Three Generations of Raikes Stand Up for Rights

Some families spend their Saturdays sleeping in or running errands around town.  Not the Raikes.  The Raikes spend their weekends standing up against corporate greed and political payback.

The Raikes are three generations of union men who have made the pilgrimage to Madison, Wisconsin to fight for their rights as workers and as Americans for three Saturdays in a row.

It is about a three hour trip from their hometown of Marseilles, Illinois to Madison, Wisconsin.  The Raikes drive the 160 miles each Saturday with pride. 

Charles Raikes is the head of the family and a retiree of Laborers local 393.  His sons Chas Raikes and David Raikes are also members of Laborers local 393.  David’s son Mike Duke Raike hails from Bloomington, Illinois and is a proud IBEW member. 

If you have been to one of the rallies in Madison you may have noticed the Raikes.  They come color coordinated in their bright orange LIUNA and IBEW shirts, bundled up to hold off the cold.  They also wave large Americans flags and a solidarity banner.  You can often find them high atop the walkway column standing in solidarity with Wisconsin. 

“We have been here from the beginning to stop Gov. Walker’s attacks on working people,” said David Raikes, LIUNA local 393.  “And we will be here until we win this fight."
 
“We have plans to be in Indianapolis this Thursday to stand up against the horrible Right to Work attack in Indiana, but we will be back in Madison on Saturday until this bill is killed,” said Chas. 

The Raikes understand that an attack on one worker is an attack on all workers.  They know first hand what an important role the union can play in family life.  Safe working conditions, a living wage and the ability to have a voice on the job are things that the Raikes don’t want to see disappear from America.

They are doing everything they can to fight back in order to protect workers rights and the American middle class.  As Phil Neuenfeldt, President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO has said "solidarity knows no borders."

(Photos taken in Madison on 3/5/2011.  Photo Credit:  Karen Hickey.  For more photos click here.)

Comments

[WinProgressive]

Thank you to the Raikes, and the tens of thousands of other unions members and their allies, who are standing up for the working families that make our nation great. We are winning this battle!

http://www.winningprogressive.org

[TaterSalad]

Public Sector Unions to the American Taxpayers:

"Sorry you have to pay out of your own wages each week for your own retirement (401k), but brother, could you dig a little deeper in your wallet and keep funding my pension also. I have a second home that needs some work done on it before I retire at 55 years of age!" Keep up the good fight and support your local Public Union Worker.....and his benefits!

How can a Union member get his Union dues refund?

http://www.unionrefund.org/

Right to Work states statistics:
http://www.nrtw.org/en/blog/wall-street-journal-more-states-consider-02032111

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/33760

[TaterSalad]

Understanding the differences between Public and Private sector Unions. Even a progressive might be able to understand.

http://therealrevo.com/blog/?p=41406

This is a great example why public Unions who will not "contract" their contracts (greed) and the real time consequences!

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/video-christie-explains-police-officer-why-hell-have-pay-more-health-insurance_537449.html

http://biggovernment.com/heritagevids/2011/03/05/video-collective-bargaining-101/#idc-container

http://www.moonbattery.com/archives/2011/03/teachers-unions.html#comments

http://sroblog.com/2011/02/22/public-unions-force-taxpayers-to-fund-democrats-michael-barone-politics-washington-examiner/#comment-14828

[TaterSalad]

Collective Bargaining 101.

http://biggovernment.com/heritagevids/2011/03/05/video-collective-bargaining-101/

[TaterSalad]

The "wants & needs" of a Union.

http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/27825

[TaterSalad]

Here is the best example of why Americans hate Unions, especially in the public sector. These blood suckers just keep on taking dollars from the taxpayer's wallets with NO let-up in sight.

http://biggovernment.com/dloos/2011/01/06/new-york-citys-no-show-seiu-snow-jobs/

While getting paid for this type of work:
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/caught-on-tape-proof-the-nyc-blizzard-response-was-sabotaged/

[TaterSalad]

How do you get around this?

http://weaselzippers.us/2011/03/05/confirmed-average-annual-compensation-for-milwaukee-teachers-is-101091/

[Tatersalad]

Remember people, it was a Democrat who gave away the bargaining rights of the Federal (Public) Unions.

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/carter-took-away-fed-bargaining-rights