COLUMBIA, S.C. — Members of several labor groups rallied at the statehouse today to talk about the changes they’d like to see in the workforce.
The workers shared their experiences and the goals they hope to achieve, some say by joining unions.
Vijay Tripathi has worked at Starbucks for four years and says there are misconceptions when it comes to unionizing.
"Specifically in South Carolina, I think it's an institutional problem where people think that unions are illegal," said Tripathi. "So I think it's a problem that past big money and big corporations have infiltrated our culture here and just given misinformation to people, so that the big problem that we are facing."
Brandon Upson is a member of The Union Of Southern Social Workers also known as USSW.
"If I can convince you that you're less than what you are I can convince you to accept less than what you deserve," said Upson. "That is how our government and corporations in South Carolina have been operating for generations."
USSW has helped workers in recent strikes in Columbia. Back in July, Waffle House employees on Garners Ferry went on strike and in August, employees at Publix on Harbison also went on strike.
"If one worker is mistreated, all of us will feel it," said Upson. "That is the community that's here. When you see workers at Waffle House go on strike who have been there and enduring that environment for years, they go on strike. And then you see workers at Publix go on strike because they were empowered by those other workers, that's the community and that's the movement being built here in South Carolina right now."
Johnnie Cordero is the chairman at The South Carolina Community Black Caucus and says the only way change can happen is through legislation.
"If they believe in the labor movement, if they believe in the importance of labor to our country's economy and the economy in South Carolina, that they do everything they can to make their legislators aware of what they want done because much of this has to be done through legislation," said Cordero.
South Carolina is a right to work state, that means an employer can not require an employee to join a union as a condition to keep their job.