Inspired by the workers in Wisconsin who aim to preserve middle class jobs and vital services for their communities, APALA members have participated in solidarity actions in New York, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Detroit, Alameda, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and in Wisconsin itself.
We stand together with the millions of workers, parents, and students who are fighting to keep workplace freedoms. We stand united against the unreasonable politicians who do not bargain in good faith, but instead seek to destroy working families. Attacks on union members are just the tip of the iceberg. Instead of balancing the budget by closing corporate loopholes and pursuing tax-evading companies, politicians like Gov. Walker are trying to pass divisive anti-immigrant bills and cut health care and social safety net programs that Asian Pacific American families rely on.
Now, more than ever, we must take a stand. Students face rising tuition costs and homeowners increasingly find themselves unable to maintain a roof over their heads. Asian Pacific Americans who are unemployed remain out of work for longer periods than other Americans, and face greater language barriers to employment. It’s time for our elected leadership to put aside political posturing, stop attacking workers’ rights, and work together to create a jobs plan for the future.