CA Alliance for Jobs Organizes Massive Statewide Rallies to Pressure Lawmakers to Close the Budget Deal
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From Fresno, KGPE-TV47 (CBS)
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Valley Construction Workers Picket State Legislators
As the budget debate continues in Sacramento, Valley construction workers take to the streets.
Close to 100 out of work men and women were out picket in Fresno Tuesday morning.
They are targeting members of the state legislative leadership with the message of getting the state budget passed now. They say for every day we go without a new budget, the list of construction projects losing funding gets bigger.
The workers say projects like improvements to Highway 99 or expanding Highway 180 aren't getting any funding because the state is mired in a multi-billion dollar deficit.
Those delays put the construction industry at nearly 25% unemployment.
Bruce Rust with Local 294 in Fresno said, "It's horrible when you've got these politicians... they're worried about, if we win or if we lose, Democrat or Republican. You guys are affecting out lives because you're worried about a win or loss for your political party. That's not right."
The construction workers are hoping to rally support from other labor groups besides construction to join their voices.
The picketers say that if Tuesday's protests don't get their voices heard, they'll go to each legislative office if they have to, in order to get a budget passed and get them back to work.
Similar rallies like the one in Fresno were also being held in Sacramento and Los Angeles on Tuesday.
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