http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gerald-mcentee/gagging-workers-is-unamer_b_824057.htmlGerald McEntee
President of the 1.6 Million-Member AFSCME Union
Posted: February 16, 2011 04:14 PM
As the world watched the people of Egypt take to the streets in an effort to exercise their rights and have their voices heard, here at home in the USA, plans are being put into place to silence workers, lower their wages, cut their benefits and increase the likelihood that they will suffer injuries and fatalities at work. It is happening at a breakneck pace and too little attention is being paid.
In Columbus, Indianapolis, Madison, Tallahassee and other state capitols, newly elected politicians are working tirelessly to pay back their debt to the corporate CEO's who funded their campaigns by destroying the power of working men and women to have a real voice on the job. The net result of this activity will be lower standards of living for all working people, while corporate interests gain more control and a greater ability to increase profits while privatizing public services and shipping jobs overseas.
All Americans will suffer if we fail to stop these unconscionable policies from being put in place. In Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida and in other states across the country, legislators are moving rapidly to pass new laws to cut education, health care and public safety programs while imposing new rules to gag workers and make it more difficult for them to organize for better wages, benefits and working conditions.
In Florida, Governor Rick Scott has plans to double the amount of money he pays to his personal office staff while at the same time slashing benefits for the unemployed, cutting aid to schools and forcing veterans to pay more for the medical treatment they need and deserve.
In Ohio, Governor John Kasich has added $1 million to expand his personal security detail, while moving quickly to cut public services, and eliminate the ability of state and local public employees to collectively bargain. He's cutting services even though the recovery in Ohio is producing more than $50 million in additional state revenues than originally anticipated by the state's budget office. Kasich is not focusing on job creation or providing Ohio with the services its people need. Instead, he's using his powers as governor to punish and gag his political opponents.
FULL story at link.