MESSAGES of solidarity are being received by the workers of Wisconsin from trade unions and trade unionists all over the world, supporting their battle to defend their right to free collective bargaining against a Republican state administration that is determined to smash it on behalf of the bosses and the bankers.
Letter sent by the General Secretary of the European Federation of Public Services Unions, Carola Fischbach-Pyttel to the Governor of Wisconsin.
Governor Walker,
I am writing on behalf of the European Federation of Public Services Unions (EPSU) to express our dismay over the developments regarding the collective bargaining rights for the public employees in Wisconsin.
We have been informed that you will seek to have legislation passed over the coming days that will eliminate collective bargaining rights for the employees in public services. This will be a serious violation of international labour conventions.
We regard your proposed unilateral action as an attack on one of the fundamental pillars in a well-developed democracy, where social dialogue and collective bargaining through trade unions secures constructive relationships between employers and employees. This kind of relationship has proved its high value in many countries, both in times of economic growth and during crisis.
We understand that you have refused to meet the unions to negotiate solutions that could contribute to balancing the budget – this is not the way we expect democratically elected leaders to act.
We have been informed that you have announced that you will call out the National Guard if public sector unions protest in what you may consider a disruptive way.
I am sure that you have been following the developments in Tunisia and Egypt and will welcome real democracies in these countries. For trade union members in these countries, their struggle is also related to respect for human rights and trade union rights. This includes the right to organise and the right to collective bargaining for public sector employees who have been in the front line fighting for democracy. Instead of attacking the public sector unions and their members in your state, we urge you to choose a constructive path and stand by commitments that have already been set out in legally-negotiated collective agreements.
Governor Walker, we ask you to show respect towards public workers and stop the unilateral attacks on their unions. A constructive relationship between your government and trade unions will most benefit the citizens of Wisconsin.
Best regards
Carola Fischbach-Pyttel
cc: Mary Lehman MacDonald Candice Cowley Stephanie Bloomingdale Peter Waldorf
Letter to Governor Walker from Impact, Ireland
28th February 2011
Governor Walker,
I am writing on behalf of IMPACT trade union in Ireland to express our dismay over the developments regarding the collective bargaining rights for the public employees in Wisconsin.
We have been informed that you will seek to have legislation passed over the coming days that will eliminate collective bargaining rights for the employees in public services. This will be a serious violation of international labour conventions.
We regard your proposed unilateral action as an attack on one of the fundamental pillars in a well-developed democracy, where social dialogue and collective bargaining through trade unions secures constructive relationships between employers and employees. This kind of relationship has proved its high value in many countries, both in times of economic growth and during crisis.
We understand that you have refused to meet the unions to negotiate solutions that could contribute to balancing the budget – this is not the way we expect democratically elected leaders to act.
We have been informed that you have announced that you will call out the National Guard if public sector unions protest in what you may consider a disruptive way.
I am sure that you have been following the developments in Tunisia and Egypt and will welcome real democracies in these countries. For trade union members in these countries, their struggle is also related to respect for human rights and trade union rights.
This includes the right to organise and the right to collective bargaining for public sector employees who have been in the front line fighting for democracy. Instead of attacking the public sector unions and their members in your state, we urge you to choose a constructive path and stand by commitments that have already been set out in legally-negotiated collective agreements.
Governor Walker, we ask you to show respect towards public workers and stop the unilateral attacks on their unions. A constructive relationship between your government and trade unions will most benefit the citizens of Wisconsin. Best regards
Bernard Harbor, National Secretary – Communications
IMPACT trade union, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1 – Phone from outside Republic of Ireland:
+3531-817-1538
Letter to Governor Walker from PCS, UK
February 25, 2011
Dear Governor Walker,
ON behalf of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), I write to express our dismay over the developments regarding collective bargaining rights for the public employees in Wisconsin.
It is being widely reported that you are backing the bill to eliminate collective bargaining rights for public services employees. Passage of the legislation would be a serious violation of international labour conventions.
The proposed unilateral action can only be regarded as an attack on one of the fundamental pillars in a well developed democracy, where social dialogue and collective bargaining through trade unions secures constructive relationships between employers and employees. This type of relationship has proved invaluable in many countries in both times of economic growth and during the financial crisis.
It is disappointing to hear that you are unwilling to meet the representative trade unions to negotiate alternative solutions to balancing the budget, particularly disappointing from a democratically elected leader.
It causes great concern to hear threat of the National Guard being called out should the public sector unions stage a protest. For trade union members in Tunisia and Egypt, their struggles also related to respect for human and trade union rights the right to organise and the right to collective bargaining for public sector employees.
We would urge you to stand by legally negotiated collective bargaining agreements, and follow a more constructive path for negotiated alternatives to the financial crisis. We would also urge you to respect the rights of the public sector workers and cease the unilateral attacks on their trade unions.
The only way forward is a constructive relationship between your government and the trade unions which we believe would most benefit the citizens of Wisconsin.
Yours sincerely,
Hugh Lanning, Deputy General Secretary PCS, 160 Falcon Road, London SW11 2LN
Reply from the Wisconsin AFL-CIO to EPSU
February 26, 2011
Carola Fischbach-Pyttel, General Secretary, European Federation of Public Service Union, 45 rue Royale – Belgium
Dear General Secretary Fischbach-Pyttel,
On behalf of our union brothers and sisters and all of Wisconsin’s working families, I would like to express our sincerest appreciation for your kind expression of support. It is indeed a sad irony that as citizens around the globe are rising to claim their long-denied rights, America’s workers are under assault.
The right of working people to organize and have a voice in their workplace is basic. It is enshrined in the United Nations Declaration of Universal Human Rights, and explicitly recognized by nearly every faith tradition.
The attack that we are now facing in Wisconsin is part of a larger plot by those who want to create a powerless and compliant workforce. Turning back this tide is not a local or even national challenge.
As trade unionists of the world, we acknowledge the fundamental truth that an injury to one is an injury to all.
That is why the support you have shown us provides us with such hope and inspiration. We know that together with our union brothers and sisters across the globe, we shall prevail.
We have attached our STAND WITH WISCONSIN image so that you may use it in any support rallies you may want to hold or to put on your website.
Please feel free to use this image in any way you feel would help to further our common global cause.
In Solidarity,
Phillip L. Neuenfeldt, President Stephanie Bloomingdale, Secretary-Treasurer