Rally reminds Republicans labor still a force ‘Union busting has brought us solidarity like never before’
Date Posted: April 22 2011
LANSING – Union members and their supporters, led by a large building trades
contingent, once again took to the front steps and lawn of the State Capitol
Building on April 13, in a rally intended to show state Republicans that labor
isn’t taking their anti-worker brand of government sitting down.
“I know
that most on the Republican side would rather you would just go away,” Michigan
Building and Construction Trades Council Secretary-Treasurer Patrick Devlin told
the crowd. “In fact, they’re helping the process along by sponsoring more than
three dozen anti-worker, anti-union bills that will try to put the building
trades and the rest of organized labor out of business. Are we going to let that
happen? Hell no we’re not.”
Protests were held in Lansing and Marquette
on April 13 as part of an AFL-CIO-sponsored “National Day of Protest.” In
Lansing, the building trades joined with protesters that included other unions
like AFSCME, teachers, United Food and Commercial Workers, SEIU, cops,
firefighters, and others.
Media estimates had the crowd at 5,000, but
rally participation was easily a third larger than a similar event estimated to
have 5,000 participants that was held in front of the State Capitol on March 16.
It was easily the largest rally this reporter has seen at the Capitol
Building.
“This is what democracy looks like!” was one of the chants
delivered by Herb Sanders, administrative director of AFSCME Local 25. “There
are a litany of approximately 40 bills that have been introduced in the last 75
days that are designed to eliminate 75 years of progress for Michigan workers.
You and I know that union employees didn’t create the financial mess that
Michigan and other states are in.”
Sanders and other speakers pointed
out that it was Wall Street greed that tanked the U.S. economy. But he said
financial reforms in the effort to bring the country back on track are being
done disproportionately on the backs of the middle class, rather than on the
rich or the business community.
The 2011 state budget submitted by
Michigan Gov. Snyder shifts about $1.7 billion in taxation from businesses to
individuals. The shift will be paid for by a combination of taxing state
residents’ pensions, ending the Earned Income Tax Credit (which helps poor
people), and reducing state aid to local communities.
Dozens of Michigan
communities are in financial straits, and that reduced state aid could shove
them over the edge. The Republican response? It came last month with the passage
of an emergency financial manager bill, which will eventually target organized
labor. Under the new emergency financial manager law, Snyder has new powers to
appoint what many have termed a dictator to take over financially troubled
school districts, cities and townships.
The appointed manager could
abrogate union contracts, hire and fire employees at will, and make whatever
financial decisions he or she deems necessary. Complete local control would be
taken out of the hands of elected officials and placed in the hands of the
financial manager. Two dozen Michigan communities, maybe more, are considered to
be potential candidates for such a manager.
“We refuse to give up on our
collective bargaining and be subject to dictators, when dictators are falling
all over the world,” Sanders said.
As we have pointed out, Michigan
Republicans – in complete control of the state Legislature – have introduced
this year proposals for right-to-work zones, to eliminate prevailing wage,
outlaw project labor agreements, eliminate MIOSHA, and halt any union business
on state property.
And last month, the state’s Republicans voted to make
Michigan the first state in history to lower unemployment compensation from 26
weeks to 20 weeks in an effort to save money for employers.
“We’re here
to say this is government for and by the people, not for and by the rich,”
Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero told the crowd. Democrat Bernero lost to Snyder in
the election for governor last year. “The other side thinks that if you keep
giving to the super rich, maybe, just maybe some of that will trickle down. I
don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being trickled on.”
At the rally
one speaker protested a new state rule which prevents the state from deducting
union dues from thousands of people who provide child care at home. A teacher
told the crowd that education cuts are likely going to increase class sizes and
result in reductions to remedial, special education and enrichment programs.
Union members, Devlin said, helped put the Tea Party-fueled hard-right
legislators into power last November by not voting, or by not voting in their
own economic interests. “Democrats can’t do much to help our cause,” Devlin told
the crowd. “Tonight or tomorrow, everyone of us needs to commit to finding out
who your state lawmaker is, and contacting him or her.
“Doesn’t matter
how you make the contact: A phone call, an e-mail, or a personally written
letter. Let them know you support prevailing wage. Let them know you support
project labor agreements. Let them know you support Unemployment Benefits. Let
them know you support MIOSHA. Do you support union rights in Michigan? Then you
need to tell that to the people who work here.”
Added Sanders: “It’s time
to fight. This time union busting has brought us solidarity like never
before.”
A RALLY ON THE STATE CAPITOL steps on April 13 attracted
thousands of building trades and other union members and supporters.