I was union leader and Democratic delegate. Party needs to hear these truths.

Yahoo

17-05-2025

With a decisive win in the Wisconsin State Supreme Court race and Donald Trump's polling cratering, Democrats in Wisconsin and nationwide appear to be full of themselves in thinking they may have turned the tide in winning over working class voters.
But as bad as Trump is doing, Democrats are doing even worse. In March, the Democratic Party hit an all-time polling low. Their low poll numbers come, despite Trump wrecking the economy, arresting sitting Judges, and helping his billionaire funders, like Elon Musk.
Ironically, the reasons behind the Supreme Court victory, should give Democrats a wakeup call.
Just take a look at the Supreme Court race. What were the issues that drove voters to the polls, besides contempt for Elon Musk? They were all issues having to do with combatting the other side's agenda and what Republicans took away:
Abortion and the freedom to make your own medical decisions
Gerrymandering and the right to have fair elections
Union rights and the right of employees to have a voice in the workplace through Act 10 and right to work laws.
The Democrats were right to fight all the Republican attacks on our freedoms, but working people want more than just opposing the other side. They want policies that will actually make their life better, and on that, Democrats have failed.
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Working people don't want to go back to the pre-Trump era, as Democrats seem to think. The very reason Trump became popular was because those times weren't good for mainstream Americans. Just look at Milwaukee.
When I was a young man, I was offered employment at three manufacturing sites in the same week: AO Smith, American Motors and Allis-Chalmers. Three companies that paid a living wage, good retirement benefits and good health insurance.
Those companies are long gone, along with so many others, including Cutler Hammer, Ladish, Harnishfeger, Allen Bradley and the list goes on. What they all had in common were family supporting jobs and strong unions that made a good life possible.
Where did that work go? Thanks to NAFTA, and other 'free' trade agreements, supported by Democrats (thanks Bill Clinton) and Republicans, those companies fled or fell to the way-side trying to compete with cheap and in many cases, slave labor, abroad.
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And now who is talking about bringing back American jobs? It's Donald Trump, not the Democrats. His plan is unserious and has no chance for success, but he realizes, unlike most Democrats, what is bothering working families.
Democrats, while certainly less onerous than Republicans, have failed miserably to fight for an agenda that would attract working people.
What would a bold agenda look like that would move Trump voters? Let's start with just four issues:
Revitalizing the economy, centering on attracting jobs that have a legitimate chance of growing in the United States. That plan would include passing the PRO Act, a bill that has stalled in congress and would make it easier for workers to join unions and have a real voice on the job and earn a living wage. It's no coincidence that when wealth in this country was more evenly divided, unions were strong.
Make medical care affordable and accessible by expanding Medicare to everyone.
Reform our tax system, so the wealthy pay their fair share, rather having a society where one man makes more than 50% of the population.
Develop "fair" rather than "free" trade agreements, that emphasize what's in the interest of the American worker.
This agenda is popular among the vast majority of people, but you will find few Democrats willing to purse this. Even now, the only thing you hear from members in Congress and at the local and state level, is Trump bashing.
Letters: Of course Sen. Ron Johnson wants to cut Medicaid. He's rich and doesn't need it.
Democrats spent four years criticizing Trump's first term and then, when they took office, they offered a few decent, but certainly not bold, alternatives to Trump. They lost office, once again, because their agenda was weak and did not meet the moment.
Next time a Democrat runs for office in your area, ask them what their agenda is, rather than just what they're against. Maybe it's time for a third party that actually has a popular agenda.
Frank Shansky worked at the Allis Chalmers Corporation in the 1970s and 80s and was chairman of the UAW Local 248 bargaining committee. He also served as the Director of the American Federation of Teachers Local 212 at Milwaukee Area Technical College for 30 years and was an elected delegate to the Democratic Party convention twice.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Here's how Democratic Party can win back working people | Opinion