CINDY SHEEHAN FOR CAL GOV 2014 SUPPORTS BART WORKERS!

Defend BART and AC Transit Workers
Stop Union Busting And Presecute And Jail BART Managers And Executives For BART Deaths

I am fully in support of the struggle of the BART and AC transit workers. They have had real wage losses in the past five to ten years and yet the management supported by the boards of director of BART and AC have pushed austerity and attacks on the workers and their families.

This attack on the transit and all public workers is being led by the Democratic Governor Jerry Brown and the Democratic controlled legislature. Governor Brown is even suing the Federal government to allow for more cost shifting of pensions on the back of Transit workers.

The governor is pushing anti-stirke leglaons was important nationally.

The deaths of two replacement workers on the tracks of BART during the strike is directly the result of the BART managers, executives and the Democratic BART board of directors who were planning to bust the union. They demanded an end to the eight hour day, take away seniority and and more cost shifting to pay for healthcare and pensions.

The BART managers and executives argued that workers should take a pay cut to pay for more trains. This demand takes place at the same time that workers and riders are paying for BART.

We need to make the developers, corporations and billionaires pay for free quality safe mass transit systems.

The cost shifting that has been going on by the corporations to force workers to pay more healthcare and pension costs is instituting austerity and real cuts on living conditions for all working people while the billionaires get wealthier.

I also oppose the concessionary and regressive bargaining that many union officials are involved in. This is the pathway to further union busting and decline of living conditions.

Governor Brown has also used the anti-labor law providing a "60 day" cooling off period in the BART struggle and now in the AC Transit. These workers are facing the brunt of economic crisis.

n other news, the BART strike was settled last night and all trains should be back to normal this afternoon. One would think that doesn't have much to do with me since I don't live in an area that is serviced by BART (I do ride it often, though), but as a candidate for Governor of California, I need to make it known, that I am on the side of the worker. 

Like the Wobblies say, "An injury to one, is an injury to all," and conversely, "A victory for one is a victory to all." I don't know exactly what concessions the workers had to give up, but for them it was about their safety and the safety of the passengers.

BART consistently runs at a profit, when train frequency is low and the cost is high, compared to the other systems I have ridden in this nation and around the world. Public transportation should be more widespread and very low cost to get people out of their dino-juice mobiles and off the roads. Also, many disadvantaged workers rely on the system. However, I am dismayed to see so little working-class solidarity with striking workers. Organized labor is responsible for the few concessions and benefits that we workers do have, that we are now losing faster than the jobs that have gone overseas.

We need to struggle together. If you're a teacher that is annoyed that BART engineers make more money than you, ORGANIZE. I think all workers should make a very comfortable LIVING wage with benefits only given to a congress-critter in this day and age.

Viva la trabajador! Viva la lucha!