Jacksonville, FL – Over 150 trade unionists and activists rallied March 11 in downtown Jacksonville to defend the working class. Beginning at 2 p.m. in Hemming Park, organizers held a militant event focused on building the struggle against national ‘Right to Work’ legislation proposed last month in Washington.

The event also focused on building the fight against other attacks on organized labor and the working class as a whole, such as attempts to privatize public education and cut Social Security and Medicare. The rally to defend the working class was endorsed by several important local trade union organizations and community groups, including the North Florida AFL-CIO Central Labor Council (CLC) and the Women’s March Florida – Jacksonville Chapter. About two-thirds of those who attended the rally were in unions.

Speakers representing unions gave spirited speeches about the need to rebuild a militant rank-and-file working class labor movement, including representatives from the AFL-CIO, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Communication Workers of America, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Iron Workers, American Postal Workers Union, International Longshoremen’s Association, United Faculty of Florida, and many others.

The rally included two very special guest speakers: Kimberly Schultz and John Palmer, recently-elected Southern Region vice presidents for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) who ran on the Teamsters United Slate last year with Fred Zuckerman. Zuckerman himself praised the rally the next day at a large Teamsters United meeting in Orlando.

After union leaders delivered their speeches, organizers with the Young Workers of Jacksonville began leading the crowd in chants such as “Working class unity – always leads to victory!” “When workers’ rights are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, Fight back!” “Banks got bailed out – workers got sold out!” and “Workers party now!” Organizers led the crowd of people onto the streets and on a march all the way down to the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, where several more speakers addressed the crowd about the need to build a strong labor movement.

The rally inspired many to learn more about the rich history of struggle that working people have. Many of the young people in attendance showed a great deal of interest in getting union jobs and fighting for workers’ rights on the shop floor alongside the activism they do in the community, like fighting police crimes.

“Today’s rally is momentous for the working class in Jacksonville,” said Dave Schneider, a rank-and-file Teamster and one of the lead organizers for the event. “We brought together union and non-union workers to fight against national Right to Work legislation and the new employer-led attacks on organized labor. Marching on the Jax Chamber of Commerce with 100 workers was about taking the fight directly to the 1% that rules the city and the entire country. The way forward is uniting workers of all nationalities to resist these attacks, and allying with the movements of the oppressed nations.”

#JacksonvilleFL #rightToWork #NorthFloridaAFLCIOCentralLaborCouncil #WomensMarch

The statement described the events in Kentucky’s state capitol: “Frankfort’s newfound disdain for workers was evident all throughout the week, starting last Wednesday when these laws were first heard in their respective committees. Hundreds of union members and supporters flocked to the state capitol that day. As ‘Right-to-Work’ and the repeal of Prevailing Wage were being heard, Kentucky workers were locked out of the hearings while wealthy men and women from organizations such as Americans For Prosperity, an extremely anti-worker group funded by out-of-state money, were allowed inside. As chants of ‘Let us in!’ and ‘Suits in there, boots out here!’ reverberated through the hallways of the Capital Annex, Governor Bevin further showed his disdain for the workers of this state by being escorted through the crowd to testify in favor of these anti-worker laws.”

The statement points out, “The notion that ‘Right-to-Work’ is about giving workers a choice on whether to be in a union or not is a laughably easy one to debunk. In Kentucky, 11% of jobs are union while 89% are non-union. When a worker goes out looking for a job, no one forces that worker to apply at a unionized shop and no one forces that worker to only select from the 11% union and not the much larger 89% non-union. If a worker chooses to apply for and accept a union job, they are doing so because they chose to. If they weighed union and non-union jobs against one another, and they ultimately chose to work at a unionized job then they did so because it offered greater wages, superior benefits, and unparalleled protection. These are things only possible because of the union contract at that job, and if they choose to accept those benefits as opposed to a non-union job which offers significantly less, then they are choosing to belong to the organization that made those things possible.”

The statement also notes. “To our members, rest assured that Teamsters Local 89 will never be defeated. As has been said many times in the last week, politicians did not create the American Labor Movement, and politicians will not destroy it. The Teamsters union has existed for over a century. We existed three decades before unions were legally recognized in the United States of America, and we will continue to exist long after Governor Bevin and his anti-worker friends are gone and forgotten. Our Local Union is widely known as one of the strongest, most militant in the Commonwealth. The passage of these laws will not change that, and in fact, they will only make us fight that much harder.”

#FrankfortKY #Teamsters #rightToWork #TeamstersLocal89 #FredZuckerman

Milwaukee, WI – One year after the so-called Right to Work law was imposed by the state government on Wisconsin workers, Dane County Judge William Foust overturned it April 8, stating it was unconstitutional.

