On May 4, 1886, in Haymarket Square in Chicago, the public rallied peacefully in support of 40,000 workers in Chicago who had gone on strike, to win the right to organize. The police attacked, and eight died.
On July 6, 1892, in Homestead, Pennsylvania, 3800 workers went on strike, to win the right to organize. Three hundred hired and armed goons attacked them. Five people died.
On April 20, 1914, in Ludlow, Colorado, 1200 coal miners went on strike, to win the right to organize. The Colorado National Guard attacked their shantytown, and burned it to the ground. Nineteen people died. Two women and 11 children were asphyxiated, and they burned to death.
Here and around the world, many people have fought and died, so that you and I would have the right to organize.
And so that 250,000 public workers in Wisconsin would have that right, too.
This is not exactly a new idea. Six months after the Ludlow Massacre, President Wilson signed the Clayton Act, prohibiting the prosecution of union members under Antitrust Law. That was almost a century ago.
Two decades later, during the Franklin Roosevelt's first term as president, he signed the National Labor Relations Act into law. It protects the right to organize. That was over 75 years ago.
The right to organize also is a fundamental principle of international law. Over 150 countries have ratified the "Right to Organize" Convention, an international treaty. It was adopted in 1949, over 60 years ago.
So why are we even talking about this, 11 years into the 21st century?
Because the teabaggers want to "take back America." They want to take it back, all right -- take it all the way back to the 19th century. When there was no right to organize. When people worked for a dollar a day. When grown men competed against children for jobs. When women were barred from most jobs entirely. When you worked until you died.
Not to mention slavery.
I want to see an America that is healthy and wealthy.
They want an America that provides cheap labor to our corporate overlords. An America where the middle class is chained by debt.
We didn't ask for this fight. But we have no choice except to fight back. For the survival of the middle class in America. For us, for our children, and for our grandchildren. And so that the victims in Haymarket, in Homestead and in Ludlow did not die in vain.
As Cardinal Spellman said 45 years ago, "it is a war thrust upon us, and we cannot yield to tyranny."
I'm ready to fight for what's right. What about you?
Follow Alan Grayson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/alangrayson
Bob Burnett: Suffer the Little Children
Use of this offensive term by a former Congressman brings no credit to him, his cause, or the people who voted for him.
It is clear by his words that former Congressman Grayson did not represent his district, but rather his ideology if he strives to fracture his constituents through juvenile name calling.
It is easy enough to apologize. Set the record straight.
"On May 4, 1886, in Haymarket Square in Chicago, the public rallied peacefully in support of 40,000 workers in Chicago who had gone on strike, to win the right to organize. The police attacked, and eight died."
"At Haymarket Square in Chicago, Illinois, a bomb is thrown at a squad of policemen attempting to break up a labor rally. The police responded with wild gunfire, killing several people in the crowd and injuring dozens more." From History Channel website.
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-haymarket-square-riot
All the people here applauding Mr. Grayson's "history lesson" need to do some reading!
If we dont remember history we will repeat it.
1. Using the derogatory word for TEA Party members
2. No idea of TEA Party Agenda see ("Contract from America") it’s on Wiki
3. Not aware of difference between Public and Private Sector unions and the need for them.
4. Believes that people who disagree with him are racist and ignorant.
Grayson was ranked as the 11th-wealthiest member of Congress in 2010, based on financial disclosure forms with a minimum net worth of $31.41 million. Grayson made a "substantial fortune by suing military contractors". Ironically, he was later rescued by contractors working for Xe Services (formerly Blackwater) during a coup in Niger.
Former Representative Grayson, may I remind you it was progressive leader FDR who said, "All Government employees should realize that the process of collective bargaining, as usually understood, cannot be transplanted into the public service." That's right; FDR was even against collective bargaining for government employees knowing the public would be held hostage.
As often as FDR trampled over states’ rights he left this one up to the states which is how Wisconsin gained the privilege & is now in such trouble.
Wisconsin, & all public sector unions, needs to know they don't have a RIGHT to organize or strike. I'd like nothing less than another Reagan vs. Air Traffic Controllers except it'd be Walker vs. Teachers (& whoever else is foolish enough to strike). They have had their time & shown they aren't willing to negotiate, until full revocation of collective bargaining was inevitable. If any of them strike I would fire them & have replacements ready to go.
Teachers are hardly "doing it for the children" when they are missing class to protest. Stirring kids up against "the man" because they aren't getting what they want is hardly productive. Something tells me the opposing argument isn't being presented in those classrooms.
Regards,
Skibum415
What happens because of this? Folks that are easily scared vote against their own interests. For example, Florida's Tea Party Governor, Rick Scott, turned away 2.5 billion dollars to build a high speed rail system that would have linked Orlando and Tampa and created thousands of jobs for the state and probably would have brought several Fortune 500 companies to the state (which would have created even more long term jobs).
Companies were ready to invest their own money to make this venture work.
But, because Scott has no experience doing much of anything (his tenure as CEO of a health care company was not without scandal...the feds felt he did something illegal), Florida is now paying the price.
As Americans, we need to stop being afraid of everyone and voting in COMPLETELY incompetent representatives because of this fear (they stoke the fear, tell them how they are going to stop the bogey man, and win election because of it).
Our troops are courageous enough to watch bullets fly by them in Afghanistan. But, we are not courageous enough to not be afraid of fellow Americans?
Something is wrong here!
OK, GreatFutureForAll, bad news, Governor Scott did nothing wrong which is why courts have wrapped in his favor & the money is going elsewhere (even though it shouldn't be spent at all. The debt could be reduced by $2.5 billion). The reason Governor Scott & Governor Christie turned down the "free money" is because their state is liable for any cost overruns which ALWAYS happen on government projects. The Governor’s both knew the state would owe a significant amount of money & it wasn't worth it.
Take it from an unemployed individual; those jobs - while nice - would be temporary costing the state a significant amount of money.
You speak of Afghanistan, reminding me of something. Do you recall all the signs & protests where President Bush was a warmonger & posters of him as a tyrant or hanging him for the war crimes he committed? I find the silence deafening since President Obama came into office & INCREASED troops in Afghanistan as well as far surpassing the number of drone air strikes President Bush did in Pakistan. I ask, where are the daily protests in front of the White House? Where is Code Pink saying our troops should be brought home?
(con't)
It is interesting the hypocrisy the left tends to have when their people are in office. You had the Senate, House, & Presidency for two years & didn't pass reforms for federal unions, didn't close Gitmo (where are those protests?), didn't reduce unemployment.
Yet, the Republicans take one branch of the legislature & the day after the election Olbermann is saying "Speaker Boehner, where are the jobs?" I ask Olbermann & all progressives who had control for two years, "Progressives, where are the jobs?"
Regards,
Skibum415
There was a point in the 1930's where you risked being tarred as a "RED" if you supported unions...and also risked arrest, beatings, or your very life for asking for a 5 day work work week, at a decent living wage.
And now we have other politicians arguing against not only labor unions, but child labor laws, and public education. I wonder how long it will take us to go back to the "company store" days where workers were little more than indentured servants?