Hoffa, Civil Rights Leaders March in Atlanta for Workers' Rights

Hoffa, Civil Rights Leaders March in Atlanta for Workers' Rights

Rev. Joseph Lowery, Rep. John Lewis, Union Leaders Seek Right to Organize

December 10, 2003

(Atlanta, GA) – International Brotherhood of Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today led nearly 1,000 demonstrators in a march and rally at the State Capitol in Atlanta. Hoffa was joined by civil rights leaders the Reverend Joseph Lowery, the Reverend James Orange, Representative John Lewis, Mayor Shirley Franklin, Secretary of State Cox and several state legislators and local union leaders.

“More than ever we need unions. We need to get mad about what’s going on in this country,” said Hoffa. “We will only achieve change when we get mad. It’s our job to get this done, no one else is going to help us.”

The march and rally were part of a series of events across Atlanta marking International Human Rights Day. “Worker Rights are Human Rights” was the message delivered to companies and legislators who through their actions deprive workers of their right to form or join a union.

“We’re going to walk, organize, picket, strike. We’re going to walk all over God’s earth to win justice for working families,” the Reverend Joseph Lowery said. “While this President is looking for weapons of mass destruction, there are weapons of mass destruction here at home. Forty-five million people here have no health insurance that’s a weapon of mass destruction. When people are losing their jobs and can’t get unemployment insurance, that’s a weapon of mass destruction.”

The speakers were also joined by several workers seeking justice on the job. The group included farm workers from North Carolina, BFI waste workers and USF Dugan freight drivers from Atlanta.

Tyra Johnson, a single mother of three and BFI worker, called on the company to stop its campaign to block the workers organizing efforts.

“BFI treats is customers well but gives its employees hell,” Johnson told a cheering crowd. “BFI has a zero tolerance policy, you make one mistake and your fired. How do we keep our jobs? With the Teamsters.”

Demonstrators fought frigid temperatures, wind and rain during the day’s events. Representative John Lewis warmed up the crowd with his take on the right organize.

“When workers are denied the right to join a union, their human rights are violated,” Lewis said. “Next year we must go out and vote as we never have before.”

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents more than 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States and Canada.