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TPS Families March for Permanent Residency
Mon, September 20, 9am – 11am
Freedom Plaza, Washington, DC

Affordable Housing in DC During (and after) the Pandemic

Wed, September 22, 1:00pm – 2:30pm
The Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor and the Georgetown Global Cities Initiative invite you to a virtual conversation: Register Now

Union City Radio: Your Rights at Work

Thu, September 23, 1pm – 2pm

WPFW 89.3 FM or listen online.

Labor on the Bimah: 6th & I, Washington, DC

Thu, September 23, 7pm – 9pm

Virtual service; Details here.

Fairfax County NAACP and the Building Trades Unions virtual job fair
Sat, September 25, 12pm – 3pm
The Fairfax County NAACP and the Building Trades Unions are co-sponsoring a virtual job fair on Saturday September 25th from noon to 3 pm. Learn how to become a union electrician, plumber, carpenter, painter, HVAC technician, and more. For more information contact [email protected].

Check out the best of labor radio and podcasts on the latest Labor Radio Podcast Weekly: Stick Together; Red Dead Redemption; Activate Live; The Solidarity Center Podcast; Belabored; Working Class History; Grit NW

BSO moves concerts from Strathmore amid union impasse

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has moved two concerts from the Music Center at Strathmore to the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore as contract negotiations between Strathmore and its ticket sellers union remain at an impasse. The orchestra relocated the performances, scheduled for Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, from the North Bethesda venue to “give Strathmore more time and space to negotiate” with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 868, according to a BSO statement. “It is a tremendous sign of support and we are extremely grateful to them for supporting us and their unionized employees,” Anne Vantine, business agent for Local 868, said. “Everyone, especially the BSO, has hope that somehow we can reach a fair agreement. The BSO wants to perform there, and we want them to perform there.” The union claims Strathmore has used the pandemic as an excuse to make permanent cuts. The union has protested outside the venue multiple times since last fall. The next protest is set for Wednesday.

- Excerpted from The Washington Post

AFSCME 1072 scores big win on masks at UMD
AFSCME Local 1072 reported a “Big win” last Friday. “UMD met AFSCME's demand for providing KN95 masks to the UMD community!” the union tweeted. “We've been saying KN95s are needed all along. Our union has been the sole provider of KN95 masks to UMD workers for over a year - giving out more than 5,000 to union members.”

Labor On The Move: UFCW 1994’s Cuffie retires
Yvette Cuffie, the longtime Secretary-Treasurer of UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, has retired, after 34 years of service to the union and to Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services. “She has been Local 1994’s rock for so many years,” said Local 1994 President Gino Renne, who has worked alongside Cuffie building the union since the 1980s. “We will miss Yvette’s soft-spoken, yet fierce defense of our members and of all working people. She would step into protests for civil rights, economic justice, workplace safety, voting rights. Anytime working families needed an advocate, Yvette would come. She has been an extraordinary friend, colleague, and sister. There’s been no one quite like her.” Local 1994’s executive board has elected current Recorder Lisa Blackwell-Brown to serve the remainder of Yvette’s term, which ends December 2023.

Working in DC: “Songs, solidarity and collective effervescence”
“It was invigorating to sit in front of the AFL-CIO and watch a show that lifts up the average working person via monologues from Studs Terkel’s book, ‘Working,’” said Coalition of Labor Union Women president Elise Bryant. Members of the DC Chapter of CLUW attended the Friday night production of ‘Working in DC, the Musical.’ The pre-show concert featured APALA DC Chapter president, Jillian Matundan, “who won over the crowd with her beautiful voice and stirring lyrics,” reports Bryant. “This wonderful musical was just the right dose of songs, solidarity and collective effervescence that we need right now during this pandemic. The production is directed, performed and ran by union members from the DC area who all did an outstanding job! The show closed last night “and it was standing room only!” says Bryant. “Let’s hope it has another run so more folks can get a shot of solidarity and song!"

Today's Labor Quote: Liz Shuler

“The writing is on the wall, and it is time for Congress to respond to public opinion and the will of their constituents by passing the PRO Act.”

Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, was responding to the recent Gallup poll showing 68% approval of labor unions, highest since 1965.

TODAY'S LABOR HISTORY

This week’s Labor History Today podcast: Rich Trumka on “Art is why they remember our struggles.” Last week's show: Live from The Battle of Blair Mountain!

Upton Sinclair, socialist and author of "The Jungle"—published on this day in 1906—born in Baltimore, MD - 1878

According to folklorist John Garst, steel-drivin’ man John Henry, born a slave, outperformed a steam hammer on this date at the Coosa Mountain Tunnel or the Oak Mountain Tunnel of the Columbus and Western Railway (now part of the Norfolk Southern) near Leeds, Ala.

Other researchers place the contest near Talcott, W. Va. - 1887

International Hod Carriers, Building & Common Laborers Union of America changes name to Laborers' International Union – 1965

- David Prosten.

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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.

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