n the United States, worker rights and civil rights have a deep and historic connection. What is slavery, after all, if not the abuse of worker rights taken to its ultimate extreme? A. Philip Randolph, president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, recognized this link and, as early as the 1920s, spoke passionately about the need for a black-labor alliance. Civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, Randolph’s protégé and an adviser to Martin Luther King, Jr., joined his mentor as a forceful, early advocate for a black-labor coalition.

The very title of the famous 1963 “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” conceived by Randolph and organized by Rustin, reflected their black-labor perspective. Two years later, they founded the A. Philip Randolph Institute, to solidify the black-labor alliance.

With prodding from Randolph, the AFL-CIO came to recognize the deep connection between labor rights and civil rights. The civil rights movement has moved similarly, acknowledging organized labor as by far its strongest ally. In 1961, King spoke to this, declaring that “Negroes are almost entirely a working people. Our needs are identical with labor’s needs: decent wages, fair working conditions, quality education and healthcare. That is why blacks support labor’s demands and fight laws that curb labor.”

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Local Update,

We are continuing to address issues regarding day to day representation at the floor level and continue to address issues with management such as your contractual rights, 13C rights and grievance hearings.

We are continuing to review the local’s by-laws for areas where we see room for improvements that will help the officers of your local better serve you the membership.

The staff at the office and in the field continue to monitor local, state and national politics. We need to continue dialog with the politicians that make decisions that affect our work life and working conditions. We need to support those politicians at all levels of government that support us in our transportation industry and public worker roles as well as our labor issues.

There had been a suspension of the Sub-Labor/Management meetings, however they will resume in the next week or so with a guidance policy for their continued smooth operation.

We are preparing for the membership to have an election in the near future to put officers back in place when the local is released from its current trusteeship standing. The election will most likely be conducted by an outside entity such as the American Arbitration Association (AAA).

In the very near future TWU Local 291 will once again be back in the hands of the membership and move forward in its representation of the membership as it should be.

IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS ON THE SHOP FLOOR CONTACT YOUR SECTION CHAIR OR SHOP STEWARD

To: All Part-time TWU 291 Members,

Sign Up Tuesday, May 22nd from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm at North East Bus Division

County staff & Blue Cross agents will be there to answer your questions and help you apply for the MD-HIA program and Miami-Dade Blue insurance.

Bring these Required Documents on Tuesday May 22nd if you are interested:

All MD-HIA applicants must provide the following documentation with their application:

• Income verification – 2011 federal tax form filed (if your income has changed you may also submit one month of all income from all sources, including your most recent pay stubs, unemployment checks, child support, etc).

• Social Security card or U.S. Passport or U.S. Birth Certificate or U.S. baptism certificate (for citizenship, legal resident verification)

• Florida driver’s license or State ID card (for qualifying age)

• Recent utility/other bill statement showing your name and Miami-Dade address or proof of County Employee if not resident of Miami-Dade (Miami-Dade County residency or County Employee)

• Completed Miami-Dade Health Insurance Assistance 4 page application (will be provided on Thursday)

Each person must separately apply and submit documentation.