Labor & Employment Law

Walker Backlash Boosts Working America and Union Support

By Mike Hall

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker?s (R) attack on workers? rights and middle-class jobs is having what is surely an unintended effect, as far as he is concerned?building support for workers? rights.

Amanda Terkel at The Huffington Post reports today that after Walker zeroed in on workers? collective bargaining rights, more than 20,000 Wisconsinites have joined Working America, the AFL-CIO?s community affiliate for people without a union. Also, faculty members at two University of Wisconsin (UW) campuses have voted to join AFT-Wisconsin.

One union leader tells Terkel:

The increase in Working America numbers provides one of the first real-world examples of what we’ve seen, which is increased interest nationally and in Wisconsin of supporting workers’ rights.

Working America organizer Kevin Pape says people continually approached Working America members?easily spotted in their red T-shirts? at the rallies and marches protesting Walker?s attacks. He tells Terkel:

People are just thirsty for a connection to a labor movement. This is an avenue to join the labor movement, and they’re just jumping at it.

She also reports that the growing interest in joining the union movement has also been seen at Working America?s door-to-door communications.

Working America regional director David Wehde said that in their door-to-door recruitment, many people are eager to show solidarity with the protesters but can’t make it to the big rallies in Madison. “So when we come by their doors and check in with them about what’s going on, they’re literally grabbing our clipboards and saying, ‘Great! What do I need to do?’ That’s one group of folks, and that’s a level of intensity that is new.”

Along with the growth in Working America, the backlash against Walker?s attack on middle-class jobs can be seen in two recent union elections at UW campuses.

Just hours before the Wisconsin state Senate last week approved Walker?s bill to eliminate collective bargaining for public service workers, the faculty at the UW-Stout voted overwhelmingly?196-31?in favor of union representation through AFT-Wisconsin.

It was Walker?s attack that galvanized the faculty and made them eager to raise their voices in protest, says Barb Flom, an associate professor of education.

When it became clear that the governor’s extremist legislation had nothing to do with balancing the budget and everything to do with denying workers’ rights, UW-Stout faculty realized the urgency in this vote. Together, we stood up, took notice and turned out to vote. Today, UW-Stout faculty stood united and echoed that message by saying, ?We deserve a voice in the workplace.?

Faculty at the UW-La Crosse voted 249-37 in favor of AFT-Wisconsin last month.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on March 16, 2011 (boomark / email).