Will California be the next Wisconsin? Will all labor unions be gutted by ‘right to work’ for less laws? Well, this could very well happen for the members of some of the largest unions who are voting Republican, which by name are anti-union and supporting the anti-union candidates just because now it is not popular to belong to a union, and the Right has hijacked the hunting and fishing or owning guns.
Postal workers have lost already when they supported Congressman Darrel Issa, who then pulled a Reagan and went after the Postal workers unions and began closing down post offices. Then there are the California Forestry and Fire Prevention (Cal Fire), who have a very good union with excellent benefits and again, a lot of their members are afraid to say they are union members and if they vote for Democrats or liberal candidate, but most vote Republican.
The numbers of people in unions or receiving union pensions watch Fox (non-news) and believe the crap it spews about unions or their leaders. This could change very quickly with just one election and Cal Fire could end up just like the federal firefighters, who are classified as forest technician workers with a not so strong union, which shows up in their pay and benefits.
Again, most vote Republican and support the anti-union people. There is a bill in Congress to change the federal firefighters’ classification from forest tech to forest firefighter, which would mean better pay moving them closer to the pay of Cal Fire.
Then there are our construction labor unions where again the workers vote Republican instead of standing proud of their unions. Most hide in a closet when they should be out in the streets fighting for better wages for all workers, union and non-union and a living wage of at least $15 to $18 an hour. We’ve become a selfish society and it’s destroying us as a country. Raising the minimum wage could encourage workers to become union supporters if we stand with them.
All of this is not only happening here, but all over the world and, yes, California and the world could become a Wisconsin state or country where the wage slaves are just that—with no workers’ rights, not even a minimum wage, no unions no benefits, no worker safety, no vacation, and no sick leave. This would or is the oligarchies’ dream when corporations rule totally.
I hope that I am wrong, but what I see at this time is our unions are going to be in the fight of their existence. This is the most perilous time of our life. The life we had is threatened like never before. Unions are the largest organized group of people who can save our country if things keep going the way they are heading at this time. We need to all stand together for power, but we each must prepare and plan to take care of ourselves and our families. We can fight the big fight and not be distracted by worry about things that can and should already be taken care of. For instance, stashing at least one month’s pay and at least a month or even a year’s worth of food, whether the food is staples (pasta, rice, canned goods) and meat or chicken in the freezer. Keep your vehicles' tanks full and if possible a gas can full. It’s in your best interest to also save money for house or rent payments plus extra. This is not new thinking for us old trade workers who had to prepare when...
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