Unions Send in the Drama Llama

To avoid offending people who act offended for a living, the GOP is eager to convince everyone Senate Bill 5 is not payback for union support of Democrats. Government unions, meanwhile, strive to portray a world without government unions as a Dickensian nightmare.

Plans are being put into place to silence workers, lower their wages, cut their benefits and increase the likelihood that they will suffer injuries and fatalities at work.

Reforms in Wisconsin, Ohio, and elsewhere will keep taxpayer money out of AFSCME President Gerald McEntee’s pockets, and he will say anything to keep that from happening. McEntee describes an America without democratic elections, free speech, at-will employment, or social media… which, I’d agree, is a place public unions might be worthwhile.

In this dimension’s Ohio, the “Labor and Industry” portion of the Ohio Revised Code would be 22 chapters long even if ORC 4117 were ripped out and tossed into the Olentangy – to say nothing of federal labor law. But, the AFSCME and the OEA have no convincing arguments, so their only recourse is to pretend unions stand between government employees and doom.

The McEntee quote above is from mid-February, and you can guess how agitated the AFSCME has become since then.

[...] Wisconsin Senate Republicans used legislative tricks to ram through Governor Walker’s bill — wiping out collective bargaining rights for nurses, teachers, EMTs and other trusted public employees. It was an affront to everyone who believes in basic American values like fairness, democracy and rights for working people.

Wisconsin Senate Republicans used a completely legal tactic after every Democrat senator fled the state. This is a fact as plain as day to anyone who follows a news source other than the unions. Which, of course, is why it’s vital for the unions to blare a consistent message:

They took 30 minutes to undermine 50 years of law protecting collective bargaining and workers’ rights. It’s now painfully clear. They will do or say anything to force through their extreme agenda that targets teachers, school support staff, nurses and other public employees – and devastates the hopes and dreams of working families.

That’s part of a gripping email from the NEA’s Karen White. Other than the melodrama – “Public employees shouldn’t be at the mercy of the public! The public is the worst!” – there’s another consistent theme in AFSCME and NEA communications:

The single most effective thing you can do to help right now is make a donation to AFSCME Wisconsin Council 11.

And...

Stand with your colleagues who are under siege. Make your donation to the NEA Fund right now.

Maybe there's something I should add here, but I feel like the unions have said it for me.

Cross-posted at that hero.