Paul Soglin: Waxing America

Scott Walker Must Have Skipped the Class on Truth in Campaign Advertising

Scott Walker won the election as the Governor of Wisconsin in November 2008. He defeated  Mayor Barrett by 124,638 votes. If 62,320 of those people had switched Barrett would be governor.

While Scott Walker indicated he despised unions, he opposed the recently negotiated contracts for state employees and that he wished he could decertify the unions (which he could not do). He never told the people of Wisconsin he was going to end collective bargaining.

If ending collective bargaining is such a critical essential element of his budget repair bill, most Wisconsinites are asking Walker why he did not inform them of this plan during the campaign. If he had, we know that all of those unions would have not supported him.

We also know that tens of thousands of voters would have switched.

That is why Governor Walker cannot claim he has a mandate.

Madison crowd on Saturday to stop Walker union busting was record

The Madison crowd on Saturday to stop Governor Walker's union busting legislation set a record for a political movement.

Let's get it right. There is so much misinformation that at times I even became confused. At at least five of the crowds over the past two weeks set records for non-candidate events. We reviewed this matter two years ago when the Tea Party made exaggerated claims about its own protest - Enter Waxing America Tea Party Capitol Square Crowd Contest.

On April 15, 2009 a coalition of right wing groups held their Tax Day Tea Party, On the website hosted by Americans for Prosperity there is the claim:

"It is estimated that over 8,200 attended the Taxpayer Tea Party in Madison, Wisconsin on Wednesday, April 15th".

Thanks to all that attended to make this "the largest rally on the Wisconsin State Capitol Steps since the 1960's anti-war protest".

While more responsible parties estimated the crowd as closer to 5,000, Waxing America finds the claim that this was the largest State Capitol Steps rally since the 1960's somewhat suspect.

Then Chris wrote in with the following:

The Anti Iraq war 2/2003 was to biggest protest I had seen in years on the square, 15-20K by my estimate. Clinton / Gore 92' was a big rally, 10K. Kerry wasn't technically on the square but it did reach to the square, 80K. If I remember right Jerry Brown '80 was a attendance bust even with a big Coppola production 3K. I think even Jessie Jackson speaking on the 20th anniversary of the MLK Jr assassination out drew the outraged teabaggers 21 years later, 8-10K. There were many Harvestfests were over 8K but my memory is a little foggy.

Chris is correct in noting that the Kerry rally, the largest since the Vietnam days was not on the square, and to be technical, it was not a protest or part of a political movement. In any case, the 80,000 (probably 95,000) plus we saw yesterday is the record and it certainly eclipses anything from the Vietnam era. I doubt that in the 60's and 70's we ever had more than 30,000, perhaps 40,000.

 

 

Walker Somehow Manages To Unite Law Enforcement And Protesters At Wisconsin Capitol

Tonight Bill Lueders in the DailyPage put his finger on the really remarkable thing about the occupation of Wisconsin's Capitol. Never mind the 100,000+ today in the snow and cold. Never mind the incredible solidarity that has developed over the last couple of weeks between public and private sector unions. Or the sense of small-town living that has developed with the sleepovers in the Capitol building, albeit in smaller and smaller areas, as the Capitol Police and their thousands of uniformed law enforcement reinforcements on temporary assignment closed off larger and larger wings of the building. Or the abundant, high-end and free pizza.

It's the friendly relationship that those uniformed (mostly) union members of law enforcement have developed with the protesters. Both sides are more than polite to one another; they are downright Midwestern friendly.  I've never seen anything like it anywhere. Eye contact, smiles, thank-you's and offers of pizza or a bagel. I thought for years that the Madison Police were the best at keeping events cool, but this reaches new levels. Over 100,000 people in and around the building today; no arrests (again).

(Last night was the law enforcement unions' sleepover - I saw a Madison cop walking from the City-County Building to the Capitol at about 8:30, carrying a police solidarity sign and a pillow.)

Lueders:

All this week I've been talking to the law enforcement officers converged in and around the Capitol. ...Today I spoke at some length with a state conservation warden, one of the quasi-law enforcement employees who will not be spared the loss of collective bargaining under Walker's divisive plan.

