Something incredible is happening across the country, Danielle. Working people are recognizing how much power they have when they come together — and they're using that power to unionize workplaces across the country. Just look at Amazon, where a dedicated group of local organizers overcame union busting and beat Goliath by winning a union election in Staten Island — the first ever at any Amazon warehouse. Or school districts and hospitals across the country, where educators, nurses, and staff have been fighting for good pay, good benefits, and safe conditions for everybody. Or Starbucks, where workers are organizing all over the place, including two stores in the Boston area that just voted unanimously to become the first unionized Starbucks locations in the Commonwealth (woo-hoo!). I'm inspired by brave union organizers putting their livelihoods on the line to fight for each other and to fight for families across the country. Danielle, I'd love to take a moment to share a few quotes from those Starbucks union organizers right after they won their elections in Boston last week — to help emphasize what this moment means: - "McDonald's workers, if you're out there…you can do this. Wendy's, I'm looking at you — you can unionize. It's possible. And it seems impossible, but it's not." - Maria
- "It's been this huge domino effect….seeing more stores file [for union elections] is so empowering for us. And it kind of makes us want to win more, because we want to show up for our partners to say, 'Hey, we're doing this, and we won, so you can too." - Ash
- Responding to Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who recently asked a Starbucks union organizer, "If you hate Starbucks so much, why don't you go somewhere else?": "Our partners, our coworkers, we're not just like friends — we are family…I don't want to leave that. That's not what this is about. I just found it so insulting. I love our regulars…So no, I don't hate Starbucks. Don't ever — don't ever say that. We don't hate it. This is pretty much all a lot of us have at this point." - Maria
When workers fight, workers win — and every union victory builds momentum for more wins and puts power in the hands of working people, where it belongs. But giant corporations are fighting back with some ugly union busting. They're firing union organizers, spreading disinformation at mandatory meetings, threatening workers, basically saying the sky will fall if anyone so much as whispers the word "union," and more. But even if corporations get caught breaking the law, they often just get slaps on the wrist. If that. So Danielle, we need to pass the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, which would hit union busters with tough new fines, clear the way for more workers to organize more unions, and be the strongest pro-worker law in decades. It's already gotten through the U.S. House, and President Biden is ready to sign it. Unions built America's middle class, and unions will rebuild America's middle class. But we've got to keep raising our voices and get the PRO Act through the Senate to make it easier to form a union. Danielle, add your name if you agree: We need to fight union busting by passing the PRO Act. We can't count on billionaire CEOs to support workers out of the goodness of their hearts. We need to demand real change — from picket lines to ballot boxes to the halls of Congress. I'm staying in this fight all the way. And, Danielle, when we fight side by side, we make each other stronger. Thanks for being a part of this, Elizabeth P.S. Remember: Don't cross a picket line! Instead, join one. And maybe bring some snacks. |
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