In this election, working people don’t have a choice. We have an imperative.
Jerry Brown has spent a lifetime fighting for working families. Meg Whitman, on the other hand, has spent her adult life as one of the corporate elite, advancing Wall Street’s disastrous agenda. Whitman’s plan to corporatize our economy would lead to more devastating cuts to education, health care and the safety net. She’d cut tens of thousands of jobs, making an already severe recession much worse. She’d strip workers of important protections like meal breaks and overtime pay.
More than 500 union members and leaders from across the state gathered in San Jose this morning committing to reject Whitman’s hostile takeover attempt of California and elect a proven, experienced leader and fighter for working families, Jerry Brown.
The California Labor Federation today endorsed Attorney General Brown in his bid to become Governor, kicking off Labor’s broadest grassroots electoral campaign in California history.
A glimpse at Brown’s record shows why he’s the right person to renew California’s promise and rebuild our middle class. During his nearly four decades of public service, he has compiled an impressive record in support of working families’ priorities. Brown fought to:
Protect and improve our wages. As Governor, Brown strengthened the state’s equal pay law (SB 1051, 1976), and signed a law that requires the University of California to pay prevailing wage on construction projects (SB 394, 1975).
Ensure a safe and healthy workplace. In 1980, Brown signed a groundbreaking law (SB 1874) that requires employers to provide information to workers on toxic substances produced or handled in their workplace.
Strengthen the safety net for laid off and injured workers. During his 8 years as governor, Brown increased unemployment benefits for laid off workers (AB 91, 1975), and signed several bills to extend and increase workers’ compensation for those who were injured on the job (SB 469, 1975; AB 467, 1976; AB 3028, 1978).
Expand and defend our right to form and join unions. Under Brown’s leadership, California established collective bargaining rights for teachers, school employees and other state workers (SB 160, 1975), firefighters, police and other local government workers (AB 644, 1978) and farm workers (SB 1, 1975). Additionally, Brown signed a law that prohibits the use of professional strikebreakers in labor disputes (SB 719, 1975). Today, more than a million Californians can bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions thanks to Jerry Brown.
Crack down on employers that don’t play by the rules. As Attorney General, Jerry Brown has take legal action against a number of companies that exploit and abuse their workers and violate California’s labor laws. Just this month, Brown secured a settlement for construction workers whose rights have been violated by their employer (CA v. Evleth Construction, 4/5/2010). He’s never shied away from a fight, even when the odds were against him.
In short, Jerry Brown did more than any governor in California history to build the middle class.
He also knows a thing or two about creating jobs. Unlike Meg’s unrepentant job slashing, Jerry Brown has a record job creating. As Governor, he created 1.9 million jobs for California.
From his time as Governor to his work as Attorney General, Jerry’s been on our side.
Jerry Brown’s life of public service has been about fighting for a fair deal —
Not CEO deals;
Not multinational corporations;
Not the wealthy and privileged.
Jerry fights now for a new generation of prosperity, a new chapter for California -A chapter in which everyone has the right to earn their own way, to a safe workplace, a healthy environment, and good health care.
Meg Whitman is trying to buy the Governor’s office to corporatize our economy, to give more power and wealth to the already wealthy and powerful.
Jerry Brown fights to restore for us the California that we knew – when he led it – a California that is unsurpassed in its potential for the future. A California that works for its working people.
He shares our values. He’s on our side. We need a leader in Sacramento who we trust, not another corporate crony to do Wall Street’s bidding. The contrast between the two candidates couldn’t be starker. And there’s never been more on the line for California’s families than there is this year.
Jerry Brown is leading a new fight for our better future. Now it’s time for us to fight for him.
Art Pulaski is executive secretary-treasurer of the California Labor Federation, representing 2.1 million union members in over 1,200 unions across the state. For more information, visit www.CaliforniaLabor.org.