This is a cross post from the New Jersey State AFL-CIO.
Thousands of working men and women protested the New Jersey Statehouse today against legislation that would effectively eliminate public employee collective bargaining rights over health care benefits. Chanting “Kill the bill” and “Worker rights are human rights,” 25 union members, including New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech and Secretary-Treasurer Laurel Brennan were arrested for disorderly conduct.
“It is with a heavy heart that we even had to be here today to testify against a piece of legislation that would destroy collective bargaining rights for thousands of taxpaying working men and women,” Wowkanech said.
…we had to stand up for the right to collectively bargain, just as we did for project labor agreements, paid family leave, prevailing wage and card check in the public sector.
Only through collective bargaining do workers have a voice – and those who vote for this legislation will be voting to silence the voices of approximately 500,000 workers,” Wowkanech warned the state Senate budget committee as the voices of chanting protesters outside filtered into the hearing room.
“If legislative leadership has the ability to sit down with the governor and negotiate, why shouldn’t we?” he demanded.
Wowkanech noted that the current negative economic conditions were not created by middle class workers. They were created by the greed of Wall Street profiteers, but workers are being blamed.
Click here to read Wowkanech’s testimony and here to view a video of the arrests.
