By The PA. AFL-CIO

– Pennsylvania AFL-CIO leaders denounce bill as anti-worker and ideologically driven by misguided legislative leaders bent on privatizing the jobs of public workers.

Harrisburg (June 8, 2016) – In a strong statement of disappointment, the top elected leaders of Pennsylvania’s labor movement today issued statements denouncing the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passage of HB1690 expanding state wine sales to private retailers.

“The Pennsylvania House of Representatives were wrong to pass a bill that undermines workers rights by expanding liquor and wine sales to corporate retailers who pay workers sub-standard wages with little or no benefits and undermines a highly profitable publicly owned system that provides critical revenue to the Commonwealth and employs thousands of workers in good, family sustaining jobs. While we are truly disappointed with the legislators and legislative leaders who supported HB1690, we want to thank those who stood with Pennsylvania workers in opposing it,” said Richard Bloomingdale, President of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.

“Make no mistake about it, HB1690 doesn’t help anyone. This bill will make it easier for minors to buy alcohol, retailers to default on paying liquor and sales taxes and workers to be exploited. The bill is more about ideology than improving service and convenience and is being pushed by twisted, misguided legislative leaders who won’t rest until they have privatized every job in Pennsylvania,” said Frank Snyder, Secretary-Treasurer of the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO.

The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO is a federation of Labor organizations representing more than 800,000 public, private sector, and building trade workers and their families that live and work in every community of our Commonwealth.

Source – http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=6900