Published 07 Apr, 2011
We are in a fight for the soul of our workplaces and our democracy, Wisconsin State Senator Mark Miller told the TWU COPE Legislative Conference in a video address that began the third day of the conference on April 6.
“As we organize together side by side to take back our democracy and to take back the American dream and to allow workers to decide their own future. We need your boots on the ground to make this happen,” said Miller.
TWU members were hitting the ground during the afternoon meeting with lawmakers on Capitol Hill and talking to politicians about the issues effecting working families. Members met with their Senators and Representatives to urge them to protect workers’ ability to organize, ensure workplace safety, protect Social Security and provide healthcare for all.
Before heading out for meetings with Congress, participants heard from a series of speakers who stressed the dire situation in America and the necessity of unions and their community allies to come together to lead a movement for justice that can hold politicians accountable.
“This fight is not about unions, its about people and whether people have the right to come together and demand a better workplace, better wages, better benefits. It is about whether or not we are going to have a middle-class,” said Ed Wytkind, President of the Transportation Trades Department AFL-CIO.
In her plenary speech, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt-Baker stressed the importance of getting involved politically to push back against the coordinated corporate agenda that is trying to cut public service and hurt working families. “How many more buses do we have to cut in order to give tax breaks to the rich?” asked Holt-Baker.
“In order to win and keep our freedom to form strong unions, we need to win at the ballot box. It is at times like this that we appreciate the importance of electoral politics,” said Holt-Baker.
This is the fight of a generation, said U.S. Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN). He railed against recent Federal budget proposals that attempt to balance the budget on the backs of workers as part of the right-wing plan to help the elite while leaving most Americans desperate and hungry. “You want to deal with the deficit, then put America back to work. So lets get to work putting America back to work,” said Ellison.
Wytkind provided an analysis of the major legislative issues facing transit, rail and aviation, particularly the need to adequately fund passenger rail and public transit as well as protect workplace safety and enforce standards for airplane maintenance.