UMD graduate workers demand bargaining rights
Although thousands of Graduate Assistants at the University of Maryland teach courses, conduct research, and administer campus programs, the State of Maryland says they’re temp workers, not employees, denying them basic employment rights. Fearless Student Employees (FSE), a graduate student group at UMD College Park, will testify on January 27 in support of SB118, a state senate bill that would grant graduate assistants bargaining rights across the Maryland university system. "After years of hard work trying to get the legislature to recognize graduate employees as essential workers of the University System, we are closer than ever to making it a reality," said Simon Sheaff, a government and politics PhD candidate and FSE’s government relations chair. The FSE campaign is supported by the UMD Graduate Student Government, the UMD Black Graduate Student Union, the UMD chapter of the American Association of University Professors, AFSCME Local 1072, and United Students Against Sweatshops Local 54. CLICK HERE to sign their petition.
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Norton introduces pay equity bill
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), the first woman to chair the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, yesterday announced that she will introduce a bill to require employers to provide the salary range for jobs in advertisements and interviews and to existing employees. Several states have enacted laws relating to salary range disclosure. “Salary transparency is an important tool to combat the gender and race wage gap,” Norton said. “Salary secrecy facilitates both intentional and unintentional pay discrimination and perpetuates the wage gap.” This will be the third pay equity bill Norton has introduced this Congress. Her Pay Equity for All Act, which prohibits employers from asking job applicants about their salary history, passed the House last year as part of the Paycheck Fairness Act. Her Fair Pay Act would require that if men and women are doing comparable work, they be paid comparable wages.
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Regina V. Polk Women’s Labor Leadership Conference
The 2022 Regina V. Polk Women’s Labor Leadership Conference is NOW accepting applications. This program trains women to get more active in their unions through skills development, labor history, and networking building. This year’s school will take place in Southern Illinois at the Touch of Nature Center (Southern Illinois University) in Makanda, Illinois from May 11-14, 2022. Apply here! Deadline for applying is March 20, 2022. For more information please call Emily E. LB. Twarog at 773-744-8184 or Stephanie Fortado at 217-722-7544.
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Today’s labor quote: Eleanor Holmes Norton
“Salary secrecy facilitates both intentional and unintentional pay discrimination and perpetuates the wage gap.” |
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This week’s Labor History Today podcast: MLK at the AFL-CIO in 1961. Last week's show: Who was Zelda D’Aprano?
January 21
750,000 steel workers walk out in 30 states, largest strike in U.S. history to that time - 1946
Postal Workers begin four-day strike at the Jersey City, N.J. bulk and foreign mail center, protesting an involuntary shift change. The wildcat was led by a group of young workers who identified themselves as “The Outlaws”- 1974
600 police attack picketing longshoremen in Charleston, S.C. – 2000
January 22
Indian field hands at San Juan Capistrano mission refused to work, engaging in what was probably the first farm worker strike in California - 1826
Birth of Terence V. Powderly, leader of the Knights of Labor - 1849
The United Mine Workers of America is founded in Columbus, OH with the merger of the Knights of Labor Trade Assembly No. 135 and the National progressive Miners Union - 1890
January 23
10,000 clothing workers strike in Rochester, NY for the 8 hour day, a 10% wage increase, union recognition, and extra pay for overtime and holidays. Daily parades were held throughout the clothing district and there was at least one instance of mounted police charging the crowd of strikers and arresting 25 picketers. Six people were wounded over the course of the strike and one worker, 18 year old Ida Breiman, was shot to death by a sweatshop contractor. The strike was called off in April after manufacturers agreed not to discriminate against workers for joining a union - 1913
- David Prosten.
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