Under this law, freeloaders in the workplace enjoy all the benefits of union organizing efforts for wages, health care, vacation and sick leave, job protection and retirement benefits without having to pay the dues that help make these things possible, like their coworkers do.

The bill became law last year amidst protests of tens of thousands in Madison, Milwaukee and other cities. Many came to the capitol rotunda to fight the anti-worker legislation in actions reminiscent of those in 2010, when Governor Scott Walker signed a bill into law that imposed extreme restrictions on public sector labor unions. In those whirlwind months, the capitol building was occupied and the state government was paralyzed as Democratic state senators responded to workers’ protests and fled the state to temporarily prevent a vote. That 2010 law, commonly called Act 10, devastated unions of school teachers, municipal workers and other public servants.

25 other states have similar laws that force unions to represent workers who refuse to pay their share of dues. Under intense corporate pressure, no other state’s courts have successfully overturned such a law.

Judge Foust found in his ruling that the forced union representation of freeloaders results in the government taking union funds without fairly compensating them.

The lawsuit was brought on by Machinists Local Lodge 1061 in Milwaukee, the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, and United Steelworkers District 2.

“We applaud the court's decision against the union-busting Right To Work law,” said Sean Orr, President of Milwaukee's United Workers Organization (UWO), “Nevertheless, the fight for workers’ rights and empowerment in the workplace will be won not in the courts, but on the shop floors we work and in the streets in which we live. We in the UWO will continue that fight and urge others to join us.”

The United Workers Organization runs the “Defeat Right to Work in Wisconsin” Facebook page that has been a major outlet for workers news and opinions in the state since the law passed. The page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/defeatrighttowork/?fref=ts

#MilwaukeeWI #MilwauekeeWI #Wisconsin #rightToWork #PublicSectorUnions #UnitedWorkersOrganization #DefeatRightToWorkInWisconsin

Minneapolis, MN – The Supreme Court agreed today, June 30, to hear Friederichs vs. California Teachers Association, which aims to gut public sector unions and would make the public sector ‘right to work’ nationwide. The court will determine whether public sector unions can continue to collect so-called ‘fair share’ or ‘agency fees’ from non-members who benefit from the collective bargaining agreement negotiated by unions, and could overturn the landmark case Abood vs. Detroit Board of Education.

The court will take up the case when they return from recess in the fall, and may rule as early as first quarter of 2016.

After decades of legislative and judicial efforts aimed at weakening private sector unions, the right wing is stepping up its attacks on public sector unions.

Cherrene Horazuk, president of AFSCME 3800 – the clerical workers union at the University of Minnesota, said, “As long as workers have joined together in unions to fight for better wages, working conditions and the ability to work and live in dignity, the bosses have pushed the courts and lawmakers to restrict our rights and find ways to weaken our power.”

Horazuk continued, “Regardless of the outcome of this case, working people and our unions will continue to organize and fight to improve our conditions. Our strength does not come from what the law grants, but from our willingness to organize, to strike and to build solidarity among all workers.”

#MinneapolisMN #AFSCMELocal3800 #rightToWork #publicSectorUnions #CherreneHorazuk

Madison, WI – Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed into law a ‘right to work’ measure, March 9, that impacts workers in the private sector. The law is expected to harm trade unions and depress wages.

Workers from across Wisconsin and nearby states participated in several large rallies in Madison opposing the law.

Teamster activist Daniel Ginsberg commented, “Scott Walker is signing away our rights in order to help businesses weaken contracts and lower wages. Thousands of protesters at the capitol disagreed and will continue fighting even after this becomes law.”

Republicans in other states, such as West Virginia, are also pushing right to work measures.

#MadisonWI #GovernorScottWalker #rightToWork

Milwaukee, WI – Dozens of students, faculty and union members gathered at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, March 4, to speak out against the Republican-sponsored 'Right to Work' bill. With the legislation set to be signed by Gov. Walker on March 9, members of Progressive Students of Milwaukee, many who had participated in the protests in Madison, gave another show of solidarity to Wisconsin's private-sector unions.

“Walker wants to bankrupt our unions, just like how he wants to bankrupt our universities. This is an attack on both workers and students!” said Daniel Williams of Progressive Students of Milwaukee.

“If they want to attack unions, they're going to have to come through me first,” said Tanya Schilling, an undergraduate at UWM and Progressive Students of Milwaukee member.

Holding a banner reading, “Defeat Right to Work,” students marched through campus chanting, “Hey hey, ho ho, right to work has got to go!” and “What's disgusting? Union-busting!”

#MilwaukeeWI #Labor #PeoplesStruggles #UniversityOfWisconsinMilwaukee #Wisconsin #rightToWork #ProgressiveStudentsOfMilwaukeePSM

Madison, WI – Right to Work passed in the Wisconsin State Assembly along party lines, 62-35, after a 24-hour debate. The bill is on Governor Scott Walker's desk.

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