I had an important message for a caller to Politics Done Right who pointed out that the Mayor of Houston was pitting municipal workers against firefighters in the attempts to deny them a raise voters approved in the last election. I hope I imparted the broader message that those who work need to stop allowing those on top, those who do the least to define the narrative and provide us with false choices. We should not have workers fighting against each other, but instead, workers must take their fair share of the pie. Please listen to my response, comment, and share.
Workers must not allow false choices that pit them against each other
The backstory here is simple. Firefighters in Houston Texas much like they are throughout the country have been fighting for a raise comparable to police officers. The city denied them that honor for years. To add insult to injury, to help sure up the pension fund, each firefighter lost over $100,000 in their pensions. Since they could not reach a deal with the mayor and the city, they went directly to the voters who approved their wage increases, parity with police officers.
Sadly and selfishly the police union came out against the pay hike mimicking the mayor’s narrative of municipal workers losing their jobs to cover the pay raise. In other words, the mayor and the powers on the top started to pit worker against worker. Instead of doing the right thing, going back to the voters and ask for a small tax increase to pay for their services, the timid politicians and their Judas-like police officer union created dissension among employees.
It is time for workers to fight back, not against each other but the system. There is always monies for stadiums and corporate giveaways. It is high time to invest in workers, the people that make society function.