Editorials & Other Articles

marmar

(77,090 posts) Mon Feb 13, 2012, 10:59 AM Feb 2012

"It's No Longer a Secure Place to Work": Working People Speak Out on Attacks on Public Employees

AlterNet / By Melissa Chadburn

"It's No Longer a Secure Place to Work": Working People Speak Out on Attacks on Public Employees
California's state deficit led to furloughs for already-crunched workers--two of them share their stories of how anti-worker propaganda causes real problems.

February 12, 2012 |

California is really something to watch. With its braggers. It’s a state of contradictions. Its history of gallant actor governors. Actors, that lived on in their constituents' minds and hearts as cowboys and avengers. The whole while telling us ‘California! Come to California!’ With its six million residents that had incomes below the federal poverty line. California, where one in five residents lacked health insurance in 2010. California, whose Preamble to its constitution states “ We, the People of the State of California, grateful to Almighty God for our freedom, in order to secure and perpetuate its blessings, …” (Which of course does not apply to the 1,404,053 persons under the jurisdiction of state prison authorities, across the state of California.)

One thing California might have gotten a clue about is furloughs for public workers. Furloughs are basically forced days off. Imagine this: It’s a bright Friday morning. Payday. You make plans with some friends to hang after work. Grab your coffee. Your breakfast bar. And you go to work. The boss says the company is having some financial problems and he can no longer afford you every other Friday.

That’s not too bad, you think. Free day for you. Do some laundry. Buy some cat litter. Grocery shopping. Errands are always better during the week. Until your check comes. WHOA Waitasecond.

That’s exactly what happened in California. State workers were forced to sacrifice every other paid Friday of work to help balance the state budget. The state workers furlough officially ended October 2010 but now we are still suffering from a $26 billion deficit. Local governments are now considering furloughs as a solution. Some of my coworkers are even forced to take their children to work because the schools are closed down every other Friday. ..................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/story/154109/%22it%27s_no_longer_a_secure_place_to_work%22%3A_working_people_speak_out_on_attacks_on_public_employees/

3 replies

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"It's No Longer a Secure Place to Work": Working People Speak Out on Attacks on Public Employees (Original Post) marmar Feb 2012 OP

Du rec. Nt xchrom Feb 2012 #1

The general attack on all state employees... CoffeeCat Feb 2012 #2

a big K&R for the state workers! shanti Feb 2012 #3

xchrom

(108,903 posts)

1. Du rec. Nt

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Feb 13, 2012, 11:21 AM

Feb 2012

CoffeeCat

(24,411 posts)

2. The general attack on all state employees...

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Feb 13, 2012, 11:41 AM

Feb 2012

...really is sad and pathetic.

These hardworking people are teachers, accountants, IT professionals, psychologists,
personal assistants, marketing professionals, office workers and more. The media
and corporate American has waged a PR campaign against this workers, and it is
disgusting.

Corporate America does not like that state workers get decent wages and benefits and
that the unions have an impact on protecting the worker and ensuring that their benefits
remain. So corporate America and their partners in the media have launched a marketing
campaign against them--attempting to position these state workers as lazy and demanding.

The reality is--ALL workers should have decent, competitive pay and great benefits. It used
to be that most salaried, full-time employees did have these things. Not any more.

My husband was laid off and he returned to work--to a 20 percent pay cut (he's in IT and
all salaries have decreased). We used to pay nothing for health-benefits. Now we pay
around $400 per month. 401k matches are lower and barely existent. Our experience
is the trend in America now. Pay people for less, make them work longer hours and cut
their benefits. State workers have been insulated from this abuse, due to the unions.

That is why state workers are under attack. I've even heard right-wing radio hacks
like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh mocking and attacking state workers.

Their lie-based, hate campaign seems to be working. People are envious of state workers
and their benefits. Some thing they don't deserve those great benefits.

State workers are talented, professional and they're human beings. They are being caught
in a dirty tricks information war--waged by corporate greed mongers who are upset that
some workers in this country are treated well. These psychopaths won't be happy until
all of us are overworked and underpaid slaves.

State workers remind us all of how it should be--and corporate America can't have that!

shanti

(21,675 posts)

3. a big K&R for the state workers!

Reply to marmar (Original post)

Mon Feb 13, 2012, 12:36 PM

Feb 2012

i was one of them in 2010. the gropenator's furloughs really messed peoples' lives up - pushed me out the door sooner than i had planned.

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