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Metro Washington Council Delegate meeting

Tue, September 28, 5pm – 7pm
RSVP here.

Tue/Wed, September 28/29, 6pm – 8pm

Calling fellow union members about this important election. Post cards and lit are available for pick up at the NoVA Labor office.
For more info contact Bob Zabel. [email protected]. 317-489-2501

Tri-County COPE

Tue, September 28, 7pm – 9pm

Womxn’s Labor Leadership Symposium 2021: WILL Empower Awards

Fri, October 1, 11:30-1:30pm

UPDATE: Symposium registration has closed but the public facing session – the WILL Empower Awards ceremony – will be available via Facebook Live on the Center for Innovation in Worker Organization Facebook page linked here.

Missed last week’s Your Rights At Work radio show? Catch the podcast here: Sneak attack on worker rights; Oreo’s OK again; Womxn’s Labor Leadership Symposium.

MontCo public employee unions call vaccine mandate “outrageous intrusion”

Leaders of the three Montgomery County public employee unions yesterday blasted Bill 34-21, which would mandate vaccinations for Montgomery County Public Employees. Calling the bill “an outrageous intrusion into the role of the County Executive as the employer of record for the employees,” the unions accused the Council of overstepping its authority. “By County Code, the Council is only allowed to direct funding or not funding county budgets, not to set standards of employment,” said UFCW 1994, FOP Lodge 35 and Fire Fighters 1664 in a statement. The unions also slammed bill sponsors Hans Riemer and Will Jawando for failing to reach out to the employee representatives to discuss the bill’s contents or aims, and “pointing fingers at the County’s own workforce as somehow a failure,” noting that “The County’s workforce vaccination rate mirrors that of County residents. If one is a success, how can the other be a failure?”

NoVA Labor boosts Washington Spirit to victory
“NoVA Labor Day at Washington Spirit was a big success!” reports NoVA Labor president Virginia Diamond. Washington Spirit is an American professional soccer club based in the metro DC area that participates in the National Women's Soccer League. “The enthusiasm of the hundreds of union members and their families was off the charts, both for our Washington Spirit team -- which won 2-1! -- and for the candidates who came to speak at the tailgate. Attorney General Mark Herring, Delegates Wendy Gooditis and David Reid, and county supervisors Sylvia Glass and Rodney Lusk spoke about the importance of moving Virginia forward.” At the game they announced all the unions who were there, and talked about the fight of the Women's Soccer Players' League for equal pay. Moose Jaw played bluegrass music.

photo (bottom right): Lou Spencer, Plumbers Local 5, joined SMART Local 100, IBEW Local 26, and Steamfitters Local 602 to grill and serve burgers and hot dogs.

AFL-CIO Executive Staff Announcements
The AFL-CIO’s Office of the President last Friday announced the following team “who will serve in our executive offices and help us carry out the federation’s agenda”: Chris Neff, Chief of Staff, Julie Greene Collier, Deputy Chief of Staff, Isaac Gobern, Assistant to the President, Belinda Boyce, Special Assistant to the President for Protocol and Strategic Operations, John Paul Smith, Executive Assistant to the Secretary-Treasurer, Mack Harrell Jr., Assistant to the Secretary-Treasurer.

Today's Labor Quote: “Sissy” Farenthold

“There was always a lot of talk. But I just left that alone and worked."

Frances Tarlton “Sissy” Farenthold -- mother of MWC Board member George Farenthold -- died September 26 at 94. An esteemed lawyer, politician, educator, and activist, she tirelessly pursued justice throughout her life. photo by Alan Pogue.

TODAY'S LABOR HISTORY

This week’s Labor History Today podcast: Feathers and Pennies - the 1888 Matchgirls and us. Last week's show: Rich Trumka on “Art is why they remember our struggles.”

165 Wobblies indicted for protesting World War 1. -1917

- 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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