Balance

During the summer of 2012 efforts began to recall Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin. What spurred this action was the governor’s so-called budget balancing strategy of eliminating collective bargaining rules from the labor contracts the state made with its labor unions. Governor Walker essentially blamed the state’s fiscal problems on the high cost of labor (his claim) and eliminating collective bargaining would give the state power to reset hourly wage rates and benefit costs currently governed by labor union contracts.

With a rare Republican majority the governor forced the issue through the legislature and won. This is an unheard breach of contract law pertaining to unions. It was viewed as union busting by union and non-union supporters alike. Raw power was grabbed and played.

The recall ballot measure lost. Other states controlled by Republicans followed Wisconsin’s lead. Michigan is the latest example.

The irony is that labor union law and history was set broadly in Wisconsin. It is one of the state’s shining stars in the history of human rights and justice. Michigan is also a shining example of labor union strength and fairness. But times are changing and not necessarily for the good!

In 1961 Martin Luther King, Jr. made this bold statement:

“In our glorious fight for civil rights, we must guard against being fooled by false slogans such as “right-to-work’. It provides no ‘rights’ and no ‘works’. The purpose is to destroy labor unions and the freedom of collective bargaining.”

In time the wisdom of his warning has become apparent.

I have not always been a fan of unions. I was raised in a Republican home where the bread winner was a management person, a technocrat, an engineer, a creator. But over time I observed the justice issues being fought for by unions. Essentially, unions brought balance to the equation of capital versus labor. Without capital investment is not possible to build new business, new machines, new methods to produce products and services. That is not the sole contributor to economic function, however.

Labor is the other half of the equation. That which makes labor smart, efficient, knowledgeable and secure makes them reliable and available to the managers of capital. Without capital labor is nothing; without labor capital is nothing.

A balanced approach to both sides of the equation would bring peace and prosperity to the American economy. And it did. For decades.

John F. Kennedy stated:

“Our labor unions are not narrow, self-seeking groups. They have raised wages, shortened hours, and provided supplemental benefits. Through collective bargaining and grievance procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the shop floor.”

And not only there. What unions gained through collective bargaining most other workers were granted similar treatment. Fairness and justice in the workplace became the norm, not blind power manipulation by owners of capital. Labor peace lasted for a long time in the 70’s through the 90’s; even into the 2000’s.

Public debt issues, however, and economic recession brought imbalance to the labor/capital equation once again.

I think it is more true than not that unions may have pressed their power advantage at times by threatening strikes at sensitive times. Work stoppages would have undermined public safety, financial health of some employers as well as technical advancements. At times power skewed toward labor.

It is also true, however, that imbalances have a way of working themselves out over time. In the 2000’s such a time arrived. Large corporations and entire industries were shaken to their roots. Profits sagged or disappeared altogether. Labor costs remained high and unsustainable during business contractions. Companies closed their doors and massive job losses resulted. Union membership plummeted. Weakened, owners of capital sought and won labor contract concessions. Labor unions and management began to share meaningful power so that both could survive.

Politicians, however, realized an ideological divide was handy for manipulation. Scott Walker knew it. Seized it and won a victory that will surely damage the social fabric of Wisconsin for generation or two before it is set right. Michigan took advantage of the same imbalance. The state is on the financial rocks. Legislatures are weakened. Power magnates can have a field day in such circumstances. And they did and are dancing in the aisles.

Shameful. This imbalance will hurt everyone. Injustice carries a high price for the society that does not guarantee it.

The fact of the matter is that politicians have set bad policy at both the state and national levels. Fiscal calamity has resulted from their narrow-mindedness.  Instead of repairing the damage they created they only make it worse by diverting the public’s attention to labor and labor unions. It is an unfair placement of blame.

American governance runs on simple principles. The people doing that work, however, are not always principled.

American governance relies on an informed and involved electorate. American voters, however, are lazy and let others do the their work until a problem gets big enough to draw their attention back to the public field. Now is such a time.

Voters are in the position now to make a difference by communicating with their elected representatives and telling them what the objectives and principles are. Are you raising your voice? Or we you, and we, allowing Congress and state legislatures unmonitored power to muck things up?

December 19, 2012