Forward to a friend:
[link removed]

Professional union membership at record levels

January Metro Council meeting report

Solidarity Center Report: Draft Ukrainian Labor Laws `A Gift to Oligarchs'

Today's Labor Quote: Bertolt Brecht

Today's Labor History

LABOR CALENDAR; [link removed] click here for latest listings

Union City Radio: 7:15am M-F; [link removed] WPFW 89.3FM

Union City Radio: Your Rights at Work: Thu, January 23, 1pm - 2pm
WPFW 89.3 FM or [link removed] listen online

Catholic Labor Network Meeting: Sat, January 25, 9:00am - 1:30pm
Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St NW, Washington, DC 20008

CSA "Bowling for Gold" Tournament: Sun, January 26
Crofton Bowling Centre, 2115 Priest Bridge Dr, Crofton, MD 21114
[link removed] Details/sign up here
photo: 2018 SEIU 722 bowlers; photo by Chris Garlock

Professional union membership at record levels
A record number of professionals are now in unions, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Professional union membership rose to 6.27 million last year, a gain of just over 90,000 members and a new all-time high, said the AFL-CIO's Department for Professional Employees in a [link removed] press release. Union membership among professionals has steadily increased over the last 20 years, however, there are many sectors and occupations with plenty of room for union organizing. Legal services, architectural, engineering and computer services, for example, employ millions of professionals and are largely unorganized.

January Metro Council meeting report
The January Metro Council meeting was packed with local labor updates and included an emotional farewell from outgoing Council president Jackie Jeter. Thanking the delegates for participating in the Council, Jeter said that "the labor movement needs all of you to move forward" and urged them to "Be the best trade unionists you can be!" The delegates packing the President's Room at the AFL-CIO responded with a prolonged standing ovation. Delegates also reported on the settlement of the 3-month ATU 689 strike against Transdev, the UFCW 400 Shoppers Resource Fair, NABET-CWA's historic $76M back pay settlement with CNN and the $2.75M win against Power Design for wage theft. President Jeter also reported that in addition to nominations for Metro Council president at the February 18 meeting, nominations will also be open for the Board seat formerly held by Larry Greenhill, Sr, who has resigned. Elections will be held at the March 16 meeting.
photo: President Jeter congratulates new delegates after swearing them in Tuesday night; photo by Chris Garlock

Solidarity Center Report: Draft Ukrainian Labor Laws `A Gift to Oligarchs'
Across Ukraine, union leaders and members are planning emergency mobilizations to protest draft labor law amendments that would gut worker rights and see the state unilaterally seize union property. "These laws ... undermine the welfare of average Ukrainians, and are little more than a New Year's gift to oligarchs and corruption," says Inna Kudinska, a legal expert with Labor Initiatives, a Solidarity Center-supported Ukrainian NGO that provides legal assistance to workers. Find out more at [link removed] Solidarity Center.

Today's Labor Quote: Bertolt Brecht

"Who struggles can fail. Who doesn't struggle has already failed!"

Today's Labor History

This week's [link removed] Labor History Today podcast: MLK: All Labor Has Dignity

On today's show, historian Michael Honey on "Wisconsin to Memphis: King's gospel of labor rights on the rebound," from the Michigan State University School of Human Resources and Labor Relations' "Our Daily Work/Our Daily Lives" Brown Bag series. Also this week, Linda Donahue on the strike by 10,000 clothing workers in Rochester, NY.
Last week's show: (1/12): [link removed] UAW's Punch Press strike daily

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

January 24
Krueger Cream Ale, the first canned beer, goes on sale in Richmond, Va. Pabst was the second brewer in the same year to sell beer in cans, which came with opening instructions and the suggestion: "cool before serving" - 1935
January 24

- David Prosten

Material published in UNION CITY may be freely reproduced by any recipient; please credit Union City as the source for all news items and www.unionist.com as the source for Today's Labor History.

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. JACKIE JETER, 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.

[link removed]

[link removed]

[link removed]

mailto:[email protected]

[link removed]


You are receiving this email because our records indicate that [link removed] [email protected] signed up to receive this newsletter. Click here to [link removed] edit your subscription preferences
To view our Privacy Policy: [link removed]