NEWS & LETTERS, March-April 2010
Public workers defend jobs, services
Chicago--Over 200 marched on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 18, in opposition to cutbacks in public services, in particular public transportation. The demonstration was organized by Public Workers Unite!
PWU! member Earl Silbar described the group this way: "We are CTA workers, we are people who used to work for the State of Illinois, we're people who work for the Chicago Board of Education, and we are individuals. We are all united on a few things. The cuts in public services are not deserved. There is lots of money. They gave out $2 trillion to the banks who are making money for themselves and nobody else."
PWU! is part of a growing national movement to defend vital public services. It includes everything from the national fight against cutbacks in education represented by the March 4 Coalition which formed in California, to local struggles against school closures and cutbacks at Stroger Hospital in Chicago. It has the potential to become a significant movement if it incorporates serious discussion of theoretical issues--which are becoming concrete--with the voices of workers and the people who depend upon these public services.
These are voices from the Jan. 18 demonstration:
Carlos Acevedo, CTA Local 241--The CTA is using its workers as pawns. They sent out nearly 2,000 layoff notices, though they never intended to lay that many people off. The CTA wants to use the workers as pawns to try to open up a contract the workers have honored and fought so hard for.
They are going to lay off full-time operators and continue part-time employees. This is a clear violation, and Local 241 will fight it. All the cuts in management that CTA President Rodriguez has made don't amount to a hill of beans. In my department alone, maintenance, there has been a 12% decrease in workers, but a 12.5% increase in management.
Gwen Johnson, former CTA driver--Cutting back the early morning service and ending the late service? Everybody doesn't have a 9-to-5 job. The people you see out there at 4 and 5 o'clock in the morning, going to work, if those bus hours are cut short, then they can't take the bus to work.
Erek Slater, CTA driver--We're coming together today because they're cutting our services, from teachers to public transportation to our healthcare. We keep on getting pushed, right? We're pushed and pushed and pushed. We need to start pushing back.
Andy Thayer, Gay Liberation Network--In times of cutbacks, that's when you see scapegoating. We all know that the trillions of dollars going to these wars is the real reason why we're having cutbacks in schools, public transit and healthcare. We need to redirect and fight against war the way Dr. King did. He understood that you couldn't fight an unjust war abroad and have justice at home.
The layoffs and service cuts went into effect on Feb. 7, but the struggle which PWU! is a part of is still only beginning.
--Gerry Emmett
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