Over 150 workers, labor leaders and community activists demonstrated outside the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Northwest DC last night, filling the busy corner block to capacity as they walked the picket line chanting “Fired workers, corruption too, Fenty don’t deserve any money from you!†Charging that DC Mayor Adrian Fenty has “turned his back on the people who got him elected,†the demonstrators were angry that he has “used his time in office to promote privatization and private profit to the detriment of DC residents and workers.†AFGE District 14 National Vice President Dwight Bowman told Union City “It’s very inspiring to see so many citizens, workers and community groups coming together and standing up with each other.†He added, “We’re here to tell the community that someone sees what’s happening, enough is enough and Fenty will be held accountable.†DC cab driver Yehenew Ayalew added that “Fenty has made life very difficult for me to provide for my family,†saying that the Mayor “is undercutting our wages and refusing to even negotiate a fairer system for us.†The picket was organized by a new coalition of labor unions and community organizations – including DC Jobs with Justice (DC JwJ), Empower DC, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Dominion of Cab Drivers, the ANSWER Coalition, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 20 and the Metropolitan Washington Council – who are encouraging the DC community to join them and “show Fenty and the city that residents and workers will fight back,†says DC JwJ’s Ruth Castel-Branco. rn- story/photos by Adam Wright. Origionally published in Union Cities
