Derick Gee on Friday, March 22 2019 - 5:05pm

The history of the labor movement in western Pennsylvania is the history of organized labor all over America -- working people coming together, exerting their strength in numbers against tremendous wealth and power, demanding their seat at the table, and inspiring others to do the same.

I know that history -- and it’s one of the many reasons I’m proud to support unions and grateful for all they’ve done and all they do to make sure working people get the rights, fairness, and respect they deserve.

But last year, the Janus decision in the Supreme Court rolled back progress for public employees, and recently, a bill was introduced in Congress to do the same in the private sector.

I will always oppose so-called “right to work” laws that threaten the rights and protections that so many men and women fought for throughout our history. In the face of these constant attacks, we need to stand with union workers and keep this movement growing stronger -- and that means we need you to be a part of it.

Workers in western Pennsylvania helped build the country we have today and helped build the labor movement as we know it, inspiring other workers around the country to organize and fight for their rights. Their struggles came with great sacrifices. One hundred and nine years ago this month, in 1910, thousands of coal miners in Westmoreland County went on strike for fair wages and safe working conditions -- and in the end, 16 of them were killed for it.

That’s just one example of the price paid by so many who came before us -- people who had the courage to stand up for workers and speak truth to power even in the face of intimidation and violence. They’re the ones who got us to where we are today, and we cannot go back to a time when workers’ rights to organize and bargain collectively are anything less than guaranteed.

For years, the forces behind the Janus lawsuit have spent staggering amounts of money trying to undermine workers’ rights, divide working people, weaken unions, and limit workers’ ability to exert their strength in numbers. They think they have the momentum on their side right now, but we can prove them wrong.

Add your name with mine to support workers’ rights and stand in solidarity with organized labor.

Connor Lamb