2013 HARRIS COUNTY **AFL-CIO LABOR DAY CELEBRATION COOK-OFF (benefiting the Muscular Dystrophy Assn.

) OPEN THE ATTACHMENT TO READ HOW WOMEN BENEFIT BY BEING A UNION MEMBER... Labor Union's and their bar-b-q team members gathered this past Saturday once again at the Pasadena Fairgrounds to compete against each other's team for the best cooked brisket, chicken and ribs. This annual event raises funds from the contest's entry fees, sponsorships and a raffles which benefits The Muscular Dystrophy Association's Houston Area Chapter(MDA) . Separate from union's cooking contest is a "Kid's Que" where kids ages 6 -16 compete for awards and trophies. The annual Labor Day celebration is always open to the public and families are invited to enjoy the games and activities such as exhibits, crafts, petting zoo, pony rides and a moon walk. Anyone coming to the event who's not a member of a union is welcome to circulate among the many different union's present to learn the benefits one can achieve to better themselves and their family through union membership.

all photos by AFL-CIO member Linda Jamail left to right: {1} Clyde Fitzgerald the ***ILA South Atlantic & Gulf Coast District President & newest Port Commissioner, {2} Andrea "Andie" Gardner of the I.L.A. Steamship Clerks & Checkers Local 1351 as Program Organizer & Political Interest Committee accepts a US flag flown at the nation's capitol from {3} Deidre Rasheed of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee's 18th Congressional District Office in

Houston for all their work and contributions made towards the Annual Labor Day Bar-B-Q.

Houston's Mayor Annise Parker was on hand to thank those of the labor movement, she later volunteered to help judge in the bar-b-q cooking contest. Photo'd here the Mayor addresses the early morning ILA Breakfast crowd. Workers' Pay Is Higher When They're In A Union. The median weekly earnings of union workers are 28 percent higher than non-union workers. According to a January 2011 Bureau of Labor Statistics report, workers who belong to a union typically earn higher pay than non-union workers doing the same kind of job. Although it varies based on sector and occupation, the overall averages are striking.

$917 = Median weekly earnings in 2010 of union members. $717 = Median weekly earnings in 2010 of non-union workers.
That's a yearly difference in salary of union members. Union members earn an average of $4.95 more per hour - which equates to a yearly difference of $10,300. Although it varies based on sector and occupation, the union difference for workers across the board is undeniable.

$10,400 for union members vs. non-

**The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

(AFLCIO) is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, they are the umbrella federation for U.S. unions, with 57 unions representing more than 12 million working men and women. They work to ensure that all people who work receive the rewards of their workdecent paychecks and benefits, safe jobs, respect and fair treatment. They work to make the voices of working people heard in the White House, on Capitol Hill, in state capitals across the country and in corporate boardrooms. They provide an independent voice for working families and ways for working people to be actively engaged in politics and legislation. They also hold corporations accountable for their treatment of employees and ensure the voice of working people is heard in the financial system. They also work with federations of unions in other countries toward global social and economic fairness.

***The roots of the International Longshoremen's Association (ILA) affiliated

with the AFL-CIO date to colonial America when the arrival of ships bearing goods from Europe was greeted with cries for "Men long shore!" At first, the "longshoremen" who came to the ships were normally engaged in any number of full-time occupations, but left their work freely to unload the anxiously awaited and sometimes desperately needed supplies without compensation. As America began to develop a fledgling economy, and the ships increased, longshore work became a full-time occupation. Thus, by mid-century, the longshoremen had begun to organize. In 1864, the first modern longshoremen's union was formed in the port of New York it was called the Longshoremen's Union Protective Association (LUPA). FORWARDED BY: Allan R. Jamail Senatorial District 6 (SDEC) Texas State Democratic Executive Committeeman 2013 - RULES, COMMUNICATIONS & RESOLUTIONS 52 year proud member of the AFL-CIO. To unsubscribe to receiving email please click on the following link (here) and type the word unsubscribe in the subject title.