This song was featured on Bill Moyers and is the theme of the Justice at Walmart campaign.
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Story behind the song
This song was featured on Bill Moyers and is the theme of the Justice at Walmart campaign. I wrote it during the Staley Strike in Decatur, IL in the early 90s. This recording features Jon Fromer, Janet Stecher and Susan Lewis on backup vocals and Charlie Chadwick on bass, Sam Bacco on percussion, and me and Mike McAdam on guitars. The two people named in the song died .... Jim Beals when he was ordered into a tank filled with poison gas, and Karen Silkwood when she tried to expose dangerous practices at her place of employment, Kerr-Magee.
Lyrics
Listen up,. we've got a war zone here today
Right in our heartland, and across the USA
These multinational bastards don't use tanks and guns it's true
But they've declared a war on us, fight back! It's up to you
There's a war on the workers
There's a war on the workers
There's a war on the workers
And it's time we started calling the shots
Going to work could be the death of you and me
But we're not unarmed--Our weapon's solidarity
Jim Beals and Karen Silkwood
The list goes on and on
With every year that passes 60,000 more are gone
There's a war on the workers
There's a war on the workers
There's a war on the workers
And it's time we started calling the shots
When they boost your co-pay, (it's a war on the workers!)
don't you know what to say - (it's a war on the workers!)
When they talk privatization (it's a war on the workers!)
and co-operation (it's a war on the workers!)
They call it "flexibility" (it's a war on the workers!)
But every working stiff can see (it's a war on the workers!)
When they poison our water (it's a war on the workers!)
We're like lambs at the slaughter (it's a war on the workers!)
When they foul up the air (it's a war on the workers!)
We've got to show that we care (it's a war on the workers!)
Oh, it's a war on the workers--
It's a war on public education, It's a war on child labor protections, it's a war on the 8 hour day, it's a war on occupational health & safety, a war on social security -- Now thanks to WTO it's a world wide war --
There's a war on the workers
There's a war on the workers
There's a war on the workers
And it's time we started calling the shots