Thousands of NJ Workers “Stand As One” at Solidarity Rally for Wisconsin Public Employees

 

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“Our Fight is Your Fight” echoed up and down West State Street in front of the Capitol Building in Trenton today. Several thousand union members and their supporters braved heavy rain and predictions of gale force wind in a show of solidarity with Wisconsin public employees, who may lose their collective bargaining rights if that state’s Republican governor gets his way.

Surrounded by union members, community activists, civil rights and student groups, Charlie Wowkanech, president of the New Jersey State AFL-CIO rallied the crowd saying “standing shoulder to shoulder in solidarity with Wisconsin workers, we are sending a message to states across the nation that the attacks on working families and assaults on collective bargaining must end now.”  Wowkanech reminded us that public employees —the hard working middle-class who build our buildings, care for our sick, teach our children and fight our fires— did not cause the budget crises states face across the nation. Rather, we should focus on the real problem, “the Wall Street bankers and corporate CEOs who destroyed our economy and with it, our pensions, our states' wealth and financial solvency.”

The rally galvanized AFL-CIO and non-affiliated unions in their support for Wisconsin’s workers.

“What happens in Wisconsin affects every man, woman and child in America. Nothing less than the fate of our middle class is at stake," AFL-CIO president Richard Trumka told the crowd as they huddled under umbrellas against the downpour.  Other speakers included national CWA President Larry Cohen, IUPAT President James Williams, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Stephanie Bloomingdale and special guests, two Wisconsin union members, Arlyn Halvorson and Susan Blaustein who provided a first hand account of the Wisconsin protests.

National Communications Workers of America President Larry Cohen, International Union of Painters & Allied Trades President James Williams, National Education Association Vice President Lilly Eskelsen, New Jersey Education Association President Barbara Keshishian, New Jersey NAACP President James Harris and HPAE president and AFT International Vice President Ann Twomey also addressed the crowd.

All eleven Council locals were represented at the rally.

The United Food Commercial Workers, which represents fairly low-paid private sector workers made a donation to the Wisconsin labor council. Donations also came in from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the construction trades workers.

There were also several Democratic legislators who braved the wind and rain to show their support for unions and collective bargaining. Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono (D- 18), Senator Ron Rice (D-28) and Senator Linda Greenstein (D-14), Assembly members Daniel Benson (D-14), Wayne DeAngelo (D-14), Thomas Giblin (D-34), Reed Gusciora (D-15), John McKeon (D-27), Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-37) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-15), released the following statement:

“We cannot let the anti-worker sentiment that has pervaded Wisconsin infect New Jersey. We support collective bargaining and negotiation, not dictation. And we call on the governor to immediately begin negotiations with the labor unions and commit to fair discussions.”