Labor & Employment Law

Workers Under Attack Will Tell Their Stories to Congressional Hearing

By James Parks

Workers from the front lines of the corporate-led assault on America’s middle class, including working people from Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin, will be on Capitol Hill tomorrow to describe their struggles to keep their bargaining rights so they can bargain for a middle class life.

Courtney Johnson is among those testifying before the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. Johnson has dedicated her life to serving the poorest kids in the Columbus (Ohio) City Schools for a decade. Outside the classroom, she volunteers as the senior class advisor and newspaper and yearbook advisor at the local arts academy where she teaches English and Humanities. Johnson says that no one goes into teaching for the money, but she expects to be able to provide a middle-class life for her family. That will not be possible if Ohio Gov. John Kasich succeeds in his efforts to take away bargaining rights for public employees.

Reps. George Miller (D-Calif.) and Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), co-chairs of the Steering and Policy Committee, say this will be the first hearing on Capitol Hill to bring together workers from these three states where intense state workers? rights struggles are underway. 

The workers will be joined by experts from academia and progressive organizations who will give an overview of the economic and budgetary impact of these rollbacks of workers? rights.

To find out more about the hearing, click here.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on March 07, 2011 (boomark / email).