by Bob McMahon, Lansdowne, PA

I took a long lunch break from work on Friday, November 10, 2006 to attend WXPN’s “Free At Noon” concert with Arlo Guthrie. Arlo was touring with a band that included his daughter, Sara Lee, and they were celebrating the songs of the Guthrie Family, including Arlo’s legendary father Woody. One song they performed was “Union Maid”, which I have on a well-worn vinyl album by Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, and the Almanac Singers.

As Sara Lee sang the verses, chills ran up and down my spine, because I realized how much time had passed since her grandfather had sung these words to workers feeling discouraged by their struggle to organize, and wondered how today’s audience would react. Each time she led the crowd in the rousing chorus, I looked around and saw a roomful of people shouting out the words, “Oh, you can’t scare me, I’m sticking to the union, I’m sticking to the union, till the day I die!”

As a union member and elected officer, I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful sight!