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DC nurses take action on May Day

MCT workers still waiting for raise

Worker's Voice/Readers Write: The Internationale (updated)

Today's Labor Quote

Today's Labor History

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DC nurses take action on May Day
Registered nurses working at Medstar Washington Hospital Center, members of National Nurses United, took action Friday to advocate for the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need to safely treat patients. Nurses at 139 hospitals in 13 states representing more than 95,540 nurses will be holding workplace actions on Friday--International Workers Day, also known as "May Day"-- calling for optimal COVID-19 protections.
Nurses say their demand for optimal PPE is underscored by the fact that more than 60 nurses across the country have died of COVID-19, although due to lack of testing, they say the number is surely higher.
"Nurses signed up to care for their patients. They did not sign up to sacrifice their lives on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic," said NNU Executive Director Bonnie Castillo, RN. "On this day that celebrates the labor movement and working people, union nurses are standing up to demand the protections they need now!"
- report/photos courtesy Korey Hartwich, NNU

MCT workers still waiting for raise
Workers at Montgomery Community Television haven't had a raise in almost five years, reports NABET-CWA Local 31. The union sent a letter outlining the issues last week to each Montgomery County Councilmember. "Union strength is needed for these `Essential Employees'," who are working during the pandemic, says Local 31's Barbara Krieger. While MCT has received money for staff in every County-approved budget in the last five years, the company "has not put money on the table" for union members while providing a 3% raise to every non-union employee early last summer. After the union charged MCT with refusing to bargain --the current contract expired June 1, 2018-- the company finally submitted new proposals late last week, which are now under consideration.

Worker's Voice/Readers Write: The Internationale (updated)

"That is a verse of the Internationale I have never seen before, ([link removed] Today's Labor Quote: "The INTERNATIONALE)" writes Ann Hoffman. "What do you know about where it comes from? Thanks and Happy May Day!"
The original French words for [link removed] The Internationale were written in June 1871 by Eugène Pottier (1816-1887, previously a member of the Paris Commune) and were originally intended to be sung to the tune of "La Marseillaise". In 1888 Pierre De Geyter (1848-1932) set the earlier lyrics to a new melody, composed especially for Pottier's lyrics. De Geyter's melody was first publicly performed in July 1888, and soon thereafter Pottier's lyrics became closely associated with, and widely used with, De Geyter's new melody.
Billy Bragg was asked by Pete Seeger to sing "The Internationale" with him at the Vancouver Folk Festival in 1989. Bragg thought the traditional English lyrics were archaic and unsingable, and composed a [link removed] new set of lyrics. The recording was released on his album The Internationale along with reworkings of other socialist songs.

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Today's Labor Quote: Hans Theyer

Saying of the Claimant Advocacy Program ([link removed] To UI hell and back: One claimant's story 5/1/UC): "It's really unbelievable. I could have never afforded an attorney."

Today's Labor History

This week's [link removed] Labor History Today podcast: Jack Kelly's "The Edge of Anarchy"; "Union Maids" director Julia Reichert (Part 2)
[link removed] Last week's show: Julia Reichert: `We Don't Just Interview People Once'; Montgomery Ward busted; May Day and Mother Jones

Haymarket massacre. A bomb is thrown as Chicago police start to break up a rally for strikers at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. A riot erupts, 11 police and strikers die, mostly from gunfire, and scores more are injured - 1886

- David Prosten

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