Elijah Lewis: “today there are powerful forces in America that want to take us backward, not forward. In the name of global…”

“today there are powerful forces in America that want to take us backward, not forward. In the name of global competition, there are some who say that in order to be competitive in the world market that we must give away our standard of living and our high working standards. To those people, I say ``no.'' We have to ask ourselves, as a nation and as a people, what kind of nation do we want to be? Are we really free and successful, if too many of our citizens are harassed and intimidated on the job when they are trying to form a union to protect their rights? People living in a democracy should not have to work in an atmosphere of fear and oppression. And they should be able to exercise their rights to organize. There are many corporations in Atlanta, like UPS, Coke and others, that are profitable international institutions who do not sacrifice the dignity and the integrity of their employees. We have to ask ourselves whether we can be truly comfortable, if somewhere in America somebody is working hard, struggling to make ends meet, but they fear the retaliation of their employer if they try to protect their dignity and worth on the job? How long can we live in comfort before this injustice comes knocking at our door? I have always been a strong supporter of labor and working Americans, and why I am an original co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act.”