[Peace] Bravo to Urbana for vote on unions

[Brian Dolinar]

[image: The News-Gazette.com] Bravo to Urbana for vote on unions Friday
December 19, 2008

Thanks to the Urbana City Council for voting in support of the Employee Free
Choice Act. Our community has suffered as American wages and working
conditions have decayed over the last 30 years, especially the last few
years, while productivity has increased. The rich have gotten richer and the
poor have gotten poorer.

Part of the problem is that United States labor law is broken. Most people
don't know how hard it is, in this "land of the free," for a group of
workers to decide to stand together to improve their lives and those of
their families. Poll after poll shows that most people would join a union if
they could, but most union elections fail. Why?

One problem is the length of time between the request for a union election
and the actual vote. During this interim workers face harassment,
intimidation, illegal firings and frivolous legal challenges that often
prevent the free exercise of their sacred "right of association." I have
personally witnessed workers voting overwhelmingly for a union, and three
years later they still do not have it.

All these things do happen in Urbana, and the ripple effect is serious.
People get evicted or see their cars or furniture repossessed. Less money in
Urbana's pockets means less shopping, less taxes and so on. In these trying
times, our community needs to send a clear message to Congress that we
support worker rights.

RICKY BALDWIN

Urbana
-- 
Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.
303 W. Locust St.
Urbana, IL 61801
briandolinar at gmail.com
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