Damn, this song still tears me up.

Now, for a rousing labor song.

Don’t let the bastards get you down.

As I watch the protests in Madison, Wisconsin unfold, I am struck by the hatred of the anti-union people whose comments I read online, and whose words I hear in person. Let me state this; although I am not a member of a union, I am very much pro-union, and I believe that the mere existence of labor unions influences the workplace positively for many of us. The non-union auto plants, shops and other businesses know that if they really go for the low-ball wage (too quickly, at least), their worker’s RIGHT TO ORGANIZE may come to pass, which they obviously don’t want. Wages for non-union shops are often as high as they are because of the fear of an organized work force. If you have a great paying non-union job, yes, you have earned it, I’d say, but I’d also guess you’d be making less if that threat was not there. Should everyone join a union?  Maybe not. Should unions be banned or stripped of collective bargaining? Hell no.

Collective bargaining is recognized globally as a basic human right. I have been on both, hell three sides of this issue; as a union member, a non-union laborer, and a business owner. Both of my parents were union workers, and they worked their asses off. Concessions are nothing new in the workplace, but trying to bust unions and depict the membership as lazy thugs is a practice that disgusts me.

I heard an anti-union sentiment uttered tonight that if you want to work in a union shop, quit your job and apply in one, if you don’t like things where you are working, and it was delivered with a palpable amount of bitterness. Well, you could argue that the advice can cut both ways, but the real issue is that in this country, you have a RIGHT to assemble and organize and express yourself and your concerns, although vocalizing some of these ideas in the wrong (non-union) workshop might get you bounced. A white-collar worker I know who used to work for a discount retailer told me that in his workplace, there were certain things you did not say in mixed company….like “union” or “organize”, lest you get bounced out of your job. Of course, they would never tell you that that was the reason for your dismissal. And that’s just one more reason why we need unions in the workplace.

Next up, and on a related note, tort reform.

Amazing times!

While observing in the drama of an Egyptian revolt, and seeing the ripple effect of people across that region of the planet taking to the streets in an effort to change their lives in the most basic ways, I was struck by some of the stories from our own country, and how skewed our perspective seems to me. While the people of Egypt and now Iran, try to topple hard-line dictatorships to open up their way of life to other options, some here in America seem to be interested in moving our land in the direction of a less free, fundamentalist state. Lawmakers in South Dakota are actually considering a bill to make it legal to assault and/or kill doctors who provide abortions to their patients. It seems like some on the far-right are becoming more rigid and narrow in their views, to an ugly and violent degree. While you can argue that this is not solely a problem of the ultra-conservative movement, they certainly seem to be getting more then their share of the press in this regard, and the word “reactionary”, which used to be a slag hurled at those people, seems sadly appropriate again, and that’s their fault.

Anyone who holds federal office needs to govern towards the middle. State legislators, to a lesser degree, need to do the same. No state is all “red”, no state is all “blue”. It’s one thing to be guided by your own moral compass, but it’s cowardice to be driven by fringe groups into making or endorsing violent statements and posturing on the chamber floor giving a voice and attention to the bomb throwers in our own country.

When reason fails, and threats rule the land, we are all in trouble.  To all those (and that is still most of us, thankfully) who converse, work out problems and disagreements with reason and facts, and still believe that the “greater good” applies to all, even those you disagree with, here’s to you. To those who who would cajole, prod, threaten (thinly veiled or not), sling fear and hate, drive people out of your circle because they are not “pure” enough, good luck. Sadly, you don’t see the simple strength and beauty of all of us pulling together.

What is this world coming too?

The South Dakota House is considering a bill that could “make it legal to kill doctors who perform abortions.” The GOP-backed bill, which passed out of committee, would alter that state’s definition of justifiable homicide to allow killing if committed by a person “while resisting an attempt to harm” that person’s unborn child or the unborn child of a person’s spouse, partner, parent, or child.

From the Think Progress website.

This guy sounds like a jerk, to put it bluntly.

From the Think Progress website…..

Wisconsin Gov. Walker Threatens To Deploy National Guard As ‘Intimidation Force’ Against Workers’ Unions

Last month, Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) said that if employees strike, “they should be fired,” and former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) wrote in an op-ed that the moral case for unions “does not apply to public employment.” Now, facing a $137 million budget deficit, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has proposed a “budget repair bill” that would severely limit collective bargaining, eliminate the right of unions to negotiate pensions, retirement and benefits.

Walker is facing fierce criticism for this all-out assault against state workers, especially after he insisted that the “National Guard” will be used against a walkout:

When asked by a reporter what will happen if workers resist, Walker replied that he would call out the National Guard. He said that the National Guard is “prepared…for whatever the governor, their commander-in-chief, might call for. … I am fully prepared for whatever may happen.”

Traditionally, the National Guard is called to assist Americans in times of crisis; so Walker’s attempt to use the National Guard as a tool to suppress dissent is particularly deplorable. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, more than 50,000 Guard members were called to help, and following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, more than 50,000 Guards were deployed. Veterans have strongly objected to Walker’s recent intent to use the National Guard as a vessel to intimidate state workers. VoteVet released a statement today that says Walker shouldn’t use the National Guard as an “intimidation force“:

“Maybe the new governor doesn’t understand yet – but the National Guard is not his own personal intimidation force to be mobilized to quash political dissent,” said Robin Eckstein, a former Wisconsin National Guard member, Iraq War Veteran from Appleton, WI, and member of VoteVets.org. “The Guard is to be used in case of true emergencies and disasters, to help the people of Wisconsin, not to bully political opponents. Considering many veterans and Guard members are union members, it’s even more inappropriate to use the Guard in this way. This is a very dangerous line the Governor is about to cross.”

Wisconsin state employee unions already made $100 million in concessions last December. Now, under Walker’s new proposal, state workers would have to make further sacrifices by doubling their contributions to health insurance premiums and increasing allocations to their pensions. Walker’s bill would effectively take away the right of state employees to collectively bargain for everything from vacation, sick hours, and even the hours they work. But, smacking of political favoritism for the unions that supported Walker’s campaign, the State Patrol, local police, and fire departments would stay absolutely unchanged.

In response to Walker’s assault, the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO launched a major advertising campaign, in which they say Walker and other politicians plan to “take away rights of thousands of nurses, teachers and other trusted public employees” with almost no public debate.

A pattern is emerging, where Republican dominated governments across the country are shaping up to strip workers’ rights. In addition to Walker’s new proposal, last week, Ohio Gov. Kasich said that if lawmakers don’t pass a collective bargaining bill that he approves, Kasich will impose his own changes in the Ohio budget next month. Following in lockstep, Indiana, Idaho, and Tennessee all have legislation in the works to strip teachers’ ability to collectively bargain.

– Paul Breer

A little tongue-in-cheek perspective. Congrats to all my friends working at Ford and gettin’ this little bump of appreciation. Read on…

http://www.freep.com/article/20110130/BLOG24/110129026/Mike-Thompson-Something-s-horribly-wrong-at-Ford?odyssey=mod|newswell|img|FRONTPAGE|p