Dear John,

This has been an absolutely incredible year for organized labor.

Historic strikes with SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America, and United Autoworkers unified hundreds of thousands of workers to act collectively and win. The Teamsters threatened a strike and won their demands, and organizing campaigns at Starbucks, Amazon, Apple, and new automakers have meaningfully pushed back against decades of corporate greed.

This year has made it clear that when we fight, we win. We've seen it here in DC and Maryland as well. In just the past year, workers in our region together with our Affiliate unions have accomplished a truly incredible amount:

  • Moon Rabbit workers and UNITE HERE Local 25 won union recognition and bargaining of a first contract from InterContinental Hotel Group after picketing for weeks and official calls for a public boycott.
  • Compass workers at World Bank, Smithsonian, NIH, and DC universities won contracts with a $20 minimum wage with UNITE HERE Local 23.
  • Kaiser Permanente workers went on strike and eventually ratified a landmark new contract with OPEIU Local 2.
  • Unionized office cleaners with 32BJ SEIU won a new contract for more than 9,000 workers in the DC region with pay increases of over $3.50/hour.
  • ACLU of DC staff unionized with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild.
  • Brookings Institution staff reached their first union agreement with NPEU.
  • More Perfect Union staff ratified their first union contract with Washington-Baltimore News Guild.
  • Staff at Solid State Books ratified their first ever union contract with UFCW Local 400.
  • Grocery workers at Safeway and Giant ratified strong new contracts with UFCW Local 400.
  • Nurses at George Washington University Hospital voted YES to form a union with the District of Columbia Nurses Association. 
  • Washington Post staff walked off the job for the first time in decades, calling on the company to bargain with the Post Guild.
  • Starbucks workers throughout the region unionized with Starbucks Workers United and Workers United Mid-Atlantic Regional Joint Board.
  • Maryland public employees won $13 million in back wages after AFSCME Maryland Council 3 filed complaints to the U.S. Department of Labor.
  • Tens of thousands of TSA workers got the largest pay raise in decades thanks to bargaining from AFGE.
  • Ironworkers at a number of work sites voted YES to unionize with the Ironworkers Union.
  • Social Security Administration workers fought for better pay, staffing, and conditions with AFGE.
  • Transit workers at Transdev, WMATA, Loudon County, Fairfax Connector, and National Express Transit fought for better wages with ATU Local 689.
  • University System of Maryland workers continue bargaining for fair pay, better telework policies, and sustainable workloads with AFSCME Council 3.
  • DC Public School teachers with Washington Teachers' Union continued working toward a new contract with the school system.
  • Hotel workers at Sofitel Washington DC Lafayette Square continue to fight for union recognition with UNITE HERE Local 25.
  • And Montgomery County passed a landmark bill to stabilize rent, with the support of 1199 SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, UFCW 1994 MCGEO, UFCW Local 400, UNITE HERE Local 23, and UNITE HERE Local 25.

These are only some of the campaigns and victories that our Affiliate unions led this year. 

Solidarity across the labor movement made many of these victories possible. The Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO is proud to unite a coalition of over 150 union locals in DC and Maryland to work together for organizing victories and political change.

As someone who has been part of our work this past year, thank you for all the ways you were part of this incredible year. Today I am writing to ask you to help make more victories possible in the year ahead by donating to support our work:

The Metro Washington Council supports our Affiliate unions in their campaigns like the ones listed above — but that's just the start. 

Our Committee on Political Education provides rank and file members a chance to learn about what's happening in their jurisdictions and advocate to policymakers. Our Community Services Agency provides direct support to families in need. Our Claimant Advocacy Program provides free legal counseling to individuals whose unemployment claims are rejected. Our pre-apprenticeship program helps future union members be ready to join a trade. And we energize and galvanize the entire labor movement in DC and Maryland with dozens of public speaking events throughout the year.

If our work helped your union members this year, consider making a donation to Metro Washington Council in celebration of this incredible year.

Thank you for all the ways we worked together in 2023. We look forward to more partnership in the year ahead.

In solidarity,

Dyana Forester
President, Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO