Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
With everything else that has occurred, I am not sure how many people saw that the governor of the state of Wisconsin has said he will not negotiate with the unions When asked why he won't negotiate he stated:
“I’m just trying to balance my budget,” Mr. Walker said. “To those who say why didn’t I negotiate on this? I don’t have anything to negotiate with. We don’t have anything to give. Like practically every other state in the country, we’re broke. And it’s time to pay up.”
He basically told state employees the terms of their contract - that they will contribute 5.8% of their salaries (50% of their annual pension payment) to their pensions instead of the current 0% and pay 12% of their health care premiums instead of 6%. Even more threatening to the unions is that he want to make union dues optional and make all union members vote each year whether they want to stay in the union
I grew up in Wisconsin so my Facebook page exploded right after the governor's announcement with my liberal friends crying and comparing the governor to some combination of Hitler, Attila the Hun, and a killer of small kittens. The unions are all getting ready to protest on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week and there are already talk of law suits saying its collective bargaining is constitutional right among other things. The governor is putting the national guard on alert in case the state correctional officers who will be affected by this do a work stoppage. Police and fire fighters were made exempt from this proposal. I am personally am supportive that he is taking on the public sector unions especially since their benefits are a huge part of the state budget but even some people who understand the need to deal with this problem seem to criticizing his approach. I was wondering what everyone else's take on this is. Could this have been handled better or was this destined to cause a fire storm?
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Oct '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
I believe it will cause a firestorm in any state where it is proposed. Chris Christie is probably the model for handling this. (Full disclosure: I peresonally don't think public sector employees should be allowed to organize.) What you described as Governor Walker's proposal seemed reasonable to me. Walker is not attacking the state workers. As more and more states try to deal with their budgets with similar approaches, the unions will be fighting them tooth and nail because it reduces the union's power and political influence.
Nov '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
It sounds fabulous to me, possibly Thatcheresque, but I'm far enough removed from Wisconsin to not have to hear the protests. I hope Walker stands firm.
Sep '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
Finally a Republican I can get excited about. Doesn’t he know he can get booted out of the party for exhibiting testicular fortitude? I would be happy to support him for prez over the bunch of mealy mouthed mice that has been scampering around. It is interesting that the libs didn’t compare him to FDR who was also against collective bargaining for government employees.
Jan '11
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
Nathan Baldwin: Could this have been handled better or was this destined to cause a fire storm? ·
I suspect the fire storm was inevitable, and I admire the straightforward way he handled it: "We won't negotiate because we don't have anything to negotiate with. We're broke."
I think I'm in love. (And a fat lot of good that'll do him, because I don't live in Wisconsin.)
May '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
Wow...Wisconsin, the original home of progressivism! This was inevitable. It will be interesting to watch this play out. I hope the public wakes up...his method was probably a good way to get their attention.
Oct '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
To be clear here.. It is not likely that anyone posting is old enough to remember that public sector workers were a protected species long before the EPA or unionization. Trust me.
A smart politicain realized the clout to be gained by this in the 60s. save was nto forward looking enough to figure to costs.
To negotiate is futile. In order to affect real change the public sector unions need to be abolished. This will remove a huge cog from a corrupt machine.. for a while
Jan '11
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
Another moderate. :)
A real conservative would not only make union membership optional; he would end the dues paycheck checkoff system for the unions and force the stewards to collect the dues personally every pay period.
A real conservative would also authorize his attorney general to investigate the financial books of every public employee union in the state to see if there have been any fiscal irregularities or if any crimes have been committed. That way union funds would go to the lawyers who defend them, rather than to political candidates who support them.
And, oh yes, no public employee strikes allowed, ever. That, in a phrase that the leaders of American labor are very familiar with from their youths, must be a non-negotiable demand.
Nov '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
This is a great thing and a firestorm cannot be avoided. Government workers know they have a deal most of them will never see again if they lose it and they won’t give it up without a brutal and nasty fight. I think Governor Walker knows this and is ready for the fight. Good on him.
If he stands pat he will win, in my view.
Aug '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
An unfortunate but perhaps inevitable concession was exempting the protective service unions from this. I say unfortunate because in many states they form the vanguard of unreasonableness. Certainly pension spiking seems to be more of an issue with cops than with social workers.
Sep '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
As Wisconsin goes so goes the nation.....
Wait a minute, is that right?
Jun '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
Keith, you have to start pulling for a St. Louis Ricochet get together with me, mate!
Aug '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
Didn't these cheese heads get their super bowl checks yet ? They dont spell grease the same way Frances Piven does . She's sitting there in NYC waiting for the fireman to hit the streets, which could happen now that football season is over. And the headline should read " Governor HAS to end collective bargaining for state employees..."
Dec '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
I applaud Governor Walker.
My mantra is that public employee unions should be outlawed. This is a step in that direction.
I think a politician who shows enough courage to aggressively make this case should prevail with the voters.
When the average government job is much more attractive than the average private sector job, for whatever reasons, something is very wrong,
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
We have had a few proposals in Minnesota about public employees (wage freeze, mandatory reduction in workforce) and even that has brought out some hysterical reactions from the unions. Example: a very simple proposal to target a 15% reduction in workforce by 2015. Had a public employee lobbyist testify it was a violation of public employee labor relations law even if we do not lay off a soul and just not replace all retirements (running 7% of workforce per year currently, quite possibly rising this year.)
Sep '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
The head of Wisconsin AFSCME has already said this proposal is "like a plantation owner talking to his slaves". Slaves had pensions? News to me..
Governor Walker will not back down, he never has. He went through the same thing on a smaller scale as the Milwaukee County executive when he privatized all sorts of jobs. He has a spine made of steel, and solid majorities in the legislature. If the unions push back too hard, Walker has already made noises about decertifying them altogether.
Dec '10
Re: Gov. Scott Walker wants to end collective bargaining for state employees in Wisconsin
Interestingly, the greatest threat to getting this thru the legislature is some squishy republican state senators. There's going to be some real pressure on them to buckle.
It's so refreshing to have this on the table and if it doesn't pass we'll just have to replace those RINOs.