On June 2 of this year, a coalition of local unions and labor advocacy organizations held an historic event that was nearly two months in the making, and, frankly, long overdue. This group, which included UE Local 1186 at Willy Street Co-op, OPEIU Local 39, the Wisconsin Councils of SEIU and AFT, Madison Teachers Inc., United Faculty & Academic Staff (AFT Local 223), TAA-Madison (AFT Local 3220, the graduate worker union at UW-Madison), and Worker Justice Wisconsin, organized a forum of Wisconsin gubernatorial candidates to ask them questions about the role and future of labor and unions in our state. No culture-war divisiveness, no mudslinging or gotcha moments, no corporate journalists, no spin, just answers that matter to the future of workers in our state. Why was it long overdue? Well, for too long too many politicians offer a lot of lip service to labor, but when it comes down to brass tacks their lofty campaign promises fail to materialize.
Our main goal was to put the candidates on the record regarding issues most important to working folks in Wisconsin:
- Repealing “Act 10,” which stripped public-sector workers of their union rights.
- Repealing “Right to work,” part two of the Walker administration’s attack on working people.
- Public education, and ending the misuse of public funds for private schools.
- Healthcare, and how to make it not only more accessible but universal.
- The future of AI, and how it can benefit the working class, or whether that’s even possible.
I had the pleasure of being a part of the Wisconsin Workers’ Forum for Governor planning committee. We invited all of the major candidates for office. I would say we got pretty close to that mark; however, the only Republican running for the job, well he had a prior commitment, unfortunately. On the other hand we got six candidates; five Democrats (including the sitting lieutenant governor), and one Democratic Socialist. We came together each week leading up to the forum to plan all aspects of the event, but the focus was on the questions. As expected, there were a lot of similarities between the candidates, but we got them on the record and that was the point.
As exciting and educational as it was to be involved in state politics, though, for me the real exciting result is the coalition that formed to make it happen. Activists, organizers, and leaders from across the Madison and Dane County labor scene worked together to ask important questions from the folks who are asking for our vote was the result, but the real prize was the connections we made.
The future of working folks, here and everywhere, needs to be determined by the working class. The only real way to make that happen is by us coalescing around our cause, working together to fight for that change, and ultimately creating a labor-focused political party free from the influence of the two major parties and independent of the wealthy donors that call their shots. We cannot rely on either party to fight for us when they are both beholden to the same capitalist system and its puppet masters. It is folly to expect that the “them” of “them and us” would allow their bought and paid for politicians to actually do anything that would threaten their interests in any meaningful way. It is up to us. When we get together and don’t just talk about our issues, but act on them in an organized and meaningful way, then we lay the foundation for that future where labor doesn’t just have a seat at the table, labor owns the table. After all, we built it, it is ours to take.
I encourage all of you reading this to work in your local to reach out to others in the labor movement in your community. Build bridges, make plans, march together, support one another’s causes, spread solidarity, and spread the message of UE. Our old watchword “The Members Run This Union” need not only apply to us. When other workers understand that they can run their unions, too, then they can be the agents of change in their own organizations. When workers put themselves first in their union, they gain tools and confidence to do the same in the political system. When we together as a class cultivate our own leaders, put forth our own candidates, we put ourselves on a path to change and independence, and we can most effectively flex our strength, but it will take all hands. I have said before that with class consciousness and solidarity we leave none behind, but the fact is we can’t leave anyone behind, each other is all that we have.
Learn more about the forum by reading or listening to this report from WORT-FM. A recording of the forum can be found on YouTube.