Divide and Conquer

From the Courier-Journal:

Gov. Ernie Fletcher told the Kentucky Professional Firefighters Association yesterday that he would push for collective bargaining rights for all full-time firefighters and police officers in the state.

But the governor held firm in his position that other public employees shouldn't have collective bargaining rights and that Kentucky should enact a law that would allow people to work in businesses with unions without joining the union or paying dues.

Prediction:

The Kentucky Professional Firefighters Association (KPFFA) and the state Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) will endorse Ernie Fletcher.

The firefighters and police have a record of supporting right-wing anti-labor candidates, such as the KPFFA endorsement of Bruce Lunsford, from the McConnell wing of the Democratic Party.
They generally do not see themselves as part of the union movement or as part of the greater group of public servants, but as a separate select elite. They do not identify with the common interests with the garbage man or social worker or union welder.

Steve Beshear hopes they will see that solidarity with their union brothers and sisters is in their long term best interest. I hope I'm wrong but I doubt they will support Beshear,

Beshear does make this point:

"It's interesting to me that he came out in support of collective bargaining for some but not others today, because in the same breath a couple of years ago, he's come out to make Kentucky a right-to-work state, which would obviously obliterate any union contracts to begin with," said Beshear.

But it I don't think it will make any difference to the leadership of the FOP and the KPFFA.