After Wisconsin

The battle over worker rights is moving to California

 

By Eric Wolfe

 

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker survived the recall election on June 5. What does this mean for members of IBEW Local 1245?

First, we should recognize that the current wave of attacks on workers is not limited to Wisconsin, or Ohio, or Indiana, or Florida. Those who want to weaken or destroy unions are operating on a national scale.

Second, the attacks are not limited to public sector unions. The anti-union campaign is targeting all workers–in the private sector and public sector alike.

Third, the anti-union forces are extremely well-financed. In Wisconsin, Walker outspent his opponents by more than seven to one. The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision means that there is no limit to what the rich and powerful can spend in their jihad against workers.

We know the war against workers is already underway in California. IBEW Local 1245’s public sector workers have faced several years of concessionary bargaining, and it’s been no picnic at some of our other employers either. But all of that is just a warm-up to the main event.

This November, the anti-union forces have placed a measure on the California ballot that would make it nearly impossible for unions to spend money in the political arena. If we lose our political influence, who will stand up to the corporate big boys in Sacramento when they go after our overtime pay, our family leave, our safety protections? If we lose our political influence, how could we fight back if a politician tries to take away our collective bargaining rights like Scott Walker did in Wisconsin?

Corporate crusaders like the Koch brothers make no secret of their desire to destroy unions. With all their billions, you’d think they could relax a little bit and let working people negotiate to get a cost-of-living increase or to hang onto our medical benefits. But they are not relaxing. The Koch brothers and others like them spent a lot of money to put Scott Walker in office and to keep him there, and their blood money is coming to California this fall.

Despite Walker’s survival in Wisconsin, there are reasons to take heart from that long, ugly battle.

First, in spite of all the money that was spent by corporations to save Scott Walker’s ass, he came very close to being recalled in a massive popular mobilization powered by unions. That campaign ousted two anti-union state senators last year, and it appears to have ousted another one on June 5. This means that unions have deprived Walker of his control over the state senate, and shows that people can neutralize big money when they are willing to stand up together for their rights.

Second, California is not Wisconsin. We’ve beaten back anti-union ballot measures in the past, and we can do it again. But nobody’s going to do it for us. California workers, and union members in particular, will have to stand up and fight if we want to protect what we have: decent wages, health care benefits, retirement security, the right to have a voice. Local 1245 had eight members on the ground in Wisconsin in last year’s senate recall elections, and five members helping with this year’s recall campaign. We didn’t do this just to help Wisconsin–we did it to help prepare ourselves for the battle here.

And now that battle is beginning. We all have something to protect, and we all have something to lose. Ask your Local 1245 business representative how you can get involved in protecting our rights.