Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Light A Candle


I repeatedly see and hear comments from people who say that the unions aren't needed anymore. They say that everyone makes a great wage already and that unions just suck the fiscal life out of a company. Or they say that we have OSHA to keep workers safe, and that the unions aren't needed to do that anymore.

That is unmitigated bullsh*t.

Just look back at the last month.

West Virginia lost 29 good people in a mine disaster. Not surprisingly, the owner of the mining company is a TEA Party activist. (H/T to Jay for that one.)

Just last week, another West Virginia miner died in an accident, raising the total to 33 just this year alone.

There was also a refinery explosion in Washington that took the lives of seven people.

And there were 11 lost souls in the drilling well explosion just last week.

So, yeah, the unions are still necessary. That is even more so with people actively trying to destroy them, putting profits before people.

Join the millions of others around the world as we continue with Mother Jones' call:
Mourn the dead, and fight like hell for the living.

Memorial celebrations will be held at these locations and times:


Madison

Capitol Building

2 East Main Street

Assembly Parlor Room

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Labor Speaks – David Newby (WI State AFL-CIO)

Protecting America 's Workers Act – Jim Schultz (WisCOSH)

Reading of Names of Workers Killed on the Job in 2009

Milwaukee

Location: Zeidler Union Square Park, 5:00 p.m.

Some will be wearing memorial ribbons. Some will hold candles. Some will read the names of those who died on the job last year in Wisconsin , plus the names of our fallen Wisconsin military.

Many will remember the Mother Jones motto: "Mourn for the Dead, But Fight Like Hell for the Living."

The event with speakers, including State Representative Barbara Toles, will take place at Zeidler Union Square Park, the “workers'' park, between 3rd and 4th Sts. on Michigan Ave.

At 5:00 p.m. citizens and speakers will join the Milwaukee Area Labor Council, AFL-CIO, WisCOSH (the nonprofit worker health and safety group), and other groups for this special Wedneday, April 28.

A home-made dinner will take place afterward at the nearby American Postal Workers Union Hall, 417 N. 3rd St

La Crosse

Workers killed or injured on the job will be remembered at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the annual Workers Memorial Day observance in Green Island Park .

During the ceremony at the workers memorial monument in the park, Terry Hicks, of the Western WI AFL-CIO, will read the names of fallen workers as labor union members place small wooden crosses into the ground. Each cross bears the name of someone fatally injured on the job. Hicks also will speak about worker safety and the significance of Workers Memorial Day.

Several labor activists will hold signs at the corner of Seventh Street and South Avenue from 5:00 to 5:15 p.m., to announce the event and promote the right of all workers to a safe and healthy workplace, Hicks said.

Stevens Point

April 28, 2010

6:00 p.m.

VFW Area

River Drive, Wausau

Please join us for Labor’s Annual Day of Honor for Workers who gave up their lives on the job.

The Annual Program takes place at 6:00 p.m. at the Workers Memorial Area, next to the VFW on River Drive , Wausau .

Please plan on attending this years event. They will be meeting at the park this year. NO WALK is being scheduled this year.

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