Solidarity with WA State Ferries workers in the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA) union in their fight for 20 percent raises! MEBA members operate, maintain and repair the engine rooms of Washington State Ferries. Democratic Governor Ferguson and the Democrat-dominated State Legislature have put forward a stunning ZERO-PERCENT-raise contract! MEBA members are fed up and angry.
@wrkrsstrikeback and I stand in full solidarity with their sickouts!
Public sector workers everywhere are facing the brutal impact of budget shortfalls that have been engineered by the Democratic and Republican parties who refuse to tax the rich. In Washington State, this means public-sector workers have been offered ZERO PERCENT raises across the board after two years that saw a 6 percent inflation rate and the billionaires and multimillionaires massively increasing their wealth.
MEBA members have also been fighting to close a shocking 20-percent wage gap with comparable industry jobs for nearly a decade, so the recent ZERO-PERCENT-raise contract adds insult to injury.
MEBA members are going on the offensive with sickouts. This is setting an example of the kind of fightback that the labor movement needs.
Unfortunately, the leadership of most labor unions have refused to lead any kind of fight against the attacks on workers. The leadership of the Washington Federation of State Employees accepted ZERO-PERCENT-raise contracts this year without organizing any significant action against this rotten deal. Rank-and-file union members will need to organize around fighting demands and strategies and overcome the obstacle of union leaders who refuse to fight.