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Respect & Why We Need it

I was representing the 5 County Labor Council at a Work Force Development meeting recently in San Jose. The meeting was held in a union-organized Hilton hotel and there were hundreds of union people from all over the United States. I was shocked to learn the supposed Democratic mayor of San Jose was pushing a measure to gut workers right.

I was waiting for the conference organizers to make a plan for us to hit the streets in outrage; or at least go to city hall. We did nothing that I know of. I also wondered if when the San Jose people voted for Chuck Reed for mayor did they know he would throw them under the bus. Again, when politicians have no respect for us, they will do whatever they want. I remember hearing a mob boss say in an interview that he couldn’t allow anyone to disrespect him because if they did he would lose power. Ladies and gentlemen, this is what has happened to us, we’ve allowed people/corporations to disrespect us. We have lost the power to negotiate, and with no respect we’re looked upon with disdain. If they have no fear of us, they’ll have no respect for us. It’s a similar concept to respecting law enforcement. Why do we respect cops? They have the law on their side, they have a badge and they have a gun. They receive the average person’s respect.

We’ve got to get off the sidewalks and into the streets. Tit for tat. Shut down the cities, one at a time and then maybe the businesses and chamber of commerces will be at the city council meetings supporting us, the workers. We should keep the pressure on until they give up. Hit them in the wallets, they understand money more than anything. We need to hit the GOP on two fronts. It is known in the Art of War, as the “High Low.” It forces the enemy to battle on many fronts.

This is what they’re doing to us at this time. They have many fronts to hurt us on. They’re going after all levels and kinds of government employees, their hours, benefits, and wages. We must take the offensive away from them. We must attack on as many fronts as we can. They will not stop until we have no democracy, for they want a plutocracy where the corporations and rich control the government. The unions must start organizing at every opportunity they can. This puts pressure on people/corporations wanting to destroy our country for their personal gain.

Funding the GOP are anti-union, anti-worker corporations, such as Wal*Mart, Wells Fargo, Koch brothers’ businesses (Angel Soft, Soft & Gentle, & Quilted Northern toilet paper; Brawny paper towels; Dixie plates, bowls, cups; Mardi Gras, Sparkle, Zee & Vanity Fair napkins; Georgia-Pacific paper products & lumber products; Lycra Stainmaster carpet), Exxon Mobile, Home Depot, tobacco, Atria, Chevron, Blue Cross, Blue Shields, and Rupert Murdoch’s businesses (Fox news; & numerous newspapers).

Funding the Democrats are Time Warner, Google, Gallo, Costco, NBA, and unions, and people -- working, retired or otherwise.
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