I think the hardest part of being immersed in a battle–even one that is energizing and inspiring–is to see where we stand in the overall war (with apologies to those who don’t like the military imagery). No doubt, the people in Wisconsin–and hundreds of thousands of supporters nationwide–have given the anti-union forces something to think about. But, a sobering observation: we have already conceded and lost more than ever should have been on the table, if we step back to look at the class warfare underway. This isn’t a declaration of defeat. It is simply a statement of the long, hard road ahead.
Let’s be clear–it is exhilarating to see the images of tens of thousands of people swarming the state capitol in Wisconsin. I have been honored to be part of a group of people and organizations, particularly the Job Party, which has organized three successive demonstrations in the past 10 days–each one larger than its predecessor.
It is a huge step forward to see people pouring out of their homes to stand up to those who would continue to broaden the class warfare against the workers of the country.
BUT…
Recall this:
With the nation watching, Mr. Beil reversed course last week and accepted Mr. Walker’s demand that public employees pay 5.8 percent of their salaries toward their pensions and double their contributions toward health coverage.
The public workers in Wisconsin have already given up hard-earned benefits–in a place and at a time when they had no reason to give up a dime. We cannot afford to let people be put on the chopping block, time after time. There will be very little left of a decent standard of living.
So, we must make sure that we set the right framework for what the fight is about.
We have to set the starting point for the conversation–and it should not be that we, the workers, who have been the victims of a 30-year robbery of the wealth of the country, should pay the tab, particularly when there is plenty of wealth in the country if we had leaders who had the fucking balls to go after the rich and the powerful, rather than manufacture a phony fiscal "crisis" and demand that workers pay for a phantom crisis.
Check out some of the other crap coming down on workers.
Real pensions? Hah. A thing of the past:
Lawmakers and governors in many states, faced with huge shortfalls in employee pension funds, are turning to a strategy that a lot of private companies adopted years ago: moving workers away from guaranteed pension plans and toward 401(k)-type retirement savings plans.
You remember how good the 401(k) scheme was, don’t you? Ah, right you’ve probably forgotten the 401(k) because what you now have is actually a 201(k)–and give thanks to the people on Wall Street for that.
In case you weren’t sure, ask Teresa Ghilarducci, one of the nation’s foremost experts on pensions, about the wonders of the 401(k) scheme:
A main drawback is that more 401(k) plans would make the nation’s retirement crisis even worse. Traditional pension plans are better deals than 401(k) plans for taxpayers because they cost less, attract and retain suitable workers, and help stabilize the economy.
401(k) plans are bad deal for taxpayers. Dollar for dollar, a traditional pension plan yields more pension benefits than do 401(k) plans because 401(k) management and investment fees are three times higher. And professionals who manage money in pooled pension funds usually get higher returns than workers who manage their own 401(k) accounts. The only clear winners when pensions switch over to the 401(k) plans are brokers and bankers.[emphasis added]
Aren’t we done with the idea of an economy where the clear winners are brokers and bankers? Apparently not.
Another piece of the attack against workers is coming, and will come, wrapped in velvet and calm voices. In some way, what you hear from people like Michael Bloomberg, is far more insidious and dangerous:
Across the country, taxpayers are providing pensions, benefits and job security protections for public workers that almost no one in the private sector enjoys. Taxpayers simply cannot afford to continue paying these costs, which are growing at rates far outpacing inflation.
….Instead, we should work to modernize government’s relationship with unions — and union leaders should be farsighted enough to cooperate, because the only way to protect the long-term integrity of employee benefits is to ensure the public’s long-term ability to fund them.
….
Rather than declare war on unions, we should demand a new deal with them — one that reflects today’s economic realities and workplace conditions, not those of a century ago. If we fail to do that, the fault is not in our unions, or in our stars, but in ourselves.
Here is the upshot of the message delivered by the "centrist" voice of the billionaire mayor, who made his fortune by creating and running a non-union company:
Wages have been so hammered down in the private sector–thanks to a 30-year long assault by CEOs who have pocketed for themselves the vast productivity gains realized over all those years and pushed trade deals that have resulted in a decline in wages here and abroad–that we should be judging, according to the new "economic realities", the future standard of living (not the mayor’s, of course!) on the lowest common denominator.
The "economic realities" and "workplace conditions" are not that we have the greatest divide between rich and poor in 100 years. Or that we have witnessed the whole sale robbery of the wealth of the country over the past 30 years and longer. Or, that despite a financial calamity of epic proportions, our legal system has held virtually no one in power responsible for the destruction of trillions of dollars in wealth–wealth, by the way, that millions of hard-working Americans had socked away in those fabulous 401(k)s.
Nope. The new American slogan via Mayor Bloomberg, and a whole lot of our leaders: "That person is screwed so you should be too!"
It is a velvet presentation of Jay Gould’s declaration that he could get one half of the working class to kill the other half.
And, then, we have the specter of a bi-partisan agreement that somehow we have a deficit or debt "crisis". That we don’t have enough money to pay for a decent society. This is all false.
But, the fact that we even arrived at this crazy idea that the victims of the vast robbery of our wealth–whether Wisconsin workers, Ohio workers or any average wage earner–should now pay for that robbery has broad support. Our president argues the phony, moronic idea of a fiscal "crisis" every day:
"I recently froze the salaries of federal employees for two years. It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but I did it because of the very tough fiscal situation we are in. I believe that everybody should be prepared to give up something in order to solve our budget challenges. I think most public servants agree with that. Democrats and Republicans agree with that."[emphasis sadly added]
What exactly should the working person now give up, Mr. President? His or her ability to pay the rent? Make the car payment? Or, if he or she wants to join your goal of "winning the future", how exactly will that worker pay for a kid’s college after giving "up something"?
Look, friends, again, none of what I point out should take away from the organizing and the building of a movement, and the joy and thrill we can feel when people stand strong.
But, as we do so, let’s keep our eye firmly on what is being said and what we say to others is our goal and our vision.
