Forward to a friend:
[link removed]

Musicians urge support for Butch Lewis Act

Dzidzienyo moves to ASASP

Solidarity Center Report: Liberian Rubber Workers Face Job Cuts, Rights Reversals

CWA mourns the passing of President Emeritus Morty Bahr

Today's Labor History

Today's Labor Quote

LABOR CALENDAR; [link removed] click here for latest listings

Union City Radio: 7:15a M-F; WPFW-FM 89.3

For the locked-out BSO musician picket/event schedule: check their [link removed] Facebook page

NoVA Labor candidate interviews: Fri, August 2, 1pm - 5pm; Tue, August 6, 5:30pm - 9:00pm; Wed, August 7, 4pm - 6pm;
NoVA Labor 4536 John Marr Dr Annandale, VA 22003-3308

Prince William Dems Labor Caucus: Tue, August 6, 6pm - 7pm
5557 Mapledale Plaza, Dale City, VA 22193

Union City Radio: Your Rights at Work: Thu, August 8, 1pm - 2pm
WPFW 89.3 FM or [link removed] listen online

NoVA Coalition of Labor Union Women Happy Hour: Fri, August 9, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
4536 B John Marr Drive, Annandale, VA

Union City will be off next week; be sure to follow us on [link removed] Facebook and [link removed] Twitter for latest local labor news!

Musicians urge support for Butch Lewis Act
The U.S. House of Representatives last week passed the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act, also known as the Butch Lewis Act. Named after a late Cincinnati Teamster who fought pension cuts, the Butch Lewis Act would create a loan program to help failing pension plans meet their commitments. Among those on Capitol Hill last week urging passage of the bill were leaders of the DC Musicians Union (photo), and American Federation of Musicians president Ray Hair urged the Senate to "quickly step up to protect the pensions of over a million working people--including thousands of musicians."
photo courtesy [link removed] DC Musicians Facebook page

Dzidzienyo moves to ASASP
Metro Washington Council Director of Political & Legislative Affairs David Dzidzienyo has moved on to do political work for ASASP, the Association of Supervisory & Administrative School Personnel. "David has represented the Metro Council and our affiliates at every level of local politics," said Council president Jackie Jeter. "We're pleased that he's continuing that work within the local labor community in Prince George's County."
photo by Chris Garlock

Solidarity Center Report: Liberian Rubber Workers Face Job Cuts, Rights Reversals
After more than 10 years of partnership with agricultural workers on the Firestone Liberia rubber plantation, the company is increasingly backtracking, including unilateral firing of 13 percent of its workforce, says the Agriculture Agro-Processing and Industrial Workers Union of Liberia (AAIWUL). The union says the company's reversal is having devastating consequences on the livelihood, rights and dignity of Liberia's workers. Read more at Solidarity Center.

CWA mourns the passing of President Emeritus Morty Bahr
Morton Bahr, who led CWA during the most turbulent years of the communications industry and made the union a powerful force for working people, died earlier this week at age 93. Bahr was elected CWA president in 1985, serving in that position for 20 years. He successfully led CWA through the turbulent technological and structural revolution that transformed telecommunications. His vision ensured that the union would continue as an effective advocate for working men and women long into the future, across communications, information technology, and other sectors. At this week's CWA Convention, CWA President Chris Shelton paid tribute to Bahr. "Not only CWA members, but the entire labor movement, lost a giant last night. Morty was comfortable whether he was in the company of Presidents of the United States, in the halls of Congress, or on a picket line," Shelton said. "He was not only a great president but he was a member's president. Morty loved fighting alongside members in organizing drives and on the picket line almost more than anything that he did as president of this union. He will be sorely missed." Those wishing to share condolences and memories of President Bahr may do so [link removed] here. Submissions will be shared with his family.

Today's Labor Quote: Florence Reece

They say in Harlan County
There are no neutrals there.
You'll either be a union man
Or a thug for J. H. Blair.

Which side are you on boys?
Which side are you on?
Which side are you on boys?
Which side are you on?

On August 3, 1986, Florence Reece died in Knoxville, Tenn. at 86. She was a Mine Workers union activist and author of "Which Side Are You On?", written after her home was ransacked by Harlan County county sheriff J.H. Blair and his thugs during a 1931 strike - 1986

[link removed]


<v:group xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" coordsize="447,335" coordorigin="0,0" href="[link removed]" style="width:447px;height:335px;">
<v:rect fill="t" stroked="f" style="position:absolute;width:447;height:335;">
<v:fill src="[link removed]" type="frame"/>
</v:rect>
<v:oval fill="t" strokecolor="#FFFFFF" strokeweight="3px" style="position:absolute;left:194;top:138;width:59;height:59">
<v:fill color="#FFFFFF" opacity="100%" />
</v:oval>
<v:shape coordsize="24,32" path="m,l,32,24,16,xe" fillcolor="#000000" stroked="f" style="position:absolute;left:215;top:153;width:21;height:30;" />
</v:group>



Today's Labor History

Plumbers train vets; MoJo goes digital; [link removed] Click here to check out this week's Labor History Today podcast. On this week's show: The Plumbers celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Veterans in Piping Program, and Mother Jones goes digital!

August 02
The first General Strike in Canadian history is held in Vancouver, organized as a 1-day political protest against the killing of draft evader and labor activist Albert "Ginger" Goodwin, who had called for a general strike in the event that any worker was drafted against his will - 1918

Hatch Act is passed, limiting political activity of executive branch employees of the federal government. Officially "An Act to Prevent Pernicious Political Activities," it's been amended since, to, among other things, remove the prohibition on participation in "political management or political campaigns," though federal employees are still forbidden to run for office in a partisan election, to solicit or receive political contributions, or to engage in political activities while on duty or on federal property - 1939

August 03
Uriah Smith Stephens born in Cape May, N.J. A tailor by trade, in 1869 he led nine Philadelphia garment workers to found the Knights of Labor - 1821

Fighting breaks out when sheriff's deputies attempt to arrest Wobbly leader Richie "Blackie" Ford as he addressed striking field workers at the Durst Ranch in Wheatland, Calif. Four persons died, including the local district attorney, a deputy and two workers. Despite the lack of evidence against them, Ford and another strike leader were found guilty of murder by a 12-member jury that included eight farmers - 1913

Some 15,000 air traffic controllers strike. President Reagan threatens to fire any who do not return to work within 48 hours, saying they "have forfeited their jobs" if they do not. Most stay out, and are fired August 5 - 1981

August 04

An estimated 15,000 silk workers strike in Paterson, N.J., for 44-hour week - 1919

Nearly 185,000 Teamsters begin what is to become a successful 15-day strike at United Parcel Service over excessive use of part-timers - 1997

photo: Industrial Workers of the World parading ahead of the "Paterson Pageant" at New York City's Madison Square Garden. The pageant was a recreation of the events of the Patterson, New Jersey, silk workers strike

Material published in UNION CITY may be freely reproduced by any recipient; please credit Union City as the source for all news items and www.unionist.com as the source for Today's Labor History.

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. JACKIE JETER, PRESIDENT.

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]