Area labor leaders hit the muggy District streets Tuesday morning to show their support for Washington Teachers Union Local 6, which is battling a Freedom of Information Act exemption buried in the DC City Council’s Budget Support Act. The union charged DC Public Schools with using the exemption to hide data that would reveal why more than 500 DC teachers have been fired since 2010, alleging a pattern of discrimination. Among those at Tuesday morning’s press conference in front of the Wilson Building was Fire Fighters Local 36 president Ed Smith, who said that “It is a basic right of any union to have access to data as it relates to representation of their members.” The teachers are demanding an end to the FOIA exemption and disclosure of public records -- with teachers' personal information redacted -- related to DCPS and the IMPACT teacher evaluation system.
On today’s labor calendar, Justice for Janitors is holding a rally for members in Reston, Virginia today at 4; complete details are at dclabor.org; click on calendar. Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1941, union and civil rights leader A. Philip Randolph and others met with President Roosevelt about a proposed July 1 March on Washington to protest discrimination in war industries. A week later, Roosevelt ordered the industries to desegregate, and Randolph called off the rally. Today’s labor quote is by A. Philip Randolph: “We must develop huge demonstrations, because the world is used to big dramatic affairs. They think in terms of hundreds of thousands and millions and billions... Billions of dollars are appropriated at the twinkling of an eye. Nothing little counts.”
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. |