Keep
Labor in Labor Day!!!…
For many Americans the reason
we celebrate Labor Day has been forgotten.
For many it has become the unofficial end of summer, just a three day
weekend before the school year really gets underway. Even more troubling are the commentaries that
will speak about the historical achievements of labor while at the same time
implying that the need for workers to organize is just that, historical.
There is no doubt that
organized labor in America
has a rich history that should be celebrated.
The economic power of America
has been built on the backs of the working and middle class, and the working
and middle class owe a large measure of their successes to organized
labor. We can use Labor Day to celebrate
these achievements.
However, to view Labor Day
as a day only of revisiting the history of the movement is to ignore the real
need for continuing efforts to defend the rights of workers. Organized labor is not the dinosaur from the
past that those who attack worker's rights in modern America would have us believe it
is. In fact, in the current climate, the
need for workers to organize is every bit as important as it ever has
been.
We are seeing a
concentration of wealth and power in the hands of a small number of people that
threatens the very fabric of our society.
This isn't something new in our history.
The very wealthy have always sought to dominate our society and to
cement their status through a variety of political, social and economic
efforts. In the face of these efforts,
organized labor has often been the sole voice that has protected the majority
of citizens and served as a balancing force against the power of the few.
The current climate for
workers is troubling. Low pay, cuts in
hours, reduced or non-existent benefits and an increasingly hostile political
climate are putting significant pressure on employees in all fields. The past decades have seen a gradual erosion
in the power that unions are able to exert and an, all too frequent belief,
that the need for unions is gone. After
all, we have laws to protect workers and other policies that insure workplaces
are safe and fair treatment for employees is guaranteed, right?
The reality for many
workers is that they are facing significant workplace challenges and that the
working conditions for workers have degenerated. Places like Wal-Mart that used to be more
worker friendly are now anything but that.
Workers are told that they should feel lucky to just have a job, and
that any dissent or effort to improve their conditions will not be
tolerated. Once again, this isn't anything
new to our nation. In challenging
economic times we have always seen the wealthy use this strategy of controlling
the labor force by pitting workers against each other and using the
"market" to drive down wages, benefits and working conditions. Individual workers struggle to be heard, but
organized workers have a voice that is more powerful.
We certainly can't rely on
politicians to protect the workers of our society. In Wisconsin
this fact has been made crystal clear over the past couple of years. The idea that public policy is designed to
promote and protect the rights of workers is so far removed from the reality as
to be laughable. The "focus"
on jobs is simply political rhetoric designed to garner the support of voters,
but has no real substance to it.
The attacks on worker's
rights extend to all types of employment.
The attacks on public employee rights to organize, are the latest in the
efforts to dismantle organized labor in America. A significant amount of energy has been put
into creating the illusion that public employees, like educators, don't need
organized labor to protect their interests.
Even individuals speaking publically in support of public educators question their need to be
involved in labor issues.
"Teachers have not always helped themselves,
due in large part to occasional periods of what look like out of touch labor
militancy."
Educator unions and the
actions of their members are not "out of touch labor militancy". The collective bargaining agreements that
have been negotiated over the years allow educators to focus on doing their
jobs and advocating for the students they serve. They are an effort by employees to exercise
some measure of control over their working conditions and benefits. Anyone who denies this needs only to look to
school districts across the state and nation where union protections have
either been weakened or eliminated.
There is a clear effort to
de-professionalize education and to turn the field into a stepping stone to a
"real" career. The combination
of eliminating incentives and protections provided by negotiated contracts with
the wave of educational "reforms" creates an attitude of disrespect
for professional educators. Despite
significant evidence that educational outcomes for students are improved by
educator stability the rhetoric of reform puts more faith in programs than in
educators.
The budget crisis that was
manufactured to create the "need" to attack public employee
bargaining rights also has allowed for Wisconsin Republicans to enact state
budgets that will perpetuate the perception that public employees are to blame
for the economic woes in Wisconsin. By cutting state funding to school districts,
these districts are forced to increase property taxes. This literal passing the buck, increases
public sentiment against educators and school districts.
The
politics of "divide and conquer" are obviously being used here in Wisconsin. It is being employed to pit different groups
against each other. Those who employ
these strategies hope that the citizens of Wisconsin forget that we all have an
interest in the success of every laborer.
A strong, healthy society is built on the belief that every citizen is
valued and every job is important. They
hope to continue to deceive the citizenry that they are acting on behalf of the
majority. On Labor Day we need to
remember and celebrate our history, but also look to the future. A future that must include a place for
organized labor at the table. How unions help all workers | Economic Policy Institute
www.epi.org/publication/briefingpapers_bp143/
How unions help all workers | Economic Policy Institute
www.epi.org/publication/briefingpapers_bp143/
Solidarity
Sing…
Bizarre and disturbing are two adjectives that somewhat adequately describe the past week at the Wisconsin State Capitol.
It was a week where we were reminded that just a year ago the Wisconsin Senate unanimously honored the Solidarity Sing Along.
It was a week where the
fear that we would see violence in our capitol was realized. That this violence came from law enforcement
is extremely troubling to say the least.
We are seeing continuing
issues around the applications for permits.
Sometimes supposedly on the "behalf" of the Solidarity Sing. Some wonder if this isn't an attempt by the
administration to defuse the situation without conceding defeat.
It was also a week of hope and solidarity. We are reminded of the violations of our
rights and the need to continue the struggle.
www.cityofmadison.com
Wisconsin
Politics…
Anyone who thought that
the political battles in Wisconsin
were behind us is sorely mistaken. If
anything the conflicts here will only escalate in the immediate future. The stakes are extremely high for all of us
who are interested in returning Wisconsin
to a progressive and socially just path.
If anyone needed evidence
that we need to continue to work to change the course that our current
leadership is taking us in. A few
examples of corruption, questionable ethics and dubious motives. . .
Governor Walker is clearly
in campaign mode (as if he hasn't been campaigning since Day 1 of his tenure in
office). Whether for another term as
governor, or aiming for a higher office is a reasonable question.
Absolutely love the quote from this article, “'Campaign'
refers to Walker’s 2014 re-election bid,
although it is unclear how many Wisconsin voters will be in Seattle next week.”
80% insurance rate hike under ACA
will take four years - Milwaukee -...
Along the way we will need
to work to combat the intentional ignorance that so many in our society seem to
enjoy, and that is perpetuated by major media outlets.
We must to begin
mobilizing and preparing to defeat Walker
in 2014. This begins with finding a
candidate that will truly represent us and can generate statewide support.
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