I received an email from the people of the North Western Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation of the AFL-CIO about a rally on Saturday in Mercer, PA. I forwarded this to most people I know that are on our side of the labor/management divide. I wanted to try to get people to come on short notice, and so I tried to persuade them with the following preface to the announcement, which is also here, after the AFL-CIO graphic.
Hopefully, this will get to others in the area via the DKos medium, as well as by those getting my forward.
Hello all,
The middle class is getting a hammering. Every one of you that I am sending this to can see the crunch. Most of us feel it, some more than others. Between those that are convinced that the only way to save the economy in these times of (lowest tax rate since Eisenhower) unbearable taxes is to take away benefits and wages to give more tax breaks to the jobs (in foreign countries or third world "right to work for peanuts" parts of America) creators.
God forbid that a poor struggling company like General Electric should go under if they paid a dime in federal income tax. Or any other of those that are at the top. These people won't have enough until we don't have any. They want to privatize education. Take the kids and encourage them to go to charter (for profit) schools. Even better, how about online charter schools, not just fewer teachers, but then the transportation costs get cut too! And we all know how diligently our kids would be about that while both parents are working 60 to 80 hours each to keep a crappy 15 year old car and live in an over priced rental in a run down neighborhood. And it is either the 'Bad Teachers the Union Protects' or the 'Bad Parents that Send Unprepared Kids to Kindergarten' at fault, not a society that forces parents to work too much to be able to raise the kids right. And those are the lucky kids, with two parents in the home. I could go on and on, and those who know me will attest to that. So I will keep this short. (Yea, right)
To my Local 506 Sisters and Brothers and any of the other local UE shops,
This is your chance to go "Show our colors" in support of not only the educators, but all of labor. Lets revive the "Flying Brigade" concept of mobilization. The UE has had a long and proud tradition of being on the front lines in the battle for our fair share. Not just my fair share. No "No, I can't, if I come I am going to miss out on my double time," or "I am going to the firing range so I can be ready when Obama sells us out to the great Islamic Caliphate/China/United Nations Consortium" crap. If they took over they would just be new masters, but still subservient to the true overlords, the Corporatists. We have to be there for them, because if we don't hang together, we shall all hang separately. And yes, that is a quote from that tea party guy, Ben Franklin.
To my fellow members of various Unions,
An injury to one is an injury to all has been the rallying cry of organized labor of the ages. The story that made famous the cry 'All for one and one for all' was written by a Frenchman in 1844. We have learned that the best way to protect ourselves from being serfs, peons or slaves is to stand together. If you know labor history then you know this is the case. If you don't know labor history then start, because most of the things we fight for today are what we have fought for since the Dark Ages in Europe. And the weapon of choice is division. By race. By sex. By culture. By Craft. By immigration status. By God. By Guns. By Abortion. By sexual orientation. By age. Even by Seniority. This is a chance for you to stand up for your fellow citizens, who also happen to be your fellow union brothers and sisters. Show the bosses we have not rolled over yet.
To my fellow Pennsylvanians,
This is a chance for you to let the people in office know where you stand on the things that we expect from our government. This location is a favorite Socialist, I mean, Public Square for the Tea Party wing of the Republicans that now want to change the rules in the middle of the game. If you follow what is going on in PA, you know of the various ways that we are under assault on voting rights, the undermining of the infrastructure of our countryside by drilling rigs driving on country roads as the frackers destroy peoples' water sources, the undermining of bargaining rights, the drive to make PA another "Right to be a Scab, I mean, Right to Work for peanuts State," privatize jails so the inmates can be forced to do your old job as the judges sell kids to them to keep the occupancy up, and on and on. If you don't follow it, then at least come and hear what your neighbors and fellow Pennsylvanians have to say that is not on the news. Those media people only cover stories about rallies that feature tri cornered hats.
To all my fellow citizens of our country,
Go find out about 'Occupy Wall Street.' Ask yourself how could the news not be flooded with stories about a few thousand people gathered at a park in New York City on Wall Street since September 17th that daily protest the pillaging of the US Treasury by those bankers and brokers that brought the world to the brink of economic collapse? It makes the news around the world, but at 6:30 when the National news comes on it's cricket time. A free press is the guardian of our democracy. Right now, we seem to have a not so free press, owned by the Corporations that don't want us to know that some are standing up for themselves. Come to hear what you will not hear in the media. Find out that you are not alone in your concerns. Make the press cover our issues, and take notice that we are mobilizing and in the streets. Here and here are two links to more information about Occupy Wall Street.
To those too young to have fought for civil rights or against the war in Vietnam,
There was no one particular protest or march or rally that won those battles. It was people like you that said, to quote Popeye, 'I had all I can stands, and I can't stands no more' and got out in the streets to make their will for change a reality. You have seen the pictures, the documentaries, the movies. You wished you could be part of it. They were exciting times. I am a couple of years too young to have been a part of that, and I know how much I would have wanted to be there in 'those times.' But 'those times' are coming again. It was a digital communications revolution in Egypt, fueled by those that had the information about when and where to be, to be part of it. Beyond just being there, you need to spread the word. That is what these coming times will need. Please spread this email via your social networks however widely you can.
To all,
Can't make it this Saturday? Don't wait until it is too late to wish you made time to stand up for yourself.
To my fellow activists,
Doing anything? Lets have some fun together on Saturday. I'm bringing my camera.
In Solidarity,
Mark Haller
"We Are One"
JOBS Rally
Saturday, October 1st
10:00 AM
Mercer County Courthouse
Mercer, PA 16137
Members of the Lakeview Education Association respectfully request your attendance at a JOBS rally
Some of the issues at hand are : cuts in early childhood education, public education, higher eduction, public libraries, career centers, environmental centers, music and art programs and the threats to collective barganing rights for all union workers.
These issues do not just effect their JOBS, but the future of quality education for our children, grandchildren, and the future leaders of our communities. Please join us!
As you know, "In numbers there is strength and in Solidarity there is power." Wear you union colors proudly! It is important to show these issues effect all unions.
Anyone willing to speak please contact Judy Hines at 724-748-4972(home) or 724-866-2220 (cell)
We are looking for union voices to be heard !
We also need someone to take pictures and/or videos!
Footage of this event will be placed on our website
Thank you!
We look forward to seeing you on the courthouse lawn at 10 AM on October 1st in Mercer.