"There's a direct relationship between the ballot box and the bread box, and what the union fights for and wins at the bargaining table can be taken away in the legislative halls." -- Organized labor giant and civil rights hero Walter Reuther (9/1/1907 - 5/9/1970), from the proceedings of Constitutional Convention of the United Auto Workers, 1970. Every working and middle class family today owes a great debt to Reuther, who co-founded the AFL-CIO with George Meany in 1955 and was the longest serving head of the United Auto Workers (24 years). He's also notable for his civil rights activism, advocacy for women's rights, universal health care, and affordable housing, among other concerns. His championing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the creation of Medicare and Medicaid was essential to their passage. He was a close ally of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and marched with him frequently.
Reuther's words are more relevant today than ever, with an aggressive, reactionary MAGA movement willing and able to break unions and put workers at the mercy of multinational corporations. That's why making sure those "legislative halls" are controlled by pro-working family union supporters is of vital importance.
(photo: Reuther with MLK, Jr. Getty Images)
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