Public Employees Stand Firm For Workers Rights

[Guest Proud School Teacher]

Hello Wisconsin!

Kids are not customers, contracts, projects, paperwork, deals, or anything else that done in the business world. Fight Governor Scott Walker's bill to remove collective bargaining rights from public sector employees in the State, including teachers and education workers at all levels.

[Guest wiki]

Collective bargaining is a process of voluntary negotiations between employers and trade unions aimed at reaching agreements which regulate working conditions. Collective agreements usually set out wage scales, working hours, training, health and safety, overtime, grievance mechanisms and rights to participate in workplace or company affairs.

[Guest Son of a teacher]

When it comes to money, my opinion is that public employees should NOT be allowed to form a union or participate in any type of collective bargaining. When it comes to safety and health I do believe that public employees have the right to organize and strike until conditions improve.

[Guest talibangelical]

If this was really about money, why did Walker exempt Firefighters, Police and State Troopers from pension cuts and aim for restricted collective bargaining? If it is a budget issue why only choose certain unions and professions? Walker, in his own words, said it is a budget issue. So why not all unions??

[Guest Melinda Gibson]

Governor Walker’s election was partially financed by the infamous billionaire Koch brothers who donated millions last year to elect politicians who represent Wall Street CEOs and the wealthy over middle class working people. These politicians are not on our side.

 

In fact, they are all part of a larger strategy funded by corporations to take over our government and to roll back protections for middle class consumers by repealing the Affordable Care Act, privatizing our Medicare and Social Security, and allowing oil companies and drillers to destroy our environment so they can make more profits.

[Guest HUMAN]

Well! I am not in politics any more so hey!! Go ahead and tell the general public to go to hell.

 

Wait!! Your group has been doing that already.

 

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Governor Walker’s election was partially financed by the infamous billionaire Koch brothers who donated millions last year to elect politicians who represent Wall Street CEOs and the wealthy over middle class working people. These politicians are not on our side.

 

In fact, they are all part of a larger strategy funded by corporations to take over our government and to roll back protections for middle class consumers by repealing the Affordable Care Act, privatizing our Medicare and Social Security, and allowing oil companies and drillers to destroy our environment so they can make more profits.

[Guest Always Red]

States have sovereignty to regulate contracts. Its that simple.

[Guest HUMAN]

LOL Red. It goes alot deeper then that. The states HAVE to take loans just to pay off the pensions that they owe just for this year alone.

 

Taxes goes up, everything goes up. People do not understand just how deeply this hurts them.

The Unions are fully aware that there actions are deeply hurting state economies, but as long

as they retain their power and wealth; It does not matter how much it hurts the general public

to them "unions".

 

Never thought I would see it come to fruition though? The financial deconstruction of this country.

 

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States have sovereignty to regulate contracts. Its that simple.

[Guest LAW]

The President understands the financial situation, but worker rights are off the table.

 

Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney Aboard Air Force One en route Cleveland, Ohio

Aboard Air Force One, En Route Cleveland, Ohio

 

Q Jay, there’s going to be a labor rally in Columbus about the time that the President is here. There’s of course the unrest in Wisconsin. You’re also seeing it in Ohio and Indiana, and there’s going to be a large protest of teachers in early March over labor rules proposed by that legislature. Is the President going to address any of that today? And does he have any thoughts on this ongoing situation?

 

MR. CARNEY: I don’t have anything for you on what the President will say today. He’s focused very much -- with regard to that, he’s focused very much on this important forum, small business forum.

 

And as far as his thoughts, he expressed them in an interview with a Wisconsin television station -- I believe it was last week -- where he made clear that he absolutely recognizes the need that state governments have, governors and legislators, to deal with their fiscal situation; that everyone needs to tighten their belts, and that includes public sector employees. But he also expressed his concern that the efforts specifically in Wisconsin were aimed at going right after the collective bargaining rights of unions.

 

So -- but that’s the extent of the White House involvement.

 

Q What about Kasich’s efforts in Ohio to go after collective bargaining?

 

MR. CARNEY: I don’t have anything on that for you.

[Guest HUMAN]

Law you don't know what you are typing about so stay out of it. All you keep on doing is posting presidential news briefings.

 

Acting like you know what's going on and all the time just PLAYING POLITICS AND THAT'S IT.

 

At least I stopped you playing with the government computers.

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The President understands the financial situation, but worker rights are off the table.

 

Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jay Carney Aboard Air Force One en route Cleveland, Ohio

Aboard Air Force One, En Route Cleveland, Ohio

 

Q Jay, there’s going to be a labor rally in Columbus about the time that the President is here. There’s of course the unrest in Wisconsin. You’re also seeing it in Ohio and Indiana, and there’s going to be a large protest of teachers in early March over labor rules proposed by that legislature. Is the President going to address any of that today? And does he have any thoughts on this ongoing situation?

 

MR. CARNEY: I don’t have anything for you on what the President will say today. He’s focused very much -- with regard to that, he’s focused very much on this important forum, small business forum.

