CLEVELAND, March 16 — More than 50 BLET members, led by Vice President & National Legislative Representative John Tolman, joined over 1,000 of their fellow union members at a pro-worker rally in Phoenix, Ariz., as part the Arizona AFL-CIO’s Day of Action on March 1, 2012.
Vice President Tolman delivered a speech on behalf of the BLET at the rally, which was organized to protest several anti-union bills pending before the Arizona state legislature.
Nick Johnson, Chairman of the BLET’s Arizona State Legislative Board, and Sereena Hogan, Vice President & National Legislative Representative of the BLET Auxiliary, helped organize the BLET’s participation in the rally. Members from all four BLET Divisions in Arizona participated — Division 123 (Phoenix), Division 647 (Phoenix), Division 28 (Tucson) and Division 134 (Winslow).
BLET National President Dennis R. Pierce thanked Brother Tolman and all BLET members and their families who participated in the rally.
“I am proud of our Arizona-based BLET members for stepping up to fight for the rights of all workers,” he said “and for reinforcing our core message that an injury to one is an injury to all.”
In addition to the rally, BLET members and representatives from other unions met with dozens of state legislators at the Capitol regarding bills SB1484, SB1485, SB1486, and SB1487. These are all anti-union and anti-worker bills that are similar to legislation passed in Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states. The BLET members lobbied at the Capitol and were joined by members of nearly all the state AFL-CIO unions.
“It was great to see so many members of the BLET in attendance,” Vice President Tolman said. “Although these issues do not currently affect our membership, this is a war against all workers and we chose to act in support of our Brothers and Sisters in the labor movement.”
In his remarks to the crowd of over 1,000 unionists, Vice President Tolman said that while these bills are mostly about public sector unions now, they will eventually affect all union members — including BLET members — because we are a part of a broader campaign to erode union rights and the middle class.
“Our mothers and fathers and grandfathers and grandmothers worked hard to get where we are today in the labor movement,” Vice President Tolman said. “It is your right and obligation to fight to protect the labor movement. There are people here today that this won’t affect, but they are going across the board. Educate your neighbors, your friends, your children. Never forget this is about your children and grandchildren. We need to preserve the labor movement so they can live in a middle class in America. They need good schools, good medical services, and the opportunity to get a good job.”
A video from the rally, including highlights from Vice President Tolman’s remarks and from other speakers, is available at:
www.huffingtonpost.com/pamela-powers-hannley/1000-arizona-unionists-ra_b_1324469.html