Posted: August 30, 2012

Workers’ “Stand for America” rally draws 40,000

IBEW Local 1245 members Jennifer Gray, left, and Jammi Juarez, right, join IBEW President Ed Hill in Philadelphia.

The “Stand for America” rally drew an estimated 40,000 union members and supporters.

IBEW President Ed Hill encourages union members to stand tall at the “Stand for America” rally.

By Jammi Juarez

Approximately 40,000 American workers flooded Fairmount Park in Philadelphia on Aug. 11. We came together to convey a message to our elected officials. We spoke out on the mishandling of the American economy.

It appears that some of our elected officials are waging a war against us: organized labor. This war consists of many fronts including high unemployment, job outsourcing, tax breaks for the rich while raising taxes on the working middle class, and denial of collective bargaining rights. We came together to present The Second Bill of Rights, a petition to demand worker’s rights.

The Second Bill of Rights:

• The Right to Full Employment and a Living Wage
• The Right to Full Participation in the Electoral Process
• The Right to a Voice at Work
• The Right to a Quality Education
• The Right to a Secure, Healthy Future

 The rally was solidarity at its finest. It was moving and overwhelming to look at the tens of thousands around me. It was nice to watch the American Working Class come together to be heard. I urge every union member/worker to sign the petition at WorkersStandForAmerica.com and stand up for the working class across America.

Jammi Juarez, a PG&E Service Rep. in Sacrament and IBEW Local 1245 activist, has been active in numerous political campaigns around the country in defense of workers’ rights.