I believe that any good progressive strategy
must include a plan for safeguarding our rights and liberties in the most important arena of all-- the workplace.
Because it is in the workplace where we increasingly spend our time, we build some of our closest relationships, and put up with infringements on our freedom that we wouldn't dare tolerate from a government.
That being said, I have in mind a series of signs we could make, to drive the point home about Roberts and his pro-corporate stance, in a compelling way.
Remember, painting vivid pictures of how judicial activism affects your daily life and your personal life, is key.
#1: A picture of a wheelchair-bound person, with the caption:
"They laid me off because I was costing them too much in health insurance.
Once, I had rights under the Americans With Disabilities Act. But now I just hope somebody will take a chance on me."
#2: A picture of a female flight attendant, middle-aged and somewhat overweight:
"They updated their weight requirements. Suddenly, after 20 years with the airline, I found myself in poor standing. I had always gotten high marks before.
They don't seem to appreciate the changes 3 kids bring to a woman's body. Nor do they seem to appreciate my dedication to my customers.
Once, I had a leg to stand on in the Federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Now, though, I hope the state act will come through for me... that, and go hungry, and work out an extra hour a day, and pray for results."
#3: A picture of a nondescript employee, man or woman, any race- (this is where it would get really troublesome: choosing the identity of the person represented. How do you avoid charges of both ethnic preference and ethnic discrimination?) - but, clearly, applying for a tech position(use some trappings of a techie's job):
"3.8 GPA. Honors in communications technology. Advanced skills in C++, Java, Perl, and Web design.
The only thing that stood in my way was a personality test.
I found out I was a "poor match" for the company I had dreamed of working for.
As I work for a job that pays $10.00 an hour less, I mull over the meaning of "at-will", and I struggle to pay my bills-- I think about what rights I used to have, how I could simply call the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
But the Supreme Court changed that.
What do I do now?"
#4: A picture of an older man or woman:
"I'm healthy. I'm fit. I'm dedicated and hard-working.
But try to tell that to a potential employer.
They like me. They all do. But they say they have to think of their health insurance costs first.
Once, I could rely on the Age Discrimination in Employment Act for help. But the Supreme Court overturned it.
I've got maybe 20 good years left in me. Why do I sit around waiting to be useful?"
#5: A picture of a young employee:
"They fired me for complaining about my job on my personal blog.
They told me that my employment was at-will, and that my comments detracted from the image the company was trying to project.
I did not use company computers. I used my own. One day, the company vice president Googled my site. The next day, I was out of a job.
I thought my own time was my own time. It was what I'd been brought up to believe.
But the Supreme Court now takes my company's side, instead of mine. What will this mean for my-- and your-- future?"
#6: A picture of another nondescript employee:
"My company changed management-- and suddenly, I found myself left out of important meetings, and off the promotion track.
My new bosses-- and anyone who's been promoted since the change-- share the same religion. I don't.
Everyone tells me I'm not being discriminated against.
I wish the Supreme Court hadn't changed the Civil Rights Act of 1991. I would have liked to not have to move on to a different company. But that's my best option now.
(I had thought, for this last one, to use a picture of someone in Muslim garb, to further the point about unspoken religious discrimination. But then again, how do you avoid seeming inflammatory?)
(refer to my old threads: The REAL American authoritarianism, and my commentary on the daily life of customer-service jobs.)