A boisterous crowd of pro-union demonstrators gathered on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall on Saturday, loudly voicing support for unionized workers in Wisconsin and expressing concern that the perennially forceful labor movement in California could one day face a similar crisis.
“If it can happen in Wisconsin, it can happen anywhere,” said Pasquale Gazillo, a merchant marine and member of the Marine Firemen’s Union, referring to Wisconsin’s long history as a union stronghold. “States like that, they’re the ones that started the eight-hour work day and made sure workers got paid if they got sick. The Republicans are pushing and if that state falls, the rest of the country is going to be in trouble. This could set workers in this country back 100 years, even more.”
For roughly two weeks, Wisconsin protesters and politicians have been in a standoff over the governor's proposal to strip most public employees of their collective bargaining rights. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says the state is broke and must make drastic spending cuts. Unions say Republican leaders are trying to wipe them out.
The pro-union demonstration in Los Angeles was one of many held throughout the nation Saturday.
All three Democratic candidates for CA36 attended the rally, hoping to appeal to potential union supporters.
WATCH: Debra Bowen speaks in support of worker's rights.
Ms. Evry, did you really delete the comment saying that Marcy Winograd is the only union member among the Dems running for this seat, and that she has the longest established record for support of workers' rights? I guess you can't handle the truth. Shades of pre-revolution Middle East!
ReplyDeleteYou're comment was not deleted. Only libelous comments or profanity will be erased. Stupidity from anonymous pinheads I let slide.
ReplyDeleteWell, it didn't disappear by itself, sweetheart. I suggest you learn to spell before you start calling others pinheads. Which leaves me wondering whether to continue to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed woman.
ReplyDeleteI read this blog, and I never saw the comment that you claim was deleted. Got a screen capture showing this alleged comment? If you don't, I call shenanigans.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 8:46, call anything you'd like. The post was there, posted approximately 6:00 p.m. and it's not there now. Don't usually need to perform a screen capture because it's not often that a comment is censored, and it's all cyberdust anyway, right? I know from reading too many of Ms. Evry's scribbles that she's inexplicably personally hostile to Ms. WInograd's cause, whether from the Blue Dog perspective, or the Bowenite point of view. That may or may not have anything to do with it.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous 8:46, call anything you'd like. The post was there at approximately 6 p.m., and now it's not.
ReplyDeleteCareful Anon, your pants are smoking...
ReplyDeleteGood clip. Thanks, Marta. I support Marcy Winograd but am glad to see all three candidates were there at the rally. Fight like an Egyptian. The important thing is that the shrinking middle class in LA County and throughout the USA fight back. In the face of the Roberts Supreme Court's Citizens United travesty, workers must now pre-empt the coordinated and well-financed Republican/Class interests lining up to eliminate public spaces and erode workers' rights even further than they have been over the last decade. We must fight for our rights -- collective bargaining included -- like the people in Egypt/Libya/the Middle East and around the world.
ReplyDeletePete Thottam (http://www.peterthottam.com)