On, Wisconsin

I am in Gdańsk for a few days with my parents.  This is the city where Solidarność was born in 1980 after workers at the Lenin Shipyard went on strike to demand the right of the people to form unions.  My knowledge of this is somewhat limited, but what I know is this: the strikers posted 21 demands on two wooden boards – among these demands, the acceptance of free trade unions, the guarantee of the right to strike, the observance of the constitutional rights of free speech, press and publication, the release of political prisoners, salary increases to complement inflation, and many more.  The government finally reached a compromise with the strikers and the union was recognized.  For 16 months.  Then it was declared illegal when Poland was placed under martial law.  But some believe that it was the 1980 Polish Solidarity movement and the subsequent 1989 Round Table talks, re-legalizing Solidarność and providing for free elections, that resulted in the downfall of the communist regimes all over Eastern Europe.

Yesterday we visited an exhibition on the Solidarity movement – Drogi Do Wolności, or Roads to Freedom.  In one of the rooms, they showed a video of the leaders of Solidarność  making speeches about what they wanted.  One of them said that he believed that it was crucial for unions to exist because the workers have a right to be heard, at least, whether they are right or wrong.  That if the people have no voice, they are not free.

 

5000 miles away from here, in Wisconsin, my home state, 35,000 people have poured into the capital to protest the new Governor’s “budget repair” bill, which is essentially designed not only to cut salaries and decrease benefits, but – most importantly – to kill the unions that represent public employees in the state.  His bill would eliminate their right to bargain over some of the most essential aspects of their contracts, or to strike.  And he preemptively threatened them with the National Guard (smart guy) if they decided to protest.

The stakes may not seem very high in Wisconsin compared to Poland in 1980 – we aren’t looking at martial law, and so far (knock on wood) the protestors haven’t been met with violence.  But we are talking about essentially the same issue.  And yet again, it comes down to control of wealth and manpower.  Ask yourself: if Scott Walker’s Republicans and the Tea Party are such a freedom-loving people, why would they want to remove the right of the people to discuss their contracts, or to protest? 

Even if you’re one of those people (and I know a few of you) who think that unions take things too far and ask for more than they “should” get, I still don’t think you would say it’s a defensible position to argue that they shouldn’t exist.  Unions came into being to prevent workers from being exploited the way they were during, and immediately following, the industrial revolution, working endless hours under unsafe conditions for almost no pay.  Until the people joined together and demanded to be treated like human beings, the rich factory owners could get away with it because any one person demanding change alone was disposable, and everyone needed a job – any job.  And now, with unemployment up in the U.S. again, Scott Walker and his rich industrial financiers are trying to cripple the unions.  They’ll start with government workers, but you can bet your boots they’ll move right on to the next thing if they get their way on this one. 

I am so proud of my home state.  If you had asked me a month ago if I thought 35,000 of you would have stormed the capital to stand up for your rights – no matter how angry you were– I would have said absolutely not.  I underestimated you. I’m happy to say I was wrong.  Evie told me that Scott Walker was giving an address on the radio, and the protests were so loud that he couldn’t even be heard.  Stay angry, Wisconsin!  Keep fighting.  Unions are important.  They have been at the core of overcoming tyrannical corporations and governments in almost every part of the world.  Free speech is crucial, and the force of people, coming out together in large numbers, is the only thing that can keep the tycoons and power-hungry politicians from climbing to the top on your necks.  They can only do that if you let them.  This isn’t just about the salary or the benefits of a few people.  It’s about standing up for your right to be heard.  Don’t stop.  And don’t just go to the protests when it’s convenient, either.  Skip work, if you can.  Keep going back every day.  Prove that you mean what you say.  Make the most of the opportunity.  I wish I was there.  It sounds amazing.

Oh, and keep sending me photos and videos, too.  I’m loving them!