(Er… Bunched Knicker Syndrome)
Crossover Week has come and gone at the State House, but supporters of a bill that would allow child-care workers to unionize are still pushing their case. And still pushing a bit too hard for the tender sensibilities of John Campbell, President Pro Tem of the State Senate. He’s been blocking the bill throughout the current session because he thinks its backers are overly aggressive.
The latest, according to Terri Hallenbeck on the Freeps’ politics blog, vtBuzz:
Union activists are still pressuring Campbell for a vote on a bill that would allow child-care workers to unionize and be a player in negotiating child-care subsidies that parents receive from the state.
Andrew Tripp, executive director of the Vermont American Federation of Teachers, was quoted Saturday in the Times Argus linking Campbell to Scott Walker, the anti-union governor of Wisconsin. ”That’s an attitude that puts him more in line with what we have in Wisconsin with the Scott Walker administration,” Tripp said.
Ruh-roh.
Well, that little remark put another twist in Campbell’s shorts.
Campbell fired back Tuesday: “Andy Tripp should do more research before he says things like that and realize that strong-arm tactics, intimidation and misrepresentation is not acceptable in Vermont,” he said. Campbell noted that he was the sponsor of a resolution supporting workers in Wisconsin in their fight against Walker.
Oh, that’s impressive. A resolution! Puts one in mind of Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling:
Interviewer: How long ago did you start this venture?
ASG: Tricky to say. Certainly within living memory. It was shortly after World War Two. Do you remember that? Absolutely ghastly business. I was against the whole thing!
Interviewer: I think we all were.
ASG: Yes, well, I wrote a letter.
As has been said before in these pages, the unions have been more aggressive in their lobbying than they perhaps should have been — at least by Vermont’s prickly standards. But for Campbell to get so bothered that he derails a good bill… well, that’s poor politics and poor leadership. And lest you think I’m exaggerating about Campbell’s reasoning, he said so himself to Vermont Digger in early February:
“The reason why I believe this bill does not have the right to go forward is the tactics used to intimidate myself and this body are so against what good clean government is about, I think it would be rewarding bad behavior,” Campbell said.
The “tactics used to intimidate myself and this body” (note who comes first on that list) consisted of a union chief showing Campbell a list of union donations to Democratic Senators and implying it was time for a quid pro quo. And his idea of “strong-arm tactics” is an easily misconstrued quote from another union official. Heaven forbid he should ever be subject to actual intimidation or strong-arming; that’d be a rude shock for someone who’s apparently well insulated from the rougher edges of life.
You know what I think? If the Senate fails to take action on this bill, then they are rewarding John Campbell’s bad behavior.
http://blogs.burlingtonfreepre…
This behavior is really horrible for democracy. The notion that this sort of behavior would be seen as acceptable in our statehouse (especially by Vermont Democrats) makes me nauseous.
I applaud anyone who pushes back on this sleazy behavior.
Campbell isn’t to blame for this bad behavior. It’s Ben Johnson — who has represented this important cause in the worst possible way.
Childcare workers HAVE the right to organize NOW.
Tripp, if he said what is attributed, should be fired by the members of the union, he is an employee who has created a lot of the problems here.
Nothing in this bill says workers will be getting more money. Where will it go?? Where will it come from?? Who has a hand in which pocket??
Do you think VY or BC/BS or (insert favorite corporate sludge) didn’t slide that same paper across to John??
Cripes.
If Campbell doesn’t want to be called Scott Walker he shouldn’t act like Scott Walker.
I’ve been wondering when any of the so-called “journalists” in VT would take note that these “strong arm tactics” (um- constituents calling their elected reps and the Senate Pro Tem to advocate for a Bill, and political donors saying “act on our behalf or you won’t get our support next time”) are really nothing even close to such. I mean, if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of intimidation you probably know that phone messages and the obvious and in fact accepted reality of campaign donations hardly fit the definition of intimidation.
Also, can we apply some logic to this conversation: if John “I’m pro-union in the pass non-binding resolutions of support for worker’s halfway across the country but don’t bring those issues to my backyard sorta way” Campbell were supportive of the legislation in the first place it’s hard to imagine that the providers and their union would have had to do much lobbying at all. Their actions, which have so insulted Sir Campbell’s good senses, are obviously a reaction to his not supporting them. But in the world of “he said this and then they said that” journalism such “facts” never make it to the story.
It’s clear that this “controversy” is all about Campbell’s ego, and proving that he gets his way and that’s the final word. He doesn’t seem to give two shits about a Bill that would merely provide thousands of mostly low-income, mostly women with the right to form a union (lets not forget this Bill doens’t form a union- just asserts people in this industry have the right to collective bargaining if they so choose that).
No Democrat should be against collective bargaining rights, plain and simple- isn’t that part of what makes them “Democrats”?
The real issue at hand here is the 55,000 children in Vermont who rely on the early care and education system and the women and men who commit our lives to this work. On Saturday, U.S. Senator Sanders reminded us what we already know, that everyday we do “the nation’s most important work,” and that we are “fighting for our nations future.” This is why we continue to do this work despite the lack of respect and low wages our profession receives.
We are committed to Vermont’s children and to ensuring that each and every one receives the foundation in early childhood to succeed in school and in life. This is why we are organizing, because those of us who serve children and families everyday know that the system is broken. And we know that it will not be fixed until we are able to fully represent the children in our care by having a binding voice in decisions through collective bargaining.
My colleagues and I are offended that he would characterize us as aggressive. We have dedicated our lives to, and spend our days with, young children. We are nurturing, kind and principled people. If men had used this same approach, calls, emails, meeting with our elected officials it would be considered smart politics. But because we are a profession of mostly women, we are being characterized as aggressive.
These political disagreements are a waste of all of our time and are keeping us from doing the more important work of strengthening the early care and education system in Vermont.
I am an early educator and member of the Vermont Early Educators United-AFT organizing committee. I am one of those providers the Senator has been complaining about. The tactics that Senator Campbell is complaining about are activities that are fundamental principles of citizen democracy. Over the past two years my colleagues and I have been engaged with our elected officials like never before, and this seems to have made the Senate President uncomfortable. Here are the “tactics” he is complaining about:
Hundreds of phone calls to his office and to the Sargent at Arms office from Vermonters who support upholding the basic rights of early educators
Thousands of memos and hand written notes from providers, parents and community members
In person meetings with more than 75 legislators
Hundreds of early educators at the State House for our annual lobby day
Senator Campbell may call this bullying; my colleagues and I call it democracy.
I am an early educator working with my colleagues so that we will have a voice about the decisions that are made about our profession. The House of Representatives passed our bill 90 to 54 last year, the majority of the Senate and the Governor support this legislation. The man charged with managing the early care and education system in Vermont, DCF Commissioner David Yacovone supports this legislation. The Vermont State Democratic Committee passed a resolution supporting our right to organize.
How is it that in a democracy ONE INDIVIDUAL has the authority to determine if legislation that thousands of working Vermonters, early educators and parents, support has “the right to go forward?”
This obstruction of the democratic process is the “tactic” we should be talking about.