Occupy Redlands Supports RivCo Union Strike

Occupy Redlands on Monday released a statement of support for the thousands of Riverside County employees who planned a massive strike this morning.

According to several media reports, the workers are upset with the Riverside County Board of Supervisors plans to make cuts to pension and benefit plans.

The Southern California Public Service Workers accuse the county of “unfair labor practices.” They are calling on Riverside officials to return to the negotiation table to bargain in good faith to reach a fair settlement.

Members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) planed to picket at the Riverside County Administrative Center starting at 7 a.m. They authorized the one-day strike after they rejected the county's final contract offer, acording to ABC 7 news.

Occupy Redlands is closely connected with a number of Riverside groups especially Occupy Riverside. The two have been among the most active in the area. The groups are vocal about workers rights.

Below is a statement issued by Occupy Redlands:

Occupy Redlands stands in solidarity with Riverside County workers for the one-day STRIKE against the unfair labor practices of Riverside County on Tuesday January 30, 2012 at the County Administrative Center (4080 Lemon St., Riverside, CA  92501).

Occupy Redlands believes collective bargaining is important to us as a nation for several reasons. First, there is our economic welfare. The growth of collective bargaining promotes a fairer distribution of resources and enhances mass purchasing power. For teachers, police, firefighters, health care workers, and like those who work for the County of Riverside, it helps create and maintain a robust middle class. A sizable middle class enables these millions of Americans to contribute to economic well-being for the rest of us, by purchasing consumer goods, investing in higher education for their children, buying homes, taking family vacations, etc.

Collective bargaining also enhances democratic decision-making in our everyday lives.  Most working Americans spend the bulk of their waking hours in their place of employment. Collective bargaining reinforces our national commitment to self-government by respecting the role of employee voice as a meaningful part of workplace decision-making: this includes sharing both benefits and burdens between workers and management.

As such, Occupy Redlands believes that the BOS of Riverside County should go back to the negotiation table with their public employees and bargain in good faith.

Occupy Redlands is a group of citizens dedicated to improving the quality of life in our local community, the Inland Empire, America, and the World.

We gather in solidarity with the ongoing protest in New York City, Occupy Wall Street, and the growing number of cities whose people will no longer sit back watching corporate and special interests run their government.