First Person: Why I'm Pro-Union and Cheering on Wisconsin's Public Employees

Sure, the situation in Wisconsin looks grim. Neither side is willing to give in. As Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) threatens to snatch the longstanding collective bargaining rights of public employees, thousands of public employee union members and supporters march on Madison and the state Capitol. Some suggest that this is a local matter. Others claim it's a proving ground for GOP plans to rid this country of unions. I think it's an important issue that calls attention to core American values, like democracy, freedom of expression and association, fairness, and how shared decision making and shared sacrifice combine to make a difference on the job and in our communities.

In recent days, as the sound of boos reportedly were heard both inside and outside the chamber, the GOP-led Assembly in Wisconsin approved a bill to restrict the power of public employee unions. The bill is expected to go before the state Senate for a vote.

The Labor Movement: A Personal History

For nearly three decades, I had the honor and privilege of working in the labor movement. I participated along with many others in member organizing, negotiations, arbitration and mediation of disputes, labor education, and more. I traveled extensively and saw first-hand how important it is to have strong unions in this country to achieve full participation of and balance between all parties, labor, management, regulators, among others. I count rank and file members and union leaders among my closest friends and confidantes. While I've moved on in my chosen career, my heart will always be with workers, their labor organizations and working families.

So, you might say I know a little bit about what it means to be a union member and why unions still count today. And, I can also appreciate how difficult it is for most people to understand unions in the context of a changing economy or professional context. How easy it is to conceptualize unions as a relic of the past, once a necessary instrument on dangerous construction sites, in factories or mines, but not now. But, today's workplace, even in professional settings, presents the same challenges that require collaborative discussion and decision making. Indeed, every workplace could benefit from a union to give voice and structure to important workplace dialog and negotiation. If nothing else, a union brings workers together from across job duties and classifications to bargain for what's best for everyone instead advancing the interests of a few.

Union Organizing and Democratic Unions are the Law of the Land

For more than 100 years, labor unions have been legally recognized in the states and across America as legitimate partners in the workplace. To this day, millions of American workers exercise their voice for fair wages, hours and working conditions through labor organizations, legal entities whose establishment and operation is closely regulated by the states and federal government. Indeed, workers in both the public and private sectors have found union organization to be a powerful tool to mobilize workers behind the issues that people care about today, like jobs, health care, secure retirement, health and safety, among others. Unions have done a good job educating and mobilizing workers to provide for themselves and their families.

Wisconsin Affects All of Us

I feel like the issues in Wisconsin are just like the issues we all face. How should we stem the tide during a global fiscal crisis? Who pays the price for Wall Street's sins and missteps? How can any of us move ahead with huge deficits in our wake? These issues are tough and persistent not only for those embroiled in Wisconsin's fight, but for all of us going forward. I also feel like the issues in Wisconsin are emblematic of larger, more complex matters. What kind of country do we want? What kind of economy should we have? Who decides who gets cut and who gets ahead? Do we really want to turn our future over to one side, say Corporate America, or the other? Of course not. Fairness and reason demands that all stakeholders, Wall Street and Main Street, public employees and their state employer, have place at the table. Without it, there's nothing to balance corporate power or government interests. Without it, we are not truly democratic.

Law Ensures Organized Labor a Rightful Place at the Table

Labor-management negotiations, regardless of the sector, are always difficult between parties with conflicting views or desired outcomes. There's often a lot of posturing, particularly at the outset of the process. But, don't be fooled by the bluster and rhetoric. Both sides have to vent before real progress begins. Through collective bargaining, both sides get to craft an agreement that contemplates what's good for all parties, not just the more powerful. The public benefits from a strong middle class and investment in education, technology, industry, and more. The state benefits from a smart, stable and upwardly mobile workforce, citizenry and community. A good agreement, grounded in reason and common sense, endures.

Fortunately, for public employees in the state of Wisconsin, being organized means that they have the right to bargain and negotiate over their terms of employment, something the Governor and his supporters are not happy about. Some folks have stepped in to broker an agreement. Recently, GOP moderates offered a plan that would limit the collective bargaining ban to two years giving state officials time and space to confront the soaring $3.74 billion budget deficit. Public employee unions, for their part, have offered to take cuts, including assuming a larger share of health and pension costs. But, the Republican Governor, thus far, has been unwilling to give up his 15 minutes of fame or efforts to ban collective bargaining by state employees, a position that has resulted in a lingering stalemate. The ball is now in the hands of the State Senate and it remains to be seen what happens next.

Organized Labor and Unions: American Democracy in Action

Unions may sound scary and unpredictable in the press. But, they're really essential to the fabric of the American economy and its political system. They ensure fairness and speak for the less powerful. They educate workers who become more engaged in their communities. They are the means whereby all of us can get ahead together, rather than going it alone. Union members are some of the best workers around. They're always the first on the scene of every disaster, like Ground Zero and Hurricane Katrina, and the last to leave, regardless of risk to life and limb. They haul the nation's goods. They help build and rebuild our communities.

Yep, I'm pro-union and support collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin public employees and workers everywhere. I believe that collective bargaining, if allowed to proceed, can get the job done. How about you?

SOURCES

For Wisconsin Governor, Battle Was Long Coming
By Monica Davy in New York Times (February 11, 2011)
　
AFL-CIO
www.aflcio.com

Schultz compromise still the best
Wisconsin State Journal (February 24, 2011)　

Wisconsin State Assembly Approves Controversial Collective Bargaining Measure
Nicholas Riccardi and Abigail Sewell in L.A. Times (February 24, 2011)

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-midwest-union-20110225,0,2444521.story