Standing in Solidarity with Wisconsin Workers

As I watch coverage of the protests in Wisconsin, three words come to mind: Wisconsin workers rock! Wisconsin Governor Walker's proposal to severely limit the rights of workers is disturbing to an extreme degree. I've been totally transfixed by the protesting workers' passion and commitment [video] to standing up for their right to collectively bargain. And by the people that are there by their side — in person and in spirit. From people calling in to Ian's Pizza from around the world to order food for the Madison protesters to people at solidarity rallies throughout the country, it's heartening to see support in the face of proposed violations of human rights.

What's at issue in Wisconsin? No one should be fooled by Walker's rhetoric. He argues that it's about making up a budget deficit. That's not what the legislation or the protests are about. Public-sector union members have already agreed to proposed cuts (brought on by Walker's tax breaks); they're unwilling to let Walker use this as an opportunity to quash their human rights to organize and bargain. And well they should be.

People have fought — with their voices, with their actions, with their lives — to ensure that workers have the right to safe working conditions, the right to fair wages, the right to collectively bargain, and more. Like the 40-hour workweek? Enjoy your days off? Relieved that there's worker's compensation if you're injured on the job? Glad there's no child labor? Thank the nation's labor movement (and Frances Perkins, too).

Worker's rights are human rights. And it's not just me and UUSC and more than 70,000 people at the Wisconsin capitol rotunda (for over 10 days now!) that think so. Check out article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Here at UUSC, I'm a proud member of UNITE HERE Local 2661: Human Rights Workers, which is part of the New England Joint Board. Collectively, our local does vital work and provides invaluable support for its members. But while I think our work is important on an organizational level and for our lives as employees at UUSC, I also think that the work we do is essential in the bigger picture. As an organization, we work every day for economic justice and the right for workers to organize — and I think it's important that we ourselves exercise that right and are intimately involved with the ins and outs of what that means.

On Tuesday in Boston, I stood at the steps of the Massachusetts State House with more than a thousand other people to show our support for the protesters in Wisconsin. UUSC's union signed on to a Jobs with Justice community statement of support for the workers and communities in Wisconsin. And on Saturday, there are capital-city solidarity rallies planned throughout the country. We all need to use our right to free speech and our right to peaceful assembly to defend our right to collectively bargain!

And we need all the help we can get. As Michael Monk pointed out on Firedoglake, one might expect President Obama to be lacing up his comfortable shoes in support of Wisconsin workers, in support of workers everywhere.

President Obama has yet to make good on this speech — and I think he should. But whether he does or not, we can. He's right when he says, "Workers deserve to know that somebody is standing in their corner." On Wisconsin! On workers!