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Baltimore Symphony Musicians picket line: Fri, August 16, 11:00am – 12:30pm
Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, 1212 Cathedral St, Baltimore, MD 21201

Union says Safeway undermined by private equity plunderers
As UFCW Local 400 members prepare for contract negotiations with Safeway, the union says one factor looms as perhaps the greatest obstacle they face: the toxic impact of private equity. “Private equity is the ultimate example of our rigged economy,” says Local 400 President Mark Federici. “They’ve gamed the system so no matter what happens to the corporations they acquire, it’s ‘heads they win, tails you lose.’” In 2013, Cerberus Capital Management, a private equity firm, bought Albertsons through a leveraged buy-out and then in 2015, when Albertson’s bought Safeway, Cerberus borrowed almost $8 billion dollars to finance the transaction. “As a result,” says Local 400, “the entire Albertsons empire is under the control of Cerberus and owes $12.5 billion dollars to bond-holders. Meeting this enormous debt burden has thus become the priority for Cerberus, rather than investing in Safeway’s stores and workers.” But even that’s not the whole story, because Cerberus is also paying itself millions in management fees. Federici said that success at the bargaining table depends on both inside and outside strategies, finding investor-related pressure points while empowering members to mobilize at the same time.
Read more about this on Local 400’s website.
photo: Steve Feinberg, billionaire co-founder and CEO of Cerberus Capital Management

Washington-Baltimore News Guild wins CWA organizing award
Since the last CWA convention in 2017, CWA locals from around the country have brought in over 4,500 new members through external organizing campaigns. At this year’s convention, held in Las Vegas earlier this week, Washington-Baltimore News Guild Local 32035 was one of the locals receiving organizing awards in honor of their “extraordinary work supporting more than 100 workers in gaining formal recognition for a voice at work.” Each local will receive a $1,000 organizing subsidy as well as a plaque for the current year.
photo: WBNG Local 32035 President Steve Cook receives CWA Organizing Award from CWA President Chris Shelton and CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens.

Today's Labor Quote: George Meany

The plumber and founding president of the AFL-CIO, who was born in New York City on this date in 1894, claimed, in his official biography, that he had "never walked a picket line in his life," but he also said that "You only make progress by fighting for progress." Meany served as secretary-treasurer of the AFL from 1940 to 1952, succeeded as president of the AFL, and then continued as president of the AFL-CIO following the historic merger in 1955 until retiring in 1979.

Today's Labor History

Click here to check out this week's Labor History Today podcast. On this week’s show: Labor lawyer Matt Fusco on Scabby, the giant inflatable union protest rat, which is facing extermination at the hands of the Trump labor board. Gregory Wood, author of “Clearing the Air: The Rise and Fall of Smoking in the Workplace,” and a special LHT remix of the labor classic “Which Side Are You On?”

August 16
Homer Martin, early United Auto Workers leader, born in Marion, Ill. - 1902

Congress passes the National Apprenticeship Act, establishing a national advisory committee to research and draft regulations establishing minimum standards for apprenticeship programs. It was later amended to permit the Labor Dept. to issue regulations protecting the health, safety and general welfare of apprentices, and to encourage the use of contracts in their hiring and employment - 1937

August 17
Union employees strike The Los Angeles Times in an unsuccessful attempt to unionize all staff. - 1883

IWW War Trials in Chicago, 95 go to prison for up to 20 years - 1918

Year-long Hormel meatpackers' strike begins in Austin, Minn. - 1985

August 18
Radio station WEVD, named for Eugene V. Debs, goes on the air in New York City, operated by The Forward Association as a memorial to the labor and socialist leader - 1927

Founding of the American Federation of Government Employees, following a decision by the National Federation of Federal Employees (later to become part of the Intl. Assn. of Machinists) to leave the AFL - 1932

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.

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