“font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>As a public school teacher, Jo Wanda Bozeman did not take a vow of poverty.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Bozeman “font-size: 10.0pt; font-family: Verdana;”>, the president of the National Education Association at Parkway School District, became a teacher to make a difference in children’s lives, she said at Friday’s pro-union rally in Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“I wanted to become a member of the American middle class and achieve the American dream,” she said. “My union, the National Education Association, through collective bargaining, has made it possible for me today to be a bona fide member of whatever is left of the American middle class.”
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>On Friday, about 4,500 people, representing every union in the St. Louis region, rallied in solidarity with the 200,000 people who attended Wisconsin’s March 12 rally in support of unions’ collective bargaining power.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>On March 11, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, a Republican “font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN” xml:lang= “EN”>signed a bill that abolishes nearly all collective bargaining rights for most public employees in the state of Wisconsin. Fourteen Democratic state senators recently fled the state in an attempt to block the passage of the bill.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;” lang=”EN” xml:lang= “EN”>The “font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>St. Louis
rally also
coincided with a downtown visit from U.S. Chambers of Commerce
leader Tom Donohue. The chamber supports Walker’s efforts and is
urging similar legislation in other states, including
Missouri.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>On March 14, some Republican Missouri senators laid out legislation, commonly called “right to work” laws, which would prohibit private-sector employers from requiring their workers to join a union or pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Republican senators argued that companies prefer to locate in states with such laws, but Democrats said companies are attracted to states with more lucrative incentives. The Senate did not vote on the bill on Monday.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>The deafening roar in Kiener Plaza affirmed Bozeman’s words of dissent.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“Let the word go wide across this land of plenty that American workers, public and private, are united and ready to initiate the greatest counteroffensive of the new American century against those who promote the privilege of the few at the expense of the many,” she said. “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>CBTU in WI “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>On Saturday, 45 members and supporters of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists from St. Louis traveled by charter bus to Madison, Wis. to stand in support with trade unionists.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Lew Moye, president of the St. Louis CBTU chapter, said the group was excited “to bring the power of St. Louis to a city that has seized the glory and spirit from the 1960s.”
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>In Madison, union supporters circled the capitol building “like a large merry-go-round,” Moye said, and people were happy to see supporters from another city.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“The fight is not over in Wisconsin,” Moye said. “The 14 Democratic senators who returned from Illinois were greeted like rock stars at the rally.” “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Silence from the Post “font-family: Verdana; font-size: 13px;”>
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Although many said Kiener Plaza had never before seen such a labor rally, the city’s daily newspaper, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, did not cover the event. On Saturday, Facebook posts and local bloggers noted the newspaper’s absence.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>When readers inquired about the reason, Christopher Aves, political editor, wrote: “I’m sorry that we failed to cover Friday’s rally. As you know, Friday was a very busy news day with two local court sentencings and the tragedy in Japan. We had a reporter at the rally, but he was called away to help cover local reactions to the tsunami. Our photographers were engaged covering the court developments that unfortunately were scheduled at the same time.”
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Shannon Duffy, business representative for the St. Louis Newspaper Guild Local 36047, said the lack of coverage was puzzling and troubling, as was the publication’s excuse that it was a busy day.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“If one is rendered incapable of covering something right outside of your door, maybe you should rethink your staffing levels,” Duffy said.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“The Post has cut and cut and cut. If their response is to be believed – that there is too much going on – I think they are admitting that they cut too deep.”
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>Local blogger Adam Shriver pointed out that the Post recently devoted 600 words to a right-wing Tea Party rally that drew 500 people, while ignoring a labor rally that drew 4,500.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>A quarter-mile from the Post’s door, the voices of thousands of people rang throughout downtown area. Their mantra, “We are one,” spoke to the fact that every union was represented on Friday.
“font-size: 10pt; font-family: Verdana;”>“This is the first time all the unions have come together,” said Kevin Oliver, a union organizer/representative of Service Employees International Union. “It shows solidarity and that we know what’s going on. Everyone understands that big corporations are trying to undercut the unions.”
