Wisconsin is Totally Screwed

The “State of emergency” clause in the new legislation means workers choose between jobs and first amendment rights.

Well, this is bad.

Last night, in a surprise move, Senate Republicans in Madison, Wisconsin passed an anti-union bill with provisions that public employees had been protesting for weeks. Using some legislative jujitsu, Republicans took Governor Scott Walker’s budget proposal, cut out that troublesome part about unions losing collective bargaining rights and being fired for going on strike— you know, little things— and made that language into another bill entirely, which passed the legislature by a vote of 18-1.

Under the new law, Governor Walker has the ability to dismiss public employees if they walk out during a state of emergency. A state of emergency is defined as any “occurrence that threatens or negatively impacts life, health, property, infrastructure, the environment, the security of this state or a portion of this state, or its critical systems.” Marvel at the circular logic: a mass strike from public employees, especially teachers, would at the least constitute a threat to infrastructure and serve as grounds for firing them all.

Basically, Wisconsin’s public sector unions have been castrated. No more strikes, guys. No more right to protest or assemble without getting fired. Granted, most private sector employees never had that protection if they wanted to go on strike; but things get hairy when your employer is the government. These employees have a constitutional right to protest their bosses, and public sector unions have traditionally been able to preserve that right without fear of losing their jobs. In Wisconsin, not anymore.

Unless you’ve been on a month-long post-Valentine’s bender, (hey, it happens), you’re well aware of how pissed these proposals have made public employees. But in the wake of last night’s vote, most union leaders are telling everyone to go back to work, avoiding talk of a mass walk-out or another strike. Democrats will probably return soon, Governor Walker’s budget will pass, and that will be that.

One of two things is going to happen next: public unions will back down from the fight and take the unlikely chance that legislators restore undo the damage; or they’ll stage a mass protest that would get them all fired, leaving a scorched Wisconsin infrastructure rife for the private sector to take over. Which is kind of what the Koch brothers want, isn’t it?