They Were There - And Still Are

Indiana Workers Will Not Back Down

Strengthen Social Security, Don't Cut It!

Governor Daniels and Indiana Senator Ed Charbonneau Anti-Union

USW Slams Walker's Assault on Democracy

(Pittsburgh) – This statement was released this morning by the United Steelworkers (USW) on actions taken last evening by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Republican Senators.

In a clear violation of Wisconsin’s open meeting law, Wisconsin conservative senators yesterday voted without a quorum to strip the state’s public sector workers – teachers, nurses, and librarians – of collective bargaining rights that the people of Wisconsin granted them a half century ago.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                          
March 10, 2011                                                                                                                           
CONTACT:   Wayne Ranick (412) 562-2444

United Steelworkers International President Leo W. Gerard said this attack on the rights of Wisconsin’s public sector workers is an attack on all working people. “Although Wisconsin law requires a quorum when Senators vote to spend the people’s money, these conservatives exploited a loophole to vote without a quorum on legislation to steal workers’ rights. This is not democracy,” Gerard said.

“As illustrated by the surging crowd of protesters who filled the capitol building in Wisconsin after the undemocratic sneak-vote Wednesday, workers everywhere, whether public sector or private sector, union or unrepresented, will unite to win back their rights with their feet at protests and their votes at ballot boxes,” said Gerard, who leads North America’s largest industrial union, with 850,000 members, including steelworkers, paper workers, oil workers, rubber workers and public sector workers in the U.S. and Canada.

The conservative attack on workers in Wisconsin is far from isolated, Gerard said: “This is a nation-wide campaign by billionaires and country-club conservatives, to terminate workers’ rights, giving unfettered power to corporations.” So far in Wisconsin, conservatives have granted only government workers the right to freeload – the ability to benefit from collective bargaining without paying union dues. In nine other states, from Maine to Missouri, conservatives are pushing right to freeload legislation to cripple all unions.

“All this legislation is an attack on the middle class, which blossomed in this country as a result of collective bargaining victories during the middle of the last century. Middle-class workers, whether Republican or Democrat, know they must repel this assault on their right to collectively bargain or be reduced to insecurity and poverty,” Gerard said.

A Prayer For The Rights of Public Sector Workers

We are gathered here today to pray for the rights of public sector workers. We all rely on public workers to provide essential services for the common good. Teachers, police officers, bus drivers, public health workers and others are an important part of our society.

Our religious traditions insist that workers, as human beings with inherent dignity, may freely associate to improve their conditions at work.

Let us pray together for the dignity and right of workers to live decent lives as a result of their labor.
We:

• Affirm that workers have the right to organize and bargain with their employers over wages, benefits, and a voice on the job.
• Insist that elected leaders honor collective bargaining agreements that were negotiated openly and in good faith.
• Pray that elected leaders will come together with workers to address budget challenges and explore equitable options for the future.
• Applaud the efforts of workers all over the world, in Wisconsin and other countries, to stand up for their human rights for basic health, safety and dignity.

God of Justice, these are the people who take care of our children and our elderly, build our roads and schools, teach our children, serve our food, and attend our houses of worship. They do not deserve the attacks against them.

Give them the strength to persevere and advocate for justice and fairness in the workplace.

Amen

Source: Interfaith Worker Justice

Is It Ironic or just Sad?

You’ve seen it all on the news. There are crowds of protestors and people speaking out against those in government - and I’m not talking about the Middle East, or am I? Doesn’t it seem strange that there are people half-way around the world fighting to get some of the rights we have here in our country, while good hard-working Americans have to fight to keep those very same rights?

America has been the standard for many over the years for where they would like to be. An example of good hard-working people that stood firm on their convictions, principles and were willing to fight for them.

The “American Dream” was the goal of more than just those of us living in the U.S. Recently we have seen good examples of people rising up saying that they want a better life. They want good jobs and good schools. Many have pointed at the U.S. for what they wanted.

And yet, state after state is turning into a battle ground, because the “haves” are wanting to take out an even bigger piece of the pie and the “have-nots” are struggling to get a piece of the pie pan!

Who’s left in the middle? It’s the very group that created the middle class. The group that provides the workforce for the country and helped create that very American Dream that became the shining star of the world, and it is the Union. And how does corporate America show their thanks for the wealth we helped create for them? They attack us on every level, at every corner, and put the whole blame for the economic collapse of our country on us.

Wait, am I taking about America or the Middle East, well, isn’t that ironic …and sad.


Buril W. Smith
USW Local 9231