He praised the protesters for how kind and well-behaved they've been, as have the officers I've spoken to over the last week and a half. Something remarkable has happened here: The protesters and the law enforcement officers who have been sent here from every corner of the state have come to like each other, to see each other as being on the same side. (emphasis added)

I think that means -- I hope that means -- that the building will be sealed off peacefully tonight and will vacate peacefully tomorrow. And then Monday morning, when the building is clean, everybody can come back.

Let's all hope Lueders is right about a peaceful exit of all protesters tomorrow. If Walker has indeed somehow managed to unite protester and cop, perhaps only a handful will force the issue and have to be carried out.  That might allow the building, its many legislative staffers, and the uniformed law enforcement folks from Sheboygan to Platteville to take a needed short break.

This no-arrest streak is a badge of honor for both sides.

If that isn't enough, bonding by sharing bagels and pizza in adjacent sleeping bags may have helped.

 

- Barry Orton

The Fight to Save Wisconsin Collective Bargaining is Moving Forward

While the Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly succeeded in adopting the horrendous so-called 'budget repair bill,' a foregone conclusion, the movement to preserve collective bargaining for unions is moving forward.

We have a long difficult struggle ahead, but already there are victories in other states, victories that will make Wisconsin Republicans re-think the proposal of Governor Scott Walker.

Some Republicans soften tough talk on unions

WASHINGTON – With a wary eye on Wisconsin, Republican leaders in several states are toning down the tough talk against public employee unions and, in some cases, abandoning anti-union measures altogether.

Indiana's governor urged GOP lawmakers to give up on a "right to work" bill for fear the backlash could derail the rest of his agenda. In Ohio, senators plan to soften a bill that would have banned all collective bargaining by state workers. And in Michigan, the Republican governor says he'd rather negotiate with public employees than pick a fight...

 

We have a long way to go but these are heartening signs. No matter what the legislature does in Wisconsin, there is going to be a protracted debate on the role of unions and educating the hundreds of millions of workers, both public and private sector, as to the sacrifices made by union members to get future generations the eight hour day, the weekend, and a chance to spend retirement in something better than a cardboard box.

When a few hundred of us, mostly graduate students,  gathered on the steps of the University of Wisconsin memorial Union Saturday February 12, 2011 we knew this would grow. But no one envisioned anything like what we will see tomorrow Saturday the 26th. As the sign says, "Screw us and we multiply."

 

 

 

SEIU Chief on Walker: "This Is All About Power, Not Money"

Monday there was a blogger sit-down with Mary Kay Henry, national president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). In Wisconsin the SEIU represents about 20,000 members, most of which work in health care-related fields.  About 4,000 are state workers, and the largest group of those are about 2,000 nurses at the UW Hospital, which ironically, isn't really a state agency now. The majority of Wisconsin SEIU members are in the private sector, and most of those are home health workers.

Henry is, in fact, one of those out-of-state union agitators Scott Walker blames for the occupation of the Capitol. She and some staff had flown in for the day to reinforce her SEIU ground troops in Wisconsin, and show the flag to inspire them and their brothers and sisters from the many public and private sector unions. Only in this case, the flag was a purple SEIU t-shirt.

Henry was energized by her experience at the Capitol, both from the scene inside, and the response to her speech at the noon outside rally. Cutting to the chase, she said: "This is all about power, not money."  Connecting the dots between Walker's actions and the national assault on the political clout of unions, Henry argued that "...collective bargaining is the last line of defense for the American middle class, and we will not concede on our voice on the job."

Emily Mills (Emily''s Post)  was also at the sit-down, and tied Henry's comments to the impending deep cuts in support to subsdized health care in Wisconsin:

Part of the debate about Walker’s budget proposal that’s been mostly overshadowed by the outcry over cutting collective bargaining, of course, is his desire to impose sweeping changes on the state’s Medicare system. That affects BadgerCare, Family Care, and SeniorCare, among other things. It’s all connected – especially for home health workers and for the working, low-income people of the state in general. Henry was sure to address those problems, as according to Shawn Doherty’s thoughtful piece in the Capital Times, “The provisions would allow the administration to revamp and even gut the programs without following state laws or the normal legislative processes.”

