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.
Three transit strike picket lines against Keolis: Woodbridge, Manassas & Leesburg: Tue, February 21, 3:30am – 5:00pm
Prince William County Transit workers (Teamsters Local 639) - 3:30 am to 5 pm
14700 Potomac Mills Rd, Woodbridge,VA; 7850 Doane Drive, Manassas, VA
Loudoun County Transit workers (ATU Local 689) - 3:30 am to 3 pm; 43031 Loudoun Center Place, Leesburg
Special Election in Prince William County: Tue, February 21, 6am – 7pm
Come help with GOTV for Kerensa at the IBEW Local 26 office, 7010 Infantry Ridge Rd., Manassas. Contact [email protected] for more info.
Arts Union Caucus: Tue, February 21, 3pm – 4pm
Last week's meeting was postponed due to technical difficulties, so unions representing performing and broadcast arts workers will meet on Tuesday February 21st. Click here. |
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Montgomery County workers reach agreement
UFCW 1994/MCGEO reached an agreement on a new contract in the wee hours of Thursday morning last week, after going into mediation. “We will be sending out information on the new agreement and plans for ratification as soon as possible,” reported Amy Millar, Special Assistant to the President at Local 1994. “This agreement would not have been possible without the incredible effort and hard work put in by the primary bargaining team, the alternates and a broad cross section of our members who sat on the advisory committees.”
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MD legalized cannabis bill focus is social equity
Social equity was the focus of many of the comments by witnesses testifying before the Maryland Assembly’s House Economic Matters Committee Friday afternoon on proposed legislation to regulate legalized cannabis. “In every state that has [legalized] cannabis, they have found that the cannabis industry employs 10 percent more minority workers than any of the industries in their state,” said Donna S. Edwards, president of the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO, saying “We applaud the social equity” piece of the legislation. “As the daughter, mother, aunt, and grandmother of black children, especially men, I am happy to see legislation that undoubtedly creates a pathway for people of color (POC) to access the wealth many of us have too long been denied,” testified MWC president Dyana Forester. Read more here.
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IN MEMORIAM: Thomas Donahue
Former AFL-CIO president Thomas Donahue died Feb. 18 at a hospital in Washington; he was 94. Calling him “an innovator, intellectual and a visionary labor leader who was ahead of his time,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond said that “Long before the future of work and the impact of technology on workers became a robust policy debate, Donahue was creating a blueprint for unions that encouraged experimentation with new approaches and technology to expand worker organizing and increase the labor movement’s influence.” Donahue’s career spanned six decades starting as a part-time organizer with the Retail Clerks International Union in New York City and rising to secretary-treasurer and president of the AFL-CIO; he helped create the AFL-CIO Organizing Institute, which opened doors for a new generation of organizers. Click here for the AFL-CIO statement and Washington Post obituary.
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Evening with Labor ad sponsorship deadline 2/24
This year's annual Evening with Labor is coming up Friday, March 3. Individual honorees include Kayla Mock from UFCW Local 400, Sam Epps of UNITE HERE Local 25, Ottis Johnson Jr. of AFGE District 14, Chuck Clay of IATSE 22, and John Boardman of UNITE HERE 25, and 1199 SEIU Healthcare Workers, ATU 689, AFSCME District Council 3, OPEIU 2, IATSE 22, and UFCW 400 are among the organizational honorees. CLICK HERE for Sponsorship details; ad deadline is this Friday, Feb. 24.
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Labor Quote: Thomas Donahue
“The critical element of democracy, we all believe, is a free trade union movement, the critical measure of democracy.” |
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Today’s Labor History
This week’s Labor History Today podcast: Celebrating Black History Month. Last week’s show: Domestic worker, Mother of the Movement.
A California state law was enacted providing the 8 hour day for most workers, but it was not effectively enforced - 1868
United Farm Workers of America granted a charter by the AFL-CIO – 1972
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.
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