Today’s Labor Calendar
Click here for the complete calendar and details. Got something to add or update? Email us at [email protected].
Union City Radio: 7:15am, WPFW-FM 89.3 FM
2-minute audio version of the Metro Washington Labor Council's Union City newsletter.
Loudoun County Transit Strike Picket Line: Fri, February 3, 3:30am – 4:00pm (best time 9a); Sat/Sun, February 4-5, 9a-12p
43031 Loudoun Center Place in Leesburg, VA (map)
Maryland Grad Workers Fight for Union Rights: Fri, February 3, 12:30pm – 4:00pm Rally will take place at the Annapolis Lawyers' mall; legislator meetings in their offices; Rally starts at 12:30pm and grad meetings with legislators will continue until 4pm
Congressional Workers Union Birthday Party! Fri, February 3, 5pm – 8pm
Red Bear Brewing Co, 209 M St NE, Washington, DC 20002, USA (map)
Rally to Support Unionized Workers at Defenders of Wildlife: Mon, February 6, 8:15am – 8:45am
Defenders of Wildlife, 1130 17th St NW, Washington, DC 20036, USA (map) |
Keolis prolongs Loudoun County strike, union charges
Loudoun County bus drivers saw their hopes of a resolution of their strike – now in its third week – dashed when Keolis Transit decided to delay negotiations. Keolis and ATU Local 689 had returned to the bargaining table Thursday and union members and leadership “had high hopes after careful consideration that their latest proposal was well-crafted and would be accepted, thereby ending the work stoppage and getting service up and running again,” Local 689 said in a press release Thursday night. “Unfortunately, Keolis once again decided to delay negotiations altogether– demonstrating either astounding financial illiteracy, bad faith negotiating tactics, or a mixture of both,” said Local 689. “Once again, this contractor has walked away from the bargaining table,” said ATU Local 689 President Raymond Jackson. “In the process, they have left the riding public and workers cold on the side of the road.”
photo: ATU 689 Keolis strikers at the French Embassy on Tuesday; Keolis’ parent company, SNCF Rail, is controlled by the French government. |
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Maryland grad workers fight for union rights
Fearless Student Employees will rally in Annapolis today (see Calendar, above) for the SB247/HB275 bill, which will give University of Maryland graduate assistants and faculty the right to collective bargaining. Graduate assistants at UMD are among the lowest paid in the country, FSE says, “Even more troubling, a recent budget analysis of UMD (source) shows the university has prioritized the hiring and pay of upper administrators over the public teaching and research that are its institutional mission.” “As graduate assistants,” said FSE president Jan-Michael Archer, “we want to leave our institutions better than we found them. We don’t want to see our peers struggling to pay their bills or feed their kids. We don’t want to see other grads white-knuckling through toxic labs with abusive supervisors and fearing retaliation for speaking out.” Over 1,500 have already signed their petition. Hear more on yesterday's Your Rights At Work radio show.
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2023 Evening With Labor awardees announced
On Friday, March 3, labor leaders in DC and Maryland will come together for the 44th Annual Evening with Labor. “Today, we are incredibly excited to announce all of this year's awardees,” said Metro Washington Council President Dyana Forester yesterday. “Each of these leaders has made remarkable contributions to the effort to ensure that all workers have representation in their workplace and dignity on the job. We are proud to be able to honor them with this year's Evening with Labor awards.” Click here to celebrate all of this year's awardees by becoming an Evening with Labor sponsor or purchasing your ticket today. “We look forward to celebrating with you in March!” said Forester.
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Defenders of Wildlife not so great with people
In the Fall of 2021, a supermajority of the staff at Defenders of Wildlife voted to unionize with Defenders United; they’ve been fighting ever since to win a contract and have filed a number of ULPs against the non-profit, including for illegally firing a worker. Defenders United will be rallying outside Defenders of Wildlife HQ (1130 17th St NW) Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday from 8:15-8:45a to demand that Defenders of Wildlife “stop wasting non-profit donations on union busting.” Hear more on yesterday's Your Rights At Work radio show. Follow Defenders United on Twitter for latest news/updates.
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Black Labor History Month: ATU
This year, for Black History Month, we’re sharing stories from Black history across the labor movement. To share yours, please send them to us at [email protected].
Today’s profile is from the Amalgamated Transit Union.
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Labor Quote: Rosa Parks
“You must never be fearful about what you are doing when it is right.”
Rosa Parks, whose refusal to give up her bus seat to a white man launched the 1955 Montgomery, Ala. bus boycott and the birth of the civil rights movement, was born in Tuskegee, Ala. On this date in 1913. |
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Today’s Labor History
This week’s Labor History Today podcast: A meatpacker’s American dream. Last week’s show: Bill Lucy on MLK; Shubert Sebree on Debs.
February 3
The US Supreme Court rules the United Hatters Union violated the Sherman Antitrust Act by organizing a nationwide boycott of Danbury Hatters of Connecticut – 1908
February 4
Thirty-seven thousand maritime workers on the West Coast strike for wage increases - 1937
February 5
First daily labor newspaper, "N.Y. Daily Sentinel", begins publication - 1830
David Prosten
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Material published in UNION CITY may be freely reproduced by any recipient; please credit Union City as the source.
Published by the Metropolitan Washington Labor Council, an AFL-CIO "Union City" Central Labor Council whose 200 affiliated union locals represent 150,000 area union members. DYANA FORESTER, PRESIDENT.
Story suggestions, event announcements, campaign reports, Letters to the Editor and other material are welcome, subject to editing for clarity and space; just click on the mail icon below. You can also reach us on Facebook and Twitter by clicking on those icons.
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