If it’s December in the nation’s capital, it means residents and visitors alike are gearing up to celebrate the holiday season with family, friends and loved ones. So let’s take a moment to thank our Washington, D.C., union brothers and sisters on the front lines fighting for better wages, hours and benefits for all of us. From retail workers protesting against Walmart’s low wages, to workers at Reagan National and Dulles International airports joining the national Fight for $15, workers in the D.C. metro area have participated in dozens of actions in 2015. We can all join the fight for a stronger middle class this holiday season. Every time we open our wallet, we can choose to spend our money supporting good employers who treat their workers well. In that spirit, the Metro Washington Council and Labor 411 are proud to present a selected list of D.C. holiday activities and events that union workers make possible, from the National Christmas Tree to ICE! at Marriott’s Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” at Ford’s Theatre, “The Nutcracker” by The Washington Ballet at Warner Theatre and ZooLights at the National Zoo.
Because together, our dollars can make sense. Full details at dclabor.org Here’s today’s labor history: On this date in 1910, a dynamite bomb destroyed a portion of the Llewellyn Ironworks in Los Angeles, where a bitter strike was in progress. In 1967, fourteen servicemen from military bases across the U.S., led by Private Andrew Stapp, formed The American Servicemen’s Union. The union, which never came close to being recognized by the government, in its heyday during the Viet Nam war claimed tens of thousands of members and had chapters at bases, on ships and in Vietnam. ASU demands included the right to elect officers and their slogan was “To win a Bill of Rights for rank-and-file servicemen and women.” Today’s labor quote is by Andrew Stapp, from his book “Up Against the Brass”: “We talked to everyone who would listen. Soon the entire battalion knew our views. Only a handful showed hostility. Often in the barracks, after lights-out, we would kid about the war. Dick Wheaton, a marvelous mimic, could sound exactly like Lyndon Johnson. He would pretend he was LBJ holding a press conference and the guys would ask questions. ‘Mr. President, are you going to send additional troops to Vietnam?’ ‘Our commitment is firm, son, firm. Ah’m not gonna hide mah tail between mah legs and run. Ah’m willin’ to fight to the last drop of yore blood to achieve peace.’”
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