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Recent Updates |
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LiUNA! and DC Council members rally for good, green jobs in DC |
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Last week members of LiUNA! joined DC Council members Janeese Lewis George, Charles Allen, and Anita Bonds at the Wilson Building to rally for a bill that would accelerate DC’s replacement of lead pipes and close a loophole in DC's minimum wage law. Read more » |
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ACLU-DC staff unionize with voluntary recognition |
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Last week the American Civil Liberties Union of DC (ACLU-DC) and the Washington-Baltimore News Guild announced the voluntary recognition of ACLU-DC's employees’ union, which was formed with a supermajority of support from eligible staff. This is the first step in a collaborative process as the organization and the bargaining unit begin negotiating and executing a collective bargaining agreement in accordance with the National Labor Relations Act. Read more » |
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Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! |
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Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8-12 this year and on Friday, Washington Teachers' Union celebrated all the hard work that teachers put in, day in and day out. "We're all here today because we all work together," said WTU president Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, "and one of the most exciting things that we've worked together on — it was a long road — was our contract." |
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Happy National Nurses Week! |
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National Nurses Week is May 6-12, and over the past week hundreds of bedside nurses from across the country have made online lobbying visits to members of Congress and senators, urging legislators to confront the staffing crisis in hospitals across the country. |
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Everett Kelley named among Washingtonian’s “500 Most Influential People Shaping Policy” |
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AFGE National President Everett Kelley worked with lawmakers and the administration on passage of the VA Employee Fairness Act, which will reduce turnover, increase staff levels, and improve overall care that veterans receive. Read more » |
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Upcoming Events |
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May COPE meetings |
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Join Metro Washington Labor Council at one of these upcoming meetings of the Committee on Political Education (COPE):
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Tuesday: Rally with APWU at USPS Headquarters May 9 — 11:00am-5:00pm 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW The US Postal Service Board of Governors meets at 4pm on Tuesday, and American Postal Workers Union members are rallying to protest consolidations, mail delays, short staffing, office closures and more. Join them on Tuesday between 11am and 5pm at 475 L'Enfant Plaza SW. |
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News |
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Workers try to flip the script (Politico, May 2, 2023) The barista at your local Starbucks has a lot in common with the members of the Writers Guild who went on strike today – and not just because they are working on a screenplay. They’re now both on the frontlines of a nationwide labor movement that has exploded over the last two years. Julie Su is a champion for workers everywhere. The Senate must confirm her. (The Hill, April 24, 2023) President Biden’s nomination of Julie Su for Labor secretary presents an opportunity to appoint an experienced, historic, and committed leader who has dedicated her career to advocating for workers’ rights. Unions Build Wealth for the American Working Class (Center for American Progress, May 3, 2023) Union membership not only increases wealth for working-class families but also narrows racial wealth gaps and offers a path to the middle class.
"Can we take a second & realize how broken this system is? To live in a country with wealth on levels never seen before—$30 million homes, mega yachts, billionaires who fly rockets into space while people are working 40 hours a week & cannot live with basic dignity."
Third-Generation Laborer Brent Booker Takes the Helm of One of the Largest Construction Trades Unions in North America (LiUNA!)
Workers are winning union elections, but it can take years to get their first contract (Economic Policy Institute, May 1, 2023) Winning a union election is only the first step. To realize their goals for pay, benefits, job security, scheduling, safety, and other working terms and conditions, newly formed unions need to successfully negotiate a first contract.
Right Now Is the Most Exciting Moment to Join the Labor Movement in Decades (Jacobin — May 1, 2023) There’s more excitement, more of a spirit of militancy and experimentation, and more hope in today’s labor movement than there has been in a long time. |
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Around the region |
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On International Workers' Day last week AFSCME Maryland recruited new members (left), and AU students joined Compass workers in their fight for a $20 minimum wage (right). |
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Share your news |
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Have actions, events, open positions, or other updates you want labor leaders in DC and Maryland to know about? Submit news items to [email protected]. |
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Stay connected |
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