H2D Hollywood to the Docks Opening Day

ILWU Local 63 Marine Clerks Secretary Peter Peyton outlines what is at stake in the HOLLYWOOD TO THE DOCKS march. Peyton: "Everyone say 'UNIONS'... What makes L.A. work? UNIONS! What gave us the 8-hour working day? UNIONS! What gives us health care that can't be matched in this country? UNIONS! What gave us fair working conditions so we can work safely? UNIONS! Ladies and gentlemen, this event is the event that just can't be for Los Angeles. It has to be a message during the political season for this entire nation. And the message has to be clear that forty years ago, sixty years ago people in this country were promised a chicken in every pot. And the middle class -- the working class of this nation -- became the envy of everybody in the world. But what happened was there was a group of people came along and tried to pass themselves across as 'compassionate conservatives.' What do they do now instead of the chicken in the pot? They're trying to give us boullion cubes and have us share 'em. The reality is the shackles have got to be taken off of unions. They've got to be allowed to negotiate. And we've got to make it loud and clear for this entire country that the working people in this country deserve their share and that we're not going to stand for it anymore.
These elections in 2008 are critical because we have to hold the politicians accountible to the working people of this country. No longer can we look at this as 'compassionate' unless we the working people agree that it's compassionate. So, what is it that makes L.A. work? UNIONS! Thank you very much."

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