Zombie Farm in Michigan

 

Looks like Michigan, yes Michigan, is going to become a right to work state. That awful misnomer means that workers don’t have to join unions even if they work in a union shop. That means gutless weasel pigs can take all the advantages a union gives like decent wages, benefits and above all defense against arbitrary and mean spirited managers, but they don’t have to pay a nickel in dues.  Unions rightly call this the “right to freeload.” Eventually, the companies will ask workers to decertify unions and if the suck ups who think the bosses just love them go along with it, the companies will begin to cut wages and benefits, impose erratic schedules and layoff anybody they want.

These campaigns are fueled by greedy bastard companies that want a compliant zombie workforce, which can be double tapped at will. But this movement didn’t happen overnight and it won't go away with demonstrations. The anti-worker movement started in a place few people even care to learn about. It started with the long-planned Republican takeover of the most boring elected offices of all – the state legislatures.

 

 

Do you even know who your state senator or representative is? Do you care? You probably don’t, and with good reason. They’re often creepy, grinning party hacks on their ways to other offices. They let lobbyists write bills for them and often don’t even read legislation before voting on it.  Michigan’s legislature is controlled by Republicans 59-51 in the house and 26-12 in the senate. Gov. Rick Snyder is a Republican. So is it any wonder that Michigan is on its way to becoming an anti-union state?

 

Moreover, this started years ago when Republicans got a lot better at  methodically taking over statehouses. They now control 26 legislatures. The Democrats have 19, four are split and Nebraska is allegedly non-partisan. Boring, yes. But consider that in most states, the legislature controls who gets to vote for which legislators and members of Congress. It’s called redistricting or reapportionment and the GOP didn't have to read Sun Tzu to understand that controlling the terrian meant controlling the future.

Very boring, right? But it’s also the reason why so many assholes are in Congress. The legislatures vote on House and state legislative district maps designed by very expensive, sophisticated party consultants who know how to stack a district in favor of one party or another. That’s how we wind up with representatives who don’t even have to consider the needs of people who aren’t like them. It’s why they can turn their backs on the poor, elderly, minorities, gays, women, you name it. It’s why a dozen states were able to impose voter ID laws which discriminated against largely Democratic voters. Yeah, it’s boring and that’s the way they like it. Put you to sleep while they rob you of your dignity and freedom.

I fault the Democrats for letting this happen, for pandering to the right because they thought the tea party was a real movement instead of the same old fringe gun nut, racist creeps who’ve been trying to hold the nation back since nobody at a love-in wanted to screw them. And, the Democrats have proven again and again that they really don’t give a shit about organized labor except when they can use union members to get out the vote, take union political action committee money or use union membership lists to populate a rally.

But we don’t have to live in crazy town. You can get involved in your local politics, even by just figuring out who your state legislator is and calling him or her up and bitching about what they’re doing. They freak out when real people contact them. Reversing this terrible anti-worker bill will take a disciplined effort to oust Republican legislators. Don’t let them be comfortable as they rob you of your rights!