Haveman is one of many ethnic Dutch-Hollanders-in the Holland area-who are the decedents of highly religious/ conservative immigrants to the area mid to late 19th Century. In earlier times when they were the broken English speaking common labor, they were for unions and for collective action. Over time, however that changed.
"How strong the opposition to union membership was in the Christian Reformed Church is evident from the fact that, despite the decision of 1916, synods of the Christian Reformed Church were forced to face the issue again and again until the relatively late date of 1954, when the matter was finally decided. Even at that late date, A SYNODICAL STUDY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED THAT SYNOD DECLARE MEMBERSHIP IN THE CIO-AFL SINFUL. But, as Swierenga relates in (his book) Dutch Chicago, "so many church members in Chicago, Patterson, Detroit, and other big cities belonged to these unions that the synod rejected the committee report"It is well to remember that there is also this historic, signal labor incident to recall:
(Robert P. Swierenga, Dutch Chicago: A History of the Hollanders in the Windy City, Eerdmans, 2002,pp. 644, 645)
"The good beginning of the Christian Reformed Church regarding labor union membership was in Chicago, always a stronghold of the Christian Reformed Church. IN 1886, ALL THREE HUNDRED DUTCH REFORMED WORKERS AT THE PULLMAN WORKS IN ROSELAND CROSSED PICKET LINES TO HELP BREAK THE STRIKE"Sympathy for the working man was replaced by the clannishness and stick together efforts that worked to the advantage of many of the Dutch who become middle class successes such as Haveman - a project manager for a large construction firm prior to election to the Michigan House of Representatives.
(Robert P. Swierenga, pp. 640, 641).
(emphasis added - See related article)
What was done today, September 15, 2011 by the passage of Haveman's bill to curtail the ability of the teachers professional association to have access to payroll deduction of association dues is but one of many recent and so-to come bills passed to "pig pile" on the Michigan Education Association in an attempt to quell their ability to participate in the right to regress of grievances and the privileges accorded them in the signing of legislation by Gov. George Romney, giving educators a fair and responsible voice in their profession, the terms of employment and professional improvement so necessary to a progressive and effective teaching cadre and excellence for students.
In carrying the unsavory slop jar for the Mackinac Center and other teacher haters such as Betsy DeVos, Haveman has lowered his image. Many of us were convinced that a man like Joe Haveman might be the re-visitation of the kind of statesman we once had in Western Michigan, a Paul Henry. Joe may repent. But having led the charge for the Out-of-State Corporatists owing A.L.E.C. Joe has sold his honor for the miserable job of slop jar duty.
The hope of the Kill-the-M.E.A. crowd is that teachers will be silenced and their influence will be diluted by any means legislated, to the point that they will have no voice in Michigan lawmaking and elections, thus be at the mercy of the TeaPublican marauders who are "sacking" the state of its ability to provide service and education for the children of our future.
A Teapartisan crowd of rowdies are using government to push highly partisan advantages: Their M.O. - take from others all they can.
The list to "take from" is extensive: Nurses, Firefighters, Local Police, Social Workers, the Poor, State Classified Workers, Michigan State Police, M-DOT personnel, the retired, Teachers and Public School Employees, and many, many more.
Original.
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