This is just as serious of an issue as the threat to union rights and deserves just as much of our indignation. We’re talking about putting into jeopardy the very well-being of our elders, the disabled, the most vulnerable populations in the state.

It's beyond ironic that many of the SEIU members providing health care services need BadgerCare themselves.

 

For a little much-needed humor, here's one of the best signs from Saturday, thanks to deke at Caffeinated Politics.

(That's very likely a SEIU nurse from UW Hospital. Anyone who has been cared for by them will tell you that UW Hospital nurses are wicked awesome.)

- Barry Orton

Soglin: Why Walker's Bill Is Bad For Cities

Monday, Paul Soglin talked to Sly on WTDY about the fiscal devastation Governor Walker's "emergency" budget "repair" bill would create for Wisconsin's cities. Scroll down's Sly's page to find Paul's segment, or you can listen here.

FYI, there's a great new website, Solidarity Wisconsin, that is compiling blogs and news sources about all this. Well worth a click and then a bookmark.

BTW, if you haven't gotten to the Capitol yet, and you are within range of Madison, you need to experience it for yourself. The enormous number of union people, kids, college students, teachers,and uniformed law enforcement from hundreds of jurisdictions, all polite and friendly with each other, with free food and drinks everywhere you turn - it's the mellowest vibe I've ever seen at a demonstration.

Say hi to Paul when you see him there. (Photo by noblejoanie)

- Barry Orton

 

Another Potential Walker Victim: Workplace Democracy

My UW-Madison colleague Greg Downey has a great blog, The Note On My Door. He explains the blog's title: "In the old days professors might tape brief notes on their office doors. Welcome to the future."

Greg recently posted a thoughtful essay: "On public employees and the right to organize," wherein he takes aim at the important, but mostly overlooked issue of worker participation in organizational decision-making. As unions get weakened or eliminated, top-down management is strengthened to the detriment of good decision-making. (This is one of Paul Soglin's major arguments about both the role of unions and of citizen groups in local government.)

Here's the meat of Downey's concerns:

Over my decade of paid service to UW-Madison, I've seen democracy in action every single day on campus. In every unit and every discipline, our faculty and staff are able to collaboratively prioritize, discuss, debate, and decide issues about the proper course of university education, the proper administration of always scarce funds, and the proper rewards to hard-working peers. It's not always pretty, and it's never easy, but it's something that the whole organization holds dear; and in the end, it works. It works not because it's the most efficient way of making decisions, but because it's the most transparent and legitimate. It works because it forces those holding opposing views to express and defend them in civil and evidence-based ways. And it works because it brings a basic dignity to a process where, all too easily, those with greater power or fancier credentials or higher salaries could simply have their way. That's what I think we will lose if, as an unrelated side-effect of changing the benefits payment structure of state workers, we throw out the very possibility of collective decision-making. We will lose an important mechanism to preserve the serious and honest participation of state workers, not only in shaping the character of the organizations that they serve, but in shaping the legacy that this state leaves to its next generation of civil servants -- and citizens.

 

- Barry Orton

 

Reflections on Wisconsin in the 1960's and 2011

The headline on the Reuters story was Wisconsin demonstrators party like it's 1968.  Actually the writer was not wrong referring to the 'festive atmosphere' but last week in Madison was not like 1968, or 1969, or 1967, or 1965.

The anti-war protests of the 1960's were angry and limited. We were energized, but we had difficulty growing from a protest to a movement designed to build something. Eventually we did build and create - greater human rights, there were gains for economic and social justice - but we never reached our potential.

Last week in Madison was joyful but it was not a party; it was the joy of finding so many strangers with a shared common values - fairness and trust.

Last week in Madison, like the '60s, was led by the young, the teaching assistants (TAs) and the undergraduates, the first Saturday and Sunday.  But in forty-eight hours it had a breadth of support that the anti-war movement could never obtain in a decade.

