production. Now, as this class of parasites have been living on the blood of the working class, they are responsible for the conditions existing at the present time.” Albert Goodwin, who said “In order to throw this system over we have got to organize as a class and fight them as class against class.”
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Categories
All
Union City Radio is proud to be supported by UnionPlus, which has been working hard for union families since 1986.
Union City Radio is part of The Labor Radio/Podcast Network
Listen now...UC Radio airs weekdays at 7:15a on WPFW 89.3 FM; subscribe to the podcast here. |