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Compass contract fight comes to World Bank

African Union Leaders Join Forces in Historic Democracy Summit

Today's Labor Quote

Today's Labor History

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Compass contract fight comes to World Bank

"For 49 years, I've been asking for a dollar," AU food service worker Willie Joiner said at yesterday's rally for Compass workers as hundreds of chanting UNITE HERE members and their supporters marched in front of the World Bank. "I was working at AU, I would bring home $47 a week to feed my child. Forty-nine years, I've been waiting on that dollar. I saw it at the table this year. I saw it, but I'm going to tell you right here that that doesn't feed my grandbaby. That doesn't pay my rent. I will not wait another 49 years." The local workers were joined by busloads of UNITE HERE members from locals 25, 54 and 100. The workers are demanding a $20 per hour minimum for Compass workers who serve elite clients in DC. Compass cafeteria workers "serve the powerful people in buildings right over here behind me like the World Bank," said UNITE HERE Local 23 President Marlene Patrick Cooper. "At this big annual spring meeting that's going on right now, they're serving drinks to folks who are trying to eliminate global poverty while we're out here to make sure that we're not getting poverty wages. It's a joke. World poverty; let's take care of home first, Compass." Father Brian Jordan of St. Camillus Church led the crowd, shaking their fists and fingers at the World Bank, chanting "Shame on you! Shame on you!"

- report/photos by Chris Garlock

African Union Leaders Join Forces in Historic Democracy Summit

Dozens of union leaders from across Africa took part in the first-ever Summit for Democracy on the continent, where they discussed the essential role of unions in strengthening democracy and shared strategies on how unions can step up efforts to advance democracy through one of its most essential components--worker rights. "Amplifying the Voices of Workers to Safeguard Democracy in Africa" was co-hosted by the Multilateral Partnership for Organizing, Worker Empowerment and Rights (M-POWER) and the Zambian Congress of Trade Union (ZCTU). It was an official side event of the second Summit for Democracy organized in part by the Solidarity Center. Said Joy Beene, secretary general of the Zambia Confederation of Trade Unions: "There's no democracy without workers." [link removed] See conference highlights in this photo essay. photo: Alex Nkosi, Coordinator, ITUC-Africa, shares examples of young activists who led movements for independence as examples of how the union movement needs to nurture youth leadership & participation to build & strengthen democracy.


Labor Quote: Eugene V. Debs
"The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class had nothing to gain and all to lose - especially their lives."

Labor leader and Socialist Party founder Gene Debs was imprisoned on this date in 1919 for opposing American entry into World War I. While in jail he ran for president and received 1 million votes.

Today's Labor History

This week's Labor History Today podcast: [link removed] Tom Breiding's songs of struggle. Last week's show: [link removed] The 1922-23 Windber Coal Strike.

International Hod Carriers & Building Laborers' Union (today's Laborers' Int'l Union) is founded, as 25 delegates from 23 Local Unions in 17 cities--representing 8,186 Laborers--meet in Washington DC - 1903

David Prosten

 

Hiring Hall: DC-area union jobs, plus [link removed] click here for more listingshttp://www.dclabor.org/hiring-hall.html !

Communications

[link removed] Digital Technologist, Concerted Action, remote/work-from-home (Posted: 4/11/2023)

Misc

[link removed] Housing Justice Program Director, ACT (African Communities Together), based in New York, Pennsylvania, or DC/MD/VA (Posted: 4/10/2023)

[link removed] Senior Pension Strategy Analyst, AFREF (Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund), based in Washington, DC (Posted: 4/6/2023)

[link removed] Associate Manager of Development Administration, LCV, based in Washington, DC (Posted: 4/6/2023)
[link removed] UniServ Director - Blue Ridge, VEA, based in Charlottesville, VA (Posted: 4/12/2023)

Organizing
[link removed] One Year Term National Organizer - National President, AFGE, based in Washington, DC [National Office] (Posted: 4/10/2023)

Research

[link removed] Researcher - Research Department, AAUP, based in Washington, DC (option for telework) (Posted: 4/5/2023)

 

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Published by the Metropolitan Washington Council, an AFL-CIO "Union City" Central Labor Council whose 200 affiliated union locals represent 150,000 area union members. DYANA FORESTER, PRESIDENT.

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