Unions experienced a stinging rebuke last night

[angrychair]

Why that matters.
You cannot fix a problem unless you are willing to admit there is one first. At the end of the day Walker doesn't matter. He will, more than likely, end up under arrest and all that Kock money will have gone to a criminal. Not just them but lots of others threw their hat and money in with him and there will be a lot of crow eating when the last chapter on this saga is written. That is not the real point. What happened was that people in WI (or really whatever state you want to put in there) didn't stand behind unionized labor.
That is the real issue.
Unions have to figure out how to market themselves without coming across as the "dock workers mafia" stereotype. They need to share their history and the history of our nation at the birth of unionized labor in America, the improved quality of a person’s work life, rules and regulations that save lives and save the environment. Unions have to give people contrast on a “then” and “now” and “What have unions done for me” and “what unions CAN DO FOR ME”. Outside money didn’t beat Barrett. No one brought in truck loads of money and started handing it out to get votes. Marketing beat Unions. It has been beating them. Like a drum.
WI Dems you guys are great, you tried. If you don’t want to keep losing and you want unions to grow and be stronger than you have to do a couple of things.
Stand back up
Wipe the blood off your nose
Dust yourself off
Get back into the fight
But this is a two part fight.
Marketing and doing.
Unless unions figure out a way to market themselves better and more often and MOST IMPORTANTLY, in a way that says “this is what we have done and this is what we are doing…I am here to help” than unionized labor is going the way of the horse-drawn carriage.
You have to finish it with the “doing” of what you marketed. You have to really be there doing the work of improving work conditions and fighting for fair wages and benefits and being strong environmental advocates. That is how you win in the workplace and at the ballot box.

[sweetloukillbot]

1. Education is the key on all levels

All the handwringing and screaming that the DLC or the DNC or the President isn't supporting enough isn't going to change the fact that moderates who normally would vote Democrat won't vote union. Call it greed, call it self interest, call it whatever.
Walker didn't win because the Democratic base wasn't energized enough, he won because for whatever reason he's gotten kind of popular in Wisconsin. People need to work on the individual level and change the hearts and minds of others - evangelize. Jesus, the religious right has been doing it for 20 years and look where we are. Those Republicans you refuse to speak to and are blocking out of your life - maybe there's one that can be convinced.
I know I've shut a couple out of my life - pretty much because they spout hateful shit, but mostly because they're assholes. But there's one who doesn't - I disagree with him on 99% of the issues, but talking about issues I've made him realize that I'm not a brainwashed Obamabot and he's shown me that while he is a crazy Rand-ite, he also has high respect for many things Obama has done, and now supports gay marriage. He's still gonna vote Romney or Ron Paul, but maybe through conversations his opinions can be further changed.

[reformist2]

2. True - Existing unions need to work harder to help other workers unionize.

What is sorely needed in this country are service-sector unions and even white-collar professional unions.

Most people don't feel that unions are benefitting them personally anymore - because, quite frankly, they are not. Maybe if they were part of a union too, they'd have a little more sympathy for teachers, firefighters and policemen - and even the government paper-shufflers.

[Unite2DefeatGOP]

10. "Walker Wins 36 Percent Of Union Households"

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/06/05/us/politics/wisconsin-recall-exit-polls.html

[KharmaTrain]

3. A Long Needed Day Of Awakening May Finally Happen...

You are spot on about what occured last night. We saw the byproduct of decades of demonization of unions. You can trace it back to Patco in '81 but the unions were on the run before that. They've seen membership fall as jobs were outsourced and the unions did little to fight these losses...or to retirement and benefit packages. Unfortunately some unions hurt their own cause by becoming inclusive and either too cozy with management or disconnected from rank and file that alienated many. Once mighty unions that proudly wore their struggles became lost in a marketing battle that made them look worse and worse.

If there was ever a time for a revitalization of the union movement its now. Yet we see how far the right wing talking points have gone and how the people of Wisconsin agreed with Wanker.

[DCKit]

11. Everything I would have said if I could string two words together. Bravo. nt

[reformist2]

4. The politics of envy is real, and cannot be ignored.

Amazingly, Republicans have figured out how to make it work in their favor.

[kentuck]

5. Unions are only 8% of the working population...

and many of those are Republicans.

They no longer have the numbers to sway elections as they did in the past. They had our backs for many decades. It is now time that we have their backs.

[lunatica]

6. Watch Rachel Maddow and you'll know that money IS what beat unions

Because money bought all those anti union ads and because the unions have been under assault for a very long time since they're the big backers of the Democratic party. Even you are making the argument to market themselves. What do you think it takes to go on a protracted marketing campaign? Money.

[dmosh42]

7. Unions require a spunky population who have the guts to point out unfair situations...

and it's always easier to bow down and accept the plantation owner's directions. We just have an ass-kissing population. Just look at how people suck up to celebrities in this country.

[Ship of Fools]

8. My mother used to

gripe about those "fat union thug bosses," etc. Her image of unions
was turn of the century. When I turned 18 and was finally out of the
"be seen and not heard" category, I reminded her that I became
a union member at 17. This shut her down completely, at least for
the moment.

Education, for sure.

[reformist2]

9. Democrats have traditionally won with people, not money.

Sure, losing the money advantage is a big blow. But how do people like Rachel Maddow think unions won the benefits they fought for? With money? No, with people. The harsh reality union supporters need to face is that most voters, for whatever reason, don't feel there's anything unions have to offer them anymore.