Forward to a friend:
[link removed]

Rent strike gains traction locally

OPM's Emergency COVID-19 Relief Fund Campaign

Today's Labor Quote

Today's Labor History

[link removed] LABOR CALENDAR

Union City Radio: 7:15am daily
WPFW-FM 89.3 FM; [link removed] click here to hear today's report

Disparities, Workers, and Community Responses to COVID 19: A Public Forum: Thu, April 30, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Via Zoom Video Conference | [link removed] RSVP on Eventbrite

Arlington Dems Labor Caucus: Thu, April 30, 6pm - 7pm
Via Zoom

Rent strike car rally: Fri, May 1, 10am - 12pm
4949 Seminary Rd, Alexandria, VA

System In Crisis: A Working-Class Vision For The Future: Fri, May 1, 5pm - 7pm
Via Zoom

NoVA Coalition to Repeal RTW: Harold Meyerson: Fri, May 1, 7pm - 8pm
Via Zoom

Metro Washington Council and Community Services Agency staff are all teleworking and can be reached at the contact [link removed] numbers and email addresses here.

[link removed] Latest DC-area labor news, delivered daily: tell a friend and help build our Union City!

Rent strike gains traction locally
Jobs With Justice and partners are calling for a national rent strike on May 1st unless big banks and corporate landlords cancel the rent. "We are asking people to sign the pledge and call out corporate landlords like Equity Residential's Sam Nell," says JWJ organizer Sam Nelson. Locally, residents at the Southern Towers residential complex in Alexandria - many of them service workers and members of Unite Here Local 23 -- have been organizing. Tenants and other supporters [link removed] rallied last week outside of Southern Towers in cars making slow circles through the parking lot with signs and chants of "No pay! No Rent!" and "No job! No Rent!" "NoVA Labor is supporting the Southern Towers rent strikers by participating in car rallies, by demanding that the governor impose a rent moratorium, by donating food, and by providing unemployment insurance assistance," said NoVA Labor president Virginia Diamond. "There has never been a more important moment for workers to rise up together." The JWJ national pledge and demands can be found [link removed] here. If your organization wants to support the strike you can email mailto:[email protected] [email protected] for the toolkit.
photo: SEIU 32bj organizer Guillermo Zamora

OPM's Emergency COVID-19 Relief Fund Campaign
The Office of Personnel Management has established an Emergency COVID-19 Relief Fund Campaign for federal employees and retirees who wish to make [link removed] tax deductible contributions to the Community Services Agency and other charities helping workers and communities during the COVID-19 crisis. "This is a special opportunity for metro Washington federal workers and retirees to support nonprofit organizations like CSA that are on the frontlines, helping workers who are unexpectedly facing economic disaster," said CSA Executive Director Sonte DuCote. Federal employees and retirees can make a tax deductible contribution to CSA by [link removed] clicking here and using Combined Federal Campaign Number 19579. "Now more than ever, nonprofits are part of the engine that keeps our communities strong during this crisis," she added. The campaign will end June 30.
photo: DuCote and AFGE Local 2782 president Johnny Zuagar at a CFC event at the Census Bureau in January

Today's Labor Quote: Barack Obama

"When you make sure everybody gets a fair shot and a fair shake, and you're fighting for decent wages for workers, and making sure they've got decent benefits, when you reward people who are playing by the rules -- that's how everybody does better."

Today's Labor History

This week's [link removed] Labor History Today podcast: Julia Reichert: `We Don't Just Interview People Once'; Montgomery Ward busted; May Day and Mother Jones
Oscar-winning director Julia Reichert, interviewed by 9 to 5 founder Karen Nussbaum; the AFL-CIO's Damon Silvers on how the Montgomery Ward CEO was busted for unionbusting; Saul Schniderman celebrates May Day and Mother Jones' birthday.
Last week's show: [link removed] Sacco & Vanzetti at 100; What happened to MLK's dream?

An explosion at the Everettville mine in Everettville, W. Va., kills 109 miners, many of whom lie in unmarked graves to this day - 1927

Obama Administration's National Labor Relations Board implements new rules to speed up unionization elections. New rules are largely seen as a counter to employer manipulation of the law to prevent workers from unionizing. These rules were subsequently undone under the Trump administration in December 2019. - 2012

- David Prosten

Material published in UNION CITY may be freely reproduced by any recipient; please credit Union City as the source.

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.

Story suggestions, event announcements, campaign reports, Letters to the Editor and other material are welcome, subject to editing for clarity and space; just click on the mail icon below. You can also reach us on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on those icons.

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]

mailto:[email protected]

[link removed]


You are receiving this email because our records indicate that [link removed] [email protected] signed up to receive this newsletter. Click here to [link removed] edit your subscription preferences
To view our Privacy Policy: [link removed]