UPDATE FROM THE MEA REGARDING ANTI-UNION EFFORTS
Iris Salters, President
If you have been listening to the news on radio or television, you know that unions are under attack all across this nation. It seems to be a Republican strategy to see that unions are destroyed in this country. The prime target states seem to be Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and now Florida. The legislation seems to be on a fast track in these states. Have no fear, it is also on the Republican agenda in Michigan. The methods are different.
There is a LOT going on around the country and in Michigan by your unions to respond to this attack. And none of this is being done in isolation – we’re coordinating across departments, across unions and across unions and across other progressive organizations to ensure we’re successful on all fronts.
For a list of items we’re asking members to do (wear red, sign petitions, post Facebook/Twitter comments, lobby, etc.), be sure to read the MEA Voice Online email newsletter that is going out over the next couple hours to every members’ home or work email.
Sign up for the MEA Voice and/or Capitol Comments here:
Here’s the full rundown of what’s going on:
On-the-ground in Wisconsin – Several MEA staff have been on the ground in Wisconsin for a week – we are responding to official requests from WEAC for help. Hopping on buses for Madison isn’t a viable option for the vast majority of our members – but as Linda Myers (one of our staff on the ground there) said, those who can travel there would be welcome as a show of support.
On-the-ground in Lansing – Tomorrow, unions are putting together a lobbying effort in Lansing around the emergency financial manager bills that would gut local control and bargaining rights (see MEA Voice Online for details). (Note: There is another rumored “rally” at the Capitol on Tuesday that appears to be under development by another group – this is not being organized by labor, although it certainly sounds sympathetic to our cause.)
Our day for massive protest in Lansing may come, but there are other actions that make more sense for now, especially in light of the collaborative messages still coming from Gov. Snyder. Check out his comments in the Wall Street Journal this weekend – he doesn’t want to “pick fights,” so we’ll keep bringing real solutions to the table like our A+ Agenda…and questioning the un-balanced approaches taken in his budget and other policy proposals.
Financial contributions – NEA is working on a system to allow for members to make financial contributions not only to Wisconsin, but to all states that are currently under these threats. Stay tuned. Again, for now, the information Peggy sent out from Linda Myers is helpful – support the Wisconsin Senate Dems self-exile at http://www.actblue.com/page/solidarity.
State budget – Last Thursday, the MEA Message Center was sent out with talking points and sample letters in response to Snyder’s budget presentation. These same points are also being used by our Rapid Response Team to generate letters to the editor and online comments. President Salters’ column in the Detroit News this Wednesday will also address the budget. And the same talking points were used in Capitol Comments.
As a note, the Message Center is a great new vehicle to get information about the key topics going on in Lansing and what you and your members can do about them. They are all online atwww.mea.org/message_center.
Coalitions – As a matter of public and political strategy, MEA is engaged in several coalitions fighting key elements of this fight – working together with labor and non-labor groups to broaden conversations and bring more organizations and individuals to fight these important issues.
· Citizens for Accountability in Reform (CAR) was founded in 2009 to fight the Dillon health proposal – now it has grown to be a voice on the broader issue of public employee compensation (this is the group that put out the study debunking Gov. Snyder’s claim about public workers making double the private sector).
· A Better Michigan Future (ABMF) is a group working to advocate for balanced solutions to Michigan’s budget crisis – their agenda and messaging are part of MEA’s overall budget strategy…and MEA is a key player at the ABMF table.
· The newest addition to the coalition landscape is Working Michigan, which is an outgrowth of national labor discussions to have coordinated state labor tables work collectively with other non-labor partners to fight attacks on worker rights, such as so-called “Right to Work” laws. NEA is a major player at the national labor table, and they have been and will be using several different methods to provide resources to Michigan and other states under threat.
A+ Agenda – This Wednesday, President Salters will be testifying before the House Education Committee on MEA’s A+ Agenda, sharing with lawmakers the areas where we can work together to improve public education. As we said when we launched this effort, this is a proactive plan that we will be working through all year but it’s not something that will yield instant results. We are working with lawmakers to introduce legislation on many of the key topics – when those bills are introduced and there is action that needs to be taken, we’ll be in touch.
Local lobby efforts – The most important thing you can do as local leaders right now is to work with your Field-Based Lobbyist and UniServ/Executive Director to conduct Legislative Council meetings with your local representatives and senators. The input they get “back home” is critical – it can either make or break any efforts in Lansing. Further, this year’s round of “Back Home” Lobby Days is under development. Stay tuned for more details on that.
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