Happy Memorial Day, another paid holiday brought to you by the American labor movement.
While Memorial Day weekend is considered the unofficial start to summer, our friends at Labor 411 remind us that more importantly, it’s a time to remember those soldiers we have lost in service to our country. In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day can also be a time to honor those who made it home. This means giving those who have served something to come home to, including a job. The Helmets to Hardhats program was designed by the building and construction trades so that soldiers returning home have an option for a fruitful post-duty career, no experience necessary. It can often be difficult for veterans to make the transition from military life to the civilian workforce, and this program assures they will not be left behind or forgotten by giving them an opportunity to train for a good-paying job in the construction industry. If you are a veteran or know one who is looking for a career, check out helmetstohardhats.org to learn more. Here’s this week's Labor Quiz: what type of workforce was involved in the 1909 New York labor strike known as the “Uprising of the 20,000”? Was it miners; longshoremen; garment workers; teamsters or ironworkers? Go to unionist.com and click on Labor Quiz and you could be next week's winner! In today's labor history, thousands of unemployed World War 1 veterans arrived in Washington on this date in 1932, to demand early payment of a bonus they had been promised. They built a shantytown near the U.S. Capitol but were burned out by U.S. troops after two months. Today's labor quote is from the 1931 song “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?” Once in khaki suits, gee, we looked swell, full of that yankee doodle de dum. Half a million boots went slogging through Hell and I was the kid with the drum. Say don’t you remember, they called me Al, it was Al all the time. Say don’t you remember, I’m your pal, brother can you spare a dime? “Brother Can You Spare a Dime?” was written by E. Y. “Yip” Harburg and Jay Gorney. Help WPFW collect a $1,000 challenge grant, pledge today and mention Union City Radio and your contribution will go twice as far: call 202-588-9739. This is Chris Garlock, with Union City Radio’s Your Rights at Work tip of the day: If you have an employer-sponsored retirement plan, you have the right to be informed about the terms of your retirement plan. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act – also known as ERISA -- protects retirement plans of private sector employees from certain bad acts by their employers or the plan administrators, and requires that employers provide information about the plan’s investments. Find out more about your rights at work from the Employment Justice Center, at DCEJC.ORG or call 202-828-9675.
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