by Seth Michaels, Feb 6, 2009
The national grassroots campaign for the Employee Free Choice Act continued yesterday in Los Angeles, as hundreds of workers joined a citywide march calling for the quick passage of the bill to protect the freedom of workers to form unions and bargain.
Braving heavy rain, workers from more than 40 unions started at 10 a.m. at the L.A. County Federation of Labor office and set off on a 10-mile march across the city. Along the way, they visited a carwash where workers have been fighting for economic justice, as well as a local high school. The march ended at 5 p.m. outside the West Los Angeles Federal Building.
Maria Elana Durazo, secretary-treasurer of the county labor federation, was interviewed on the Los Angeles public radio station and said the economic crisis made the need for labor law reform even more pressing.
Video at link.
We don’t buy the idea that in a bad economy, workers shouldn’t have the right to bargain with employers for good wages and benefits. We believe we’ve got to be in from the beginning in rebuilding America, rebuilding the economy.
The effort to pass the Employee Free Choice Act and give workers the freedom to form unions faces strong opposition from the corporate interests who fear workers’ bargaining power. The voices and participation of workers all across the country will be necessary to pass the Act and make the economy work for everyone again.