Harris selects a workers' champion for Vice President
This is the August 7, 2024 edition of our twice-weekly newsletter about labor movement news in the DC region. Sign up to get our newsletters delivered straight to your inbox.
On Tuesday Vice President Kamala Harris announced her selection of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate. Walz is a former teacher and was a dues-paying union member for many years. He has also led Minnesota to pass a slew of pro-worker policies, including paid sick days, paid family and medical leave, a minimum wage for Uber and Lyft drivers, health and safety protections for Amazon workers, and making new noncompete agreements unenforceable. While governor he has also joined nurses and UAW workers on the picket line.
“By selecting Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Kamala Harris chose a principled fighter and labor champion who will stand up for working people and strengthen this historic ticket,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler said in a statement.
Following the announcement AFGE, AFT, AFSCME, ATU, CWA, IBEW, IFPTE, IUOE, IUPAT, LIUNA, NNU, OPEIU, SEIU, UFCW, UA Pipe Trades, and UAW all voiced their strong support for Walz. "The labor movement stands united behind the Harris–Walz ticket," Shuler added.
Dangerously hot
Temperatures in Baltimore reached a high of 99 degrees this past Friday. That same day, Ronald Silver II, a Baltimore Department of Public Works employee, began to experience a "medical situation" while working aboard a DPW truck. According to The Baltimore Banner, emergency medical services were called, dispatched, and Silver was taken to the hospital where he then died.
"We are in close contact with the administration about what happened and are demanding immediate changes," AFSCME Council 3 said in a statement. "What’s clear is that Brother Silver and his colleagues were not guaranteed safe working conditions, a clear violation of our union contract. This should be a wake-up call to the leadership of the Department of Public Works that changes need to be put in place as soon as possible and that our members’ health and safety needs to be taken seriously."
Silver's death takes place at a time when workers across our region are coping with deadly heat. The State of Maryland is currently considering passing a heat illness prevention standard, and the Biden-Harris Administration has also urged the Department of Labor to pass a nationwide heat rule to help keep workers safe as dangerous heat becomes more frequent.
The NewsGuild-CWA celebrates more than 90 first contracts in the last three years
The NewsGuild has been working hard, and this month, they are celebrating a milestone—more than 90 first contracts won in the last three years! Recent first contract wins include Repair the World, represented by The Washington Baltimore News Guild (TNG-CWA Local 32035), and fresh contracts for workers at Common Cause, Duke University Press, and RAICES. Read more »
Apprenticeships + Learning
Apprenticeships with Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 5
Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 5 offers an apprenticeship program to help new people learn the trade — but it isn't always easy! Hear from two Local 5 apprentices about their experiences in the program.
Ready to excel in your trade? Learn more about Local 5's apprenticeship program.
Leadership Institute with APWU
Applications are now open for APWU's Leadership Institute, an intensive three-week educational program focused on organizing, bargaining, and representation, to legislation, community alliances, and building the APWU and union movements.
The Institute is open to all full dues-paying APWU members. Applications are open until September 13, 2024. Learn more and apply.
Hiring Hall: Union Jobs in the DC region
AFL-CIO: Deputy Director
AFL-CIO: Associate Director for Data Systems and Engineering
African Communities Together: Phone Banker
African Communities Together: Canvasser (Maryland)
African Communities Together: Canvasser (Virginia)
AFSCME: Engineer
American Federation of Teachers: National Representative I-IV
Jobs With Justice: Organizer
Labor Network For Sustainability: Communications Director
Montgomery County Education Association: Internal Organizer/UniServ Director
SEIU Local 32BJ: Regional Communications Manager
Strategic Organizing Center: Digital Program Director
Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO: Organizer
Working America: Chief Technology Officer
Working America: Chief Administrative Officer
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