WV UE Union meets intl. labor leaders
Milind Ranade , a labor leader from India talking about his amazing story
UE Local 170 brought union leaders from around the world to the WV Cultural Center today for a luncheon. I got to meet people from Canada, India, Mexico, Japan and other U.S. states, hearing some amazing stories.
Fuse Keisuke, a labor leader from Japan speaking at luncheon. He is from the public employees union Zenroren
The leaders were all from labor unions that represented public sector workers like myself. The fellow from India told the best story I have ever heard in my life, about organizing the poor souls that collect the trash in Calcutta. It took his union 8 months just to get the first one to join. Now, after several years, they are making real progress, helping the people who work 365 days/year for very little money gain some respect from their employers and better pay and benefits. His story brought tears to my eyes.
It was so great to meet people from around the world who share my belief that every human being deserves a living wage and health benefits.
UE national leader Robin Alexander who set up the intl exchange. Next to her is Jeff Begley of CSN, a union member from Quebec
Ken Hechler was invited to the meeting, and at the end stood up to tell the audience about the coming presidential election. He said that the new president would respect other nations much more than his predecessor, and also respect working people. He was given a loud applause including my own.
Congressman Ken Hechler having lunch with labor leaders from around the world
Congrations to the UE national office in Pittsburgh, and especially the UE members from around the country and union leaders from around the world that came to WV to help us with our own struggle for a living wage and health benefits.
The labor leaders had spent Saturday at Haddad Park in downtown Charleston, rallying against the wage freeze for state employees. On Monday they traveled to Huntington to help local UE members rally against the dangerous understaffing at a state hospital. Some of them were traveling to North Carolina to join their brothers and sisters in the UE there, a state that forbids unions.
UE International Representative Saladin Muhammad, a labor leader from North Carolina
But before they left the area, labor historian Wess Harris, publisher of William C. Blizzard’s monumental “When Miners March” took some of the visitors on a tour of local labor history sites.
