More than 1000 pro-Union workers surrounded the Michigan state capital today and 400 went inside to occupy the rotunda as the politicians inside were discussing an anti-Union bill similar to the Wisconsin one. Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's proposal if passed will increase the powers of emergency financial managers who are named to oversee school districts and cities that are short of funds and failing as they see it. The bill would give emergency managers authority to break contractual agreements with Unions in order to save the schools. This is exactly what went on in the private sector. Delphi, the auto parts manufacturer declared bankruptcy in order to renege on its contractual agreements with Unionized workers. The city of Vallejo in California has done the same.
The Detroit Public School District was put under emergency financial management of by Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2009. It is the only district in the state under emergency management.
The political director (in the Unions this means the person in charge of funneling money to Democrats basically) of the Michigan AFL-CIO, Brent Gillette, says he is because "Republicans did not discuss it in advance..." according to Reuters. Gillette went on to say of the governor "I've heard him say more than once that he wants to be transparent that he wants to talk across the table, he doesn't want this to be Wisconsin," Gillette said of Michigan's Snyder. "Unfortunately, this bill says to me that he wants to take on the same fight as Wisconsin. He just wants to do it from the back door
Were the consequences not so tragic you have to almost laugh at the statements that come from the leaders of organized Labor.Where has this brother been? What is happening to public sector workers now has been happening to workers in the private sector for years. Has the political director of the Michigan AFL-CIO not been aware of the savage cuts the auto bosses have inflicted on their workers? Has he not heard of Delphi or Chrysler or GM? Surely he must have heard, he lives in Michigan I assume.
What about all the defeated strikes, the elimination of benefits, workplace safety protections speed up, multi-tasking, two-tier wage system etc? Has this brother been asleep? My experience in the organized Labor movement is that there is an unwritten rule that one set of top Labor officials never criticize their colleagues atop other Unions. So I am sure he said very little as the auto workers have been savaged over the past period except to ask for more money from workers that will be passed on to democrats for their election campaigns.
What is happening here, in Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and other states, is that years of helping the bosses gain concessions form their members has gotten organized Labor 's hierarchy in to a bit of a fix. I listened to an AFSCME Business Agent here at the rally in San Francisco in support of Wisconsin make every effort to announce to the bosses publicly the AFSCME line from its headquarters in Washington; DC that "money is absolutely not an issue." It isn't for them of course as they don't generally have to live under the contracts they force their members' to accept. The head of AFSCME, Gerald McEntee earned over $500,000 in compensation in 2007. The bosses now want to eliminate their seat at the table though. For years they needed them at the table to give up their members rights, wages, and benefits, but they feel quite confident that they don't need them anymore.
This is the first real attack on the bureaucracy itself whose only interest is recognition along with dues check off. I think they're shocked as they will be out of work.
It's pathetic to be honest to hear our leaders whine about how the employers and their representatives in both parties are not being fair and not nice people and pleading with them to change. Instead of this ingratiating stance, they should follow the lead of the hundred thousand or so workers who have taken to the streets and occupied government buildings and put some damn demands on the table.
They can then build on the already existing mood to generalize the movement and spread it. The mood is ripe for a movement that can take back what we have lost over the years and expand and build on what we have and ensure all workers make gains. Get the people in to the streets, no more business as usual; run our own candidates on a program of what we need and not what they say they'll give us. And make the rich and the corporations pay.
This is the alternative to crying all the time. (click on the "public sector" and "wealth" labels to the right to read in more detail what can be done.) If you want to be added to the Facts For Working People subscription list and receive Facts For Working People electronically, send an e mail address to: we_know_whats_up@yahoo.com We publish it as resources allow and we welcome readers distributing it.
No comments:
Post a Comment