The Chicago Teachers Union stands in solidarity our brothers and sisters in the United Steelworkers who are on strike to secure safe and healthy working conditions in the country’s oil refineries.
As Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner attacks Illinois unions and worker compensation laws that keep workers safe, Texas, where many oil refinery accidents occur, has the highest rate of workplace deaths of any state in the country and a much lower rate of unionization than Illinois.
The United Steelworkers should be commended at their courageous efforts to stand up to corporate greed that has pushed for efficiency over safety and profits over people.
It is a known fact that the states with the higher rates of unionization have better standards of living for families, higher investments in education and more worker protections to keep people safe on the job.
It is incumbent upon Illinois political and business leaders to reject the race to the bottom promoted by the anti-union attacks of Governor Rauner and instead recognize the rights of workers and the importance of their unions to mitigate negative externalities in the workplace and beyond.
Additionally, Illinois political leaders can address the widening gulf between rich and poor in the state and the nation by actively promoting unionization, halting the attack on worker pensions and demanding higher taxes for the wealthy, an approach that has drastically improved state budgets for the people of Minnesota and California.
The Steelworkers are not just fighting for themselves, they are fighting for the 99% and we thank them for it. We hope Illinois will follow their lead.
For information on how to support the strike: http://www.usw.org/
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