The “rebirth of the American trade union movement” is upon us, Sen. Bernie Sanders declared to a cheering crowd within the Cambridge Common Sunday afternoon, calling Massachusetts employees to affix the combat.
“Growing the union movement gives us economic power, gives us dignity, gives us respect on the job — but it also gives us something more,” Sanders stated, detailing the ability of collective motion to reshape the nation.
Sanders, together with nationwide labor organizers together with Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, and Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants, headlined a packed rally in opposition to company greed within the Cambridge park.
Several audio system represented lively native union efforts, together with the 874 Commonwealth Ave. Starbucks employees’ ongoing 36-day strike, now an organization report; an MIT graduate employees union shaped in April; and unionized St. Vincent Hospital nurses, who got here out of the longest strike in Massachusetts historical past in January efficiently however face continued challenges.
Local leaders referred to as on employees to take heed to their coworkers, not settle for poor circumstances, and foster solidarity.
Speakers additionally emphasised the significance of broad nationwide efforts like these inside Amazon, UPS and Delta.
With cost-of-living will increase buffeting the working class, the emphasis on employees’ worth throughout the pandemic and billionaires’ company greed extra seen than ever, organizers stated, it is a “pivotal time in (the) labor rights movement.”
“We need to make understood that we are one,” stated O’Brien, noting the collective help of the motion behind any employees trying to combat again. “Labor’s back. We’re bigger. We’re faster. We’re stronger.”
Sanders went to a typical chorus of his speeches, reminding attendees that half of Americans dwell paycheck to paycheck, 500,000 are homeless, actual wages are decrease than 50 years in the past regardless of elevated employee productiveness and the three richest individuals personal greater than the underside half of Americans.
The “extraordinary” resurgence of the labor motion, he stated, is vital to preventing again.
“Today is about bringing people together,” Sanders stated. “Everybody I know wants a home. You’ve got to eat. You want decent education. You need health care. You want some education. You want to breathe clean air, drink clean water, raise your kids with dignity and good schools. That’s what everybody wants.”
“The thing that the media tells us every single day — it tells us through politicians, through corporate leaders — it says, ‘Think small, not big. Don’t have any dreams of what we can be as a nation. Maybe, maybe you’ll get some little thing,’” the Vermont senator stated with attribute impassioned quantity. “And we say, the hell with that. We’re thinking big.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”