DEMOCRATS ATTACK UNIONS NATIONWIDE

This article is based on one written by Shamus Cooke with my added comments about Oregon.

There is a long list of states where labor unions are undergoing severe attacks by Democratic governors: Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, New York, Illinois, Washington, Hawaii, Minnesota, Maryland, New Hampshire - and of course Oregon. These Democrats have tried to separate themselves from the Republican Governors of Wisconsin and Ohio. Democrats hide their attacks behind a "deep respect for collective bargaining". Like a thief who will steal your car, but out of respect, will not target your deceased grandma's diamond earrings.

The anti-union Democratic governor of Connecticut is demanding $1.6 billion in cuts from State Workers but lauds his respect for the collective bargaining process. The anti-union Democratic governor of Washington uses similar language in talking about pay cuts and paying more for health care. And of course we know that the anti-union Democratic governor of Oregon is asking for 20-25% pay cut and he actually spoke at a Union rally at the Capitol last month noting that he was not going to move to end collective bargaining rights because he will get the concessions across the bargaining table (with mutual respect). He expects us to have historic amnesia remembering that in 1995 we had to sit in at his office just to get him to come to the bargaining table.

All this garbage normally wouldn't fool a 4th grader, but some labor leaders play dumb, in the hopes that the attacks will not ruin the long standing friendship between unions and the Democrats. Of course such hopes are an illusion: workers are not so blind as to not notice that the governors they campaigned for are now demanding their wages and benefits be destroyed in an unprecedented attack.

As SEIU 503 is preparing for a state-wide mobilization of its workers to rally in Salem on May 20th, I was told, "It will be very low key. Our members know what the public thinks of us". Really? Low key? Talked to any workers lately?

On the one hand the leaders of the AFL-CIO and Change To Win look at Wisconsin and say, "Labor is in the fight for its life". On the other hand both federations make excuses for the anti-union Democratic Party.

SEIU has been out in front with its "Fight For A Fair Economy" campaign. However, without waging an energetic battle to prevent massive concessions, the campaign will fail. Workers who make massive concessions will be demoralized and not take the Union campaign seriously because it failed to address their most pressing needs. If public sector unions demanded no cuts, no concessions, workers would energetically join the union's cause. Without being aggressive across the country unions will wither. With aggressive fight back strategies unions will grow. This is historically how "The Union Makes us Strong" becomes a reality.