Wisconsin workers launch lawsuit, continue protests

By Ben Carroll and Bryan G. Pfeifer
Milwaukee

On June 14 the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned 4-3 the permanent injunction against the union-busting, so-called “budget repair bill” signed by Gov. Scott Walker on March 11.

In response the Wisconsin AFL-CIO and a broad coalition of workers’ rights organizations filed a federal lawsuit charging that the budget repair bill violates the First and 14th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution by stripping away basic rights to bargain, organize and associate for the purpose of engaging in union activity.

“Not only have Scott Walker and his deep-pocketed corporate allies sought to silence the voices of Wisconsin workers, they have also violated those workers’ constitutional rights,” said Phil Neuenfeldt, president of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO. “Scott Walker has created two classes of public sector workers and that is unconstitutional. When a legislature discriminates among classes of workers, especially when doing so has more to do with political payback than with any legitimate reasoning, the law has been violated.” (www.wisaflcio.org)

The organizations joining the lawsuit include the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 24, AFSCME Council 40, AFSCME Council 48, the American Federation of Teachers, the Wisconsin Education Association Council, the Wisconsin State Employees Union, The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO and the Service Employees, Health Care Wisconsin.

“The suit contends that it is a violation of the U.S. Constitution for a legislature to discriminate among classes of public employees, particularly when doing so does not advance legitimate policy objectives but instead simply rewards political allies and punishes political opponents,” reads a June 15 Wisconsin AFL-CIO press release announcing the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks to enjoin the union-busting provisions of the budget repair bill, but, in a major capitulation to the bosses and bankers, it doesn’t seek to enjoin the pensions and health care increases in the bill, which are effectively wage cuts, for public sector union workers.

Struggle continues

Late June 11 the legislature announced that it would be meeting to take up the 2011-13 budget in a so-called “extraordinary session” during the coming week, a move that has only been taken 10 times in Wisconsin state history, the last time in 1993. The lawmakers declare this special session of the legislature allows them to suspend even the most basic of legalities of the capitalist political system, including access by the public, notification of what legislation will be taken up, and introduction and passage of new legislation within an hour.

Backed into a corner by the growing, deepening grassroots opposition including daily demonstrations at the Walkerville tent city at the Capitol, the capitalist politicians and their overlords — the bosses and bankers — engaged in an all-out assault to ram through their anti-people 2011-13 budget. As both the Assembly and the Senate of the Wisconsin legislature met for an “extraordinary session” the week of June 12, thousands protested inside and outside the state Capitol in Madison.

To recap, on Feb. 15 the Assembly passed its version of the budget and the Senate followed on Feb. 16 with provisions that, unless resisted, will have a devastating impact on the people of Wisconsin for generations to come. The budget now awaits Walker’s signature. During the course of the legislative sessions, many were escorted out by cops or arrested for interrupting the kangaroo sessions, including youth who locked themselves to a railing in the Senate chambers and whose locks had to be cut off by the state.

Provisions of the budget passed by the Assembly and Senate include draconian cuts of at least $800 million to $1.6 billion in K-12 education and major expansions of school “choice,” as well as hundreds of millions in cuts to health care and other major services for poor and working people. At the same time at least $300 million will be handed over in tax cuts to the rich. The budget also includes numerous provisions regarding deregulation and privatization, among other provisions unknown to the public at this time due to the way it is being rammed through.

But as has been demonstrated in this struggle time and time again, from the occupation of the Capitol to the Walkerville tent city, the people of Wisconsin throughout the state are prepared to fight and use new tactics and methods to beat back the attacks on working and oppressed people.