Wisc. Governor Makes a Cold-Blooded Threat to Sic the National Guard on Union Workers

[White Eagle]

I'm not real sure I like unions, but threatening to put the National Guard out to stop a strike is dangerous. Like strikes in the past that were stopped, citizens get killed. There has to be a better way to handle this.

http://www.alternet.org/story/14993...t_to_sic_the_national_guard_on_union_workers_

Wisc. Governor Makes a Cold-Blooded Threat to Sic the National Guard on Union Workers
If the National Guard is called out in Wisconsin, workers across the country should take a page from Egypt and go out on a general strike.
February 16, 2011 |


Last week, Wisconsin's Republican governor Scott Walker threatened to use the National Guard if his state's public employees go on strike in response to his proposal to strip them of the right to bargain collectively.

By merely mentioning the possibility of deploying the Guard to prevent a strike, Governor Walker has threatened to militarize the attack on unions. The 150-year history of the American labor movement shows that such moves often lead to the deaths of union members.

 

[palemale]

I'm not real sure I like unions, but threatening to put the National Guard out to stop a strike is dangerous. Like strikes in the past that were stopped, citizens get killed. There has to be a better way to handle this.

http://www.alternet.org/story/14993...t_to_sic_the_national_guard_on_union_workers_

Unfortunately there is a history of National Guard violence in this country to crush strikes. The most famous incident was the Ludlow Massacre in 1914, in which the Colorado National Guard attacked an encampment of striking mine workers and their families on land leased by the union after the coal companies evicted striking workers from company housing. The National Guard slaughtered 19 people, including 11 children and 2 women. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Massacre

The governor of Colorado called out the National Guard to assist the Rockfellers, who owned the mines.

 

[BearMagus]

Unions are parasitic organizations practicing legal extortion. Today we have ample legislation to protect workers. If an employee doesn't like his or her job or pay, they should quit and work somewhere else.

 

[White Eagle]

^^Thank you, that was my intent!

 

[Kyanimal]

Here is a paragraph from that (inflammatory) article:

Some observers claim that Governor Walker was merely “alerting the National Guard” in order to take over Wisconsin's correctional facilities if the prison unions went out on strike. However, such preparation could have been made in private without risking the criticism Walker has received since raising the issue. By announcing it publicly, Walker was attempting to intimidate unions with the threat of force; his militarization is creating a toxic climate of fear and violence in which an inspired right-wing nutjob might feel justified attacking union members.

First of all, I happen to know Scott Walker, as well as his parents, and I assure you that the first sentence I bolded is, indeed, the case.

Yes, he is introducing some legislation that I don't agree with. He is doing it in an attempt to bring the State deficits, and budget, hence the unions, under control. I'll not get into that argument.

However, I do know that the steps he is taking are being promoted through his own "good faith", and he is trying to do his job, take on his responsibilities, as best he sees fit. (Even though I think he may be going too far.)

As for announcing it publicly, he was attempting to assure the citizens that if the prison unions do go on strike, the correctional facilities, and the inmates, would remain sound and taken care of.

The second sentence I bolded is pure, inflammatory, Bull Shit!!

He's not intending to use the Nation Guard to STOP anyone from striking! He's using them (if necessary) to, temporarily, REPLACE the union workers, in order to keep crucial services (like keeping inmates "IN") functioning.

As for the rest of that article, everything that follows should be flushed down the drain! The "toxic climate" the author sites is being promoted by none other than himself!

I don't agree with our new Governor, nor did I vote for him. (I know his opponent, too.) However, I also happen to Like the guy! And, whoever wrote that article is running very close to the line of sheer Libel!

Keep smilin'!!
Chaz

 

[Roralot]

Unions are parasitic organizations practicing legal extortion. Today we have ample legislation to protect workers. If an employee doesn't like his or her job or pay, they should quit and work somewhere else.

Yeah, because finding another job should be easy in today's economy. Right? Right?

 

[laikaNYC]

Unions are parasitic organizations practicing legal extortion.

