Page 8 - Labor Assembly News Today

When the Mason City Trades and Labor Assembly received its official charter from the American Federation of Labor on Oct. 8, 1915, the document was signed by then AFL President Samuel Gompers. At that point, the London native had been the organizations head since 1886 when it arose out of the former Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions.  That very same year, on May 4, in Chicago, at Haymarket Square, a workers strike for an eight-hour work day descended into chaos when an unknown ...

DECATUR — As bagpiper Griffin Coffman played in the background, Lloyd Holman, co-chairman of the Workers Memorial Day ceremony for Decatur Trades & Labor Assembly, read the dozens and dozens of names of Macon County workers who have died on the job. State Sen. Doris Turner, D-Springfield, was the keynote speaker at the Workers Memorial Day ceremony. CLAY JACKSON, HERALD & REVIEW Three of those names were new this year: Erick T. Ervin, who worked for Loves Truck Stop and died wh...

Today, Wednesday, at 5:30 PM, local workers, union officials and community leaders will gather at the Workers Memorial monument located at the northwest corner of the Macon County Courthouse on Wood Street, for a ceremony to honor workers who have died or suffered illness or injuries while on the job. The ceremony will include an honor guard, bagpiper, prayer and the laying of the wreath at the monument.  Senator Doris Turner will be the keynote speaker and Worker Memorial Chair Lloyd Holman w...

The Real History of May Day Photo: AFP via Getty Images (Getty Images) For most Americans, closing their laptop or clocking out at the end of an eight-hour shift at a restaurant or construction site is the norm, give or take a half-hour or so for lunch. And as tiring as a day of work can be, it’s easy to forget that over a century ago, people died to afford us the right to an eight-hour workday. Advertisement Much of this country’s radical labor tradition has been erased by our political le...

From the Star Courier microfilm files at the Kewanee Public Library Star Courier The Kewanee League of Women Voters will hold a forum Thursday on Tuesdays election where Black Hawk College and the Kewanee Public Library District are asking voters to approve increases in property taxes. The college is asking for an increase of 15.5 cents — 12.5 cents for the education fund and 3 cents for the operation and maintenance fund, while the library seeks to increase its tax rate from 49 cents to 60 c...

DPS 61 School Board Candidate Forum Scheduled Decatur Trades & Labor Assembly, representing more than 13,000 union members and retirees in Macon County, will host a Decatur School Board Candidate Forum on Thursday, March 11th at 5:00 PM via Zoom.  All seven candidates have been invited to participate. The event is open to the public and anyone can register on the Decatur Trades & Labor Assembly’s facebook page:  https://fb.me/e/2bTGNGk2t Anyone interested in participating in the Zoom event ...

Photo by C Technical from Pexels (KNSI) – Several local labor groups will sponsor a food box distribution event on Saturday for people in need. The “Truck Load of Food” takes place at noon at the St. Cloud Labor Temple at 1903 Fourth Street North in St. Cloud. The first-come-first-served distribution involves a contactless, drive-through pick-up process. The groups will give out 30-pound boxes that contain produce, meat and dairy products. The Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation estimate...

Decatur Trades & Labor Assembly Announces Endorsements for Decatur City Council The Decatur Trades & Labor Assembly, representing more than 13,000 union members and retirees in Macon County, has announced their endorsements for Decatur City Council. Endorsements were based on the priorities of candidates in relation to the issues of working families. The DTLA endorsed candidates include incumbent David Horn, along with candidates Jacob Jenkins and Will Wetzel. Additionally, according to their r...

“14 Days of Giving” to Begin December 18th We Are One Community, the charitable giving fund of working families, will be the benefactor of a virtual fundraiser called “Solidarity through Charity” with 14 days of giving between December 18-31, 2020.  The event is hosted by Decatur Trades & Labor Assembly and the Decatur Building & Construction Trades Council and will raise funds to be given to local charity on Labor Day 2021.  The online event is open to anyone interest...

Mike Matejka / Facebook For 38 years, the Bloomington-Normal Trades and Labor Assembly and the McLean County Chamber of Commerce have sponsored the “Christmas for Kids” party for low-income families. This year looked a little different due to COVID-19. Regional Manager and LIUNA General Executive Board member John Penn said they have not seen this level of response and need since their first year, which was during a recession. This year, the Normal Meijer store donated more than $1,000...