By Kathleen Leppek

My Dad was a member of a union as was my maternal Grandfather. I took pride in their stories of how they stood up for their rights and used collective bargaining as a way to balance owner and board members salaries and profits with their rights as workers. Wisconsin public unions are looking to negotiate through collective bargaining again so that public unions such as healthcare workers and teachers have a voice in their workplace. A lawsuit has been recently filed against the 2011 law known as Act 10 that ended collective bargaining for most public workers in Wisconsin. Why should you care? Unions look to safeguard the intrinsic rights of working people. What unions have brought to the workplace has benefited all working people and provide a check point of balance.

Did you know that “Collective Bargaining” has been around for a long time? During the industrial revolution the term was coined in 1891 in Britain by the founder of the field of industrial relations, Beatrice Webb. She was also a member of the Fabian Society in Great Britain, which was a cooperative movement or worker co-operative. The group advanced social democracy, social justice, suffrage, universal health care, and minimum wage. Their purpose is stated as, “To promote greater equality of power, wealth, and opportunity; the value of collective action and public service; an accountable, tolerant, and active democracy, citizenship, liberty, and human rights; sustainable development, and multilateral international cooperation.” Not only were these high and just standards recognized in the 18^th century, the essential right of workers is considered a fundamental human right and is given international protection and recognition under International Human Rights Conventions.

Collective bargaining is the opportunity to exchange ideas between a union (organized body of employees) and management. They come together to mutually solve problems, voice ideas and concerns with common interest compromising in good faith to constructive solutions. It’s well known that unions negotiate salaries, sick and family leave, holidays, vacation, healthcare, overtime protocols, and working conditions. The more aspirational qualities of the union in the workplace include workers having a voice, respect, and dignity; creating a workplace democracy, collaboration furthering efficiencies, worker safety, and innovative ideas as well as the balance of economic power. Union negotiations have certainly set the standard for workplaces.

Union’s use of collective bargaining is actually based on a spiritual law. “Orderly progress is a thoughtful planned activity, based on the conscious choice (free will) of collaborating and cooperation with others (driven by inclusiveness), towards a common goal that’s constructive to the collective environment.”  (Check motivations and theories so they are safe and fair).  Fairness for everyone involves mutual respect, understanding, and cooperative goodwill used to honor others and see each other as equal. We willingly and sincerely try to understand others, and we work steadily towards collective betterment.

Recently we have seen corporation’s large profits and salaries going to the few bringing labor and management out of balance. This has resulted in many unions negotiating through worker strikes and collective bargaining. In the United States the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 made it illegal for any employer to deny union rights to an employee. Wisconsin and specifically Milwaukee was on the forefront of social movement and progressive action in forming its first union in 1847 when the bricklayers in Milwaukee organized and brought better wages, working conditions, as well as a stronger economy to the state. State, county, and municipal employees started a union in 1932. I am hoping for fair solutions with the use of constructive coordination, collaboration, and cooperation to further collective bargaining for all worker’s rights to win out in Wisconsin inspired by our state motto: Forward.