Today, around the country, public services and the workers who provide those services are under attack as never before. School, libraries, water districts, fire departments, police officers public highways, streets and sanitation—virtually every public institution is in jeopardy. And every public worker faces the threat of losing his or her job or finding their wages and benefits cut. We should be involved in the fight to save these services and to protect the jobs and standard of living of these workers.

The economic crisis and the fiscal crisis of government at all levels have become the excuse to attempt to privatize, shut down, or reduce services while at the same time attacking the labor unions which represent workers in the public sector. Republicans and Democrats are in agreement that because of the economic and fiscal crises, workers should give up wages and benefits. President Obama called for freezing federal workers wages while Republican and Democratic governors alike are calling for budget cuts, layoffs, furloughs and reductions in benefits.