Wisconsin. US will explode too.

Union movement takes over legislator in Wisconsin to fight union busting efforts by Governor and his capitalist offensive.

No matter how Wisconsin turns out the movement there is the shape of things to come. The union leaders with their cowardly capitalist based policy of being prepared to negotiate reductions in wages and benefits as long as they are allowed to negotiate these might actually defeat the movement there at this time. But even if this is the case then increased anger will develop and break out again very soon.

We have to remember the issues involved. Big stakes are being played for here by both the bosses and the union leaders. To focus here on the union leaders. The union leaders do not want a victory in Wisconsin on wages and benefits. They keep saying so. See yesterdays contribution on our blog by Richard. The entire propaganda and policies of the union leaders are based on accepting the lying position of the bosses that the capitalist system cannot afford any more for the working class, in fact must cut back the living standards and rights of the working class. They hammer this home again and again and they crush any opposition movement in the unions who denies this and seeks to build an opposition movement that would go on the offensive and achieve victories on wages and benefits and rights. Why do they do this?

A major victory for workers on wages and benefits and rights would completely expose as false the union leaders policies of making concessions and their propaganda that the capitalist system cannot afford better wages and conditions for working people. The union leaders think their is no alternative to capitalism so they accept these lies of the capitalists. So think about the implications here if there was a major victory. A major victory for the working class would leave the union leaders standing naked before their members. It would show that major victories were possible and that they the leaders were wrong. If the union leaders are to keep their positions of control and maintain their policies then workers' struggles must go down to defeat. Victories are the last thing they want. The union leaders work to ensure victories.

This is why it is so important that the movement in Wisconsin is taken out of the hands of the union leadership. These people, this bureaucracy will be happy as long as they can sit at the table and negotiate. Their jobs will be secure. The fact that they will negotiate reductions in their members wages and benefits and rights is fine with them, in fact it is what they want.

The position of the Wisconsin movement must be that the key issues are wages and benefits and rights and the working class want more of all three. The country is "awash with cash" as the Wall Street Journal says. So let this be used for working people. The criminals on Wall Street in the banks and the capitalists in general have been filling their pockets. Working people must have a good living standard and the capitalist system must be ended.

The other position the Wisconsin movement must adopt is to change the union movement. Union leaders sitting in positions for decades on huge salaries must be ended. Every leader must be elected subject to recall at any time. Every leader must have the same wage and benefits as their average wage and benefits of those they represent. Worldwide there is a movement against leaders who have got too big for their boots. The US union leaders have got too big for theirs too. This must be changed.

Sean.