The Clinton, IA, Democratic Party held its annual Labor Day picnic at the Eagle Point Park lodge this Sunday, September 6, 2015. Local labor leaders and politicians were in abundance. I attended in my clerical attire, as a reminder that, since Pope Leo XIII, the Roman Catholic Church has supported workers’ rights to organize and bargain for better wages and working conditions. Besides, I had been a Union President. I led the collective bargaining drive for the professors teaching at Illinois universities under the Board of Governors, while I was President of the Western Illinois University Federation of Professors.
So, naturally I stood up and cheered when Maryland’s former Governor, Martin O’Malley–who is running for the Democratic nomination for President–said, “We need more and stronger unions. We need to make it easier for workers to organize!”
I could relate to that.
O’Malley pointed out that it was the unions who made the middle class. It is the unions that protect middle class values. He stated his opposition to trade treaties, that force our workers to have to compete with countries whose workers are paid only $0.50 an hour and are not allowed to have any real unions.
In his brief speech, he said he would work to “make college affordable again” and ensure that every citizen has a job paying a living wage. He also stated that–contrary to the other party–he would seek real immigration reform and legalize the11 million workers that pay our taxes, pay our Social Security, pick our crops, and wash our dishes. That statement was also a crowd-pleaser.
Also in attendance were workers for Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Serving hot dogs and BBQ pork were Clinton Sheriff Rick Lincoln, IA State Representative Mary Wolfe, and IA State Senator Rita Heart.