Really super!

Republican Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, in true tea party fashion, is attempting to destroy the rights of public employees in his state to collectively bargain. He has promised to call out the National Guard if necessary to enforce his draconian ideas. Hey, wait a minute! Aren't National Guard members public employees?

Well, anyway, if Walker expected wide support for his idea, he must be somewhat surprised at the reaction of Wisconsinites. Students have struck in support of their teachers, who are, after all, public employees, and today support for those employees came from another source. Current and former members of the Green Bay Packers, this year's Super Bowl champions, issued the following statement:

We know that it is teamwork on and off the field that makes the Packers and Wisconsin great. As a publicly owned team we wouldn't have been able to win the Super Bowl without the support of our fans.

It is the same dedication of our public workers every day that makes Wisconsin run. They are the teachers, nurses and child care workers who take care of us and our families. But now in an unprecedented political attack Governor Walker is trying to take away their right to have a voice and bargain at work.

The right to negotiate wages and benefits is a fundamental underpinning of our middle class. When workers join together it serves as a check on corporate power and helps ALL workers by raising community standards. Wisconsin's long standing tradition of allowing public sector workers to have a voice on the job has worked for the state since the 1930s. It has created greater consistency in the relationship between labor and management and a shared approach to public work.

These public workers are Wisconsin's champions every single day and we urge the Governor and the State Legislature to not take away their rights.


Well said, Packers. Now that's what I call really super!

Comments

  1. AnonymousFebruary 18, 2011 at 8:00 PM

    When I hear this and then hear the news that the house has voted to defund planned parenthood I feel like my head is exploding!! I can understand being anti abortion but how in the world does one come to the conclusion that by not providing contraceptives to the poor abortion will decrease? I believe if the present congress had their way they would not only be able to expand government to control my body but would also have all women wearing burkas. But they portray themselves to be of less government interference?
    If they prayed to Jesus rather than Allah, they would endorse Islam-where women are kept in their place. Crazy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dorothy BordersFebruary 18, 2011 at 10:22 PM

    Crazy just about sums it up, Anonymous. One might also add autocratic and misogynistic, not unlike some of the governments whose people are currently marching in the streets demanding reform.

    ReplyDelete

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