Labor & Employment Law

Working Families in Indiana, Across Nation Rally for Workers? Rights

By James Parks

On Day 24 of rallies and marches at the Indiana Statehouse yesterday, many of the protesters were dressed in camouflage to symbolize that they were under siege.

As Indiana State AFL-CIO President Nancy Guyott  told the crowd:

We are wearing our camouflage to symbolize that working families and their communities are under siege. Unprovoked and without warning or reason, these politicians have launched an all-out attack on the middle class. Brothers and sisters, we did not choose this war. We would rather be focusing on rebuilding this economy, creating good-paying jobs and putting more Hoosiers back to work.

Also yesterday, rallying Hoosiers got a boost from two of the representatives standing up for workers. State Reps. Gail Riecken and Win Moses, two of the Democratic legislators who left the state to prevent action on the Republicans? anti-worker agenda, spoke to the rally in the Statehouse (see video).

?Thank you so much for being here. You have no idea how much this means to us and all the working families in the state of Indiana,? Riecken said.

We?re going to stand with you until all this is over. Have no fear, we are with you until the end.

 In other actions around the country:

• Hundreds of working people rallied at the Tennessee state Capitol in Nashville Tuesday opposing Republican Gov. Bill Haslam?s plan to limit teachers? right to bargain and to lay off 1,200 state employees.
• The St. Louis American reports that 45 members and supporters of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists from St. Louis traveled by charter bus to stand in support with trade unionists at last weekend?s rally in Madison.
• Last Friday, some 4,500 people, representing every union in the St. Louis region, rallied in solidarity with workers in Wisconsin. The St. Louis rally coincided with a visit from Chamber of Commerce leader Tom Donohue. The chamber supports Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker?s efforts and is urging similar legislation in other states, including Missouri. On Monday, backers of a so-called right to work bill in Missouri were unable to muster enough support to bring the legislation to a vote.

Mike Uehlein, AFL-CIO Indiana field communications director, contributed to this post.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on March 17, 2011 (boomark / email).