By: Cory McCray/Chairman of Young Trade Unionists
“We have to hold elected officials accountable, from the Governor to the dog catcher.” “I have always been with you and I will always be with organized labor.” “Whenever labor needs me, I have been there.” “You can always count on me.” Those were the voices of legislators from Maryland as they addressed the Metropolitan Baltimore Council AFL-CIO and Baltimore Building Trades Council when they held their annual rally in Annapolis on Monday, March 21, 2011.
Those speeches were very heartfelt and convincing, but the question is; “Are they true?” Can this be true when the pension battle still exists and they are proposing a 2% reduction in pay to public employees to cover pension cost? Institute tier systems for your workers which increase the years in which they can retire, higher deductions for young workers, and five additional years on top of five current years for them to be vested in the retirement.
Can those speeches be taken serious when the millionaires of Maryland are getting a .75% tax break because the Millionaires tax has sunset, while the workers in Maryland have to watch grocery, gas, and everyday expenses rise? Can those speeches be taken serious when we ignore combined reporting for corporations who evade Maryland taxes by claiming their profits in States with lower tax rates? Keep in mind that this action is not a level playing ground and it reduces the competiveness for small businesses that don’t have the same options.
As organized labor mobilized hundreds of people for this rally, the answer is YES the legislators have the potential of choosing the right actions for the aforementioned legislation, but that choice is not going to be right without the help of the public applying pressure to your legislators. The pressure comes from emails, phone calls, and personal visits to let them know YES I would like to see homecare workers with collective bargaining rights, and YES I believe corporations should pay their fair share in Maryland taxes. Let them know that, no I DO NOT agree with public employees receiving a 2% reduction in pay for pension costs, no I DO NOT agree with Millionaires getting another tax break and, no I DO NOT agree with instituting a tier system for young workers.
Also, while you’re at it, let Republican Senator Kittleman know that you do not appreciate him proposing legislation that would repeal Project Labor Agreements, institute Right to Work for less, and repeal Prevailing Wage. This destructive legislation would take the State of Maryland back fifty years!
Young workers, old workers, all in the same; We the people have elected our legislators to make good choices. If they fail to make good choices, WE have to understand the power of our vote and our ability to mobilize and organize others that have power in their votes. Understanding the power of your vote is critical, because it dictates the survival rate of the middle class. A great author stated “There are no permanent friends, and no permanent enemies. Only permanent interests.” Author Unknown
[...] tax loopholes. Most of all, when children, retirees, new workers, state employees, and others are sharing in the sacrifice the millionaires in Maryland get a tax break. The Millionaires tax rate went from 6.25% to 5.5% [...]