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"Sometimes I think I live in a parallel universe to Margaret Wente. Today I know so."- James Clancy, NUPGE national president
Ottawa (2 March 2011) In yesterday's Globe and Mail newspaper, "journalist" Margaret Wente launched a vicious attack on public sector workers and their unions.
James Clancy, President of the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), submitted the following response to the column. The Globe and Mail has not published it yet.
Editor:
Re: Margaret Wente, "In Madison, the reactionaries are on the street," Globe and Mail March 1, 2011
Sometimes I think I live in a parallel universe to Margaret Wente. Today I know so. She watches the remarkable events unfolding around the world and then compares unionized workers in Wisconsin to reactionaries. I see the same pictures of brave people fighting for democracy in Libya and Egypt and wonder why the American Republicans are trying to destroy trade unions, one of the pillars of their democracy.
One of the things the Americans did in Germany after the Second World War was to invest in restoring civil society, and chief among that group was trade unions. The Americans knew that without civil society, including strong representatives of working people in unions, that democracy would be in peril. So it is very surprising to see the Republican Governor in Wisconsin and other “red” states trying to destroy them in the public sector. It is even more surprising to see Ms. Wente cheering them on from her safe perch in the Globe's ivory tower.
Her hopes that Canadian politicians will take note of the situation in Wisconsin are unnecessary. We already have a cadre of political leaders who would like nothing better than to emulate their Republican brothers in arms. Tim Hudak, the Mike Harris wannabe, comes to mind. Ms. Wente should also advise our very own reactionaries in Canada that the response from the American people, not just the trade unions, has been strong and unabated. A recent Gallup poll found that 61% of Americans oppose a law in their state similar to the one proposed in Wisconsin.
I hope that democracy and freedom will win all over the world, especially with our neighbours to the South.
James Clancy
National President
National Union of Public and General Employees
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE