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THIS JUST IN: Amazon Bessemer vote hinges on 416 ballots

"Show us the money" say Circulator drivers

Avodah announces voluntary recognition of newly formed union

Conde Nast workers organize

Secrets of a successful organizer

Today's Labor Quote

Today's Labor History

 

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Working for Common Good at the Bargaining Table and Beyond: Fri, April 1, 11am - 3pm
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Missed yesterday's Your Rights At Work radio show? Catch [link removed] On The Line with Daisy Pitkin here, or search for Your Rights At Work wherever you listen to podcasts. Features UNITE HERE Local 25's Paul Schwalb on Washington Hilton housekeepers' fight for work; BDCBCTC president Stephen Courtien on the prevailing wage expansion in Montgomery County, and union organizer Daisy Pitkin on her brand-new book, ON THE LINE: A Story of Class, Solidarity, and Two Women's Epic Fight to Build a Union.


THIS JUST IN: Amazon Bessemer vote hinges on 416 ballots

The closely-watched re-run of the union election at Amazon in Bessemer, Alabama comes down to 416 challenged ballots. "We will not allow Amazon to bully workers out of exercising their basic freedom," said AFL-CIO president Liz Shuler after the results were reported late yesterday afternoon. "Every single contested ballot must be counted." Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) president Stuart Appelbaum said that `"This moment is historic, and the workers in Bessemer, AL have inspired working people all over the country." "No matter the outcome," said Shuler, "we know the bravery shown by these workers has made an impact for generations to come. Victory in the labor movement is when workers come together to make change despite all obstacles. This is only the beginning."


"Show us the money" say Circulator drivers

"All the talk about us being `essential workers' or `heroes' was just talk," says DC Circulator driver Alletha Ballard. "If you really believe that, show it in my paycheck." Ballard and her fellow ATU 689 members have been fighting for a fair contract; their current collective bargaining agreement with RATP Dev - the private contractor running the Circulator - expired on Thursday. While DC Circulator bus operators have driven some of the same passengers as WMATA workers, on the same streets as WMATA workers, they've been "underpaid and overworked by RATP Dev in order to line the pockets of their wealthy executives and lawyers," Local 689 said. "Our members have repeatedly shown over the last five years that we're willing to do what it takes to make these companies treat us with respect," says Local 689 President and Business Agent Raymond Jackson.


Avodah announces voluntary recognition of newly formed union

Avodah and its recently formed employee union earlier this week [link removed] announced the formal recognition of its staff's affiliation with the Washington-Baltimore News Guild. "We are so proud to work at Avodah and to support its work of strengthening the Jewish community's fight against economic and social injustice," said Shosh Madick, a member of the Avodah Union organizing committee and the New Orleans Service Corps Program Director for Avodah. "We respect our team for organizing," said Avodah CEO Cheryl Cook. "I look forward to collaborating with Avodah's newly formed union as we work together to strengthen our organization and impact."


Conde Nast workers organize

More than 500 workers at iconic magazine publisher Condé Nast delivered a petition to management Tuesday requesting voluntary recognition to form a union with The NewsGuild of New York-CWA (TNG-CWA). Condé Nast publishes highly regarded titles such as Vanity Fair, Vogue and Bon Appétit. "It comes down to prestige doesn't pay the bills," Vanity Fair web producer Jaime Archer told The Washington Post. "We love working here, and we want to keep working here....If Condé wants to attract the best talent in the business, [link removed] they have to stop relying on prestige and provide equitable pay and benefits." [link removed] Sign the petition to tell management to recognize the workers' union and begin bargaining a fair contract without delay. Follow [link removed] @condeunion on Twitter and share their [link removed] new video about why they are organizing a union.

- AFL-CIO Daily Brief

Secrets of a successful organizer

Labor Notes will host virtual workshops based on their widely-acclaimed book "[link removed] Secrets of a Successful Organizer" on Mondays from 7:30pm - 9:30pm (EST) on April 4, 11, and 18. The cost is $15 for the whole series. Workshops will be: 1) Beating Apathy, 2) Assembling Your Dream Team, and 3) Turning an Issue into a Campaign. Find the registration link and more information on the workshop series byhttps://u1584542.ct.sendgrid.net/ss/c/nIATlT34azO8Uq6tATWtxGlQHSd5raqSKStcKx9Su3z-KRCFUCkdkzGr97fYreFq5phkPmNexIxukRTthVetH6YhPgKQ284YuB-HEXSdxL_GQbbVc4g6cFLi5slpM6c-ktAkMsMUzM6G1-TP8smMV_ukhRBigP8SvP2GFRy3Mz9GNaZm2ESGgJU_JWnr8dqb9r9IsRc_ncviRXzpIPkn4iTULb1hUuloOfmx6rlZ63uFgdkmCh_hCsRIUgO0kVPsZru_6MLIFjoKVyWv1llp_BPresuo58HYjV6uML07iHi_69HPreNWWpcyggRH3EJBGGusWTpNoM6lyqell9VrW_1L3rHcVnrBzZrFPGnGP2U/3kl/U531HqanRKCrZngsIkbxaw/h4/8Ft9toSURijdLkkoIr5dxSZx_cnFKCC6yxiOCcffpvo clicking here.


Today's labor quote: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there `is' such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action."

TODAY'S LABOR HISTORY

This week's Labor History Today podcast: [link removed] Industrial murder at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory; Last week's show: [link removed] Jane Street and the Rebel Maids of Denver.


April 1

Players begin the first strike in the 75-year history of the National Hockey League. They win major improvements in the free agency system and other areas of conflict, and end the walkout after 10 days - 1992

Longest newspaper strike in U.S. history, 114 days, ends in New York City. Workers at nine newspapers were involved - 1963

More than 2,000 workers strike the Draper Corp. power loom manufacturing plant in Hopedale, Mass., seeking higher wages and a nine-hour workday. Eben S. Draper, president of the firm -- and a former state governor -- declares: "We will spend $1 million to break this strike" and refuses to negotiate. The strike ended in a stalemate 13 weeks later - 1913

April 2

The Supreme Court declares unconstitutional a 1918 Washington, D.C. law establishing a minimum wage for women - 1923

Major league baseball players end a 232-day strike, which began the prior August 12 and led to the cancellation of the 1994 postseason and the World Series - 1995

April 3

20,000 textile mill strikers in Paterson, NJ gather on the green in front of the house of Pietro Botto, the socialist mayor of nearby Haledon, to receive encouragement by novelist Upton Sinclair, journalist John Reed and speakers from the Wobblies. Today, the Botto House is home to the American Labor Museum - 1913

Martin Luther King Jr. returns to Memphis to stand with striking AFSCME sanitation workers. This evening, he delivers his famous "I've Been to the Mountaintop" speech in a church packed with union members and others. He is assassinated the following day - 1968

- David Prosten

 

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