To the Editors:

In light of the recent wave of anti-workers’ rights legislation being pushed as a false means to right the fiscal problems of state budgets, I believe it’s time that the unions and other such groups start an initiative to be put on the ballot to ensure such rights in the states constitution. That would mean no governor or legislature would ever be able to gut the rights of workers to organize and collective bargain again, since it would be part of the state’s constitution. Case closed.

The amendment can simply state that workers of all types, public and private, have the right to form unions for collective bargaining of all aspects of their working environment. That’s it, plain and simple.

Now is also the perfect time to get the initiative on the ballot, since tens of thousands of people are at the capital and other cities protesting. They will surely get the signatures needed to sign the petition to get it on the ballot. They can also throw in that overtime is to be paid for any hours worked over eight hours in a day instead of the 40 for the week that is the current law. This would help the non-union workers as well.

I’m sure it would pass overwhelmingly in nearly every state in the country. Starting with Ohio and Wisconsin, doing it one state at a time. This is simply about the state constitutions, and not the United States Constitution. It would ensure the rights of all working people — off of whom the rich live — to have the option to collectively bargain. It would not force unions on people, which have never been the way of unions. I’m sure, though, that the corporate Right will paint it out as such with many more lies worse than that to try and defeat it. It’s simply their way. It is time for the working people to stand up and fight once again for their rights. It’s not going to be given to us. Our grandparents did it during the Great Depression. People died protesting to get those rights. It’s time generations x, y and z start earning what was provided to them and make it better. Ignore this and you will pay, because what’s happened all before can happen all again. And it could be you next time. Who will join in the pain, if you don’t get up and stop what’s happening? Now where’s your freedom?

–Leif Damstoft
Warren, Ohio resident