TWU locals from across the country descended to the city of brotherly love and sisterly affection, Philadelphia, to put their labor values to work recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the AFL-CIO’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.  celebration.

 

From Jan. 17-21 TWU members joined hundreds of other union members from AFSCME, USW, and UAW  among others, in a day of service, workshops and other educational opportunities on the life and values of Dr. King and his commitment to civil rights and the labor movement.

 

The theme “We Are One: Workers’ Rights and Civil Rights,” will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington that rallied hundreds of thousands of people to call for jobs and freedom.

 

“It was great to see the camaraderie and everyone working together,” said Juanita Samuels, TWU Local 252 Vice President about the day of service.

 

TWU members’ day of service involved painting the Frances L. Myers Recreation center, a center that has existed since the early 1900s and the centerpiece of south east Philadelphia.

 

“You don’t realize how making something beautiful makes something so much more presentable,” said Daryl Nelson, the director of the recreation center.