I got so hung up on those courageous folks up in Wisconsin yesterday that I missed what was going on in here Buckeye Land yesterday. Our new Tea Party Governor, John Kasich, is pushing a piece of legislation called Senate Bill 5. What is Senate Bill 5? It's basically a Union-busting piece of legislation and yesterday thousands of teachers, law enforcement, and firefighters from across Ohio converged on the State House in Columbus to protest against the the bill which would take away workers' right to collective bargaining and allow the governor to slash workers' pay. I was so upset yesterday afternoon that I almost jumped in Miss Ruby and headed to Columbus to join the throng and then I remembered that I hate driving on I-71 and it's February and it's a long drive and stayed home.
My dad served several terms as president of his union, my mom was a steel worker, and I was a rank-and-file member of the Communication Workers when I worked for the phone company so I think that tells y'all where I stand on this. Enacting this law would impact all State employees From professors down to law enforcement to the clerks at Job and Family Services and other agencies that serve us. Be afraid, my friends . . . be very afraid. And of course the Tea Party showed up in their red shirts to support this horrible legislation. Do y'all recall who in history wore red shirts? If you answered 'the Nazis', you are correct and I don't think I need to enlarge on that. Mercifully, it was a peaceful demonstration on both sides.
Our former governor, Ted Strickland, lent his support to the union protesters and spoke eloquently as he joined the protest. I want him back as do the who protestes . Here he is speaking eloquently at the State House:
As Jack Cafferty is wont to say, "It's getting ugly out there, folks." And I predict that it will get worse before it gets better as the people of Wisconsin and Ohio already know.
I'll be around to visit y'all later.
Hope y'all are having a great day!
Happy Blogging!
Kay
Hi, Kay. Just read on the on-line version of a local newspaper that teachers in Gary have been warned of possible union busting legislation coming up here. This nonsense seems to be spreading and I don't like it one bit. One little quibble--the Nazis were 'brown shirts;' 'red shirts' were Garibaldi's revolutionary followers in 19th century Italy. However, i agree that our Republicans are very much Nazis.
ReplyDeleteWhen we first saw the protest photos from afar, we thought Ohio looked like the Middle East. Wow! Isn't it great that we HAVE the right to protest?
ReplyDeleteIt's coming everywhere. (And why do I always start singing every time I hear 'Gary, Indiana'? I think people are waking up -- funny how a body is suddenly upset when it hits them in the pocketbook, isn't it? And yeah, my synapses were out of sync on 'red shirts' and it niggled at me but I went with it anyway. Actually, I kind of liked Garibaldi. Thanks for the heads up!
ReplyDeleteKay: LOL We aren't famous for our sand! And yes, I'm glad we can protest -- I just hope it has some effect but our new gov is not the sort who compromises. There was talk of recall yeaterday. Funny how a body wakes up when his/her paycheck is in jeopardy.
From what I have seen these tea party governors are doing this wherever they have the power. It's not just about Wisconsin :(
ReplyDeleteI am afraid, I believe our gov't has sold us down the river. When America celebrated the 200 years mark. People said we were going to fall like Rome. It didn't happen then but I think its happening now.
ReplyDeleteThe almighty dollar speaks, hit them in the pocketbook and the gloves come off. I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
take care :)
Strickland was on MSNBC yesterday and he is really standing up for Ohio's workers!
ReplyDeleteWe all have to realize the Biblical edict that "a laborer is WORTHY of his hire." Union busting based on cheap-labor conservatism is immoral.
LTTS: You may be right! However, we have to fight back!
ReplyDeleteFran: Wasn't he great? I knew that I was going to miss him and he proved it yesterday.
As you prob. know by now, I'm not a knee-jerk liberal, so I put on my thinking cap for this one. I once belonged to a union. I enjoyed better pay because of that; but I also found union reps. weren't above bullying employees into doing things that weren't necessarily in their best interest. But like anything else, just because they're not perfect doesn't mean they're not valuable organizations. I'm pro-union, at least in theory. Public unions have certainly done well for teachers and other employees who, when I was a kid, really were second-class citizens. And I agree that using govt. budget problems as an excuse for union-busting is pretty low.
ReplyDeleteBut I honestly don't know what to make of the govt. budget mess. Everyone just seems so radical, so sure of themselves, and I don't think it's that easy. I just posted a blog item ruminating about the matter, if you're interested. I would really like to see your opinions -- as well as any ideas you have for what I pose is the main economic problem these days. Anyway, thanks for your full-throated post. Someone's got to raise hell!
Go Wisconsin. Go Ohio! Give your tea party governors hell.
ReplyDeleteI think we all need to take to the streets and start protesting all the cuts the Tea Party and their Republican friends are making.
Darlene: I like that!!! I'm game -- slightly gimpy leg and all! As it is, I almost went to Columbus.
ReplyDeleteSighting: I agree with you on most of what you said amd I'll be over to read your post in a few. I'm always interested in others take on something like this -- unless of course it's a Teabagger quotimg Glen Beck et al.
Who is the behind the union busting? The Kochroach brothers:
ReplyDeleteWisconsin Is a Battleground Against the Billionaire Kochs' Plan to Break Labor's Back
The Billionaires Bankrolling the Tea Party
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Funded by Koch Brothers
Kay -- I'm appalled at what should be really termed "union busting" The tea party is attempting to take us back to the ice ages. -- barbara
ReplyDeleteTeabaggers - Glen beck - what is that all about.
ReplyDeleteIt is what it is.
10-4 Willy
You too, eh? I am a lifelong supporter of Unions, my granddad founded one and I worked for an international Trade Secretariat.
ReplyDeleteOcto: Thanks for the links and we all know that we all now that there are plenty of others egging them on.
ReplyDeleteBarbara: Yes they are and I'm fighting back. Maybe I'm just an old lady in Ohio but if enough of us yell, they'll get the message.
Willy: Yeah . . . right.
I cannot stand that the Conservative Right Wing, whomever, seem to be in power here in our Beautiful country now--It is my worst nightmare about what will happen here---People who don't really care about other people who are not exactly like them--Taking Charge. The "TEA PARTY"???
ReplyDeleteHELP!!!!!
Unions were and are the backbone of our country. PLEASE...Do not go backwards, people....We must preserve and protect what so very many fought so hard to achieve, for the "greater good"....Like I said...HELP!
Thank you, dear Kay...your words about Betty mean so very much to me. I hope I was as good a friend to her...I know I tried to be.
Really ugly. Yes, it's all about union busting as an excuse to save money. I'm not a union fan, but I sure disagree with what's happening.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about watching the excitement in Egypt then realizing we have our own U.S. protests growing increasingly across the country I fear.
ReplyDeleteSounds like Ohio politics is pretty volatile as is Wisc. Expect there will be more States facing similar problems. Calif. has major budget problems so who knows what will develop here. Likely the cuts everywhere will come from those with the least. Insane times.
I'm with you - my father worked at Republic Steel (that tells you how old I am!), my uncles were union printers, both of my grandfathers were union men. I live in the south now, where apparently people believe that workers' rights just fell from the sky one day. Union busting will cost everyone - not just union members.
ReplyDelete