Labor Calendar: click here for complete and latest listings
Jobs With Justice 35th Anniversary Celebration & Alumni Gathering: Mon, July 11, 4:30pm – 7:30pm
Friends Meeting of Washington, 2111 Decatur Pl NW, Washington, DC 20008
RSVP HERE
MWC MD Primary Phonebank (Wanika Fisher): Mon, July 11, 6pm – 8pm
Online; Zoom Link Sign-up here.
Wednesdays with Warner for the PRO Act (Week 70!): Wed, July 13, 8:15am – 9:15am
Windmill Hill Park, 500 S. Lee St., Alexandria, VA (map)
WEBINAR: Interfaith Support for the PRO Act: Wed, July 13, 2pm – 3pm
CLICK TO REGISTER
MWC MD Primary Phonebank (Charles County): Wed, July 13, 6pm – 8pm
Zoom Sign-up here.
Alexandria Dems Labor Caucus: Wed, July 13, 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Meeting for union members and friends of labor in Alexandria.
Contact [email protected] for the link.
Union City Radio: Your Rights at Work: Thu, July 14, 1pm – 2pm
WPFW 89.3 FM or listen online.
Arlington Dems Labor Caucus: Thu, July 14, 6pm – 7pm
Meeting for union members and friends of labor in Arlington.
MWC MD Primary GOTV (Krystal Oriadha, District 7): Sat, July 16, 10am – 2pm
Locations TBD; click here to RSVP. |
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Full court press for Maryland’s labor vote on Early Vote Saturday
Maryland labor was out walking and knocking from eight different launches last Saturday across the state. Labor endorsed candidates from gubernatorial candidate Tom Perez on down to local races got the full court press treatment at union members’ doors on Early Vote Saturday. “We’ve known Tom Perez for a long time,” said Thomas Blanton, a Carpenter’s union retiree, as he prepared to head out from the UFCW Local 400 launch site. “He’s been a good advocate for labor and we’re here to mobilize the union vote for him.” “@DCLabor, @MBAFLCIO, the State Fed, and all of our affiliates are leaving everything on the field to elect @TomPerez, @BrookeELierman, @BrownforMD, and ALL of Labor’s endorsed candidates on July 19th,” tweeted the Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO. “It really makes a difference” talking to fellow union members one-on-one, said UFCW 400 business agent Linette Floyd as she walked up to another door in Hyattsville. Meanwhile a crew including members from UNITE HERE Local 25, 1199 SEIU and ATU 689 gathered at Local 689 to knock on doors in District 6. GOTV activities this week include a phonebank on Wednesday and another canvass on Saturday; see Calendar above for details and click here to RSVP.
- report by Chris Garlock; photos by Dejah Desiree Williams (top), Garlock (bottom right) and UFCW 1994 (bottom left). |
American Red Cross workers reach TA
Blood service workers at the American Red Cross (ARC), represented by a coalition of labor unions, have finally reached a tentative agreement. The workers, including union members in the metro DC area, have been mobilizing nationally for the last year by holding workplace actions, rallies (See Red Cross workers rally in DC 5/13), educating the public about their working conditions, and engaging elected officials. Although they were met with resistance on various proposals including a proposal that would ensure high quality, affordable healthcare, the workers triumphed. In addition to affordable healthcare benefits, the new agreement also includes wage increases, new language that promotes health and safety, additional resources, and more.
photo: May 11 rally at DC Red Cross HQ; photo by Chris Garlock/Union City |
AT&T Mobility workers win “groundbreaking” deal
CWA members under the Orange contract at AT&T Mobility – including in the District -- have won a groundbreaking tentative agreement that met or exceeded all of their goals. The Orange contract covers retail workers, call center representatives, and technicians in 36 states in the Northeast, Midwest and West, and the District of Columbia. Members mobilized around the need for wage increases to address rising costs and the effect of AT&T’s shifting of work from company-owned stores to third-party authorized retailers. “This is your victory,” the bargaining team wrote in an email announcing the agreement. “Our bargaining team could not have achieved this breakthrough tentative agreement without the hard work that you did mobilizing.” Click here for details.
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Labor Quote: Rich Trumka
“Working people are fighting every day, with every ounce of energy we have, to reclaim what’s rightfully ours.”
Trumka -- who died last August -- was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom last week. |
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This week’s Labor History Today podcast: “The Port of Missing Men”; Last week's show: A Supreme disaster for workers.
July 11
A nine-year strike, the longest in the history of the United Auto Workers, began at the Ohio Crankshaft Division of Park-Ohio Industries Inc. in Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio. Despite scabs, arrests and firings, UAW Local 91 members hung tough and in 1992 won a fair contract – 1983
July 12
Bisbee, Ariz. deports Wobblies; 1,186 miners sent into desert in manure-laden boxcars. They had been fighting for improved safety and working conditions - 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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