Eugene Robinson: "This is pure, unadulterated union-busting..."

[Babylonsister]

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/article...08973.html

Don't Strip Public Worker Rights in Wisconsin
By Eugene Robinson

WASHINGTON -- Let's be clear: The high-stakes standoff in Wisconsin has nothing to do with balancing the state's budget.

It is about money, though -- but only in the sense that money translates into political power. At this point, it's clear for all to see that Gov. Scott Walker's true aim is to bust the public employee unions, thus permanently reshaping the political landscape in the Republican Party's favor.

snip//

Unions have been a reliable source of political support for the Democratic Party, including campaign contributions. Over the past few decades, union membership has declined sharply; according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers who belong to a union declined from 20.1 percent of the work force in 1983 to just 11.9 percent in 2010.

In the private sector, just 6.9 percent of workers belong to a union. But among public sector workers, 36.2 percent are union members -- and if you look only at state and local government workers, 42.3 percent are unionized. So if Republicans wanted to weaken the Democratic Party by destroying its most important source of big-money support, they would try to crush public sector unions at the state and local level.

That's what the Wisconsin fight is really about. That's why Walker won't settle for budget-balancing concessions. He wants to eliminate the greatest benefit that unions can give their members -- collective bargaining -- and also, by the way, make it much harder to collect union dues. He wants to starve the unions to death.

This is pure, unadulterated union-busting -- not with goons and brickbats, but with the stroke of a scheming governor's pen.

E

[Velleity]

It is also a power play. If Walker pulls this off it's huge. What "conservative" could match this "achievement"?

He must fail.

[Julie]

(02-22-2011 09:03 AM)Velleity Wrote:  It is also a power play. If Walker pulls this off it's huge. What "conservative" could match this "achievement"?

He must fail.

That is why this must not stand. We need to help any way we can.

Julie

[sandnsea]

Yep. To me it's not so much about what's in the contracts or any budget problem. It's about collective bargaining. Even if a union bargains for some sort of bonus pay to accompany seniority, for instance, it still needs to be done through collective bargaining. No worker should have to go up against a government or corporation alone.

[Cha]

"Scheming Governor's pen"! Exactly, Eugene Robinson..and that scheming governor of Wisconsin got in with the help of the Scheming Koch bros.

[KonaKane]

I just came upon some information that muddies these waters. Did you guys know that The Koch brothers energy business is a major source of funding for the political life of the governor in Wisconsin, and that the same bill that contains the union busting language also contains a quiet little clause allowing the executive branch of the state to sell all energy related assets or hire an outside company to operate them in a no-bid situation - against state rules? That basically the Koch brothers can buy all the energy assets of the entire state of Wisconsin at firesale prices with no competitive bid process and without further legislation?

[RoyGBiv]

(02-22-2011 08:20 PM)KonaKane Wrote:  I just came upon some information that muddies these waters. Did you guys know that The Koch brothers energy business is a major source of funding for the political life of the governor in Wisconsin, and that the same bill that contains the union busting language also contains a quiet little clause allowing the executive branch of the state to sell all energy related assets or hire an outside company to operate them in a no-bid situation - against state rules? That basically the Koch brothers can buy all the energy assets of the entire state of Wisconsin at firesale prices with no competitive bid process and without further legislation?

Holy shit.

I guess I should take my own advice and read the damn bill. Do you have a link handy?

[Cha]

(02-22-2011 08:20 PM)KonaKane Wrote:  I just came upon some information that muddies these waters. Did you guys know that The Koch brothers energy business is a major source of funding for the political life of the governor in Wisconsin, and that the same bill that contains the union busting language also contains a quiet little clause allowing the executive branch of the state to sell all energy related assets or hire an outside company to operate them in a no-bid situation - against state rules? That basically the Koch brothers can buy all the energy assets of the entire state of Wisconsin at firesale prices with no competitive bid process and without further legislation?

Maybe if you had time to make an OP about that, Kona? Goodness knows there can't be too many facts out there about this. Especially the way the corporate media is obfuscating and shoving propaganda down the People.

[RoyGBiv]

(02-22-2011 11:43 PM)Cha Wrote:  Maybe if you had time to make an OP about that, Kona? Goodness knows there can't be too many facts out there about this. Especially the way the corporate media is obfuscating and shoving propaganda down the People.

More here: http://democratsforprogress.com/forum/sh...7#pid17567

I hadn't seen that thread yet.

[Cha]

(02-22-2011 11:56 PM)RoyGBiv Wrote:  

(02-22-2011 11:43 PM)Cha Wrote:  Maybe if you had time to make an OP about that, Kona? Goodness knows there can't be too many facts out there about this. Especially the way the corporate media is obfuscating and shoving propaganda down the People.

More here: http://democratsforprogress.com/forum/sh...7#pid17567

I hadn't seen that thread yet.

Thanks..I just kicked it again!