(The following appeared on the Los Angeles Daily News website on March 26, 2011.)
LOS ANGELES — Thousands marched through downtown Saturday and rallied in a show of support for union workers in Wisconsin and to rail against corporations, Republicans and the loss of city jobs.
The march, dubbed “Solidarity Saturday,” came a day after Los Angeles city officials and union leaders reached a watershed deal in which civilian workers would contribute more to retiree benefits and health care.
The deal, still tentative, could save 600 jobs and stave off furloughs for thousands as the city tries to close its budget deficit.
But while it appears that L.A. has managed to avoid the type of law recently passed by Republicans in Wisconsin that strips collective bargaining rights from unions, many protesters said that it was only a matter of time before unions in the Southland faced the same fate.
The full story is at www.dailynews.com.