The Madison Protests Are About Union Busting, Not Budget Cuts

I’m fed up with the corporate media’s coverage of the great fight-back in Wisconsin.

This is not about a budget crisis. Actually, the current budget is in surplus to the tune of $54 million, according to the Legislative Research Bureau.

And to the extent that the budget may get worse later, Gov. Walker has no one to blame but himself because he kissed goodbye $800 million in federal money for high speed rail, and he gave the rich tax breaks worth $117 million.

And this is not about whether public sector employees would be willing to pay more for health care or pensions. Their unions have said they’d be willing to negotiate on this.

But Walker doesn’t want to negotiate.

He wants to bust unions.

That’s why he is demanding the defunding of public sector unions by prohibiting employers from deducting union dues. This wouldn’t save the state a cent.

That’s why he is demanding annual recertifications for every public sector union.

That’s why he is trying to make it easier to fire union
organizers.

That’s why he refused, on Thursday, to take off the table the anti-union parts of the bill and leave open the question of negotiating cuts in benefits and pensions.

I’m sick of seeing headlines about Wisconsin workers reacting to budget cuts.

They’re reacting instead to union busting.

Let’s hear the truth for a change.

If you liked this story by Matthew Rothschild, the editor of The Progressive magazine, check out his story "Glorious Rallies in Madison, Ground Zero of the Fight Back."

Follow Matthew Rothschild @mattrothschild on Twitter