As is typically the case, Wisconsin union officials lag behind workers who are increasingly becoming aware of their power. The fight in Wisconsin waged by right-wing, corporate backed Gov. Walker is an attempt to destroy public worker unions and privatize the State government. Through the sustained efforts of the workers and protesters, citizens of Wisconsin are piercing through the veil of corporate funded mass media coverage, and people are beginning to understand the real political and economic issues at stake.
Ordinary people get it immediately when presented with the facts about the growing inequalities in wealth, the ever-decreasing taxes on the rich and the corporations, and the increasingly difficult struggle of working people to maintain a dignified standard of living. Instead of capitulating to the polls, unions must launch their own offensive, stand up for what is right, educate the public by purchasing one-page ads in Wisconsin newspapers across the state, lay out all the facts clearly, and then let the people of Wisconsin make an informed decision. Union officials must not abandon public opinion to the corporate-owned media.
