Chair Mendelson joins June meeting of Delegates

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — but this day is about more than an end. It also about a beginning and the ongoing work toward a society free from racism in all its forms.

"In 2024, Black workers continue to struggle for workplace equity and to organize against low wages and dangerous working conditions that are a function of systemic racism," AFSCME President Lee Saunders said yesterday. "It is also a time for reflection on how far we still have to go. By banding together in strong unions and using their voice on the job, Black workers are closing pay gaps and making progress toward eliminating discrimination in the workplace. However, our work is anything but finished.

"The arc of the moral universe still needs bending toward justice," Saunders added. "So let Juneteenth, our nation’s second Independence Day, serve as a call to action to pick up the baton and keep up the fight, to continue educating, organizing and mobilizing for true liberty and justice for all."


Juneteenth rally today at 10 AM

Workers at ZeniMax, a Microsoft Video Game Studio, are bargaining their first contract and have already won several victories — including getting Microsoft to acknowledge the Juneteenth holiday as an important day off for workers. Learn more about ZeniMax Workers United's contract fight.

TODAY at 10 AM, join CWA-ZeniMax Workers United and Communications Workers of America President Claude Cummings Jr. for a Juneteenth Celebration, Picnic, and Rally in Rockville, MD. RSVP to today's rally.


Chair Mendelson joins June meeting of Delegates

Thank you to DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson for joining June's meeting of Delegates to the Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO, held at Teamsters Local 639. We appreciated a chance to discuss DC's 2025 budget and what it means for union members as well as workers across the District.


Upcoming COPE meetings

  • The Tri-County Committee on Political Education (COPE) will meet on Tuesday, June 25 from 6:00-7:30 PM EDT at American Legion Post 82 - Harry White Wilmer (located at 6330 Crain Hwy, La Plata, MD 20646).

  • The DC Committee on Political Education (COPE) typically meets monthly on the third Wednesday of the month on Zoom. However, in reflection of Juneteenth, in June 2024 we will meet on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Join the Zoom meeting.


Hiring Hall: Union jobs in the DC region


Around the region

Left: As Montgomery County hosted a community meeting last night on their upcoming bus depot, LiUNA and the Baltimore-D.C. Building Trades Council called on Montgomery County leaders to make sure the project includes a PLA so that it creates good, local jobs. Right: As part of ATU's national legislative conference last week, ATU Local 689 visited our region's Congressional delegation to push for issues like federal funding for transit operations, workers’ rights, AI and autonomous vehicles, and microtransit. And congratulations to Local 689 for being recognized by ATU for your legislative activism and COPE work in the DMV!


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Got an action, event, open position, or other update you want labor leaders in DC and Maryland to know about? Submit news items to office@dclabor.org.

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