Assault on the Working Class

Subsequent to last November’s elections and the Republican sweep to power and control of several states’ governorships and legislatures, not to mention the United States Congress, we now bear witness to an outright assault on the basic collective bargaining rights of state and municipal workers belonging to unions. In Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio legislative initiatives have been unleashed to turn them into “Right-to-Work (for less) States”. One legislator in Missouri has even gone so far as to introduce legislation to remove and replace her state’s child labor laws*.

*This fact is worth keeping in mind as I expose my own personal insights, beliefs and experiences later and throughout this blog.

Most recently, the spotlight is squarely on the Wisconsin governor and the predominately Republican legislature in their blatant, unholy mission to enact law that will balance the budget and eviscerate the unions. Affected union employees will be forced to submit to substantial wage and benefit cuts through increased contribution towards their pensions and healthcare. Admittedly, this sacrifice would more closely align the state’s public sector workers with worker benefits enjoyed in the private sector. Governor Scott Walker campaigned on the idea of making state employees more responsible for their pensions and healthcare. He just forgot to tell the voters that he would take away state employees’ right to collectively bargain future contracts and working conditions, basically eliminating public employees unions*. Immediately, upon assuming office, Walker and his fellow Republican cohorts enacted tax cuts for corporate interest; an amount virtually equal to what is now Wisconsin’s deficit, thus creating the budget crisis. What most of the media fails to report is that union leaders recognized from the beginning of the Republican takeover they would be required to make concessions. They communicated to the governor on more than one occasion, the willingness to accept more of the burden. There was no response from the governor. Again, during the latter part of the week of February 13th, union leaders again voiced their willingness to accept concessions without giving up their right to collective bargaining. The governor has basically taken the position that there will be no negotiation and that it will be his way and nothing less.

*In addition to removing the union’s ability have its voice heard on any issue, payroll deduction of union dues would end upon Wisconsin becoming a “Right to Work (for less)” state.

Fourteen Democratic State senators have fled the state to deny the quorum necessary to take a vote on the Republican bill. They have vowed to remain in hiding for as long as it takes to convince the governor to negotiate an end to his demand for forfeiture of collective bargaining rights. For more than two weeks now, Governor Walker has shown no indication that he is willing to compromise, even after a “moderate Republican senator” suggested a temporary suspension of collective bargaining rights for a period of two years.

During the past two weeks, many thousands of public and private sector employees converged at the state capitol building in Madison. We have witnessed the visible support of thousands more associated with the AFL-CIO as well as many Wisconsin policemen and firefighters, religious leaders, community leaders and activist. Also, many concerned, non-union, working class citizens have participated in demonstrations, showing support for the affected state public employees.

The above paragraphs set the backdrop for much of my future observations.