Wisconsin lessons for Labour

As well amongst the left, 'instead of focusing so much energy on trying to persuade one another, we need to spend a lot more time talking to the millions of people who do not usually engage in political organizations and actions.'

5. OurMovement has to be Inclusive.

'The Wisconsin fightback was inspirational was because it was so broad. Whereas the trigger point for many was the attack on collective bargaining, the protests were about more than that…about a whole way of life. Teachers' rights were connected to students learning. Public sector bargaining was attached to the bigger vision of democratic rule. Unfortunately, too many of our unions have become narrowly focused on the immediate needs of their members.'

Part three is on broadening and deepening the struggle. Michael Hurley and Sam Gindin in 'The Assault on Public Services: Will Unions Lament the Attacks or Fight Back':

'... We are living in one of those historic moments that cry out for rallying the working class to build new capacities, new solidarities, and concrete hope. The crucial question is not how far the attacks on the public sector will go. The question is how far we will let them go…'

'…given what we are up against-a state determined to change the rules-it's also clear that "business as usual," even if more militant, won't be enough….

The point is that "politics" needs to be redefined as building thekind of working-class organizations and capacities that can ensure that our needs are taken seriously. This means public sector unions using their significant resources to advance a political agenda that includes the entire working class.'

David Bacon in 'Marching Away from the Cold War' reports on the necessity to involve millions of immigrant workers joining revived huge May Day rallies.

'One sign carried in almost every May Day march of the last few years says it all: "We Are Workers, Not Criminals!" In the largest U.S. May Day event in 2011, marchers were joined by the public workers who had protested in Wisconsin. May Day marches and demonstrations over the last five years have provided a vehicle in which immigrants protest their lack of human rights and unions call for greater solidarity among workers facing the same corporate system.'

Michael Zweig in 'Seeking New Priorities as Labor Challenges War' argues for the importance of US Labor against the War http://uslaboragainstwar.org and the unions' campaign to shift military spending to health, education, housing, welfare priorities and impose a millionaires tax and tax on financial transactions. See http://newprioritiesnetwork.org/

The ILWU International Longshore and Warehouse Union implements "An Injury to One is an Injury to All". Michael D. Yates 'Class Warfare in Longview, Washington: "No Wisconsin Here" recountshow the ILWU takes militant direct action against anti-union laws winning against a corporate attempt for a non-union site.

Michael D. Yates, after Wisconsin, is encouraged by militant left actions of the Occupy Wall Street targeting the 1% ruling class: 'One especially important opening is the possible alliance between those who are organizing OWS efforts and the labor movement.' He recounts unions both joining OWS and attempting to co-opt the struggle. In Oakland, the OWS and ILWU shut the port of Oakland.