This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Dane County Judge Juan Colas' ruling against Republican Gov. Scott Walker's unconstitutional restrictions on collective bargaining is a major coup for labor

Wisconsin Dane County Judge Juan Colas declared that Gov. Scott Walker's law limiting collective bargaining rights for public employees is unconstitutional.

After all the money I sent to Wisconsin Democrats, I'm still disgusted that Wisconsin voters didn't recall Republican Gov. Scott Walker, the Koch Brothers' bought and paid for tool, when they had the chance. 

But Dane County Judge Juan Colas' ruling that Walker's restrictions on collective bargaining rights for public employees is unconstitutional is the next best thing. I don't yet know why Walker's anti-union law is unconstitutional, but I imagine that freedom of speech and freedom of assembly have something to do with the judge's decision.

The right to work is the right to work for low wages and few if any benefits. Being a right-to-work state is nothing to be proud of. Iowa is a right-to-work state.

Find out what's happening in Iowa Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

I remember when the Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) voted for union representation. Most HACAP workers didn't realize they needed union representation until HACAP management decided to stop paying employees to take off holidays like Christmas, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, and other major holidays. Instead, employees would have to use their five days a year of vacation to pay for holidays. (We got another five days a year for sick leave.)

"Oh snap!"

Find out what's happening in Iowa Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Once an employer has granted a benefit, taking that benefit away doesn't sit too well with people who work hard with small children, especially when those employees are underpaid and have few benefits to begin with.

Normally, I wouldn't expect this particular group of Head Start teachers, teaching assistants, social workers, cooks, and secretaries to vote for a union. But HACAP employees were indignant. We reared up on on our hind feet and said, "Oh no you didn't! We want a union!"

Ironically, HACAP CEO Don Maniccia, now deceased, didn't even realize he had to negotiate with the union once we voted in the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) to represent us. He thought he could ignore the union.

Maniccia continued to fight the union by eliminating the jobs of union stewards, my own included. If you were lucky, you were offered a job with the union, but it wasn't always a good job.

A union official offered me a temporary job campaigning in the fall. I had little kids at the time and couldn't campaign constantly while traveling the entire state, especially Sarah S. offered me a promise of "you might be home on some Sundays."

No. My kids matter more to me than that. I found another job. The woman who offered me the campaign job also had a small daughter. Apparently, she didn't think it was important to be home with her daughter, and the results speak for themselves.

Collective bargaining for all employees is a must. If you depend on the generosity of your employer, you'll probably be disappointed. Workers must organize and negotiate for better wages and benefits.

I'm tired of the Republicans' targeting of the wages, benefits, and rights of the people who make this society run and do its work. If it were up to Republicans and the multinational corporations who donate big money to support Republicans, we'd all be serfs making almost nothing at all. The working poor in this country already are.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Iowa City