AFSCME - Updates and Observations

Today, April 4th, marks the 43rd anniversary of Martin Luther King's assassination in 1968.  Dr. King was in Memphis in support of the AFSCME sanitation workers of that city, who were in the midst of a long struggle for better working conditions, and were on strike against an anti-union city leadership.


Today, workers across Minnesota will remember that day in 1968 and recognize the contemporaery struggle we public workers face across the nation (but in particular in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida and Nevada) with a We Are One march and celebration.  Here are the details sent out by Council 5 Director Eliot Seide:

On Monday, April 4, the anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, the AFL-CIO, AFSCME Council 5 and others are sponsoring the WE ARE ON MARCH FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS, STAND UP FOR JOBS, A FAIR BUDGET AND WORKER RIGHTS!

5:00 P.M. Gathering at Cathedral Park, intersection of Marshall Avenue and John Ireland Blvd, St. Paul

5:15 P.M. March for the Middle Class---John Ireland Blvd.

6:00 P.M. Program and Music, Minnesota State Capitol, Upper Capitol Mall

Dr. King was assassinated while fighting for the rights of Memphis Sanitation workers (AFSCME Local 1733) to organize and bargain collectively.  These brave 1300 African American sanitation workers could not even use the bathrooms of their employer and had no legal rights to bargain or strike but they struck for recognition and dignity.  Collective bargaining is the extension of American democracy in the workplace. Without strong, independent trade unions there would be no American middle class.  And without a strong trade union movement to check employer power, American democracy is threatened.

Stand up and fight back!!  There are over 50 toxic bills in the Minnesota Legislature, many of which are moving right now that take away our rights to bargain wages and healthcare, eliminate over 6000 public sector jobs and the services they provide, cut taxes for corporations, raise property taxes on the middle class and protect the richest Minnesotans from paying their fair share of taxes.

Let’s stop this attack on Minnesota’s middle class.  Let’s show our outrage at this continued demonization of public workers.  Please come and rally on Monday, April 4 and march to protect our right to bargain collectively,  march for jobs and march for a fair budget that asks the richest Minnesotans to pay their fair share of taxes.

I am in the midst of an election fight within Local 34 to continue as a Vice President of the Local.  I'm opposed by Lynne Kincaid, who has been a Local 34 steward.  Voting by mail starts today.  Ballots are due in three weeks, and will be counted on April 28.

I've recently switched to using Microsoft Publisher to produce the Local 34 Banner - our Local's newsletter, which I've edited/produced for 10 years now - since mid- 2001.  Here's a link to the April issue (and newsletter archives): 
http://afscmelocal34.org/April_2011_Newsletter.pdf


I'm also on You Tube!  On March 22nd, AFSCME - 1500 strong - gathered at the Capitol for our annual Day on the Hill - lobbying day.  Not easy this year with all the Republicans in the Capitol - especially as most seem to want to do away with us - both as employees and as a union.   Workday Minnesota  filmed many of us, and I appear twice in the 7 minute video on You Tube, which I've linked below.  This captures the essence and overview of Day on the Hill in 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhJfH1T4urM

http://afscmelocal34.org/index.htm (nice copy on the front page of the Local's website)


Wes