Good afternoon brothers and sisters. My name is M. Drezner and I represent the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 426 right here in Sioux Falls. I’m proud to be here with all of you today to take a stand against what the Trump administration is doing to our unions representing federal workers. Right now, workers at AFGE and other unions representing government employees are in a fight to preserve collective bargaining, a cornerstone of the labor movement. The working class movement has always been at its strongest when workers band together to fight for respect and dignity in the workplace. Now viewing this strength as a threat, the Trump administration is working to dismantle these unions which represent hundreds of thousands of workers across the country.

This is only the tip of the iceberg of Trump’s attacks on the working class. Alfredo Juarez, a leader of Familias Unidas por la Justicia in Washington was detained by ICE. Mahmoud Khalil of UAW Local 2710 was abducted for exercising his first amendment rights. Kilmar Garcia, a SMART Local 100 apprentice was arrested and sent to a Salvadorian prison. Our union brothers and sisters around the country are under attack at this very moment.

Attacking the working class will not fix the problems we are facing in this country. All workers deserve a life of dignity and safety, collective bargaining, good wages, and the ability to retire. By attacking unions and the ability for workers to collectively struggle for better conditions, we are making the situation worse, not better. It is easy to attack workers as being “entitled” for wanting more when we have become complacent with asking for so little and not realizing that it is our efforts that set this economy into motion every day. What the working class needs more than anything right now is more unity, not more division.

We must remember that when one worker is attacked, we are all attacked. That is why I stand here today in solidarity with our AFGE brothers and sisters, this is the whole meaning behind working-class solidarity. An assault on union rights for federal workers today will lead to an assault on workers in the construction trade like myself tomorrow. I urge everyone here today to get involved in your community. If you’re in a union, attend your meetings, voice your opinion and work to strengthen solidarity within our organizations. The task before us is big, but it is not insurmountable. We will quickly find out that all of us have more in common with each other than we ever thought. Solidarity!

The post When One Worker is Attacked, We Are All Attacked first appeared on Labor Today.

Vice President of AFGE Local 1509 Ariel Ness talked on how devastating the current attack on the union has been, stating that union membership was cut in half in one night due to the VA violating the master contract and ending payroll deduction for dues. AFGE locals have had to scramble to enroll members in E-dues to maintain union membership, a blatant attempt to cut funding to unions representing federal workers.

Around 100 people attended the rally and showed their support for AFGE workers and veterans, many holding signs criticizing the Trump administration as well as local representative Dusty Johnson, Senator John Thune, and Senator Mike Rounds. Speakers and attendees alike remarked that like AFGE’s slogan of the rally, “not our first fight”, the attacks on federal workers will continue and this will be a long struggle that won’t be won overnight. Many left the event in high spirits, determined to continue supporting workers under attack by the current administration.

The post Workers and Veterans rally in Sioux Falls to support AFGE first appeared on Labor Today.