Stay Vigilant

With the election behind us, many of us felt some relief from the on going attack on the middle and working class. But beware. Recent, and on-going events, show an ill wind blowing from right wing, big money interests in their ongoing attack on workers’ rights and social programs including; Social Security and Medicare. 

For example, there is still talk among some Republicans to eliminate Medicare as we know it and going to a voucher system, plus, talk of increasing the Social Security eligibility age and cutting benefits.  

We are also seeing efforts by Republicans, at the state level, pursuing so called Right- to-Work laws to undermine and destroy our Unions. As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “these laws do not create any rights or work. They do just the opposite.”  

The facts are clear. Workers in the so called right to freeload and work for less states, are paid less, have less workers rights, and have fewer benefits and less pension and insurance coverage than states that do not have such laws.  

A recent study, by the Department of Labor, shows that Union workers’ median weekly pay is over $200 more than non-union workers or over $10,400 more per year thanks to the unions; not to mention better pension and insurance benefits.  

Furthermore, the arguments for such Right to free load laws are lies and wrong. Selecting Union representation involves a very democratic process protected by law.

Bill Gibbons, PACE Representative on SOAR Executive Board