Okay, this is clearly Marxist political posturing. The unions engaging in threatening strikes are doing several things. They are using members’ dues money for political action not related to the direct benefit of their membership.
“We stand in solidarity with Jacob Blake and his family, and all communities fighting to defend Black lives from police and vigilante violence,” Milwaukee Teacher’s Association president Amy Mizialko told the AP.
“Are we striking tomorrow? No… Are we in conversation with our members and the national labor movement about how we escalate our tactics to stop fascism and win justice? Yes…” This is according to Racine Educator United president Angelina Cruz, who represents teachers in a town that abuts Kenosha.
The only benefit is both subjective and tangential. Their members must hold them accountable for this waste of dues money.
Know the price tag before you buy
Sharp political divisions now grip our country. The assertions include government employees working on behalf of favored candidates. When the workers are within the governmental bureaucracy, we enter a different political scenario.
For individual federal employees, the political landscape can be tricky. The Hatch Act has been around since 1939. It limits the political activity of federal employees. The purpose of this law is to ensure federal programs are administered in a nonpartisan way. It also protects federal employees from political coercion in the workplace.
The reality is federal employees can and do damage their careers by engaging in political activity. This is true when political activity is found to violate the Hatch Act.
Federal employee unions can and do endorse candidates. But it gets confusing. A union official who engages in political activity may find out more about the Hatch Act. They may learn how it can damage a federal career. This can and does happen. So go ahead and act out. But remember “we stand in solidarity …” is an action that may have a price tag. Read the price tag before you buy it.