RESOLUTION SUPPORTING WORKERS RIGHTS

Submitted by:
Roman Ulman, District 19 Delegate, President of the East Valley Democratic Breakfast Club

Whereas, people have been coming to America for centuries to seek a better life and economic freedom for themselves and their families. Economic opportunity has been the promise that has been held out to all Americans as part of the “American Dream,” and today more and more working people are falling into the group called “the working poor.” They are underpaid, receive no benefits and have no job security. They are exploited and abused by their employers, and threatened with the loss of their jobs if they speak up for the rights guaranteed to them by our laws in the United States; and

Whereas, in theory, all workers are guaranteed a basic right to join a union, yet in the real world of the workplace employers routinely deny workers their legal right to freely choose to join a union and be represented. Employers often use tactics such as coercion, harassment, and intimidation to stop workers from exercising their constitutional rights. Employers, in total violation of laws, even fire workers who are working with a union, and union representation gives workers increased power in the workplace and in the political arena, and that leads to higher wages, better benefits and dignity at work; and

Whereas, the Democratic Party has been in the forefront of the fight for workers’ rights and has a long history of working with unions to attain economic security for all Americans, which secures living wages, decent benefits, better health care, and dignity at the workplace for all; and the Democratic Party has championed the right of all workers to join unions of their choice, and to be represented by union representatives when dealing with management. The right to representation is a guaranteed right in the United States, and should be supported in the workplace; and the Arizona Democratic Party believes that we must take all steps necessary to restore workers rights and our economy to the previous levels which we once enjoyed. We believe that supporting workers in exercising their right to join unions and to be represented by their union leadership will help them achieve economic security.

Therefore be it resolved that the Arizona Democratic Party calls on all Democrats holding public office to support the right of all workers to join unions and to be represented by union officials when dealing with management. We call on them to publicly and privately support collective bargaining for all employees in Arizona, whether in the public sector or the private sector; and we call on all Democrats holding executive offices to direct their administrators, or managers to permit their employees to be represented by union representatives, and to deal with union representatives in a responsible and pleasant manner; and

Be it finally resolved that the Arizona Democratic Party calls on all Democrats to support legislation which benefits workers in Arizona and the United States, and to urge all our public officials to vote for such legislation and to support labor friendly legislation in all forums. Also, the Democratic Party pledges to support organized labor, labor friendly candidates, and labor friendly legislation and policies.