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Circulating on social media is a screenshot of texts between a representative of The Beverage Market, which refuses to fairly negotiate with union workers in West Virginia, and one of the local businesses they serve. "Just wanting to check in and see if you were wanting to start ordering again," The Beverage Market rep said. The customer said no, not until the strike ends.
"When my union driver comes back, I will order."
That is music to our ears.
The bedrock of the labor movement is solidarity. From the very start, it's been the worker's willingness to stand with coworkers in unity and then build on that momentum to achieve safe jobsites, fair wages and good benefits. And the AFL-CIO — a federation of 65 national and international labor unions that represent nearly 15 million working people — is founded on the premise that unions across diverse industries supporting each other strengthens the overall fight for worker rights and further empowers all workers.
It's what the labor movement is all about. Every single day.
But when solidarity comes from those outside the labor family, it is particularly gratifying. And on that front, I take great encouragement.
Public sentiment toward labor unions has been on the rise, according to a Gallup poll released this week, and for five years running, 7 in 10 Americans say they support unions, the highest level of support in a generation. By a 2-to-1 margin, people say unions are more needed today than in the past, and say increasing union membership is the single best way Americans can get a raise.
But that is a truth big corporate interests don't want to acknowledge. In West Virginia, those special interests have spent over a decade and millions of dollars pushing through legislation to weaken labor unions.
They champion anti-worker laws such as so-called "right to work," the elimination of prevailing wage, the rollback of coalmine and workplace safety standards, eliminating rights and protections for public sector workers, etc.
Speaking of, ten years after passing "right to work" and the elimination prevailing wage in West Virginia, where is the promised economic benefit? Our state has not experienced job growth, in fact it has been just the opposite as highly skilled and trained workers leave our state daily.
The richest 20 percent of West Virginians have paid $2.2 billion less in annual taxes over the last 10 years. Meanwhile, the state is plagued with public school closures and failures of water and transportation infrastructure. Far too many of us are just barely getting by, working longer and harder than ever for less in return.
In Washington, Congress voted to give record tax cuts to billionaires, paid for with cuts to workers' health care, food assistance, and other services we rely on.
Workers built this country, yet every day they seem to matter less to the wealthy elites in power.
And while here in West Virginia, The Beverage Market owners have proven they have nothing but contempt for the 49 Teamsters Local 175 drivers, helpers and warehouse workers who have put their lives on hold for well beyond 100 days in hopes of a fair contract. We know that the majority of West Virginians do care, as people trust unions more than any other institution in America.
It's past time that the leaders in our statehouse, and in Washington, realize that.
Their priority must be working people over corporate CEOs and billionaires, creating good jobs with better pay, affordable health care, secure pensions, and protecting the things we all depend on, like unemployment benefits, Social Security and Medicare.
The stakes have never been higher than they are in this election. Workers are ready to fight for an economy, a government, and a country for everyday people, not just the wealthy.
This Labor Day weekend let's celebrate our accomplishments, then recommit to the fight for worker power, for good jobs, for technology that works for us, and for solidarity to protect the rights and freedoms of all workers. Happy Labor Day workers, you've earned it!
Sword is president of the WV AFL-CIO.