SCOTT WALKER, THE Wisconsin governor who sparked international outrage by leading the charge to strip the state’s public workers of their collective bargaining rights, survived a recall vote June 5 with the help of wealthy corporate backers and sympathetic media supporters. But it was only a partial victory. Republicans lost their majority in the Wisconsin Senate through recalls in that body, which will make it difficult for Walker to do further damage to public workers and unions.
“Our opponents make a serious miscalculation if they believe Walker’s survival is the end of union resistance to worker oppression,” said International President Newton B. Jones. “Even with their access to deep corporate pockets and cheerleading by media on the far right, antiunion politicians know that labor does not back down from a fight.”
Just ask Republican Gov. John Kasich in Ohio, who was embarrassed when voters refuted his push to restrict public sector collective bargaining rights. Or ask Republican politicians in New Hampshire, who saw their push for a Right to Work (for less) initiative go down in flames.
In a statement released June 6, AFL-CIO President Rich Trumka said, “The work we did together was about much more than just this one election. We laid the groundwork for a powerful movement to push back against Walker-style anti-working family policies everywhere.”
