LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – is inviting everyone attending Netroots Nation to join the men and women who build America at a Fight Back for Good Jobs Rally on Friday, June 17 on the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis.
This year, we’ve seen progressives across the country energized as working people have faced repeated attacks from anti-worker Republicans backed by corporate cash. In Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan and other states, people have risen up to preserve the rights of working men and women.
When we all gather in Minneapolis in a month for Netroots Nation, we need to keep that energy going. We need to show the Scott Walkers and Koch Brothers of the world that we remain motivated and will not back down, no matter how hard they try to silence the voices of working people.
That’s why LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – is inviting everyone attending Netroots Nation to join the men and women who build America at a Fight Back for Good Jobs Rally on Friday, June 17 on the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis.
We are a strong, progressive union of 500,000 construction workers and public employees. This year, LIUNA members have been among the top targets of an anti-worker agenda that seeks to destroy the ability of working people to speak through their union and stand as the best defense against those who wish to see America become a corporate-run state.
LIUNA members, like all working people, are facing outright hostility from so-called leaders in state legislatures. But they’re also the targets of disastrous neglect by lawmakers in Washington who care more about appeasing Wall Street and big business than they do creating jobs and addressing America’s most pressing needs.
Years ago, union workers built the highways and bridges you drive on, the subways and railways you ride on and the dams and other water systems that you rely on every day. Today, all of these basic needs – the backbone of America – are in a state of decay. Congress could solve this problem right now by passing a new highway bill that would create 8 million desperately needed jobs, take care of the basics of our country and leave behind real assets for taxpayers and future generations.
And yet, years after the last highway bill expired, it hasn’t happened. It’s a national disgrace and Congress, no matter which party is in charge, has yet to show the courage or leadership needed to get America back on the right track.
The failure to invest in these basic needs plays right into the hands of the enemies of working people. Commuters who see crumbling roads and bridges, regardless of their political persuasion, will become less likely to believe that government can solve the problems confronting our nation. By failing to create millions of good, family-supporting jobs, anti-worker politicians are coming closer to their goal of destroying unions and eliminating the middle class as a political force.
That these politicians would sacrifice our country’s greatness to vanquish a political enemy is about as un-American as it gets. And they’re going to get away with it unless we fight back.
That’s why our Fight Back for Good Jobs Rally is so important. We need to show that we’re willing to fight, whether it’s through aggressive journalism, writing and online activism, or by taking our voices to the streets.
We hope you can join the men and women who build America on June 17 – LIUNA is doing everything possible to make this happen. The rally will take place during a break in Friday’s action (following the lunch keynote), and transportation from the Minneapolis Convention Center will be provided. We’ve even picked an appropriate location – the pedestrian Stone Arch Bridge, which spans the Mississippi River. To the west, it overlooks the I-35 W Bridge, a symbol of the dangers of inadequate investment and the possibilities that come with a modern transportation system. To the east are the dam and locks of St. Anthony Falls, representing our pressing water resource needs.
If you’d like more information, we’ve set up a special website for this event – liuna.org/nn11 – that will be updated continuously until the rally. You can also text “NN” to 69866 for all the latest updates, or follow us on Twitter @LIUNA.
We hope to see ALL of you in Minneapolis – the Fight Back for Good Jobs Rally will not only be a chance to stand with working men and women, but will also be a fun, memorable event. Let’s put the anti-worker forces on notice: It’s time to fight back for good jobs that build America for a change!