Workers at the Hershey Chocolate plant in Stuarts Draft, Va., filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board Jan. 18 to be represented by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers’ International Union (BCTGM). According to the Staunton News Leader, workers say the main issues are a lack of time off, disrespect on the job and frequent changes that are poorly communicated by management.
‘WE DEMAND JUSTICE FOR VA. PRISONERS!’
There’s a quote at the bottom of this page by the famous Russian novelist Dostoevski: “The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons.” More people should visit Virginia’s prisons and jails.
D.C.: POLITICS & PROSE UNIONIZES WITH LOCAL 400
Politics and Prose, an independent bookstore with three locations in Washington, D.C., is the first bookstore in the district to unionize. The approximately 100 workers are now represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400. The Virginia Defender spoke to Isa Salazar of the Politics and Prose Workers Union Organizing Committee about the process of getting organized.
WHY WE SUPPORT THE MEMORIALIZATION OF SHOCKOE BOTTOM, BUT ARE OPPOSED TO SPENDING $220 MILLION ON A LEGACY MUSEUM
Yes, there needs to be a slavery/slave trade museum or interpretive center in Shockoe Bottom, but it doesn’t need to be a $220 million legacy project for people who have played a very mixed role in the ongoing struggle to reclaim and properly memorialize what once was the epicenter of the U.S. domestic slave trade.
FIRST IN STATE, RICHMOND TEACHERS WIN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS!
On Dec. 6, Richmond became the first locality in Virginia to approve collective bargaining for its teachers and other public school employees.
NEW ONLINE JOURNAL
The Coalition for Justice of Blacksburg, a co-founder of the Virginia Prison Justice Network, is working with the Virginia Tech Center for Humanities to create an online journal of art, writing, spoken word and reflections on prison life.
RICHMOND CITY COUNCIL CONSIDERS TWO PUBLIC SECTOR BARGAINING ORDINANCES FOR CITY WORKERS
In May 2021, a change to state law came into effect that allows local governments and school boards to bargain collectively with their workers. Richmond City Council now has two bills to consider on this topic.
The Virginia Defender 