Why What's Happening in Wisconsin Matters To You

Penelope Friday turns her blog over to Wisconsin dweller Rosemary Amico, who explains why what is happening at the moment in the State of Wisconsin has relevance to people all around the world.

You might have heard about the goings-ons in US Midwestern state Wisconsin this past week, but what you might not know is how important what's happening is to the whole country, possibly the whole world.

For a little background, Wisconsin has long, strong histories with both left and right political movements, making politics in this state fascinating to watch and a bit nail-biting. In this past November's election, the Republican Party took control of the house, senate, and governor's seat, upsetting what had been a Democratic majority for years.

Scott Walker, former mayor of Wisconsin's largest city of Milwaukee, was elected in November and came to power this January when he immediately began taking actions similar to those of newly elected Republican governors across the country, enacting a Republican agenda that includes giving tax breaks to the rich who put them into office and a slash and burn tactic towards state assistance programs like health care and food assistance.

But what has really struck a nerve with progressives and moderates on the left alike, have been his attacks on the working class. In a bill put forth this week, which he has dubbed a "budget repair bill", Governor Walker has proposed doing away with the collective bargaining rights of public employees.

Wisconsin was the first state in the US to protect the rights of public employees to collectively bargain in 1959. Wisconsin, therefore, is being used a test case: if it can happen here, it can happen anywhere; and conversely: if we can fight it here, they can fight it everywhere.

And fighting it, we are! The state capitol of Wisconsin, Madison, has been afire with protesters against this bill all week. With numbers swelling every day (estimates for Saturday's rally were around 70,000), and smaller rallies going on in cities across the state, the workers of Wisconsin are trying to get through to their governor and legislators that they won't stand for this abuse of power.

Walker's bill excludes the firefighter and two law enforcement unions – not coincidentally the only three unions who supported his run for office. However, members of all three of these unions have taken up the protests in solidarity with their fellow workers – and so have many private sector unions. This all despite Walker and fellow Republican's efforts to divide and conquer labor movements and the middle class.

But this doesn't all stop with Wisconsin. Republican governors in states across the country are trying to get through similar legislation. In nearby Ohio, hundreds have been marching on their own capitol in protest against a very similar bill, and rallies are starting up in many other states. In states that aren't in danger themselves from such actions, rallies and vigils are being planned to show solidarity with Wisconsin workers and workers in other states.

This movement is picking up steam… and not just around the country but outside of it as well. It's been clear that recent happenings in Egypt have been inspiring protesters in Wisconsin, and apparently that has gone both ways as pictures of Egyptians holding up signs with messages of solidarity with Wisconsin have shown up on the internet and Kamal Abbas, general coordinator of Egyptian union organization Centre for Trade Unions and Workers Services, has also come out with public support for American workers.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin state Democratic senators and assembly representatives have been fighting against their Republican majority in various ways to delay passage of the budget repair bill to give the public (and themselves) more time to understand what all the bill entails and fight against it.

All 14 of Wisconsin's Democratic senators have fled the state because if they don't show up for work, then the state senate does not have the numbers to pass fiscal bills, such as this one. Democratic assembly reps, who don't share the power to block passage of bills like the senators, have continually asked for more time to review the bill and expressed outrage when Republican reps, on Friday, tried to pass the bill into an unamendable state in the Democrat's absence. Being called out on this illegal action forced Republicans to put the bill back into an amendable state and adjourn until Tuesday, giving Democrats more time to draft amendments.

Why all this fuss to delay what is likely inevitable, considering the Republicans hold the majority and will be able to pass this bill anyway? To start with, this 144-page bill is about much more than the purported budget balancing. Walker has refused offers from unions to concede on salary and benefits to meet budget requirements if he will come down on the collective bargaining issue, proving that he is more concerned with stripping away labor rights than balancing the budget. Add in his power grab over state funded programs that assist the state's disabled, elderly, and poor to make it possible for him to do away with such programs altogether, and it's clear why fighting this bill is essential for both the middle and lower classes of Wisconsin.

With so many other states trying similar tricks, it is also clear that this fight is not just about Wisconsin workers, not just about public sector unions, not just about unions or the working class at all. It is clear that the Republican party is indeed striking a major blow in class warfare of the worst kind – attempting to pit class against class, public unions against private, and union workers in general against those working without a union.

And if it works here in Wisconsin, it can work in other states across the US. And if it works here in the US, it can happen in other countries across the globe. This fight is not just for Wisconsinites, not just for public employees, not just for the middle class. This fight is for you (unless of course you happen to be a billionaire).

For further links and information see Rosemary's Journal.