Late Wednesday night, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and 18 Republican senators used underhanded and possibly illegal tactics to force through an anti-collective bargaining bill despite overwhelming public opinion against the move. The move raises the stakes in a long-running showdown over the right of public employees in Wisconsin to have a place at the bargaining table and a say in their own professional future.
NJEA joins millions of public employees and others across the nation in decrying the anti-democratic tactics used to take away a half-century of collective bargaining rights from Wisconsin’s public employees. The leadership of NJEA, on behalf of all NJEA members who are outraged by these events, sent this letter of support to the President and Executive Director of the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), vowing support as the fight for collective bargaining in Wisconsin moves into its next stage.
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Mary Bell, WEAC President |
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Dan Burkhalter, WEAC Executive Director |
We have read and watched with shock and disgust the underhanded tactics used by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and 18 Republican legislators. After weeks of hiding behind the blatantly false pretense that their anti-labor, union-busting law was only about the state’s current fiscal crisis, their cowardly and anti-democratic actions on Wednesday proved what we already knew. Now the whole world knows that their ultimate objective has nothing to do with the state’s finances. It has everything to do with squelching the voices of Wisconsin’s public employees and stripping away your members’ rights to negotiate the terms and conditions of their employment.
As disappointed as we are with last night’s dirty tricks, we remain inspired and encouraged by the passion, conviction and determination of public employees across Wisconsin. WEAC members and their colleagues from other unions across the state have reminded us over the last several weeks of the power that working men and women hold when we remain united in the fight for economic justice.
We know that the battle in Wisconsin is just beginning – and that is one that we ALL must fight. Wednesday night’s charade will only strengthen and energize public employees and millions of supporters across the nation who are outraged by the overreach of your governor and legislative majorities.
NJEA pledges its support to you as the battle for workers’ rights continues. Through protests, demonstrations, recall campaigns and old-fashioned organizing, we remain confident that WEAC, your Wisconsin public employee union colleagues, and the union movement across America will emerge from this fight stronger and more focused.
Please do not hesitate to call on NJEA if we can provide any assistance to you in the weeks and months to come. You have the support of our 200,000 members behind you. Even more, you have justice on your side.
Solidarity Forever!
NJEA Leadership Team
Barbara Keshishian, President
Wendell Steinhauer, Vice President
Marie Blistan, Secretary/Treasurer
Vince Giordano, Executive Director
Rich Gray, Assistant Executive Director
VP Steinhauer Travels to Wisconsin
Lends NJEA’s support to WEAC colleagues
NJEA Vice President Wendell Steinhauer traveled to Wisconsin recently to lend NJEA’s support to the courageous members of the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) and other public employee unions there who are engaged in a battle to protect their collective bargaining rights. In this video, Wendell talks about his experience in Wisconsin and what lessons NJEA members can take from their colleagues there as we fight to protect public education and public school employees here in New Jersey.