The
Struggle Continues…
. . . Everywhere for
Everyone
What eventually was named
the "Wisconsin Uprising" started in February, 2011 with the massive
protests against Act 10. What began as a
response by organized labor to a direct attack on one of their last remaining
strongholds, public sector employees, quickly became a more widespread movement
that encompassed not only labor, but a wide range of other progressive
causes. This movement gained momentum
and much of the energy shifted to the political realm with the unsuccessful
recall of Governor Walker and the somewhat successful recall of multiple state
senators. The political energy from the
recalls spilled over into the 2012 General Elections and helped President Obama
and Tammy Baldwin win Wisconsin
in a convincing fashion. At the same
time a number of important legal battles involving Voter ID, labor laws and the
constitutionality of other pieces of legislation were also being waged.
While the political and
legal actions surrounding the Uprising got most of the press coverage and
national attention, a number of frequently overlooked, but no less important movements
involving civil disobedience and continuing efforts to put pressure on
legislators and law enforcement was ongoing. These smaller scale, lower profile efforts by
small groups and individual citizens have kept the public aware of the fact
that the issues that spawned the protests and the movement that arose from the
conflict have not disappeared. In many
ways the continuing efforts of these protestors has galvanized support and
provided inspiration for many to continue the fight against the extreme
conservatism of the Wisconsin Republican Party.
These are things that anyone can participate in whether it's wearing a
shirt or button, expressing opinions in the media, simply going to the capitol,
or any other action. They don't require
huge amounts of money, extensive dedication of time or any other large
commitment of resources (although many individuals have devoted substantial
resources to the effort, above and beyond expectations).
One of the most visible
and consistent resistance efforts has been the Solidarity Sing that has been
held in the state capitol building every week day for well over two years. The Sing is simply what it sounds like, a
group of people gathering at noon to sing songs of protest, solidarity and
hope. There are as many reasons to sing
as there are individuals who participate, but one of the major goals of the
Sing is to remind anyone at the capitol that the resistance is still alive and
a part of the political and social fabric of Wisconsin.
At various times the
Solidarity Sing has been going on with little fanfare, but at other times the
Sing bursts into the news. It has always
been an irritant to Republican legislators and conservative spokespeople. They have tried, unsuccessfully, to ban the
Singers and make the Sing illegal. Now,
fresh on the heels of a recent court ruling the Department of Administration is
cracking down on the Solidarity Sing with renewed vigor.
Along with the official
actions against the Sing comes the usual attacks on members of the uprising
through the media and directly in person.
Comments after news articles about the arrests this week brought back
the angry emotions and vitriolic attacks from the protests and recalls of 2011
and 2012.
"I wonder who can
afford to keep showing up and protesting? Are they all welfare people? Out of
work city employees? Maybe they are all union people who have someone covering
for them at work? Regardless, A nice way to show some respect for our capitol
building. Tried to visit the capitol bldg a few weeks past....protestors
spoiled it all for me. Many needed a bath and haircut. Some smelled pretty bad.
Guess that answers my first question eh!"
"I wish I had the
free time to waste that these libtards do gathering at the capitol all day
long."
"How come there
are NO RICH or so called RICH REPUBLICANS at the CAPITOL singing.....Oh that's
right they are working......MY BAD.........................."
Unfortunately these
emotional responses are not simply confined to words and online comments. The climate that exists when people are
exposed to such uninformed and inflammatory remarks spawns even more extreme
actions.
While some would argue
that Singers and other protesters should give in and either comply with the
regulations or even stop their efforts, the hateful and excessive responses to
their protests make their efforts even more important. It is only by continuing to highlight the
restrictions on Civil Rights and the inequitable policies that are being
implemented in Wisconsin
that the general public will be aware of what is happening. They not only inform, but they inspire others
to continue in the long standing Wisconsin
and American tradition of standing up for our rights. As Zeb Page, visiting Madison
from Ohio,
said, "When we were in town for a family reunion, we really felt it was
important to bring our kids here and show them, you know, what it is to be an
American." They have even helped
inspire others around the United
States to engage in peaceful civil
disobedience.
Those who oppose the Sing
forget that the rights that the Singers espouse are the ones that allow them to
live, work and express their opinions in modern America. Most of us don't need to look too far back on
our family trees to see some ancestors who were part of a group that was
"undesirable" and excluded from power. Whatever your ethnicity or race each
successive wave of immigrants to our nation was considered less than those who
were already established here. While too
many people are forced to continue to fight for acceptance into the upper
echelons of American society, it is only through the promotion of equal rights
and just policies that any of us
(outside of a relatively small number of existing elites) can entertain hopes
of achieving political or economic success.
Simply criticizing the
Singers and their supporters with unfounded attacks on their job status,
intelligence and using insulting rhetoric is one thing. In fact, while members of the Uprising
certainly don't condone or appreciate the negative comments, we also recognize
that the First Amendment is a statement that gives voice to all sides. However, the use of force by the state is
something much more sinister. It is an
example of exactly what many so called conservatives would argue against,
excessive regulation of individual rights.
Instead of attacking protesters and hiding behind the very government
power that they speak against it would be great if people from all political
persuasions could look at facts and find common ground.
If all of the uproar over
the singing in the capitol can start the discussion moving in a positive
direction then I'm sure that many Singers would feel like their efforts have
been worthwhile.
