Tell Corporate CEOs: Stop Standing in the Way of an Economy That Works for Everyone
We've just returned from Lafayette Park - right across the street from both The White House and the Chamber of Commerce - where hundreds of workers from across the country joined with labor, religious and community leaders to stage one amazing rally.
After five separate actions in front of places like Burger King, Bank of America, and the headquarters for the hotel and restaurant trade association, we coalesced together near the Chamber of Commerce, where we participated in some crowd-pleasing skits and heard stories from members, along with a brief word from SEIU President Andy Stern.
Why try to get the attention of these organizations? We took a look at their lobbying disclosures and found that the Chamber of Commerce and the leading associations for the restaurant, hotel, manufacturing, retail, and financial industries spent a combined $138.4 million on federal lobbying last year, hired 44 lobbying firms, and used at least 34 different front groups to push their agenda.
And, for the Chamber specifically, in the last ten years, they've spent $375 million to advance the interests of big business over those of small businesses and working families.
"So they might be a big and mighty lobbying machine--but guess what, when I asked their top officer Tom Donohue to debate me on employee free choice - he declined," said Andy Stern during the event. "It's not surprising they don't want to face us in public... how could they defend what they're doing?"
While the median hourly wage for workers in most industries is at or below the federal poverty line for a family of four, a look at 2007 CEO pay at leading firms in the trade groups found executive compensation ranging from $2 million up to $67 million. All opposed the Employee Free Choice Act, which is supported by 73 percent of Americans according to national surveys, and most also fought minimum wage increases and pushed restrictions on family and medical leave.
Tomorrow, the workers that participated in today's events (including more than 300 SEIU grassroots member lobbyists) have another full, exciting day ahead of them: discuss the importance of the Employee Free Choice Act. They're going meet with their Senators and Representatives to share their stories about being fired, intimidated, and harassed by their employers for trying to form a union. The Committee will also hear from allies and experts about how increased union membership helps communities and the nation's economy.
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You know if I look back in the last 20 years as an employee....I haven't seen anyone "fired, intimidated and harassed by their employers for trying to form a union."
Every firing I've seen...it's they were lazy,lousy employees, always on workman's comp for injuries nobody ever witnessed, and frankly should have been fired months before...but never for them trying to form a union. People just don't want them....I don't look at unions as employers...yet unions continue with that mentality.
These strikes..protests..at a time of financial crisis makes you guys look pitiful. Going on Rachel Maddow's show...please..MSNBC nobody watches them. They have no viewing audience... look at the ratings.
I think it's nice that 01Jerri has lived such a blessed life. Were that my life had been so blessed too. Instead, I have witnessed good workers being retaliated against for their union activity -- sometimes taking years for the exact opportunity to arise. I'm also blessed to have a sibling who has spent a majority of their life in human resources and therefore, appropriately endoctrined in the anti-union mentality. Luckily, as a twenty+ year union member, both I -- and my anti-union sibling - have seen the positive effects being in a union has on the actual worker (versus the employer). Much to my sibling's chagrin, I have faired better, in the long term, than they have throughout our careers. It is for this reason that the financial crisis is the PERFECT time to achieve the Employee Free Choice Act. I do hope we are successful before people like my sibling - my now laid off sibling - lose their homes and everything they've ever worked for. And before the rest of us give up all hope to regain the American Dream.