Labor & Employment Law

20,000 Expected at Ohio Statehouse to Rally for the Middle Class

By admin

Andy Richards, AFL-CIO field communications director in Ohio, sends us this report.

More than 20,000 Ohio working families are expected to converge on the Statehouse in Columbus at 10 a.m. Tuesday for a ?Rally to Save Ohio?s Middle Class.? The massive rally, organized by middle-class Ohioans from all across the state, comes in response to the recently proposed Senate Bill 5, a blatant assault on middle-class working families?one in a series of attacks on the middle class across the country.

?This is more than a worker issue. It is about a broader attempt to erode the middle class and hurt working families,? said Jeana Campolo, who cares for individuals with developmental disabilities at the Mount Vernon Developmental Center.

That is why there are students, faith leaders, small business leaders and others here today because they understand it is an attack on them too.

The rally comes after a major turnout last week at the Statehouse, where thousands of workers, students, faith leaders and community members were locked out of the Statehouse. Rallies and events against Senate Bill 5 and Gov. Kasich?s broader assault on the middle class occurred throughout the week and into the weekend.

Anti-worker Gov. John Kasich confirmed that at the National Governors Association meeting on Sunday he intends to push his partisan political agenda to destroy the middle class in the face of ever-increasing protests. As Politico reported:

Ohio Gov. John Kasich vigorously defended his push to restrict unions collective bargaining rights Sunday, insisting that massive protests will not deter him from pushing ahead with his agenda.

During a sometimes combative 40-mintue press conference at the National Governors Association meeting, the Republican blamed union leaders for spreading misinformation about his proposed legislation, and for fueling the negative response to his plan.

“Ohioans are fed up with Gov. Kasich’s partisan assault on working families and he hasn’t even been in office two months,” said Bernie Pressman, a firefighter from Akron.

Did he and his political allies not listen to voters in November? They want good jobs, not politics as usual.

The event will open with the Pledge of Allegiance led by American veterans and the rendering of honors by a color guard unit during the national anthem. The event also will include testimony against Senate Bill 5 and Gov. John Kasich?s attacks on the middle class from workers and their families, members of the business community, public- and private-sector workers, current and former members of the military and more. Musicians, including the rock group the Street Dogs, which features members of the renowned punk band the Dropkick Murphys, a bagpipe ensemble of firefighters and other local musicians, will perform as well.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on March 01, 2011 (boomark / email).