Wisconsin recall sparked labor-community coalition

The largest recall campaign in U.S. history has shown the potential political strength of a progressive coalition of labor unions, women, high school and college students, immigrant communities, African-American and Latino/a communities, recipients of social welfare programs and their advocates, farmers and others.

Hundreds of thousands of poor and working people mobilized to recall those members of the Wisconsin Senate who had voted for an anti-union bill eliminating collective bargaining for state workers and voted for draconian cuts in the 2011-13 state budget, the worst in the state’s history. This assault on workers and their unions had ignited huge demonstrations and even the takeover of the state Capitol earlier this year.

By knocking on doors, making phone calls, and mobilizing at cultural events, festivals, protests and other locations, coalition activists were able to gather 180,000 signatures on petitions that temporarily forced six Republican state senators out of their seats, pending new elections. It was a big defeat for Gov. Scott Walker and the right-wing offensive in this state.

What followed, however, shows the limitations of electoral campaigns when confined to the two-party system. The recall movement then backed a slate of Democratic Party candidates for the empty seats. In elections on Aug. 9, two Democrats won seats that had been held by Republicans. The other four Republicans were returned to office.

Stephanie Bloomingdale, secretary-treasurer of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, said of the results: “[We are] fighting back and we are starting to win. In Wisconsin, we don’t give up easily. This fight is not over. We will fight [Wisconsin Gov.] Scott Walker’s radical agenda.” (wisaflcio.typepad.com/)

Two more recall elections will take place Aug. 16. This time two Democratic senators facing recall will be challenged by two Republicans, one of whom is a right-wing Tea Party member.

Gilbert Johnson, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 82 at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has been a steadfast participant in the people’s uprising in Wisconsin, including the recall process. He said the recall process has been challenging but the Wisconsin AFL-CIO and other labor-affiliated and community organizations such as Voces de la Frontera and Planned Parenthood are playing a decisive role in training and mobilization. Throughout the recall process, a major focus of labor, community and student organizations has also been fighting right-wing attempts to disenfranchise voters.

Ed Childs, a leader of the Bail Out the People Movement and Chief Steward of UNITE-HERE Local 26 in Boston, is in Wisconsin participating in the people’s uprising. Childs was also in Wisconsin in March.

“The people’s uprising in Wisconsin, which includes the recall campaign, has produced a tremendous working-class coalition that is pitted against Wall Street, led by the Koch Brothers, the Bradley Foundation and their servants, Gov. Scott Walker, the Tea Party and others. It is a battle of the titans.”

Added Childs, “Despite the progressive character of the recall campaign, where hundreds of thousands of poor and working people participated, the major problem was that no representatives of the working-class movement in Wisconsin were candidates. At this time in Wisconsin an independent candidate from the labor-community-student movement would gather enthusiastic support from the workers and oppressed communities and bring new energy to the struggle against the right wing and the corporations behind them.”

Childs and Larry Hales, a leader of the Bail Out the People Movement in New York City, are now visiting and organizing in Wisconsin. A BOPM delegation will be meeting with poor and working people throughout Wisconsin the week of Aug. 14, with stops in Madison, Eau Claire, Green Bay, Manitowoc, Milwaukee, Sheboygan and other locations. For information on the BOPM Wisconsin tour, visit wibailoutpeople.org.

For more information and how to support the people’s uprising in Wisconsin, visit defendwisconsin.org, www.wisaflcio.org, wisaflcio.typepad.com and vdlf.org on the web.