LANSING, MI – The Michigan AFL-CIO commemorated the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. yesterday by delivering his message of the intersection of civil rights and workers’ rights to Michigan state legislative offices. Michigan’s labor movement continues to encourage elected officials to heed the Reverend’s message and to repeal “right-to-work” and similar policies created by the wealthy to divide working people.
“The teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. remain at the forefront of our work, and Michigan’s labor movement reminded state legislators of his pro-worker message yesterday,” said Ron BIEBER, President of the Michigan AFL-CIO. “Dr. King’s message was simple: the purpose of so-called ‘right-to-work’ laws is to destroy unions and our ability to improve wages and working conditions for all people. Every MLK Day we see politicians on both sides of the aisle quoting Dr. King. This year they have an opportunity to heed his message by repealing anti-union ‘Right-to-Work’ for Less policies and fighting for the betterment of all working families.”
“To truly honor the legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we must continue his work toward justice for all working people,” said Representative Karen WHITSETT, District 4, a co-sponsor of legislation that would repeal Michigan’s Right-to-Work laws. “While we reflect on how far our nation has come in the fight for racial and workplace equality, we must also acknowledge how far we’ve yet to go. In Michigan, we can continue to heed Dr. King’s words by repealing so-called ‘right-to-work’ and passing policies that will bring racial and economic justice to the forefront of Michigan decision making.”
The posters [photo attached] the Michigan AFL-CIO delivered to legislative offices reference comments made by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1961 on right-to-work laws:
“In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans such as ‘right-to-work,’ It is a law to rob us of our civil rights and job rights. Its purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining by which unions have improved wages and working conditions of everyone…Wherever these laws have been passed, wages are lower, job opportunities are fewer, and there are no civil rights. We do not intend to let them do this to us. We demand this fraud be stopped.”
The Michigan AFL-CIO, Michigan’s largest labor organization, is a federation representing forty different labor organizations, eighteen different central labor councils, and eight constituency groups representing over 1 million union members and their families.
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