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MetroAccess Hubbard Road workers authorize strike

Metro Council joins demand for authority over Guard

"Protect Alexandria from Known Polluters," unions urge

All roads to lead to July 19th: MWC and the Maryland primary election

"Proud of our past and confident in our future," UNITE HERE 25's John Boardman retires

 

Labor Calendar: [link removed] click here for complete and latest listings

MWC/CSA/CAP offices closed for July 4 holiday: Monday, Jul 4, 2022

Next Union City: Wednesday, July 6

MetroAccess Hubbard Road workers authorize strike

ATU Local 689 members at WMATA's MetroAccess Hubbard Road Facility on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly in favor of authorizing a strike, if necessary, to win a contract. Over 200 paratransit drivers, utility, dispatchers, maintenance workers, and road supervisors are employed by private contractor Transdev. Local 689's collective bargaining agreement with Transdev expired on June 30th and "After weeks of negotiations it seems clear that Transdev is not serious about reaching a settlement," the union said yesterday. "The same company that thanked our members for being essential workers now disrespects them at the bargaining table," said ATU 689. Follow us [link removed] on Twitter for the latest news on this developing story.

photo: MetroAccess workers picketed the Hubbard Road Facility on June 16.

"Protect Alexandria from Known Polluters," unions urge

Two local unions arehttps://actionnetwork.org/letters/protect-alexandria-from-known-polluters/ urging the Alexandria City Council to delay consideration of a proposed redevelopment of the old Potomac River Generating Station. In 2015, Hilco Global affiliate, Sparrows Point LLC, was fined for environmental violations related to the demolition of old mill buildings in Dundalk, Maryland. The violations included failing to control stormwater, dumping trash and industrial waste, and handling asbestos improperly. Sparrows Point and their contractor were required to complete $3.375 million in environmental projects as a part of their settlements. In 2020, Hilco's demolition of a smokestack at a closed coal plant covered Chicago's Little Village neighborhood in dust during a respiratory pandemic. Hilco agreed to pay $370,000 in a settlement to a Little Village health and wellness program.[link removed] Click here to sign UNITE HERE Local 23 and 25's petition urging the Alexandria City Council to delay consideration of Hilco's proposal.

photo: Alejandro Reyes/YouTube

All roads to lead to July 19th: MWC and the Maryland primary election

With the Maryland primary election now just days away, the Metropolitan Washington Labor Council is working hard to ensure that candidates and everyday voters feel labor's presence this election cycle. "However, we cannot do that without you," says MWC Political Director Déjah Désirée Williams. In coordination with the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO, the MWC is sponsoring two phone banks (July 11 and 13) and two canvass launches (July 9 and July 16) to turn out the labor vote for Tom Perez and MWC endorsed county candidates. Scan the QR code now for details on how to participate in MWC-sponsored days of action and/or sign up to participate by [link removed] clicking here. "With your support and help we will ensure there are candidates across the state of Maryland fighting for working families," said MWC president Dyana Forester. "Help us keep Maryland `Labor Strong'".


"Proud of our past and confident in our future," UNITE HERE 25's John Boardman retires

John Boardman, the longtime leader of UNITE HERE Local 25, has stepped down from his role as Executive Secretary-Treasurer. Over more than four decades, Boardman built Local 25 into a powerful force for hospitality workers in Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, as the local won groundbreaking contracts, major political victories, and brought thousands of workers into the union. "John is a person who is always trying to help everybody else," said Lucy Biswas, a Local 25 leader and room attendant at the Washington Hilton for over forty years, "and the contracts he has won with us do exactly that." Local 25 President Linda Martin called Boardman "an incredible friend, mentor, and leader to me and all of us these past years." "Thanks to what John has built," said Paul Schwalb, Local 25's new Executive-Secretary Treasurer, "we stand ready to bring new members into the union, strengthen our already strong contracts, and continue raising the bar regionwide for hospitality workers." Schwalb led UNITE HERE's 100,000 member Food Service Division and most recently served as Local 25 Chief of Staff. "I am proud of our past and confident in our future," said Boardman.[link removed] Read more here.


Labor Quote: Bennie Martin

On July 1, 1929, some 1,100 streetcar workers struck in New Orleans, spurring the creation of the po' boy sandwich by a local sandwich shop owner and one-time streetcar man. "Whenever we saw one of the striking men coming," Bennie Martin later recalled, "one of us would say, `Here comes another poor boy.'" Martin and his wife fed any striker who showed up.

TODAY'S LABOR HISTORY

This week's Labor History Today podcast: [link removed] Working People's Hidden Histories; Last week's show: [link removed] Labor history at the AFL-CIO & Labor Notes.

July 1

Homestead, Pennsylvania steel strike. Seven strikers and three Pinkertons killed as Andrew Carnegie hires armed thugs to protect strikebreakers - 1892

One million railway shopmen strike - 1922

Copper miners begin a years-long long, bitter strike against Phelps-Dodge in Clifton, Ariz. Democratic Gov. Bruce Babbitt repeatedly deployed state police and National Guardsmen to assist the company over the course of the strike, which broke the union - 1983

July 2

President Johnson signs Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, forbidding employers and unions from discriminating on the basis of race, color, gender, nationality, or religion - 1964

July 3

Children, employed in the silk mills in Paterson, N.J., went on strike for 11-hour day and 6-day week. A compromise settlement resulted in a 69-hour work work week - 1835


July 4

AFL dedicates its new Washington, D.C. headquarters building at 9th St. and Massachusetts Ave. NW. The building later became headquarters for Plumbers and Pipefitters and the exterior of the building is now part of the Marriott Washington. - 1916

- 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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