“Organization Day” Rally Draws Thousands in Indianapolis
More information, contact: Tony Montana, USW – 412-562-2592
INDIANAPOLIS – About 700 members of the United Steelworkers (USW) today joined almost 2,000 other union activists and supporters at the Indiana statehouse on Indiana AFL-CIO Lobby Day to rally against state Republicans’ drive to pass so-called “right-to-work” legislation.
USW District 7 Director Jim Robinson said that elected legislators need to focus on removing the real barriers to economic recovery and job creation instead of partisan attacks designed to weaken the influence and growth of unions by making it harder for workers to organize and bargain collectively.
“We already know that right-to-work is bad for workers and bad for the economy,” Robinson said. “Our members and their families are educated and mobilized around this critical fight.”
The USW members arrived in 15 busses and car-pools to carry their message to legislators on “Organization Day” at the statehouse, when new legislators receive orientation in anticipation of and preparation for the legislative session that will reconvene on Jan. 4, 2012.
“Union members in Ohio, Wisconsin and elsewhere are standing up and fighting back,” Robinson said. “We’re ready for this fight in Indiana, and we’ll keep coming back to the statehouse until they get the message that we will not back down or go away.”
The USW represents about 850,000 working men and women in the United States and Canada in a wide variety of industries, ranging from glass making to mining, paper, steel, tire and rubber and other manufacturing environments to the public sector, service and health care industries.
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