Labor on the Move
Submitted by Local 1700 on May 27, 2009 - 3:40pm.
Working Americans are welcome again in Washington. Union members mobilize across the county for the Employee Free Choice Act.On April 24, nearly 1,000 union members jammed Los Angeles' train hub for a Town Hall meeting with Hilda Solis. The Union Station event was an opportunity for President Barack Obama's new U.S. Labor Secretary to hear about the problems military veterans are having returning to the workforce and civilian life, especially during the current economic crisis. The Town Hall was also a chance for L.A. union members to welcome back Solis, who sponsored a string of pro-labor bills during years of representing Southern California in Congress. The child of Latin American immigrants grew up in a Teamster household. With that background, it’s no wonder that Republicans dragged out the Labor Secretary’s confirmation hearings for months. The standing-room-only event was also a chance for ATU Local 1700 to shine. Stewards Leonard Weaver and Sindy Vasquez led the union’s organizing and mobilization effort. Weaver and Vasquez are both active in the L.A. County Federation of Labor, and involved in veterans’ issues. Weaver served in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps for 20 years, rising to the rank of Legal Chief with the Judge Advocate General (JAG). Vasquez’s niece is currently serving in the U.S. Navy. At the event, veterans from all branches of the military who served in conflicts from Vietnam to Afghanistan testified on issues ranging from unemployment and job training to medical and mental treatment. “It was very emotional,” Weaver said. “You could see that Hilda Solis was really moved. She promised to use our Town Hall as a template for meetings around the country.” ATU members gained another friendly face in the U.S. Senate after Obama appointed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State earlier this year. The new junior senator from New York, Kirsten Gillibrand, responded to a Local 1700 request and sent a strongly worded letter to Greyhound during the 2007 contract negotiations. Clinton also wrote to then-president Stephen Gorman calling for “a fair and equitable settlement” with the union. “Greyhound bus service is extremely important in my region,” Gillibrand wrote, “and I urge you to continue to work closely with the ATU to resolve these issues in a quick and fair manner.” Labor’s highest priority in Washington is passage of the Employee Free Choice Act. EFCA is essential for restoring Americans’ right to bargain for their fair share of the economic pie – and that has drawn an all-out attack by Big Business. For months, corporate lobbyists have been twisting senators’ arms, including many Democrats who once said they supported a level playing field for union organizers. Labor has responded with a national grassroots mobilization. Hundreds of union activists, including a dozen Local 1700 members, recently marched from downtown Los Angeles to the Federal Building in West L.A. to urge Senator Dianne Feinstein to sign the Free Choice Act. The AFL-CIO has urged union members across the country to send a similar message to the following U.S. senators. Call their Washington or district office and let them know you support the right to form a union without employer intimidation! Arkansas’ Blanche Lincoln (D) |
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