Unions Rally to Support Each Other

On Monday afternoon, April 4, a noisy, enthusiastic group of men and women gathered on the sidewalk in front of the United Federation of Communication Workers Local 5 on Alhambra Avenue and held signs, made noise, and showed solidarity to each other and the passing traffic. The message was clear - unions are good, and public employees are not the enemy. 

It's not a message everyone agrees with these days, particularly in the halls of power. Recent events in Wisconsin and Ohio - where the right to collective bargaining has been severely reduced - have union employees, and public employees in particular, concerned that soaring budget deficits are being blamed on their benefits and pensions.

So unions around California, and in Martinez, decided to take a public stand on the anniversary of the assasination of Martin Luther King, Jr., whose final act was to stand with sanitation workers striking for collective bargaining rights. Martinez Patch was there to capture some of the action.