No General Strike in Wisconsin

The chanting of 'general strike' filled the Capitol last night and evoked romantic notions of the Paris Commune, Egypt or nineteenth century United States.

That is not what Wisconsin needs. We need to expand the arena of conflict with Governor Walker and his Senate Republicans. We need to send a more subtle, contained message to his key supporters, the ones that are concerned about Wisconsin and their own businesses. 

Selective informational picketing of a few Wisconsin companies that do business with the working people of our great state is what is required. It is a simple message, an eloquent message:

"You elected Scott Walker, you put him in office, you are responsible for the union busting. It is incumbent upon you to tell Walker to cease this destructive behavior and not to continue in your name."

They can claim that their support of Walker was on other issues. That is not important. They must take responsibly for the great power Walker has and they must firmly and publicly tell him:

"Not now, not ever. We support collective bargaining; we support hard working public employees. Do not destroy the high quality schools. public services, and local governments in our state."

Comments

[Jasmin Lind]

No offense, but polite and civil isn't working on these bozo's. There's not alternative other than RECALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They can't be reasoned with, or negotiated with, or even trusted....instead of further protesting, it's time for court action and RECALL nothing less will be heard or adhered to.

Thank you

[Robin Good]

If my union calls a strike. I will strike.

[Ex Alderman Steve]

Recall is one area of action. Informational picketing of selected businesses that support Walker and his stooges is another. These activities are not mutually exclusive, and in fact are complementary.

The question is, who is going to "bell the cat" and do the grunt level organizing required to make this happen?

[Jen Thompson]

Please provide easy access to better alternatives to a general strike; word was you suggested to stop supporting key businesses. Word also is M&I bank accounts should be closed today due to the clear donations made by their top employees: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wisdc.org%2Findex.php%3Ffilter%3D%2BSearch%2B%26from%3D--%26to%3D--%26name%3DWalker%26employer%3DM%2526I%26module%3Dwisdc.websiteforms%26cmd%3Dsearchadvanced%26p%3D1%26sort%3Damount%253BDESC%26qty%3D100&h=08ccc

We need to take concrete & fast action now.

[[email protected]]

As I look around my home I see Quilted Northern Toilet Paper, Brawny paper towels, Vanity Fair paper napkins and Dixie paper plates. Because the Koch's have provided significant financial support to The Scott walker campaign I will no longer be purchasing these or any other Georgia Pacific products such as Angel Soft, Sparkle or Mardi Gras paper towels, Mardi gras or Dixiepaper napkins and Vanity Fair paper plates. I will also boycott all your INVISTA products such as Dacron, Antron, Lycra and Coolmax.

[adam]

PDQ gas stations sell fuel from Flint Hills Resources, a subsidiary of Koch Industries. I no longer purchase fuel from PDQ.

[CJ McDoogle]

Put a list of the businesses up that supported Walker's campaign.

[Julie]

Thank you for going to the capitol last night. Here's the video somebody posted on YouTube :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtzygTwfz5I

Also, great article from the Cap Times today:

http://host.madison.com/business/biz_beat/b7f85f22-4a88-11e0-ac47-001cc4c002e0.html

[Eduardo Delgado]

Boycotting powerful abusive companies should be ongoing and a part of our everyday life in this unjust system we live in! Don't you think?

[Ofr]

Oh goodie, now our government makes policy by who can out trick the other party...

Will passing this bill strenthen the labor movement?

[Hansa Kerman Pistotnik]

@ CJ McDoogle: Here is the Follow The Money page for Scott Walker contributers. http://www.followthemoney.org/database/uniquecandidate.phtml?uc=20394&so9=a&p9=1#sorttable9
Of course Koch Industries is right near the top, and above them is M&I Bank (Marshall & Isley Corp). It is interesting that three Unions - Operating Engineers, Pumbers and Pipefitters, and Steamfitters - all contributed a small bit of money to Walker, but they have been very visible at the Capitol protesting. I'm sure their support of Walker in the beginning was based on the information they had at the time - that Walker was going to create jobs. He, of course, never mentioned throughout his campaign that he was going to take away worker's rights. Or strip the schools of $880 million. Or sell off our state power plants with no-bid contracts.

Beside picketing and boycotting those corporations that still continue to support Walker's agenda, it is *very* important that we sign those recall petitions for the Legislators that broke state law last night.

