Dear friends,
It’s fortunate that I like a challenge, because I have promised you good news every Tuesday.
The National Labor Relations Board ruled last week that our favorite giant inflatable rat is here to stay. The rat is employed by unions
in close proximity to businesses to protest alleged unfair labor practices by employers and to persuade workers not to work for or patronize an employer whose labor practices are being challenged.
The Board’s 3-1 decision found that the use of banners and the inflatable rat do not constitute an unlawful secondary picket.
In March, the House passed The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act (HR 842), a pro-labor bill that was reintroduced in February in both Houses. Senator Patty Murray outlined the ways in which the bill would help workers:
Bolstering remedies and punishing violations of workers' rights through authorizing meaningful penalties for employers that violate workers' rights, strengthening support for workers who suffer retaliation for exercising their rights, and authorizing a private right of action for violation of workers' rights;
Strengthening workers' right to join together and negotiate for better working conditions by enhancing workers’ right to support secondary boycotts, ensuring workers can collect "fair share" fees, modernizing the union election process, and facilitating initial collective bargaining agreements; and
Restoring fairness to an economy rigged against workers by closing loopholes that allow employers to misclassify their employees as supervisors and independent contractors and increasing transparency in labor-management relations.
Demand that the Senate pass the PRO Act to protect the right to organize.
The new Bronx delegation to the city council — assuming the Democratic nominees are all elected — will be dominated by young, relatively progressive women of color. Jamaal Bailey, the state senator who heads the Bronx Democratic County Committee, which backed every one of the winners, graciously did not take the credit:
“It doesn’t come from the organization – even though, for the first time in the history of the Bronx, we’re going to have a majority-women, women of color delegation,” he said at City Hall Park. “It was the amazing women who ran their races and their families and our amazing Latina Executive Director Ariana Collado who’s in the background.”
Just 9 percent of the population of the Bronx is white; with a single white council member, the Bronx delegation will be as close as it has ever been to representative.
The mayor finally gave a September 13 deadline for all city workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. Workers who are not fully vaccinated will be tested for COVID weekly. At least some of the credit goes to those of you who contacted the mayor in the last several days to voice support for vaccination requirements.
One additional feature of the mandate that got less attention is that the mask requirement for unvaccinated city workers will be enforced beginning on Monday. It is always very challenging to start enforcing a rule that people have been permitted to flout.
The state of California and the Department of Veterans Affairs have introduced new mandates. Meanwhile, I’m conducting a thus-far unsuccessful vaccination conversation with the only unvaccinated person I’m close to. I will let you know how that goes.
Have a loving conversation with someone you know who is still unvaccinated.
Tomorrow marks the six-month anniversary of the community fridge that we helped to establish in partnership with Kensington-Windsor Terrace Mutual Aid. Fittingly, it is located right at the border of the Kensington and Windsor Terrace neighborhoods, on E. 2nd Street, a few steps north of Fort Hamilton Parkway.
We have made a lot of friends in the neighborhood thanks to our ambassador, Emily, and we’ve gotten tons of support from KWT Mutual Aid. Our friend Frank built a shed to give the fridge a proper home. Last week, we applied to Brooklyn SolarWorks for consideration as one of their community projects. I will let you know if anything comes of it.
The federal government has halted its efforts to seek the death penalty in at least seven federal capital prosecutions around the country. The execution that was to take place this week in Nevada is stayed, and no executions are scheduled in the United States until September.
And finally, an issue of cosmic justice: LeVar Burton is the guest-host of Jeopardy! this week. He has described the role as his dream job:
I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do. I have been watching “Jeopardy!” more or less every night of my life since Art Fleming was host. “Jeopardy!” is a cultural touchstone, and for a Black man to occupy that podium is significant. Look, I have had a career for the [expletive] ages. “Roots,” “Star Trek,” “Reading Rainbow.” Got a shelf full of Emmys. I’m a storyteller, and game shows are tremendous stories. There’s a contest, there’s comedy, there’s drama. If you don’t know your [expletive] on “Jeopardy!” you’re sunk in full view of the entire nation. The stakes are high. I love that.
Burton wants the job for keeps.
Sign the petition in support of Levar Burton’s selection as the new host of Jeopardy!
Have a good day!
with love,
L