A smirking Scott Walker (R - Wisconsin Dictator)
signed and then proudly held up the Right to
Work Mooch Law that was rammed through the majority Republican Wisconsin Legislature less than 2 weeks after it was introduced. (I can't post the photo since it's under copyright, but please go to the link to see it for yourself).
Maybe that smirk is because Walkers Big Lie worked. Even through January of this year Walker claimed that Right to Work legislation was "a distraction", that "it won't come to my desk", and that it wasn't needed. It was the Big Lie that he repeated all during his campaign even as video evidence of his Divide and Conquer Strategy was available.
Nope. He lied and denied. And got away with it.
To add insult to injury, he made sure to wear his campaign costume which I'm going to make famous. Yes, the long sleeved pale blue shirt with sleeves rolled up exactly 3 times along with a red tie. It's the "man of the people" image he has carefully crafted when he needs to go out and fool the public.
Overhauling more than a half century of labor law in Wisconsin, Gov. Scott Walker on Monday signed so-called right-to-work legislation banning labor contracts that require private sector workers to pay labor fees.
In a matter of weeks, Republicans pushed through the measure making Wisconsin the 25th state with such a law, giving a victory to manufacturers in the state and a blow to organized labor and some construction firms, which had opposed the measure.
The passage marks a shift in the GOP governor's position that comes as he pursues an all but certain presidential run. Walker said repeatedly during the intense battle over Act 10 — his 2011 law that repealed most collective bargaining for public workers — that he would not let legislation affecting private-sector unions reach his desk.
In spite of Republican claims that RTW laws are aimed at "choice" and "freeeeeedum", their main aim is to destroy unions in a clever strategy of ensuring that workers can receive union benefits for at no cost to themselves (legalized mooching off dues paid by others). Federal labor law requires that unions represent ALL workers in contracts, negotiations, contract enforcement, representation during disciplinary hearings, etc. Right to "Work" laws, however, says that workers can get all of those union benefits for free because they only have to pay union dues if they "want to".
Walker signed the bill at Badger Meter, a private company that will financially benefit from the end of unions. Walkers public appearances in Wisconsin are always in private facilities in front of hand-picked audiences, usually employees who are monitored by supervisors to ensure that they applaud loudly and demonstrate support for Walker.
Naturally, he hot-footed himself out of there after the giving a catch-phrase filled statement and posing for his photo opportunity.
"This sends a powerful message across the country and across the world," Walker said. "'Wisconsin is Open For Business' now is more than just a slogan. It's a way of doing business."
After quickly signing the measure at the plant, Walker left without taking questions from Wisconsin media — the same approach he took on Saturday at two political events in the early presidential state of Iowa. Republicans have touted opinion polls showing that the majority of the state favors right to work, but it also inflames the passions of its opponents.
He's pulled out the old "tools" talking point, too, claiming that this law will be another "tool" to enable business to create more jobs.
Yes, it's a tool, but it won't benefit working people.
In Right to Work states, wages fall - fast and hard - as unions disappear since they can't collect dues one person at a time every time pay day rolls around and dues aren't required for representation. All those free riders make it impossible for unions to provide services.
Benefits, too, are gone as salary, benefits, working conditions, health and safety provisions become completely under control of the bosses and executives who stand ready to fill their own pockets (and the shareholders) with money they no longer have to provide in wages and benefits. And that's really the whole plan behind Right to Work.
Of course, workers will be grumpy as benefits disappear, their jobs are less safe, and their paychecks shrink, but what are they going to do about it? Their voice; their representation; their ability to negotiate fair compensation for their work; their union - is gone. And business has a plethora of union busting law firms ready, willing, and very able to stop a union organizing drive to prevent them from starting over again.
The ultimate goal of Republicans is to weaken unions, one of the major funders of Democrats and biggest provider of boots on the ground for GOTV. The side bonus is
to widen the wallets of the 1%.
It's a sad day in Wisconsin. Walker is razing the place to the ground to appeal to Tea Party voters and big money donors in his zealotry to inhabit the White House. God help us if he gets there.
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