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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, August 27, 2008
CONTACT: Chris Garlock 202-230-1133 cgarlock@dclabor.org

WHAT: Unions Hit DC Mayor for being “Anti-Worker” at DNC
WHEN: Wednesday, August c27, 8:30AM local time
WHERE: DNC, Denver, CO

Calling DC Mayor Adrian Fenty a “budget-shattering, union-busting, promise-breaking political boss whose poor performance and bad management are costing DC taxpayers millions of dollars,” District of Columbia unions fanned out this morning to expose Mayor Fenty’s record and generate support from state delegations at this week’s Democratic National Convention in Denver.

“Mayor Fenty’s hostility to workers and unions is completely at odds with the Democratic Party’s longstanding commitment to these major constituency groups,” said Metro Washington Council President Joslyn N. Williams. “This year’s party platform includes the strongest support ever for organized labor, and Barack Obama himself has been outspoken in his support for the right of workers to organize and the importance of the labor movement in a free and democratic society.” Added Williams, “Mayor Fenty has turned a deaf ear to workers, unions, community groups and the City Council. As we gear up to elect Barack Obama President and bring the winds of change to the White House in November, we are deeply disappointed that the Mayor of our nation’s capital has refused to meet with us, to talk with us, and to work with us to solve the District’s many challenges.”

In a full-color flyer (attached) being distributed to state delegations, District unions accuse Fenty of taking “aggressi ve steps to undercut workers and organized labor in the District of Columbia,” including:

• costing the District when he had to rehire union workers fired without proper investigation.
• breaking his promise to rebuild DC schools using union labor.
• trying to gut seniority rights for unionized DC teachers.
• creating a crisis for hard-working rank and file District employees by refusing to appoint qualified people to fill vacancies on the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB).
• stooping to reveal his petty, vindictive governing tactics when he unilaterally abolished city jobs held by some union leaders, a retaliatory move to intimidate unions who have pushed for reform through partnership.

The District unions pledge that they “and other allies of working families will expose (Fenty’s) anti-union, antidemocratic record whenever he campaigns around the country.”

D.C. MAYOR
ADRIAN FENTY
THE UN-REFORMER
ANTI-WORKER.
ANTI-COMMUNITY.
ANTI-DEMOCRATIC

D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty has become the national poster child for reforming urban schools and streamlining city government. But the image-conscious Fenty is not the reform whiz kid. Far from it.

Mayor Fenty is a budget-shattering, union-busting, promise-breaking political boss whose poor performance and bad management are costing DC taxpayers millions of dollars without real accountability or significant improvements.

• Fenty badly bungled the city’s summer jobs program for youth, grossly overspending by $31 million.
• Fenty campaigned on inclusion, but he routinely excludes the city council, community groups and unions from important policy decisions affecting the city.

FENTY: HOSTILE TO WORKERS AND UNIONS

Boss Fenty has taken aggressive steps to undercut workers and organized labor in the District of Columbia.

• Fenty cost the District when he had to rehire union workers fired without proper investigation.
• Fenty broke his promise to rebuild DC schools using union labor.
• Fenty is trying to gut seniority rights for unionized DC teachers.
• Fenty has created a crisis for hard-working rank and file District employees by refusing to appoint qualified people to fill vacancies on the Public Employee Relations Board (PERB).
• Fenty stooped to reveal his petty, vindictive governing tactics when he unilaterally abolished city jobs held by some union leaders, a retaliatory move to intimidate unions who have pushed for reform through partnership.

STOP FENTY. STAND WITH DC WORKERS

The Metropolitan Washington labor community brings this matter to the DNC convention to inform
delegates about Mayor Fenty’s real record and his Republican-like assault on worker s and union members
in the nation’s capital. We and other allies of working families will expose his anti-union, antidemocratic record whenever he campaigns around the country.

AN INJURY TO ONE IS AN INJURY TO ALL!

Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO www.dclabor.org