Submitted by: Thomas Hefner, Greensboro, NC
My wife and I took a trip to Washington DC over Memorial Day for her birthday. I wrote the following a few days after our return. I am sure I left something out but I tried to think of all the unions that touched our lives. We did a trip to NY City last summer that was also full of union activities.
We drove a Ford F-150 truck (UAW) to the Greensboro Amtrak station. On the way there we used Citgo gas (United Steel Workers) in the truck and were greeted by TCU-IAM members at the station that helped check our bags and make sure all of our tickets were in order.
Amtrak took us from Greensboro, NC to Washington, DC. The unions on the train included BLET-Teamsters, SMART-TD, and Amtrak Service Workers Council, which consists of TWU, UNITE HERE, and TCU-IAM.
Dispatching of our ride on the Crescent north and Carolinian train south was safely done by the ATDA and I never worried about grade crossings since I knew the signals are maintained by member of BRS.
On the way north, I noticed a union label in our sleeper car that listed TCU, IBEW, NCFO-SEIU, ARASA, IAM, TWU, IBEW, SMART, Boilermakers, and Amtrak Police.
We stayed at a UNITE HERE organized hotel (Yotel) only a few blocks from Washington’s Union Station. Sunday morning, we visited the Smithsonian National Zoo (AFGE) and then attended a major league baseball game (Major League Baseball Players Association, Major League Baseball Umpires Association and concessions workers are represented by UNITE-HERE). We got around the DC area by taking advantage of the services offered by WMATA, whose employees are represented by ATU and OPEIU and Teamsters. While at the game, we had Cracker Jacks (BCTGM) and some Coca-Cola products (Teamsters).
On our southbound trip on Amtrak, I noted the union label at the end of the coach car and it seems that the car is maintained by IBEW, TWU, SMWIA, TCU, and ARASA union members.
Each morning, I brushed my teeth with Colgate toothpaste (Teamsters) and rinsed with Listerine (USW). So as not to have a sunburn, I used Coppertone sunscreen (Teamsters) and that was purchased at a CVS store (UFCW Local 400).