[Molly]

So - say you find yourself a patient (emergency surgery) at UW Hospital Madison during a "General Strike".

Walker has made no bones about it - he will fire strikers and put private companies in charge of the fired workers.

I cannot imagine "Wackenhut nurses" caring for patients in critical care. Lives will be in jeopardy.

[Ms Reason]

Here in Sheboygan County, Johnsonville and Sargento are two of Walker's biggest donors. According to the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign database, Johnsonville top executives gave more than $44,000 in the weeks before the November election. Sargento executives (as well as the wife of one of the owners) gave more than $20,000. That's a whole lot of support from two very influential local businesses. Please buy your brats and cheese from other firms!

[antpoppa]

Politics of Destruction VS Politics of Surrender
While the Princes Prospero of our society attended the gala parties of state, feeling safe behind their walls and guards; outside the plague menaces - The Masque of the Red Death.

Consigliore, in the old stories of wisdom, many times it was much more productive for the hero not to confront the menacing beast with arms hell bent on its destruction. This would be the Politics of Destruction. Much like the United States engages in against Bin Laden, Terrorism, Drugs hoping for a single blow to decapitate the villain, a final conflict that never comes.
I agree with the Politic of Surrender. Where we learn where the beast nests, were its lair is, what magic we need to poison it and its’ generations. We don’t confront power with power, we confront with guile and knowledge, we allow the beast to surrender..

[Larry]

President Obama said: "I won, you lost."

Elections have consequences. Take your lumps and move on. Hurting companies like GP will only hurts the union members working there. Oh, maybe you are too selfish to care. Good luck in your new reality.

[Brian (neaguy)]

Paul,
Lee Sustar had a good column on Counterpunch today about the strategic failures of the union leadership.

I have been critical of WEAC leadership for agreeing to the cuts in teacher pay; a major public relations fail. They should have presented a budget based on shared responsibility to counter Walker's negative shared pain frame.
The public now supports higher taxes on the wealthy and corporations and an increase in the sales tax. These should all be on the table and part of the shared responsibility frame.

some of what I wrote:
As Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) President Bell put it, the current impasse “is not about increased health and benefit contributions, or paying our fair share. We have agreed to the fiscal demands included in the bill” (weac.org, Feb. 25, 2011, Bell ‘deeply disappointed’ in Assembly).
Public school teachers speaking at rallies have followed Bell’s lead announcing that they are willing to make concessions to balance the budget. At rallies I’ve attended in these past two weeks I’ve heard from other union officials that it’s not about the money, it’s about collective bargaining. Democratic politicians speaking out on behalf of workers’ collective bargaining rights often note our willingness to accept cuts.
People wonder why the governor won’t negotiate. After all, they say, we’re willing to give up some money. One slogan heard at rallies is, “It’s not about the pay; it’s about the say.” Yet, Wisconsin families are going to be hit hard by these concessions and cuts in take home pay will lead to a decrease in economic activity and job loss. The pay and say are inextricably linked. And for some proponents of the budgetary repair bill, reducing salaries is the primary objective. Madison Capital Times editor, Paul Fanlund noted, in discussing the legislative focus of the business backers of Walker: “For them, it is always---and only---about the money.” (Madison Capital Times, Feb. 23-March 1)
Wisconsin teachers have already been contributing their fair share for nearly two decades by having their salaries capped under the Qualified Economic Offer (begun in 1993 under Gov. Tommy Thompson). Once 15th in the nation, teacher pay has fallen to 23rd (weac.org, “Wisconsin teacher pay drops to lowest level in 50 years,” 2/16/11).
By agreeing to accept pay cuts, the labor movement is in agreement with Governor Walker’s framing of the issue that says, “We’re broke. We don’t have the money.” (February 21, 2011 press conference)

[John Mc]

The concept of a General Strike is a little bit beyond the level of consciousness right now; however, I was incredibly disappointed in your trashing the idea. Fortunately for you, this is where you and Mayor Dave agree giving me one more reason to ignore this race on the April 5th ballot.

Ontario used this concept as a series of Political Strikes to protest the Conservative government.

I get that the Public sector strikes have a problem in that their employers can't sign a contract, but we still need to make sure that the Walker "Wisconsin is Open for Business" mantra is a failure. Businesses need to realize that an investment in Wisconsin means labor unrest, unresponsive government, and every other tactic to keep Walker's master's from seeing profit.

