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Ever hear the story about the turtle in a pot of water?

A researcher put a turtle in boiling water to see its reaction. It kicked and clawed to get out. But the researcher found that if he increased the temperature of the water a little every day, the turtle got used to it. Eventually, the water reached the boiling point, and the turtle was cooked.

Whats this got to do with the labor movement, or you as an IBEW member? Plenty, because the powers-that-be in the United States are trying to boil collective bargaining rights until they evaporate. Theyre doing it step-by-step hoping well get used to it.

The right wing has been trying to erode worker rights ever since passage of the National Labor Relations Act in 1935. Things really got bad in the 1980s with the busting of the air traffic controllers union and the advent of a new era of union busting by legal and illegal means. Even in the worst of times, however, the right of organized employees to bargain survived.

The latest assault started three years ago in the debate over unionization rights at the U.S. governments newly created Department of Homeland Security. Workers in agencies that had enjoyed collective bargaining found themselves stripped of that right when they were merged into Homeland Security. A bitter debate raged in Congress with those supporting union rights in the new agency labeled as unpatriotic.

Last year, the Department of Defense proposed a system for administration of its work force, the largest in the federal sector. Basically, the rules provide that management has final say over everything, with no room for bargaining. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfelds attitude seems to be "Theres a war on; we dont have time for trivia like negotiations." Funny, we seemed to make it through World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm with a unionized DoD.

Theres more. Missouri and Indiana both elected new Republican governors in 2004. In January 2005, these newly inaugurated "leaders" issued executive orders rescinding collective bargaining rights for state government workers. Years of effort were dashed with one stroke of the pen.

We have many challenges to collective bargaining in the private sector. The telecommunications industry is consolidating and trying to keep unions out of growing fields like wireless and broadband. North America continues to ship its manufacturing base to China and elsewhere. Wal-Mart, the continents largest employer, would rather close a profitable store in Quebec rather than accept the decision of workers there to organize. Health care costs and pension concerns hover over every union contract.

The public sector, however, is the testing ground. They are going after our brothers and sisters there because they can. Just as the firing of federal air traffic controllers heralded a new anti-union era, so too the erosion of public collective bargaining rights is an attack on every workers ability to have a union contract. Anyone who thinks the Bush administration and their corporate allies are kidding around needs to take a trip to Reality City.

The worst thing that can happen would be to think that because we might not work for the DoD or in state government, the changes dont affect us. That bubbling sound you hear is the heat being turned up in the water. If you accept the loss of other workers collective bargaining rights, how long before they come after yours? The labor movement made a serious mistake by not going to the mat for the air traffic controllers in 1981. If we dont stand and fight in 2005, we will be a bunch of cooked turtles.

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One guy who never sat still while workers were feeling the heat is retiring Secretary-Treasurer Jerry OConnor. It has been a personal privilege to work side-by-side with this great brother. I will miss him, but we have another solid leader taking his place. You are in good hands with Jon Walters as our new Secretary-Treasurer.

Edwin D. Hill

International President