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04 June 2012
By Stephen Lendman
Winter 2011 witnessed an epic worker rights battle.
Wisconsin public workers challenged Republican
Governor Scott Walker. He
won round one. Workers get another chance. On June 5,
they'll choose between him and Milwaukee Mayor Tom
Barrett. Neither offers much choice. More on that
below. Lieutenant governor and four senate seats are
also up for grabs. On
June 1, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel headlined
"Barrett, Walker bring out political stars," saying:
Barrett lured Bill Clinton. Republican party spokesman
Ben Sparks asked why him and not Obama. Walker
countered with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, "a
rising star of the Republican Party." In
late 2011 and early 2012, around one million recall
signatures were collected. It was nearly double the
required amount.
Walker represents union-busting and eroding collective
bargaining rights en route to ending them altogether.
He also imposed draconian wage and benefit cuts on
public workers. Both
candidates support monied, not popular interests.
Wisconsin Democrats aren't much better choices than
Republicans. Regardless of who wins on Tuesday, labor
rights lose. Wisconsin reflects what's happening
across America. It's bad and getting worse.
Bipartisan force-fed austerity means lower living
standards, increased layoffs, fewer jobs, mostly low
pay/poor benefit part-time ones, and private workers
harmed like public ones. In
February and March 2011, Wisconsin public workers and
students protested daily against Walker's so-called
"Budget Repair Bill." It
was a corporate coup d'etat. It eroded state, county
and municipal worker collective bargaining rights. It
forced them to pay thousands of dollars in health and
pension benefit costs. It pitted workers against
politicians allied with corporate bosses. They battled
on their own without union help. It
was the most impressive worker struggle in decades. It
didn't end when Walker's budget passed. It won't on
Tuesday. Wisconsin public workers are energized. They
won't yield easily. They haven't so far. They face
long odds but won't quit. On
March 10, 2011, Wisconsin's legislature passed
Walker's Budget Repair Bill (Wisconsin Act 10). On
March 11, he signed it into law. The
same day, Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk sued to
stop what she called unconstitutional. On
March 18, Dane County Circuit Court Judge Maryann Sumi
issued a temporary restraining order. She said passage
violated Wisconsin's Open Meetings Law.
Attorney General Steven Means appealed. On March 29,
Sumi extended her restraining order. On
June 14, Wisconsin's Supreme Court overruled her.
Voting 4 - 3, the majority said it "exceeded its
jurisdiction, invaded the legislature's constitutional
powers....and erred in enjoining the publication and
further implementation of the act."
Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson disagreed. In a
stinging dissent, she rebuked her colleagues. She
said: The
Court unjustifiably "reached a predetermined
conclusion not based on the fact(s) and the law, which
undermines the majority's ultimate decision."
Majority justices "make their own findings of fact,
mischaracterize the parties' arguments, misinterpret
statutes, minimize (if not eliminate) Wisconsin
constitutional guarantees, and misstate case law,
appearing to silently overrule case law dating back to
at least 1891."
Nonetheless, pro-business, anti-worker rights
triumphed. In March 2011, a protracted Senate battle
ended when hard-line Republicans violated Wisconsin's
open meetings law. It requires 24 hours prior notice
for special sessions unless giving it is impossible or
impractical.
Workers never had a chance. Walker got his way. Things
won't change no matter who wins on Tuesday. It's the
same across America at the federal, state and local
levels.
Walker's budget bill prohibits workers from bargaining
on benefits and working conditions. It provides
limited negotiation rights on wages. It also ended
automatic union dues deductions. Payments became
voluntary. Unions must vote annually to be recertified
as bargaining representatives.
Democrats promised to restore collective bargaining
rights, but won't reinstate former health and benefit
rights. Both sides support austerity and other
pro-business priorities. In
2010, Barrett lost to Walker. He supports wage and
benefit cuts. So do Democrat party bosses and corrupt
union officials. Walker's predecessor, Jim Doyle,
imposed the most draconian cuts in Wisconsin history.
Workers were hardest hit. Union heads supported him.
Backing Democrats, they challenged Act 10 in federal
court. On March 30, 2012, US District Court Judge
William Conley ruled portions of the measure requiring
mandatory recertification votes and restrictions on
union dues check offs unconstitutional. At
the same time, he upheld limited collective bargaining
rights on wages. On
April 5, Walker signed Senate Bill 202. It reversed
Wisconsin's Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (Act 20).
According to the Wisconsin Alliance for Women's
Health, (WAWH) Act 20 sought, "to secure equal pay for
the thousands of working families who are denied fair
pay due to wage discrimination based on race and
gender." SB
202 removed Act 20 compensatory and punitive damage
violations. It's
more than about women. It's also about affording
minorities, the disabled, and other marginalized
groups equal pay rights. Walker called the law a
"gravy train" for trial lawyers. WAWH's Sara Finger
called SB 202 a "demoralizing attack on women's
rights, health, and well-being." On
June 5, Wisconsin voters hope their say will make a
difference. Reality suggests otherwise. Two new polls
reflect a dead heat. One has Walker and Barrett even
with each getting 49% support. The other has Walker
leading 50 - 48%. Within the margin of error, it's too
close to call.
Walker's campaign war chest outspent Barrett around 25
to 1. Billionaire Koch brothers and other corporate
bosses support him. In a
late May debate, Barrett didn't contest Walker's
anti-worker laws. Throughout the campaign he hardly
mentioned them. The issue at most was secondary.
Worker rights hardly matter. As
Milwaukee mayor, Barrett used Act 10 provisions to cut
city worker benefits. Union bosses concurred.
Disingenuously they claim Barrett's on their side.
Union officials want their own privileges protected.
Rank and file worker rights don't matter. Lip service
only supports them. Barrett differs from Walker mainly
by collaborating with unions for his own benefit.
Democrat National Committee (DNC) chairwoman Debbie
Wasserman said "(t)here aren't going to be any
(national) repercussions" if Walker wins.
Earlier she claimed his "attacks on workers' and
women's rights are the definition of a fireable
offense." She added that recalling him would send "a
powerful message to the far-right extremists."
Wisconsin Democrats are upset by lack of DNC financial
support. Not helping expresses tacit defeat. When
economic conditions are dire, losing anywhere has
national implications.
Hoped for change never arrives. Voters never learn
until too late. Barrett or Walker winning hardly
matters. Few
differences separate Obama and Romney. None on issues
mattering most. Whoever wins, voters lose. So will
Wisconsinites and ordinary people across America.
Expect nothing post-election to change. Ordinary
people lose out across America, Europe and elsewhere.
Elections won't correct injustices. Addressing them
matters most. Radicalized activism has the best
chance.
Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at
lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. His new book is titled
"How Wall Street Fleeces America: Privatized Banking,
Government Collusion and Class War" http://www.claritypress.com/Lendman.html Visit
his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to
cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on
the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive
Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and
Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are
archived for easy listening. http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour. |
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