By The PA. AFL-CIO
– For the Wisconsin labor movement, March marks a bitter anniversary. Three years ago, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed Act 10, stripping most of the state’s public employee unions of their ability to collectively bargain. For union members in Pennsylvania, this is a cautionary tale as we face a similar fight in the form of paycheck deception.
Act 10 included many aspects of the worst anti-labor bills Pennsylvania workers have been fighting here. It stripped all public employee union members of their rights to bargain over issues other than pay (which was capped to rise no faster than the rate of inflation), required employees to pay half of their pension contributions, and dumped 12.5% of health insurance costs onto public employees. It took 25 days – less than a month – for Governor Walker to introduce the law in the state legislature and finally sign it into law.
Marty Beil, head of the Wisconsin State Employees Association, said afterwards that Wisconsin should be seen as a warning to other state labor movements. “I speak to union officials in other states, and I tell them, ‘Don’t be misled,’ ” Mr. Beil said. “We thought this could never happen here. But it did. You have to stay vigilant.”
What can we learn from Wisconsin, to ensure that Pennsylvania lawmakers don’t employ the same dirty tricks here?
- Early and consistent pushback is critical: If we want to keep paycheck deception out of Pennsylvania, we need to defeat this bill before it ever starts moving in the Legislature. Like Pennsylvania, the attacks in Wisconsin were pushed by a Republican governor and Republican majorities and greased by millions of dollars from Koch-funded right wing groups like Americans for Prosperity. That means that the bill could move at any moment. We need to be ready.
- Once the onslaught begins, it’s over: Once legislators found the political will to push these bills, they could not be stopped. How fast did Act 10 move? On February 14, 2011, Governor Walker introduced it in the Legislature. Despite massive protests and mobilization by Wisconsin unions, the law passed both Houses just one month later, in the middle of the night on March 10th. A day later, the governor signed Act 10 into law.
- Always watchful: If HB 1507 and SB 1034 move, they will likely be when we least expect it. The speed with which legislators rammed Act 10 through caught even the watchdogs in the Wisconsin labor movement by surprise. Governor Walker likened Act 10 to “dropping the bomb.” With the same forces are at work here in Pennsylvania, we must be prepared for the other side to take any opportunity to push this bill through – whether it is now, before campaign season heats up, or in November, when the Commonwealth Foundation will be pressuring “lame duck” legislators to act before they leave office.
Our strong collective voices, including a rally of thousands at the state Capitol in January, have forced a stalemate on paycheck deception, pensions and the other attacks facing Pennsylvania working families. Yet we cannot afford to let our guard down.
Governor Corbett has said he will sign HB 1507 or SB 1034 if either come to his desk. Let’s make sure it doesn’t get that far.
TAKE ACTION NOW!
Go to our action page on paycheck deception to learn about all the ways you can help us prevent another Wisconsin and keep paycheck deception out of Pennsylvania. Take 5 minutes now to donate, write a letter to your legislator, write a letter to the editor, share content on social media, and more! Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do.
Source: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=3621