They really are one step below the mob, strong arming anyone who doesn't see it their way.

 

[Seasoned]

Too bad Walker looked for another government job after ruining Milwaukee County. The Man has had an agenda as was seen in his return of federal dollars for a rail system. Why? He was financially supported by highway proponents. He's corrupt and taking teachers to the firing line seems to rally his supports. As more radical families home school so as to have supposed control of their children's minds there is less support for teachers. The governor, legislators, non-unionized supervisory state employed personal are also state employees never given less than unionized personnel.

The Republicans might have seemed ok when they were just screwing gays, but some union folk have been voting Republican. I hope they enjoy their split shifts, out of town work assignments with no reimbursement, bogus adjunct and part-time positions to avoid benefits and all the while allowing supervisory personnel to maintain or perhaps even grow. Remember that this is more about working conditions than money. There's an agenda. This is not a good man.

Republicans have essentially formed a club for personal gain and working men and women have blindly bought in to their social agenda and have given them power. The social agenda distracts from their real purpose. Gays and unions are the new scapegoats because it's politically incorrect to uses Jews and blacks. So while distracting the electorate they are elbows deep in the real agenda of taking financial care if one another. Let's hope the public wakes up.

 

[bike10]

Without unions workers would be at the mercy of big business.

 

[shainski]

I agree with Kyanimal. His intent is purposely being malinged for political reasons.

We, in Wisconsin, are facing massive deficits (like many states). Something has to be cut - somewhere. our previous didn't do us any favors by creating deficits and lying about the magnitude.

And SoreKnees, i usually agree with you, but not this time.
About the whole train thing. Talk about subsidies for rich people. No poor person would be able to afford the "high speed" train as proposed. And while the tab would have been picked up by the feds (but not overruns). The operating costs would have been borne by Wisconsinites.

and as we all are finding out:

Amid the Great Society spending boom of the 1960s, Illinois Senator Everett Dirksen famously quipped,

"A billion here, a billion there -- pretty soon, you're talking real money."

 

[Seasoned]

They really are one step below the mob, strong arming anyone who doesn't see it their way.

The new Jews? The new Blacks? Beating up on unions is just plain silly. Has anyone given any thought to the notion that the economy tanked because of the assult on unions? Getting rid of resonable paying jobs also got rid of demand for products that used to be made here. We cannot survive as viable if the majority of people have no expendable income. One CEO buying a $5M yacht puts how many people to work? One hundred? In the days when we still made products here, a million union workers bought a million toasters, TVs, cars, lawnmowers, shoes, clothes, etc. We need more good union jobs, not less. Alas, all we seem to have now are store workers who get paid and shop in other stores.

 

[Orlandude]

Unions are parasitic organizations practicing legal extortion. Today we have ample legislation to protect workers. If an employee doesn't like his or her job or pay, they should quit and work somewhere else.

Oh I forgot, the less than 10% of Americans who belong to unions hold all the power, not the upper 2% who hold 65% of the wealth. Keep doing their bidding. Allowing "right to work" states to get away with paying people slave wages and being allowed to fire people without cause is NOT "ample legislation to protect workers". Instead, it is the very reason unions came to exist in the first place. Stop playing class warfare.

 

[Seasoned]

And SoreKnees, i usually agree with you, but not this time.
About the whole train thing. Talk about subsidies for rich people. No poor person would be able to afford the "high speed" train as proposed. And while the tab would have been picked up by the feds (but not overruns). The operating costs would have been borne by Wisconsinites.

I think it's great that you wrote this. I don't think it's possible that anyone can agree with anyone else all the time. I have great fear that with an entirely Republican state government we are in for the screwing of our lives.

 

[Kulindahr]

However, I do know that the steps he is taking are being promoted through his own "good faith", and he is trying to do his job, take on his responsibilities, as best he sees fit. (Even though I think he may be going too far.)

As for announcing it publicly, he was attempting to assure the citizens that if the prison unions do go on strike, the correctional facilities, and the inmates, would remain sound and taken care of.

