What are these "bargaining rights" I keep hearing about re: Wisconsin?

Currently the unions can negotiate on pay, health insurance, pension plans, vacation and sick day policies, hours, and over time rates. The Wisconsin bill would only allow negotiation on pay. All other matters would be non-negotiable, the union employees would have to accept what the state dictates or find another job. And in Wisconsin, because of the budget problems, they will be presented with a pay cut, and the Governor will say take it or leave it.

Without being able to negotiate, the unions, which have already acceded to pay cuts, cannot work with the state to restructure things to be more acceptable for the workers.

Collective bargaining” means the right for workers to form a union that can then bargain for them with management (in this case, government management) about the terms and conditions of their employment. Before collective bargaining, workers had little control over the terms, conditions, and even safety of the workplace. Management’s attitude was take it or leave it. Any one worker could try to ask for better wages or safety measures or healthcare benefits, but management could simply fire the worker for asking, and hire somebody who :knew his place” and kept his mouth shut.

Unions were essential in creating the American Middle Class. Before unions, 10 coal miners died per day on average. Last year was a particularly bad one for mine accidents. 48 workers lost their lives in 2010. In 1910, that many died every 5 days. Unions fought for the 5 day work week, the end of child labor, safety in the workplace, decent pay and benefits for a decent day’s work.

Governor Walker created the budget shortfall in Wisconsin with a $140 million tax giveaway to big businesses. He then demanded that state workers there. police, firemen, teachers, snow-plow drivers and such take large pay cuts and pay much more toward their health insurance and pension funds. But that wasn’t enough. He wants them to give up their rights to almost all collective bargaining, and to not be allowed to collect Union dues.

What this is really about is titling the election playing field so only Republicans have any chance of ever winning, and at the same time, the working class loses all power to unite and bargain, and management holds all the chips. In the last election, 3 of the top 10 political donors were unions, and the other 7 were corporations or groups representing them. The corporations and their front groups gave almost exclusively to Republicans. Only the unions backed Democrats. If their rights to organize and bargain can be taken away, and their rights to collect dues terminated, then the Corporations are in total control. That is the Republican objective. Single party, permanent Fascist rule. You see, Fascism is the merger of corporate and state power. That is what Governor Walker and all the other Republican Governors all around the country now attacking unions have in mind.