On International Workers Day (May 1) at 3 p.m. EST, the music community and the Working Families Party will be teaming up with Labor leaders for a series of conversations and performances to raise awareness for Protecting the Right to Organize Act (the PRO Act) - a massive labor rights bill that would dramatically grow workers’ power on the job by expanding union membership, reforming decades-old labor laws, promoting "dignity in the workplace” and ending employer intimidation or interference in union drives.
With the voluntary recognition of the Secretly Group Union, the ongoing attempt to unionize at Condé Nast including the Pitchfork Union and the growing power of the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers, the music community is moving toward organized labor. These will make for vital conversations not only to show solidarity with organized labor, but to have a teachable moment for their followers on why organized labor/unions are important.
“The fight to pass the PRO Act isn’t a political issue, it’s an issue of dignity and fairness for the people who spent the last year risking their lives to keep the rest of us safe,” said Maurice Mitchell, National Director of the Working Families Party. “The PRO Act sets a new standard of dignity and fairness in the workplace, and helps essential workers meet their basic needs on and off the job -- from improving benefits, to protecting women and undocumented workers from abuse at work, to making sure workers can use the bathroom when they need to. Workers are caring for us like never before, and it’s time Congress started caring for them.”
The conversation series will kick off a 3:00 PM EST on Saturday, May 1 with a conversation between singer-songwriter and progressive pro-union activist Billy Bragg and Sara Steffens, of the Communication Workers of America, followed by a conversation between Boston-based songmaker Anjimile and Darlene Lombos, of the Greater Boston Labor Council.
All conversations and Jammin’ for Jobs performances will be hosted via the Working Families Party instagram page, full schedule to be listed HERE.
