Friday, February 18, 2011

Something stinks in Wisconsin...and it ain't the cheese

The anti-union movement in this country is coming to a head. In Wisconsin, the Legislature is primed to vote on legislation that, among other horrendous things, would limit collective bargaining rights to wage increases, and limit wage increases to inflation.

In other words, unions would be dead.

No more bargaining for fair and safe working conditions.

No more bargaining for benefits and healthcare.

You could only bargain to get what is already rightfully yours...an inflation based wage increase. Is that something that we should even have to bargain for?

If you read my earlier post about the National City strike (which was thankfully averted at the very last minute) you already know that I'm pro-union. Not just pro-teacher union, pro-union. Unions are GOOD, people. GOOD. We are able to work under these safe and humane conditions (40 hour weeks, health care, workman's comp, etc) because collective bargaining made that happen.

It is a basic philosophy of our country that we are stronger as one. Our very own Pledge of Allegiance states that we are "indivisible." What this anti-union movement seeks to do is, in fact, divide us. They claim it's necessary for budget cuts. The anti-union movement is using the bad economy as an excuse to roll back decades worth of progress on working conditions.

We can no longer sit idly by. I don't know exactly what we can do, other than fight the lawmakers in this country by speaking out. Speak. Be heard. Or you're next. They're coming for you.

1 comment:

  1. A-MEN. I fricking love what the Dems did over there.

    ReplyDelete