Remarks of Kathy Stewart,
OCSEA Secretary Treasurer
CMCA Conference
Feb. 12 - 14, 2010

I am honored to be here today to speak at this year’s Committee on Minority and Community Affairs’ Conference. The theme of this year’s Conference – Weaving the Tapestry for our Legacy One Member at a Time. This theme could not be more on point given current conditions. A Tapestry chronicles events and the lives of those who made a difference.

Today we are here to reflect on a man who dedicated his life to cause he believed in more than anything else. In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. shared his dream with America, and that dream has stayed with us ever since. His dream was for true racial and socio-economic equality. And while we have seen some turbulent times since those days, less than 50 years ago, we have also seen King’s vision come to fruition, in many respects.

In the 1960s, Martin Luther King, Jr. made his whole life about achieving equal rights for African Americans. He began to change the way people thought about race and about equality. His vision for people of color and the working class also helped pave the way for the modern women’s rights movement of the 1960s and 70s that many of my colleagues and I became a part of. In fact, the struggles of race have many parallels to the fight for gender equality. In this sense, Martin Luther King has greatly impacted my life as a middle class, white woman.

Had he been asked, I think King would have considered himself a feminist. He knew better than to underestimate entire groups of people based on one single, characteristic they shared.

King once said, “A right delayed is a right denied.”When you simply “put off” giving people what is their right, you are further disrespecting them, and suppressing them--just as they did when women campaigned for the right to vote in this country. Powerful men tried to make us forget the issue and keep things just the way they were. They tried to sweep it under the rug with a simple “We’ll see”--delaying our rights for a voice in politics. In fact, women were denied the right to vote for 50 years after the 15th amendment prohibited states from stopping anyone from voting based on race.

But the women didn’t give up. That delay continued until 1920, when the 19th amendment was passed. Finally, the U.S. Constitution reflected equality among men and women when it came to our right to vote.

Yes, Martin Luther King knew the struggle women went through to have their voices heard, and he would have such rights delayed for no one, denied to no one…including those seeking to join labor unions. For Dr. King, the labor movement was as important an issue as people of color’s struggle for equal rights.

King once said, “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.” Martin Luther King spoke at multiple UAW events and AFL-CIO conventions in the early and mid-1960s and was a firm advocate of unions. He understood the importance of the labor movement as well as public service and believed in and fought for our right to collectively bargain. He considered the general laborer someone deserving of not only respect, but fair working conditions, decent wages and good benefits. As the people who complete this important work every day, we must be reminded of Martin Luther King’s words and try our hardest to undertake these duties with the “painstaking excellence” he once spoke of.

That’s because if nothing else, King had faith. As he once said, “Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”

Faith is important to me. King had faith that his world would change. But that doesn’t mean he sat on his hands and waited for change to suddenly occur. On the contrary, he did everything in his power to make it happen. He was strong and persistent in his faith and in his works, and we all need to follow his example.

One thing I have faith in today is that our great state will live to see better days. This is a hard thing to believe right now, but I know that if we work to keep union-friendly politicians in office, we will fight our way out of this financial mess. But if we don’t rise up, or if we think that by doing nothing, something good will come of it—we’re dead in the water.

Today, there are many threats to all those things the middle class holds dear, right here in Ohio: a good public education, the rights of workers to collectively bargain, a secure retirement, and a fair tax structure that doesn’t punish working families.

There is an important election coming up this year that will decide what direction Ohio will be going in, in a big way. On one hand, we have the chance to re-elect someone who values the things I mentioned, in addition to seeing the importance of keeping jobs here at home, and enforcing labor-friendly policy.

On the other hand, we have a candidate who doesn’t really see the need to offer Ohioans opportunities, or education, or a living wage, who will gladly sell our state down the river to the highest bidder. This person has been connected to the fall of one of the world’s biggest financial service firms and directly contributed to the financial crisis we now find ourselves in. He is also the candidate running on the plan to completely eliminate the state income tax. You may think to yourself, great, I don’t like paying taxes. But you would have to think about what such a drastic move would mean for the quality of life of Ohioans. How would our children be educated? Who would ensure that our air is clean or our water is safe to drink? Who would make sure criminals are locked up and not threatening our communities? Who would care for our roads and bridges?

Additionally, this candidate seeks to give tax breaks to the wealthiest in the state, further decreasing our revenue in order to do his friends a favor. I can tell you that Ohioans quality of life would be severely diminished. This candidate doesn’t care if you keep your job or if it gets outsourced to God-knows-where. Also, if you think too many jobs are being outsourced now, and if this man gets elected, I have two words for you: “Just wait”.

Another thing I believe is important is keeping those statewide offices filled with labor-friendly candidates. They will work closely with our governor and help make crucial decisions that will impact the future of labor in Ohio. We need to keep the Apportionment Board, which draws the lines for the legislative districts, to be made up as much as it can be of statewide officials who support unions and what we stand for. The board consists of five people: the governor; the Secretary of State; the State Auditor; a member chosen by the Speaker of the House and the Speaker’s party’s Senate leader; and one final member chosen by the leaders of the minority party. These district lines will be drawn once more come 2011 and any changes made that aren’t in our favor will be hard to reverse down the road, I can tell you that, brothers and sisters. I hope you will join me in my faith that we can and will do everything in our power to keep this from happening.

We need to hold onto the House and make sure the anti-labor politicians don’t take it over like they have the state Senate. Otherwise harmful legislation could stand a better chance of passing and hurting unionized workers. You need to understand this – private industry survives based on profit. Our very jobs depend on who we elect to state offices. If you don’t believe mw – ask those who use to work for the Student Loan Commission and the Ohio Veterans’ Children’s Home. By a piece of legislation – their jobs are gone. Who do you think they’ll go after next once they succeed in decreasing bargaining unit state workers or outsourcing your job? If we stand together we have a better chance of beating the odds. And if we do nothing, we will suffer in more ways than one, union brothers and sisters.

It took a long time, but look where we are today: this country elected an African American president and we are continuing the struggle of righting a wrong with regard to people’s access to health care. I can’t imagine how proud King would be today of the progress America has made since his time. And that progress was made because of his hard work.

This Tapestry is not only made up of great leaders of the past such as the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the late Senator Ted Kennedy, but also current leaders like President O’Bama – all who championed the4 rights of minorities and the working class.

Our “Own” OCSEA Tapestry will continue to thrive with great leaders that will come from the Next Wave, our children, and our grandchildren.

If you are a President of a chapter, district council, or assembly, please rise and remain standing. If you are a Vice President – please rise. If you are a Secretary or Treasurer – please rise. If you are an Executive Board Member – please rise. If you are a steward – please rise. If you are a Union Activist – please rise. If you are someone who believes in and supports this union – please rise. We all have the responsibility to nuture our future leaders with the knowledge and strengths from our diverse background and our own union heritage.

If all of us complete our task, then, and only then, can we continue Weaving the Tapestry for our Legacy One Member at a Time. Thank you.