Solidarity Key in Fending off Right Wing Attacks on Workers

USW International President Leo W. Gerard and progressive talk show host Leslie Marshall this week discussed the Republican assault on working people and the policies that are drastically lowering standards of living in Republican-controlled states.

Ultra-conservative governors like Wisconsin’s Scott Walker, have been systematically undermining the working class since 2010: slashing funding for education, refusing to raise the minimum wage, declining federal money to expand Medicare and enacting regressive right-to-work (for less) legislation.

These sorts of measures are touted as being good for business, but in reality, they lower wages for the vast majority of workers, creating downward pressure on the state’s whole economy.

Yet instead of looking out for working people, Republican governors are more interested in helping their wealthy campaign donors. “The hypocrisy of this is that while they’re attacking working people—doing Right to Work, not putting in a healthcare exchange—they’re cutting the taxes of the already rich and the already powerful,” said Gerard.

The only way to defend against these attacks, said Gerard, is greater solidarity.

“What we have that they don’t have is literally tens of thousands of workers who are prepared to stand up and fight back, and that’s what we need to do,” said Gerard. “We need to take our message to folks and let them know what’s going on. Then we need to encourage them to not only come out and vote, but to also talk to their friends and neighbors and spread the truth.”

To hear the full interview, click the audio below:

 

Background material on Right-to-Work Legislation

The compensation penalty of “right-to-work” laws

Party switch gives Republicans control of West Virginia Senate

Rauner tries end run on union fees

The GOP's Big Squeeze

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