(The International Brotherhood of Teamsters issued the following in April 21, 2011.)
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In mid-April, Teamsters rallied in Michigan, lobbied their elected representatives in Missouri, geared up for a citizens’ veto of Senate Bill 5 (SB5) in Ohio and filed recalls against two more Wisconsin state senators.
On Tuesday, April 19, hundreds of Missouri Teamsters lobbied at the state Capitol in Jefferson City to fight against anti-worker legislation moving through the Legislature. Entire Teamster families set aside their time to make the trip and be heard by their elected representatives.
Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa and International Vice President Ken Hall met with representatives to discuss key issues that impact Teamsters in the state. They also met with elected Teamster officials, including Missouri State Treasurer and Teamster member, Clint Zweifel. Rep. Tim Meadows, vice president of Teamsters Local 600 in St. Louis, recognized Hoffa on the floor of the House.
A paycheck deception bill, which would silence workers’ voices in politics, passed the Missouri Senate two weeks ago and will soon go to a vote in the House. In March, right-to-work (to destroy unions) legislation was debated for three hours in the Senate before it was tabled.
Teamsters heard from a number of elected officials, including Gov. Jay Nixon, who has vowed to veto right-to-work (to destroy unions) legislation should it come to his desk.
In Wisconsin, thanks in part to Teamster efforts, recall petitions were filed this week for two more senators, Sens. Luther Olsen and Sheila Harsdorf. Wisconsin’s recall law has been used only four times in 85 years, and already, four recalls have been filed in less than 85 days! Recall petitions had previously been filed for Sens. Randy Hopper and Dan Kapanke. These are among the eight Republican senators who voted to end collective bargaining rights for workers in Wisconsin and are eligible for recall. Republicans will lose control of the Wisconsin state Senate if only three of the eight Republican senators who voted to end collective bargaining rights for workers are recalled. Find out more about how to recall your Wisconsin senator on the Teamsters recall page.
Saturday, April 16, was a rally day for Wisconsin voters in Saukville, as they continue to collect signatures to recall Sen. Glenn Grothman. The event was called the “SLOBs” (Supporting Labor Over Billionaires) rally because Grothman memorably referred to the diverse group of workers who rallied at the Statehouse in Madison as “slobs” taking up the building.
On April 14, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker was sharply criticized by members of Congress during a hearing before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Rep. Elijah Cummings, a Baltimore Democrat, told Walker, “It is shameful to play politics with American workers …We should be helping these workers, not attacking them.” Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich forced Walker to admit that stripping government workers of collective bargaining rights doesn’t save any money. The hearing drew considerable attention to the Koch brothers’ links to half of the Republican committee members and three of the witnesses, including Walker. Hoffa denounced Walker’s appearance as “political theater.”
In Ohio, officials gave the go-ahead for opponents of Senate Bill 5 (SB5) to collect signatures to put a citizens’ veto of the law on the November ballot. Petition signatures can be collected until June 30, 2011. SB5 is the bill that stripped Ohio’s government workers of their rights to collectively bargain. Teamsters are participating in training sessions for gathering signatures and plan to be out there in force.
A new survey shows strong support for a citizens’ veto of SB5, while Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s approval ratings look worse by the day. Only 37 percent of respondents gave him positive job approval marks, compared to 56 percent who rated him negatively.
In Michigan, an emergency financial manager appointed by Gov. Rick Snyder has recently taken charge of Benton Harbor, and issued an order taking away all powers of the city’s elected officials. Robert Bobb, head of Detroit Public Schools and an emergency financial manager, has sent layoff notices to 5,466 school district workers, including all of its teachers.
On April 13, a crowd of more than 10,000 people, including Teamsters, teachers and construction workers, gathered on the Statehouse lawn in Lansing, Mich. Virtually every news media outlet in the state was there. The ralliers were protesting Snyder’s budget proposal, which would undermine collective bargaining rights and slash education and other programs.
On the federal level, last week the U.S. House of Representatives voted to end Medicare, raise taxes for the middle class and cut taxes for millionaires. The proposal now goes to the Senate, where it has no chance of passing. But 235 Republican representatives are likely to face the anger of their constituents by voting to destroy America’s middle class.
Looking ahead, more Wisconsin GOP senator recall filings are expected to be announced and Teamsters will be rallying in Hartford, Conn., next week!
To stay on top of our battle against corporate-backed politicians who are waging war on workers, go to www.stopthewaronworkers.org and www.teamster.org.