The second sentence I bolded is pure, inflammatory, Bull Shit!!

He's not intending to use the Nation Guard to STOP anyone from striking! He's using them (if necessary) to, temporarily, REPLACE the union workers, in order to keep crucial services (like keeping inmates "IN") functioning.

As for the rest of that article, everything that follows should be flushed down the drain! The "toxic climate" the author sites is being promoted by none other than himself!

Ky, thanks for the perspective.

First: forming a union is a matter of freedom of association -- it's a right.

Second: some unions have become abusive of their power and are in actuality agents of greed.

Third: states have to have a way to balance their budgets.


Most positions only want to recognize one or two of these. All three have to be considered. The question then becomes how much the union workers in this case are earning. It turns out that in the big picture, they're better off than they would be in the private sector -- primarily because of much better, and more sound, pension benefits.

So on benefits grounds the union should chill. But if the governor really moves to de-legalize their collective bargaining rights, they should strike, and any sympathetic unions should strike as well. Striking to get more, more, more! is an entirely different thing than striking to defend one's rights.

 

[joaama]

I live in Wisconsin.

We need to recall Walker ASAP.

He cannot be allowed to get away with this.

I like the "I know him and he wouldn't do this" thing.

That's what I'm sure many rapist and murderer's families say after the person is arrested for their crimes.

 

[chrisrobin]

Stupid 5 day work week! Damn unions.

Stupid 40 hour work week.
Stupid time and a half after 40 hours.
Stupid vacation days.
Stupid paid holidays.
Stupid sick days.

There's no end to management's suffering. Oh, the humanity!

 

[White Eagle]

Here is a paragraph from that (inflammatory) article:



First of all, I happen to know Scott Walker, as well as his parents, and I assure you that the first sentence I bolded is, indeed, the case.

Yes, he is introducing some legislation that I don't agree with. He is doing it in an attempt to bring the State deficits, and budget, hence the unions, under control. I'll not get into that argument.

However, I do know that the steps he is taking are being promoted through his own "good faith", and he is trying to do his job, take on his responsibilities, as best he sees fit. (Even though I think he may be going too far.)

As for announcing it publicly, he was attempting to assure the citizens that if the prison unions do go on strike, the correctional facilities, and the inmates, would remain sound and taken care of.

The second sentence I bolded is pure, inflammatory, Bull Shit!!

He's not intending to use the Nation Guard to STOP anyone from striking! He's using them (if necessary) to, temporarily, REPLACE the union workers, in order to keep crucial services (like keeping inmates "IN") functioning.

As for the rest of that article, everything that follows should be flushed down the drain! The "toxic climate" the author sites is being promoted by none other than himself!

I don't agree with our new Governor, nor did I vote for him. (I know his opponent, too.) However, I also happen to Like the guy! And, whoever wrote that article is running very close to the line of sheer Libel!

Keep smilin'!!
Chaz

Thank you for this side of the man. Now we have a side I didn't expect to see.
Thanks.

 

[Seasoned]

^What you have here is the public, I better not be the biggest asshole on earth side. His out with the buddies side is full of smirks knowing he threatened state employees with the National Guard. He's a college graduate. No one has to go back to explain himself on such a simple notion. Watch this guy. He has quite the agenda.

 

[shainski]

he threatened state employees with the National Guard. He's a college graduate.

Well i disagree with on two things:

1) I think he intended the National Guard to take over the jobs if need be (if a strike occurred at the prisons, for example). I do not believe he intended to say he will upset strikes with the guard.

2) He is not a college graduate.

 

[chuck10x]

It takes 2 to negotiate a contract, The Union and the Employer.

Why blame the Unions who try to get the best deal possible for there workers?

What about the Employer who agrees to the terms of the contract?
Doesn't the Employer share in 50% of the blame?

And when it comes to extortion, What about the Govenors Pay and Benefits?
Don't Politicians vote on what they should get?