“We the people of the United States of America, in order to form a more perfect union… promote the general welfare…” by busting unions? Unions create better lives for its members, created all bargaining rights, created non-work hours, such as the weekend, created the minimum wage laws… ect. Yet they are portrayed in the media as money grubbing, job-killing, working class hating, organizations hell-bent on the destruction of the economy and your way of life with it. (I hear this from the Republican Party at least) We are the change yet, how can we create change without institutions we rely on, unions. If the unions go away a cornerstone of the progressive agenda will be ruined, but make no mistake this was not a conscience decision by the colluding corporations and their pet buddies the Republican Party. This was a decision made by people who believe part of this crap. (i.e.: ruining the economy)
Union busting is a republican as it is democrat, think of turn of the century America, yet ever since the unions aligned with the “New Deal Democrats”; Republicans have fed lies upon lies from a trough of corporate money. Now 78 years later we are seeing people create substantial public polices not seen since the Reagan era, to destroy unions. Wisconsin, one of the states who voted for the progressive party in 1924, is the staging ground for this all out assault on unions. We must stand in solidarity with the hard-working people of Wisconsin, who’s only objectives are to preserve “life” for themselves and/or their family. Are we as a nation to decide that people who serve this great nation deserve just compensation? Because, if we do then people must have collective bargaining rights, (i.e.: union) to preserve their livelihoods. If we favor a more 19th centaury system for the employees of the people, then strip these working people of their bargaining rights.
Yet I will warn Scott Walker and the republicans, that there are reasons we have the right to unionize and that is the famed act of striking. If the bill is passed expect to see uproar not seen yet, not 30 thousand protestors, but perhaps 50 thousand chanting in unison for their right to unionize. These people are teachers, expect unused schools, these people are the backbone of your state and if you neglect them; then trouble is a brewing. The benefits they get actually improves the economy; as people have more money and worry less about their health, they are more likely to spend. Then again didn’t we call that argument Marxist about 2 years ago? Giving people benefits from the public sector today will encourage benefits for the private sector, or is that also Marxist. It is true that giving more money to people means less money for other services, but are these people not working like you say they should to deserve these benefits. However what is the price of a stagnate economy, does economic growth not help the general society as a whole, or does believing people should be lifted from despair make me a Marxist.
Scott walker and Wisconsin state assembly created the budget gap and it is their responsibility to fill it responsibly. How is union busting, and making teachers pay more in pensions responsible? Call me any label you want but, this is the most irresponsible plan I’ve heard in a long time. How can a teacher teach if he/she can’t pay the bills, let alone buy school materials? Teachers are underpaid as is, why would anyone want to neglect what provides the future generation with skills in the real world. After all the young pay for the old, in the form of social security, teachers are the key. Teachers have the most power of all yet, when powerless they are unable to help. If promoting the idea of everyone can be able to do what they want makes me a Marxist, then so be it. Unions provide for their workers they are as necessary as they were over a hundred years ago, why ruin this precious asset to America.
For the argument of unions move jobs overseas, how would you like to be paid $2 dollars an hour without overtime pay, health benefits, lunch-breaks, and harsh working conditions? Well, this is a back to the future moment for America, will we go down a regressive path or at least keep the vice status quo. Perhaps we must build unions, not destroy, for America.
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