Fever in the Mid-West, Wis. Republicans Garner Criticism Over Union-Busting Bill

X&I POLITICS

Governor Scott Walker (R-Wis.) is waging a political war with the free labor unions in Wisconsin through a sweeping bill that was introduced by the state’s Republican controlled legislature. The union-busting legislation snatches the collective bargaining rights—the ability to negotiate pensions and salaries—from public-sector unions across the state.

In response to the governor’s proposal, 14 state senators have since fled the state—refusing to vote on the measure, fearing that with Republicans controlling the state Senate, the measure would likely pass. Thousands of Wisconsinites have flooded the state Capitol building to protest the pending legislation. But despite their unrest, Governor Walker has insisted that the legislation must pass in order to offset the state’s $3 billion deficit—a deficit that some argue was caused by Walker when he decided to give tax cuts to Wisconsin’s wealthiest business owners.

On Wednesday, the conservative governor was embarrassingly exposed by a prank phone call to his office. In a conversation that he believed to be having with billionaire David Koch, Governor Walker revealed that he considered luring the 14 missing senators back to the state by telling them that he would be “willing to sit down and talk” with them. He went on to say that once the senators returned to the Capitol building, Senate Republicans would declare a quorum (number of people required in order to conduct official Senate business) and force a vote on the bill.
Immediately after the prank call went viral, the governor’s office released a statement acknowledging the mishap by saying that “The Governor takes many calls every day …”

It would be commendable of Governor Walker if he was, in fact, taking the higher fiscal ground by making the necessary cuts in order to balance Wisconsin’s budget. But this bill, introduced by the Republican-controlled legislature is a transparent attempt to dismantle the very powerful and Democratic-leaning unions in the state of Wisconsin (President Obama carried the state in 2008).

The disquieting protests are spreading like fever across the mid-west. Demonstrations have begun to spring up in places like Ohio, Indiana as well as Los Angeles. It is no secret that Governor Walker is a part of a larger scheme to gain control of the White House in 2012. Newly-elected Republicans, catapulted into office by the tea party, are all committed to making President Obama a one-term president by any means necessary.

Ultimately, this affects the backbone of our economy and our nation—the middle class. History credits labor unions for the launch of the middle class. During the late nineteenth century it was labor unions who gave underpaid workers a voice that was loud enough to demand livable wages and acceptable working conditions. Consequently, the working poor jumped on the train of upward mobility and into what we now refer to as the middle class.

What do you think? Is Governor Walker balancing the budget? Or, is this a classic case of middle class union-busting?

by: Tim Harris, Contributer