“We decided early that we were not going to let ‘right to work’ come to West Virginia,” reports UFCW Local 400. Low turnout last November by Democrats, along with money from wealthy out-of-state corporations and donors like the Koch brothers combined to bring anti-worker forces into power, as, for the first time in 84 years, Republicans won majorities in both houses of the West Virginia legislature. Local 400 “pulled six strong members out of their stores to help lead the fight,” and lead lobbyist Sterling Ball was at the state capitol every day, “joined whenever possible by West Virginia Regional Director Chuck Miller, President Mark Federici, and members from around the state.” Click below to read more...
Local 400 also “met early on with the state AFL-CIO and other allies to build a strong coalition to fight back.” The local mobilized, as well, with a lobby day in February with nearly 100 shop stewards, along with members of UFCW Local 23 and the Chemical Workers Council, and “continued the fight through the end of the legislative session, educating members in the stores, getting them to make phone calls, write letters, and volunteer to fight back.” Joined by UFCW Local 23, Local 400 turned out for a massive Mountaineer Workers Rising Rally on March 7 that “gave us the final push of momentum to defeat both ‘right to work’ and charter schools this year.” Despite winning this battle, Local 400 warns that “the war on workers in West Virginia continues, and we will continue to take the lead in fighting back.” Click here to read more.
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