Lincoln must back veterans, workers
By Valerie Rodriguez / President, LL463 / Sherwood
Thursday, July 16, 2009 12:34 PM CDT
We need to give back to the working people and veterans, who are the heart and soul of this great country, the freedom to make their own decision to form unions.
I am the president of the local for the International Association of Machinists; a large majority of my union brothers and sisters are veterans. They fought for our country to ensure that we are not bullied by other countries. Why don’t our senators act to ensure that returning soldiers are not bullied by management on the job?
We know that companies do everything in the book to retain their power. They’ve made it all but impossible for working people to form unions. We know that without unions, we wouldn’t have a middle class in this country. And without a middle class, we deny our veterans, returning home from war and leaving the service, the opportunity to provide for their families and become a part of a functioning and prospering economy.
If our soldiers were in danger overseas, you can bet that senators would take action to help them make it home safe. Why won’t our senators move to protect returning soldiers, who are in danger of having jobs with no benefits?
If someone were to threaten a soldier, there would be penalties. Well, big business is threatening workers, many of whom are veterans, and it’s time Blanche Lincoln did something about it. She needs to help pass the Employee Free Choice Act now.
