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| Teamsters weren't the only people at this rally in Lincln on Saturday |
As the war on workers continues to rage, we thought it important to bring you stories of those who will be most affected by the right’s devastating attacks. These are the people whose livelihoods will be compromised if collective bargaining is taken away. They are everyday Americans who work hard to provide for their families and ask for nothing more than food on their table, a roof over their heads, a living wage and a secure retirement. This is the face of the middle-class in America today.
Maureen Carrigg is a 22-year National Education Association member and professor of Mass Communication at a small state college in Nebraska. Though Nebraska doesn’t currently have any anti-union legislation on the table, Carrigg feels the pressure from actions being taken against workers in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana and attended a rally in Lincoln last weekend to fight for her rights.
As an educator in a right-to-work state, Carrigg receives some of the lowest pay in the nation for her work. She fears for her future if she no longer has the right to bargain collectively. Carrigg is a single parent and cancer victim who might not be alive today were it not for the actions of her union. This is Carrigg’s story in her own words:
I credit my union with saving my life because of the way they were able to bargain and get us decent health insurance. I can’t imagine what managing my cancer would have been like without that health insurance there.
The NEA has done a lot for me and other workers other than securing health care. They did a gender equity study about 10 years ago that really helped put my salary up where it should have been. For me, that was a life-changing moment because I was finally able to make a middle class income. It made the difference between just getting by and actually being able to get a house. I believe my union has also advocated for my safety in the classroom. The NEA has also done some lobbying to help advocate for students who need mental health services. They’re not only advocating for me as a union member, but they are advocating for my students.
There’s so much at stake here. It’s a quality of life issue. What’s going on in Wisconsin and Ohio and Indiana is how the middle class becomes extinct. We’re allowing people who are above the middle-class income to make decisions about how middle-income people live. It’s important to do little things. If you can’t go to a rally, it really doesn’t take a lot of time to make a phone call or send an e-mail. It’s easier than ever before to get in contact with your representatives. This isn’t just a public servant issue—this is an issue for everyone and everyone needs to be involved.