You lost me Paul. I hope you can get me back by the 5th

[Phil]

I agree with Paul. Its time to hit the pavement and collect recall signatures. A general strike would only make us look bad. As public employees its hard enough to maintain a good reputation with the public. Strikes frustrate everyone. Republican ratings are in the toilet. We must take advantage of that.

[mindy]

People like you are the reason why the South was allowed to disobey the 13th Amendment and force black people to wait nearly 100 years before actually seeing the LETTER OF THE LAW put into practice!

You are no friend of the poor, working-class or unemployed, children (who will endure the rollbacks of public education), the elderly, disabled, or anyone else who depends on charity from social services because we live in a nation that believes that socialism is akin to satinism and is blasphemous against our "founding" fathers (the 55 rich white guys from Europe who slaughtered the original inhabitants of this continent).

Why don't you just encourage Wisconsonites to wait till the 2012 election and vote in new corporate-whores from the Democratic Party? Shame on YOU!! You are no better than Walker, the union leadership who are working feverishly to quell RIGHTEOUS anger and ask people to bend over and say "Thank you sir, may I have another." SHAME ON YOU!!! TRAITOR!

[Brandon]

Everyone worker I spoke to Wednesday night supported a general strike come Monday morning. Sunday is when contracts start being torn away from us. We need to be unified on this and you are breaking our unity. As a former and potential Mayor you have no right taking a position on what should be an individual choice. I'm sorry. I can no longer support you and I'll be sure to share your position with my colleagues.

[Joe R]

A general strike would be a mistake. It would distract us and the public from the best tactic we have: recalling GOP senators now and Walker next January. Successful recalls of Hopper, Kapanke, and Darling are VERY likely. Why screw that up?

[Devon Chastain]

I also agree with hitting the pavement and having a Recall. Lets Do It!

[Robin Good]

I see how powerful the boycotts can be now with the M&I thing. I just have no money, so will have to rely on others to do the boycott. But I do see how effective it can be. Thanks, your sage political wisdom prevails.

[Dohnal]

Soglin says: "our great schools". According to the Education scrtary 82% do not measure up and in Milwaukee 70% can't read. Wouldn't want to change that anyone?
Why should pub;lic employees get better salaries, pensions, retirement age, health, dental, holidays, days off, sick days, overtime and you can't fire one, than the rest of us. Let Madison have their high paid employees, the rest of us want to know why we, who average about 26,000 per year, to their 56,000 have to subsidize those elitists?
I am 71, still working cause my property taxes have gone form $600 to $6,000 in the time that I have owned this house, 80% of those are salaries.
Do not underestimate the intelligence of the Wisconsin electorate, they know that unions have used their monopoly power to extract goldplated benefits and salaries form us.

The Conservative Digest

[Allan]

A strike is the only trump card labor has. If you never play your trump card you will lose the game. My fellow workers in public service, whom I serve in my daily job make from $12 to $15 an hour, they are low end clerical workers. Not some elitist multimillionaires like Scott Walker. Most of just have college loans to pay off because unlike Walker a majority of us went to college. Your property taxes go up mostly because property values are grossly over-inflated by a parasitic real estate industry and a Federal government that prefers to fund the military than fund the states to administer the very programs the Feds ask the states to administer. Every working poor person in this state in the private sector will see their earned income tax credit reduced and their homestead tax credit reduced. The poorest workers in the state get to pay more taxes out of this bill and the richest get tax subsidies and tax breaks. Read the bills, they are a matter of public record. About 20,000+ layoffs are written into this legislation billed as "saving" jobs. I can't believe I've lived to see the day where even our local police and firefighters are being denounced as "communists". Where talking heads on television call for Honduran death squads to come and kill us. As far as I am concerned given that my job, which I love, and I never miss a day of work, will be eliminated as the result of this legislation. I feel I have no choice but to call for a GENERAL STRIKE. Let's see this governor call out the national guard and try to fire everyone. He came out of the gate with threats, labor should call him on these threats. This bill hurts everyone in the state, everyone in the state should fight back.

Respectfully Mr. Soglin, it's never the right time for a strike, but sometimes a strike must be waged.

[Robert]

Please Please Please post the list of businesses that supported Walker so that I can be sure to shop there. I will make sure to go out of my way to support these businesses and most everyone I know will as well. It is high time the playing field is leveled.