With the recent underhanded action by the Wisconsin Senate to eliminate the collective bargaining rights of public sector employees in that state; they, along with Gov. Scott Walker and the rest of their ilk, have finally shed the last remaining piece of sheep’s clothing they were wearing. Finally, they have truly exposed themselves for what most already knew…
The phrase, “A wolf in sheep’s clothing” goes back centuries and is something many of us have heard. The connotation of this phrase is a cautionary one, reminding us that you need to be careful of one who may be playing a role that is contrary to their true nature.
I think this is a fitting association for Walker and his cohorts.
Never did Gov. Walker publicly use as a campaign platform that he wanted to eliminate the collective bargaining rights of public employees. He espoused fiscal responsibility as his platform. Shortly afer taking office, he continued his masquerade of fiscal responsibility with the introduction of his plan to deal with the theoretical budget shortfall. Wrapped up in this plan was the elimination of collective bargaining and union rights for public sector employees.
The sheep’s clothing on this wolf was starting to shed. The light was starting to shine on what his ultimate goal was. Protestors flocked to Madison, rallies were staged across the state and the nation. Senators fled the state in an attempt to stall this attack. Polls from Wisconsin and across United States showed that the American people did not approve of such tactics.
Once he was coming to the stark realization that his task was going to be more difficult than he realized, he then warned that he may have to lay off thousands of employees as a result of not insituting his plan. Still more rallies and protests. Still more support from the public that his plan was wrong.
Then there was some small word floating that maybe he was willing to compromise in order to institue his plan… that didn’t last long…
Under the cover of night, without prior knowledge as required by law, the wolf shed his last piece of sheep’s clothing to truly unveil what most of us already knew. The State Senate stripped the original plan of any fiscal reference and stripped it down to the true and original meaning of his plan… to eliminate the rights of public employees to collective bargain. The wolf got what he ultimately wanted…
Now… the wolf is bare for all to see. No longer is there any remnants of sheep’s clothing anywhere to be found.
Depending on which version of this age old story you might subscribe to the ending of the tale may vary but they all have a common close… in the end, the wolf ends up losing.
We need to take caution here in Michigan and across the country. The same tale that is playing out in Wisconsin could very well happen here. We all need to be on guard for that wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Truly, the real story is just beginning in Wisconsin and elsewhere. The ending of the story is up to us.
USW Local 12075 President Kent Holsing
