Webb meets with shipyard workers
2006-10-23
Source: Hampton Roads Daily Press
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rss feedDeclaring himself a supporter of Virginia's right to work laws, Democratic Senate candidate Jim Webb nevertheless told local union members today that he was with them in the need for collective bargaining in the work place.
Speaking before a crowd in a blocked-off section of Huntington Avenue just before the first shift ended work at Northrop Grumman Newport News, Webb reminded members of United Steelworkers Local 8888 that the global economy has not always been a friend of working people.
Webb said he supported right to work laws because "I think people should have a choice about whether or not they want to join a union.
But, he added, "Right now, as much as at any time I can think of, we need to have collective bargaining to protect our work force that's being hit from both sides. It's being hit by the internationalization of corporate America and the lack of ability of workers to negotiate a fair deal because they've got to worry about their jobs being outsourced."
Webb spoke with Democratic congressional candidates Shawn O'Donnell and Phil Kellam. Former Gov. Mark Warner was scheduled to attend, but Warner's plane was grounded in northern Virginia because of high winds.
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