Last week in Madison I greeted and hugged construction trade workers, police officers, limping Vietnam veterans, teachers and social workers. For those of us in Madison, the firefighters were always there.

This is a very different scene. It has the potential to move from protest to a real political movement. It already has deep roots in the progressive movement. The future is unsettling since there is little chance that Governor Scott Walker will back down. To understand the situation, you have to understand that Governor Walker is confident. He keeps winning elections. He turned down federal aid and killed high speed rail in Wisconsin. He knows who elected him and put him in office - not the voters but Milwaukee right-wing talk radio and his hard core corporate donors. After all, many of those voters were public employees, or union members who realize we may become a right-to-work state.

To get Walker to move will require getting to his base, the campaign base.

In the meantime. we must go forward and not just in the streets. When the anti-war movement grew rapidly in 1968 and '69, we failed to keep up with education, we found ourselves limited to protesting. Times have changed for the better. The TA's are organizing workshops and educational programs on Wisconsin labor history. The labor unions are mobilizing for political action. New technologies we never had will provide new opportunities.

Most important, last week in Madison we were bound by fairness and trust. Marching were people who disagreed on choice, national health insurance, environmental regulation, and even taxation. But we shared those common values of fairness and trust. Perhaps we can fashion a new political culture in this nation that will change the dialogue.

How Walker Bill Will Impact Public Transit in Madison, and Wisconsin

Last week Madison's WISC Channel 3 and Channel 3000  (February 19, 2011) warned their viewers,

Madison Metro Could See Big Changes:

Madison's Metro bus system could see big changes under Gov. Scott Walker's union bill. The city's transit system would have two options if the governor's bill passes -- either the system must be completely restructured, or lose $45 million in federal funding.

The situation came about because federal law requires collective bargaining rights on wages, pensions and working conditions for that aid. City officials say this detail is something that was overlooked by many."Well, we'd have to look at dramatic cutbacks in service. It's too early to say exactly what that means, but people love their bus services here in the city of Madison. They wouldn't vote for this. And again, it's something that I'm sure wasn't thought about when this bill was so hastily put together," said Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz. (emphasis added)

The readers of Waxing America know there is a third option and the situation might not be so dire if the mayor directed the city attorney to get to work.  From last Sunday's post, February 13, 2011 Governor Walker: There Are Better Options for Wisconsin:

...Second, we need to examine Walker’s proposal where it may run afoul of federal law. Madison bus drivers are covered by a federal 13(C) Agreement. This is a requirement that applies to transit systems that receive federal aid.  13(C) “requires the continuation of collective bargaining rights, and protection of transit employees' wages, working conditions, pension benefits, seniority, vacation, sick and personal leave, travel passes, and other conditions of employment.” In other words it is likely that no matter what the legislature does in adopting Walker’s proposals, it will not apply to the Madison bus drivers or the drivers of any union-organized transit system in Wisconsin that receives federal funds...

Forty years ago the city of Madison signed the 13(C) agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportaion. As a condition of receiving federal transit aids, Madison guaranteed the collective bargaining rights of the transit workers. A very strong case can be made that the federal law and the contract will prevail over any state statute.

 

 

 

Video: Soglin on Public Unions - "Walker Isn't Capable of Understanding What's Happened Here"

From Isthmus' The Daily Page: - Jack Craver finds Paul Soglin with the demonstators.

I was alerted to the presence of Paul Soglin in a crowd of firefighters by text. It only took me a few seconds to spot his iconic mane of hair from a distance. He shared his thoughts for a few moments:

 

 

- Barry Orton

 Editor's Note: Campaign contributions can be made out to Soglin for Mayor and mailed to PO Box 1228, Madison WI 53701. Please include contact information and whether we can use your name as a supporter.  Let us know if you can volunteer or sponsor a fundraiser. State law requires you to supply employer information (name and address) if your contribution is over $100 in a calendar year. The campaign website at http://www.soglinformayor.com is able to take online contributions, but please feel free to go old school via the US Postal Service.