Ten Reasons Protecting Unions Is a Life-and-Death Issue

http://truthout.org/ten-reasons-protecting-unions-life-and-death-issue/1306177706

In Wisconsin, tens of thousands of public-sector workers were going to work every day, helping the people in the DMV, hospitals, health care centers, public transportation: teachers, fire fighters, clerical workers, among others. Then, on February 11, 2011, Republican Gov. Scott Walker introduced a bill, with a Republican majority in the legislature, which would virtually eliminate public-sector unions as we know them. The bill opposed collective bargaining rights, required annual votes to ask workers if they wanted the unions to represent them and prevented unions from collecting dues automatically out of workers' paychecks. The anti-union movement is spreading to Ohio and many other states, and we have to develop a plan to beat back the pro-corporate, anti-union forces. Recently, the Massachusetts legislature, with a Democratic majority voted to deny public-sector unions the right to bargain collectively for medical coverage, leaving workers to fend for themselves.

These ten reasons are put forth as a tactic to help the movement for union rights.

1) Because the relationship between labor and capital and labor and management is in contradiction: They do not have the same class interests. Otherwise, we wouldn't need unions. Unions propose radical ideas such as higher pay, safer working conditions, vacations, medical leave, benefits and pensions. Employers, especially at this time in history, have gone to war against all of those "benefits" that many workers considered part of their total pay package - negotiated between the union and management, and the union and local and state governments. The attacks are coming from private monopoly employers and, now, state governments. Workers are all alone in the world against corporate and government tyranny if they do not have unions and do not play a role in broader social justice movements that can provide support for their cause. These attacks on unions and workers are living proof of why unions are so valuable.

2) Unions encourage women's leadership: The AFL-CIO has elected Arlene Holt Baker as the first black executive officer, the executive vice president, and Liz Schuler as secretary treasurer alongside new President Rich Trumka. This makes two of the top three officers in the federation women. Elizabeth Bunn is the first woman to be organizing director, and Lynn Rhinehart is the first woman general council. At the national level, Randi Weingarten is the president of the American Association of Teachers, and Mary Kay Henry is president of the Service Employees International Union. Maria Elena Durazo is the head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. The rise of women's leadership in top positions is reflected all the way down to the rank and file.

More at the link --

to make every state a RIGHT to WORK STATE. Making
it possible for BUSINESS to lower wages as much as
they desire.

In the past, Business would move a business from
Union State to Right to Work State. However, it
did not stop there. Transnationals then lured by
cheap labor in Third World, pulled out from
the low wage state and scurried plant and all
to Mexico China Asia---where people work for
a pittance of even the lowest salary in U.S.

Now they are pushing wages as low as they can
go in America. The Republican Party . tje party
of Business is trying to make our country
competitive with the Third World. Every time
you hear the word "Competitive" a chill should
run down your spine. Globalization was intended
to equalize living standards aroung the world.
Instead of demanding that the living standards
be raised in other countries, the First World
is having to lower their standards. I am not
being meanspirited about Republicans. They are
sticking to their principles and "taking care
of Business". It is too bad there is not a
real Democratic Party with as much fervor taking
care of the Working Class, Poor and Unions.