Arizona GOP Launches All Out Assault on Workers’ Rights
February 13, 2012
“Worse than Wisconsin.” That is how Arizona union members are describing Republican efforts to pass far reaching anti-worker legislation that makes Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s attacks on public workers look mild by comparison.
Says Arizona AFL-CIO Executive Director Rebekah Friend, who is a Phoenix Local 387 member, in an e-mail to supporters:
Gov. Jan Brewer is pushing a series of bills attacking firefighters, teachers, nurses, and other public service workers who keep our communities safe and strong. These bills, which are being driven by a right-wing political agenda, would take away all collective bargaining rights for public service workers—leading to larger class sizes in our schools, more dangerous working conditions for firefighters and police officers and less safe communities.
The four bills making up the anti-worker package would greatly restrict the ability of unions to collect dues and all but eliminate collective bargaining rights for public workers, including – unlike Wisconsin – police officers and firefighters.
Senate Minority Leader David Schapira told NPR:
These bills are clearly the most anti-worker, anti-middle class, anti-union bills in the history of the country.
He added that the legislation has nothing to do with saving taxpayer money, but is pure political payback by the GOP. Friend agrees:
As in Wisconsin and Ohio, these measures are not about balancing Arizona’s budget and are not about jobs. They are about the destructive political agenda right-wing politicians and their corporate funders are pushing across the country to consolidate their power.
With Republicans outnumbering Democrats in the state legislature by two-to-one, pro-worker activists admit they are in for a difficult fight, but that isn’t stopping union members and their allies from mobilizing to put pressure on lawmakers.
Tim Hill, president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Arizona told Talking Points Memo:
The only thing you can do is appeal to [legislators’] sense of fairness, justice and the American way.
Click here to urge Arizona lawmakers to stop the attacks on firefighters, teachers, police officers and other hard-working public service workers.
Watch video of Thursday’s rally against the bills below:
Photo used under a Creative Commons License from Flickr user funksoulbrother.
