Solis: Govs. in Wis. and Ohio Want Workers to Give Up Their American Rights

[ProSense]

Solis: Govs. in Wis. and Ohio Want Workers to Give Up Their American Rights

by Tula Connell

The nation’s governors are meeting right now in Washington, D.C., for their annual conference. Well, not all of them. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is a no-show, preferring to make the rounds on the weekend television interview programs to explain away why he wants to take away the freedom of public employees to bargain for good middle-class jobs.

Since he’s not there, we’ll excerpt here the statement Labor Secretary Hilda Solis made this morning when meeting with the governors. Because he needs to hear it. And Ohio John Kaisch, who’s right on the heels of Walker in his attacks on nurses, teachers and EMTs, needs to hear again what Solis has to say.

I’ve been following the developments in Wisconsin, and Ohio, and many other states across the country.

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And we’ve seen our brothers and sisters in the public employees unions willing to give there share, and to negotiate in good faith to help their states get through tough times.

But the governors in Wisconsin and Ohio aren’t just asking workers to tighten their belts, they’re demanding that they give up their uniquely American rights as workers.

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All these workers want is the opportunity to sit down at the table, like grown ups, and work together to solve problems.

That’s what collective bargaining is all about.

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more

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Well the church mouse has finally spoken

it must be the gale force wind.

[ProSense]

5. She met with

Trumka and other union leaders on Thursday:

"10:45 am The Vice President and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis meet with President of the AFL-CIO Richard Trumka and presidents of AFL-CIO labor organizations "

Members of President's cabinet usually don't get a lot of press as they go about their jobs.

Cesar Chavez Honored With National Landmark

HILDA SOLIS: Still harvesting the fruits of Chavez's labor

Learning history takes on many forms. Indeed, the story of America is told not only in textbooks, but through monuments, too. Storytelling -- a great tradition in the Latino community -- is one way to learn history, one way to connect with it and with each other. History helps us see our commonality -- our common struggles, goals and victories. In a unique way, history brings us all closer.

That is happening today in Delano, at the birthplace of the farmworker movement. A beautiful and important story will be told. My friend and colleague, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, will honor Cesar E. Chavez by dedicating the Forty Acres National Historic Landmark.

The journey leading up to today's destination has a rich history. It's one marked by the hopes and dreams of countless Latinos to preserve the work of this great leader for future generations to see. It's one that then Secretary Salazar and I helped write during our time in Congress. Together, we directed a nationwide study of sites significant to Cesar Chavez. And I am proud -- as I'm sure he is, too -- to see this landmark come to life.

Cesar Chavez's story means a lot to me; it's what led me to public service. Chavez was raised by a family of migrant farmworkers and spent his youth moving across the American Southwest, working in fields and vineyards. He experienced firsthand the hardships he would later crusade to abolish. At the time, farmworkers were impoverished and frequently exploited, exposed to hazardous working conditions -- including deadly pesticides -- and often denied clean drinking water, toilets and other basic necessities.

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TIME FOR A NEW ECONOMY

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. As I said, the church mouse has finally said a word

and that is the gale force... wind

[jaxx]

2. Imagine that, she's up on what is happening.

What a shame that people delight in putting down anyone in the administration because they don't act like bush did.

K&R

[Enrique]

3. RWers will freak that she said "American"

her, of all people! :mad: <-----them

[Davis_X_Machina]

4. If the people lead, the leaders will follow.

DU needs to get over its unhealthy appetite for messiahs. It's the mirror image of the right's lusting after a Man on Horseback, and it's no more realistic, or attractive.

Look at the collapse in Democratic turnout '08 to '10. Live by the charismatic leader, die by the charismatic leader.

Lasting change and meaningful improvement in our lot can only come from a movement, not a person. What's happening in WI and elsewhere is important precisely because there's no DC bigfeet out there.

[Kdillard]

7. Exactly.

[nevergiveup]

8. Well said