Monday, April 4, 2011

End-around Collective Bargaining in Democratic Connecticut?

While all eyes are on places like Wisconsin, Ohio, Florida, and New Jersey, as conservative politicians take bold action to attack workers' rights head-on, and in the process to try and eliminate collective bargaining, an end-around the same collective bargaining rights seems to be taking place in Democratically controlled Connecticut. Democrats control the legislature, and there is a Democratic governor, which might make you think that Hartford would be immune from the moves that are elsewhere putting unions and workers' collective rights under attack. But for some reason the Democrats seem united in handing over such rights to the demands of .... Democrats. Currently under consideration in fact is legislation that aims not to hit collective bargaining head on, but instead that seeks to accomplish the same end by effectively reclassifying many unionized workers as "managers," which will immediately remove them from unions and put the terms of their employment directly in the hands of the Governor. The Republicans must be sitting in awe that the Democrats are doing the work for them in achieving such anti workers' rights goals. And worst of all, the unions about to be affected by all of this aren't even making a sound. What's been happening in places like Wisconsin under the glare of nightly-news cameras and vehement public protest, is happening quietly and cooperatively in Connecticut with Democratic unanimity it seems. Did we fall asleep?