Where Are You Robert La Follette? Your State Needs YOU!!!

For the last two weeks, the lawmakers in the state of Wisconsin have been at a stand still.  The "budget battle" that has become the frontline of what I expect will be a year that will be my generations’ seminal point in the history of labor relations in this country.  To the general eye/view of my generation, we do not see or understand the big deal of Wisconsin, we only know the talking points.  With one-side, stating this is about a budget crisis and this is the only solution. The other side is being viewed as not doing their job or running away from their responsibilities. To my generation, many do not get that this battle is about our future, and the public employees in Wisconsin are standing up for us, and meeting the historical expectations of their great state.  My generation does not see that Wisconsin about our rights to level the odds (just slightly) with the house.  That we (people whom worker for others) have a right to the option of benefits, or even a voice in our work-life balance.  That is what Wisconsin is standing up for.

The public employees do not work for us, they work for the agencies, departments, districts, and numerous other government entities that we want and need to support our existence.  Yes, we pay taxes, but our voice in the process is with our elected officials and the policies they pursue.  The decision of Governor Scott Walker is policy about bullying and superiority, not about what is best for the state.  The budget part of this battle was settled last week, when the unions agreed to the stipulations in the proposed budget bill, this is now about imposing the will of the powerful influence peddlers on the masses. Maybe, this is just trying to stop a potential new element for collective bargaining, unions for public health employees, like nurses.  If states begin to implement their own health care systems or even the Federal government enables public health employees the same right to collective bargain, then the opponents of collective bargaining will be forced to address the inequity of the fast growing need industry in this country.  Everyday, Nurses serve a vital role in our health care system.  Currently, only 20% of nurses nationwide do collective bargaining with hospitals and other health care facilities.  Part of the things that collective bargaining does for employees allows them to negotiation work conditions, training, definition of expectations, as well as benefits. 

This is just the beginning of the imposing of will we will see this year, the next and most visible labor battle begins at the end of this week with the NFL. Ironically, the current NFL champions reside in Wisconsin and the City of Green Bay owns the team, if Governor Walker gets his way does that mean the Packer players will not be allowed to collectively bargain for their benefits?  Will it be up to the voters of Wisconsin to give them a raise above inflation? I do not think that Clay Mathews and Aaron Rodgers would be Packers too long if they could not collectively bargain.

This may all be the precursor to the larger fight, Social Security.  The rhetorical structure of Social Security has become now "Entitlements".  For my generation, we will not get "Entitlements", even though we paid into them, I call BS on that.  Yet, my generation is not fighting, not coming up with solutions, we are accepting.  Mark my words, the end game for all this is an end run at Social Security elimination for anyone born after 1970.

I would like to leave you with two things, Governor Robert La Follette served as the Governor of Wisconsin from 1901 to 1906, a Republican, then later a Progressive, established many of the workers right structure we take for granted today, including workers compensation and minimum wage.  Governor La Follette viewed Wisconsin as a "laboratory for democracy", that laboratory of democracy is being tested by the influence of big business he and his Republican contemporaries fought against through trust and monopoly busting.  Governor La Follette fought for the every man of Wisconsin, Governor Walker fight for the fancy lad that wants a corporate tax handout.

Collective bargaining is the coming together of individuals, to form a united group of similar occupations and skills, to bring grievances and propose solutions to a powerful organizational body, wait that kind of sounds familiar.