. . .For Worker's
Rights
We
keep having the same arguments around other topics as well. Among the most prominent of these is Worker's
Rights. In modern America one of
the most important aspects of an individual's life is their occupation and all
the issues that surround it. We rely on
our jobs for income, important benefits and social status. Having a voice in your employment conditions
would seem to be a non-issue, or even "common-sense". Yet, a significant number of conservatives
and other anti-labor groups continue to wage war against unions and organized
labor.
The
Walker
administration and GOP led legislature have taken the attacks to a new level
over the past couple of years. They have
made a special effort to target public sector unions, but have not hidden their
dislike of any organized labor. The
conflict has been bitter, divisive and costly.
Unfortunately,
Wisconsin isn't
the only state that has been enacting strong anti-labor measures, and the
efforts are clearly visible at the national level.
Anti-union rhetoric
follows a few basic lines of thinking.
One is that since the economy is struggling and many people are
suffering in the private sector it is only fair that public employees lose
their rights, wages and benefits as well.
Another tries to paint unions as anti-freedom and anti-American. They use language to portray their
"reforms" as in the best interest of individual workers. Or, as Scott Walker said about his policies,
"We were trying to empower workers and give them a choice. If workers saw value out of their union, then
they have every right to stay put. But if they didn't, they could make that
choice."
Yet, while expressing
ideals of "Freedom" and "Choice", the anti-labor policies
of our political leaders actually promote outcomes that are exactly the
opposite of the words they use. They
create an unequal and biased playing field where union membership becomes a
punishment and not a choice.
This anti-union thinking
is parroted by everyday citizens who voice their resentment, bitterness and
misguided thinking in attacks on those fortunate to enjoy the benefits and
protections of a union. Unions provide a
great deal for all workers, not just those who they represent directly.
There
is a certain amount of irony and a sense of inevitability that looms over the
current anti-union legislative and policy fights. While modern conservatives fight to eliminate
union from the workplace, it is clear that they will ultimately fail in their
efforts. The irony is that, by
undermining decades of labor law and a relatively peaceful labor climate the
conservatives are giving life to a movement that was faltering. They are also increasing the intensity of the
movement and the actions that are supported by workers. Had Governor Walker taken more time and
slowly implemented his "reforms" would there have been 100,000+
people on The Square in 2011? Would
there have been a record number of recalls in 2011-12? Just like the crackdowns on the Solidarity
Singers increase the dedication of those involved, so too, attacks on organized
labor cause many workers to see the value of organizing in their
workplaces.
The
sense of inevitability comes from the recognition that history is often
cyclical in nature. No single idea or
philosophy is able to achieve complete domination for very long. We see movements and ideals rise and fall
throughout history. Organized labor is a
thread that can be traced throughout our history and it is one that continually
resurfaces as workers struggle for their rights in the workplace. It is a battle between the small number of
wealthy elite who seek to maintain their hold on power and the larger number of
workers who seek fair compensation, safe working conditions and a voice in
their place of employment.
Organized
labor promotes policies that are good for our entire economy. It makes no sense to concentrate a vast
majority of our wealth in the hands of a small number of people and
corporations. Economic policies that
promote this type of concentration of wealth are doomed to failure.
Not
only do we see conservatives using rhetoric against progressive ideals, but
they also use numbers to justify their resistance to progressive policies. However, just like the rhetoric that says one
thing and accomplishes another, the data that is used is often manipulated and
questionable.
The
impact that unions have on the workplace can be clearly seen in the differences
between public and private educational employment opportunities. The predominantly non-union private school
educators make almost $15,000 a year less on average than their more unionized
public educators. They also typically
have fewer protections and less of a voice in their school's curriculum and
policies. Eliminating educator unions
won't make the educational job marketplace more competitive, it will simply
lower the standards for employment in the field.
In
order to recruit and retain high quality educators some districts are realizing
that they must include educators in discussions around wages, benefits and
working conditions. While some
districts, usually in more conservative areas, continue to resist the
inevitable, most districts recognize the need for their employees to be
respected and listened to, at least to some degree. While conditions in Wisconsin are still unfavorable to
educators, there is always the hope that we are seeing a shift in the
climate. In order to continue the
progress educators across Wisconsin
need to continue their efforts to organize and speak out about important issues
and concerns that they have.
. . .For Public
Education
The
attacks on public educator unions are political in nature. Unfortunately, one consequence of the efforts
to destroy public educator unions and undermine public education is the
inevitable harm that it does to students.
Eliminating teacher tenure ends the ability of educators to speak out against
the "reforms" that hurt our students.
Voucher programs provide false promises of educational opportunity for
too many. These efforts are ongoing in
many states across the nation.
The end result is a
segregated and unequal system of schools, and an educational system driven by
political goals and profit margins, not educational opportunities.
However, just like the
attacks on organized labor provoked a strong response, we are seeing signs of
"open rebellion" in many places.
More and more people are becoming aware of just what their public
schools do for the communities they live in and how important it is to defend
our schools.
Here in Madison we are continuing to look for ways to
improve the quality of our schools for all students, while still preserving the
things that make our school valuable assets and places of opportunity. I was part of the group that worked on this
Framework, and while there is always room for improvement in any plan, the
discussion around the Framework represented a very positive effort from my
perspective. The fact that so many
voices were included in the discussion and that the tone of the discussion
focused on optimistic, student and school centered changes means that we are
headed in the right direction. We can
continue to move away from heavy handed "reforms" towards real a
transformation of our schools that blends new knowledge and valuable experience
into a cohesive whole.
