Union Busters

Protesters rally in Madison, Wisconsin

In the perfect working world, there would be no need for unions.  Real life is not necessarily fair, so unions formed in both the public and private sector.   Now, a recently elected Wisconsin governor is saying he and a Republican legislative majority were given a mandate to deal with the state budget crisis by depriving teachers unions of their collective bargaining rights.   When did voters say that?   The teachers have already agreed to pay cuts and paying more into their benefits, but Governor Scott Walker insists that the elimination of collective bargaining is an essential "tool" in balancing Wisconsin's budget.   Without collective bargaining, what "tool" do unions have left?   In other words, it's not about money, benefits or any compromise;  Governor Walker doesn't care about that.   He is obviously more concerned about being the darling of the national right wing in starting something other states may look to emulate as they deal with their busted budgets.   Democratic legislators fled the state to avoid being accomplices in this obvious attempt to bust any leverage these unions may have.   Politicians always say how important teachers are, but this ambitious governor has demonstrated nothing but contempt for teachers by being so unyielding.    These teachers are willing to sacrifice.   Are the big money interests of the Koch Brothers and others willing to do more than accept massive tax breaks and then bankrolling this union busting?    Governor Walker is not the first politician to scapegoat public workers; former Connecticut Governor John Rowland did that right here after his election in the nineties.   Walker and his backers are on the wrong side of history.