On Tuesday, January 15, 2008, a pre-announced contract explanation and ratification meeting was held at PIW in the Hoffman Auditorium from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Our membership that participated in this meeting voted not to ratify the tentative agreement obtained on December 27, 2007 between CWA and PIW. We are, therefore, preparing for the possibility of a strike.

The Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO announced its’ "enthusiastic" endorsement of Congressman Albert Wynn in the 4^th Congressional District of Maryland.

"Congressman Wynn has supported a working families’ agenda while attaining a 93% lifetime voting record on AFL-CIO national priorities," said State Fed President Fred Mason. "He continues to stand strongly in support for issues of great importance to working families including workers’ right to organize unions, preserving Social Security, enacting fair trade policies, ending the war in Iraq and health care for all."

Mason pledged that the State Fed, "in collaboration with the Metropolitan Washington Council and its 150,000 members will work aggressively to insure victory for Congressman Wynn in both the primary and general elections."

Mark your calendar now for the 2^nd Annual Labor Night at the Nationals—in the new union-built stadium—on Friday, July 11^th! Stay tuned for more details.

On Thursday, January 17, 2008, Local Executive Vice President Mike Harris along with Local Vice President Darryl Wallace met with Share Group Incorporated President/CEO Pam Pearson and new Vice President of Operations Craig Youngberg. The meeting was very productive in that both sides agreed that better communications between management and the Union was in both of our best interests.

Darryl Wallace and Share’s new V.P. Youngberg has committed to work diligently to bring as quickly as possible solutions to all outstanding personnel problems and complaints. Mike Harris and President Pearson has taken the lead to assure that the Common Interest Forum (CIF) is up and running to its fullest potential.

On Friday, January 18, 2008, President Pearson and Vice President Youngberg will sit down with Vice President Wallace and the Stewards to discuss an agenda for working together in 2008.