U. of Wisconsin-Green Bay Faculty Votes to Unionize

Oh, Scott Walker so deserves this!! 

It’s Gov. Walker (a C-average college student who chose to leave Marquette University after he lost a student election to a write-in candidate under “suspicious” circumstances) who should be pitied, not the move of a growing number of UW System faculties to unionize. Walker’s “successes” so far: his pandering to out-of-state Tea Party ideologues rather than working for the citizens of WI who don’t support his extreme political beliefs;  obvious and heavy-handed power grabs at meetings that most likely violate state open meeting requirements; and myopic policies that have — literally — cost WI millions of dollars and have resulted in a strong (and, most likely, successful) recall effort aimed at Walker and toady state GOP senators. Walker’s moves to “bust” all public unions has only resulted in previous supporters recoiling from him during his first 5 months in office and in protests reminiscent of the 1960s civil rights marches. 

Walker was FORCED to admit, under Congressional oath, that the move to kill off public unions in WI would not save ANY tax money. But that was the reason he proposed the move in a state budget repair bill that is currently tied up in state litigation. Walker’s move to split off the University of Wisconsin-Madison from the rest of the UW System (to offer the flagship school more “flexibility”) has resulted in growing support for the System as a strong and cohesive 26-campus entity and a growing level of distrust for “freshman” UW Chancellor Biddy Martin from her campus and from UW System chancellors.  (While 2 former UW chancellors have now indicated their support a split, they certainly didn’t get behind this move when THEY were in charge at Madison!) 

Walker and his supporters are skilled liars (grossly exagerating costs, solving “problems” where none exist, setting up straw-man arguments that can’t withstand minimal fact-checking). But when the truth eventually comes out, things have a way of falling apart for him.

UW System faculty who’ve voted to unionize will be in the BEST position to fight Walker, a political lightweight who, ideally, will be drummed out of office in 2012. Congratulations to UW-Green Bay faculty for standing up for THEIR rights and the rights of all UW System faculty and staff.

I find this notion that collective bargaining is a “privilege” somewhat contrary to common sense, regardless of what the law says.  Why should the voluntary decision of a group of workers to bargain together be regarded as a “privilege”?  What it is is a natural assertion by laborers of their collective power, that in turn is legally regulated and outlawed under certain circumstances by our particular political institutions.  Calling it a privilege seems to imply that it takes a special dispensation of the public to make such collective action possible, whereas in point of fact our public institutions have chosen — for a variety of reasons, only some plausibly defensible — to forcibly limit labor action.  If living is a right, and labor an obligation, then it would seem to me that seeking just terms for one’s labor is merely a matter of survival, and as such is as natural a right as exists.

Not true.  Even if the law eventually goes into effect, the union can and will bargain for what it can, which will include work conditions, class sizes, etc.  A union with a nearly unanimous vote + an administration that is afraid that their faculty will bolt due to the Wisconsin GOP’s hostility to higher ed = an environment where bargaining will be possible.

If the law is implemented as passed, UW faculty and staff will be barred from collective bargaining again.  The newly formed union can attempt to advocate for its members, but it will have no place at the table with campus or state administrators.  We’ve already had that kind of union for many years, and it isn’t effective. 

To private schools.  Or to the private sector, where we’ll be competing with you for your job.  Watch out.  We’re smart, resourceful and have already been taught to do more with less.