Rally for Good Jobs, Living Wages and Public Services

TFT joined our coalition partners from across the state and thousands of Tennesseans in Nashville March 15 to Rally for Good Jobs, Living Wages and Public Services. More than 1,000 people came out to protest union-busting bills in the legislature this session, including the removal of collective bargaining rights for teachers, the only public workers in Tennessee who are given such rights. We also attended the SOCM and TAP press conference supporting green jobs initiatives, and of course met with several legislators to discuss Gov. Haslam's State of the State address and support our bills like the Out-of-State Sales Tax Act, the Tennessee Small Business Protection Act, and the Single-Article Cap Removal Act.
It was an inspiring day, and TFT Board Member Al Mance did a great job speaking at the rally. We were joined by comrades from Jobs with Justice, Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment, Tennessee Alliance for Progress, Tennessee Citizen Action, ACL-CIO, TEA, Progressive Student Alliance, SEIU, AFSCME, and TIRRC, among others. This was only the first step in this battle, and was a huge step forward in our efforts to build a broad movement of social justice in the state.
And there was some excitement - for more information, this article has the best coverage so far.
We appreciate everyone who joined us and who coordinated the efforts, and hope to see you on the bus next time!