The New Reality for U.S. Labor Unions

By Shamus Cooke  |  April 11, 2011

The recent shakeup in Wisconsin is likely a preliminary tremor that predicts a larger earthquake. And like all natural disasters, the events in Wisconsin jolted people awake to grapple with their changed circumstances. Labor unions suddenly realized   that their fate was hanging in the balance.  After years of shrinking union power, Republicans seized the opportunity and planned a nationally coordinated attack, aiming at the very heart of labor unions: collective bargaining.

Years of think-tank pondering about beheading organized labor has jumped from the drawing board into practice. Unions managed to ignore the warning signs and were caught completely by surprise. Now, various labor unions are scrambling to respond to the attacks. Lacking, however, is a sobering assessment of how labor was weakened enough to be vulnerable to such an attack, as well as developing a winning strategy that can inspire workers to achieve victory.

The crucial question that Trumka failed to ask is: how do we successfully defend public-sector unions? What strategies should labor employ to accomplish this? The rightwing has plotted and strategized for years on how to undermine these unions, but labor has not taken the same care to plan a counter strategy, responding to events with surprise and moral outrage instead of well-planned collective action.

The largely spontaneous actions of the Wisconsin workers inspired working people all over the country, containing valuable lessons on how to fight back against the anti-union attacks.

Shamus Cooke is a social service worker, trade unionist, and writer for Workers Action (www.workerscompass.org) .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/07/wisconsin-election-protests-unions-afl-cio_n_846264.html

http://sflaborcouncil.org/sites/labor/uploads/2-28-11-resinsupportwisconsinbenjamin.pdf