Labor & Employment Law

19 Latino Organizations Denounce Assaults on Public Employees

By James Parks

Nineteen Latino organizations, including the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), have come together to oppose the attacks on public servants. Governors or legislators in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, Iowa and Florida are pushing extremist legislation that would take away the freedom of nurses, police, firefighters and other public employees to bargain for a middle-class life.

In a statement, the organizations call on lawmakers to oppose legislation that ?limits the power of workers to negotiate for quality jobs, good wages, benefits, safe working conditions and job security.?

In the history of our nation, labor unions have served as workers? watchdogs and the decline in union presence in our workplaces is a major issue affecting the job quality of Latinos and all workers across industry sectors. By bargaining collectively through their union, workers are able to negotiate higher wages. 

Poor quality jobs, limited access to health care and pensions combined with high rates of wage violations, injuries and fatalities in the workplace are grave issues that disproportionately affect the Latino community. In the absence of unions, attacks on workers? rights and declining job quality will go unabated for all workers; exacerbating these risks among vulnerable populations.

 Click here for the full statement and a list of the organizations.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on February 25, 2011 (boomark / email).