 

And as far as his thoughts, he expressed them in an interview with a Wisconsin television station -- I believe it was last week -- where he made clear that he absolutely recognizes the need that state governments have, governors and legislators, to deal with their fiscal situation; that everyone needs to tighten their belts, and that includes public sector employees. But he also expressed his concern that the efforts specifically in Wisconsin were aimed at going right after the collective bargaining rights of unions.

 

So -- but that’s the extent of the White House involvement.

 

Q What about Kasich’s efforts in Ohio to go after collective bargaining?

 

MR. CARNEY: I don’t have anything on that for you.

[Guest LAW]

Law you don't know what you are typing about so stay out of it. All you keep on doing is posting presidential news briefings.

 

Acting like you know what's going on and all the time just PLAYING POLITICS AND THAT'S IT.

 

At least I stopped you playing with the government computers.

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MAD HUMAN DRUNK,

Why do you keep saying I am a government employee? You know nothing about me. Please do not sidestep the answer.

 

MAD,HUMAN,DRUNK, and now FRAUD,

 

I have not decided whether you are a pathological or professional liar.

 

What I do know is that Americans strongly oppose laws taking away the collective bargaining power of public employee unions, according to a new USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. The poll found 61% would oppose a law in their state similar to such a proposal in Wisconsin, compared with 33% who would favor such a law.

 

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-02-22-poll-public-unions-wisconsin_N.htm

[Guest HUMAN]

Well!! At least you do admit that you don't know what you are typing about.

[Guest American4Progress]

Two months after taking office, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has launched one of the most aggressive attacks on union rights since the 1960s. Purporting to rein in the state's budget deficit, Walker is pushing legislation that marks "a lethal threat to public-sector labor" by threatening "to strip state employees of the right to bargain collectively for anything besides their pay." Walker's radical policy has sparked eight days of protests in Wisconsin from a range of parties, including firefighters, teachers, the Green Bay Packers, and even Egyptian unions. President Obama recently called Walker's policy "an assault" on workers' rights. Despite the unpopularity of his position, Walker has refused any compromises offered by the unions and members of his own party unless collective bargaining rights are eliminated. To prevent such a calamity, 14 state Democratic lawmakers took a page out of President Abraham Lincoln's playbook and fled the state last week to prevent the bill from moving forward. Rather than following any fiscal principle, Walker's crusade against workers betrays a political calculation to gut the rights and organizing capabilities of his political opposition. Rather than shy away from such blatant anti-democratic policies, Republican governors are following suit and threatening to derail and destroy the few remaining political voices for the middle and working class.

 

THE BUDGET BUSTER: The stated motivation behind Walker's union-busting ambitions is Wisconsin's looming deficit: "We're broke and it's about time somebody stood up and told the truth," he said. The state budget has a $137 million shortfall in the current fiscal year and faces a $3.6 billion projected shortfall in the upcoming 2011-13 biennium. Citing this projected $3.6 billion deficit, Walker insists "we've got to balance the budget and fix it once and for all" which requires public employees "to help us out" and make "shared sacrifice" by paying a greater percentage of pensions and health care premiums. While unions offered to make those concessions, Walker still demands eliminating collective bargaining rights because it "costs local governments money." But a closer look at Wisconsin's deficit reveals Walker's budget woes don't stem from workers' collective bargaining rights. The claim that public employees must sacrifice their bargaining rights to balance this year's budget is misleading as there is no obvious relationship between union membership and state budgets. Indeed, "the biggest savings Walker is proposing for the current budget have nothing to do with public employees. His bill proposes to save $165 million this year by simply refinancing state debt." But the $3.6 billion deficit Walker is apoplectic over is actually exacerbated by his own tax cuts. According to Wisconsin's nonpartisan fiscal office , Walker's three tax cut bills "will reduce general fund tax collections by $55.2 million in 2011-12 and $62.0 million in 2012-13." And, as the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities' Nick Johnson states, "the governor is likely to propose a LOT more tax cuts" in his proposed budget, including a total repeal of the state's corporate income tax. As Johnson notes, the tax cuts are "worsening the state's overall budget picture, and it is the state's overall budget picture -- not the current-year picture alone -- that [Walker] is using to justify going after the workers." Thus, the real fiscal truth behind Walker's deficit woes reveals Walker -- not workers -- as the budget buster.

 

THE UGLY TRUTH: As the Washington Post's Ezra Klein notes, what Walker is doing is not attacking the budget but "attacking the right to bargain collectively -- which is to say, he's attacking the very foundation of labor unions, and of worker power -- and using an economic crisis unions didn't cause, and a budget reversal that Walker himself helped create, to justify it." By doing so, the Republican governor will strike a severe blow at long-standing allies of his political opposition. Unions have typically been "an important part of the core Democratic coalition" and Walker is creating an opportunity to land a blow at his opposition by attacking the political participation on behalf of those who support workers' rights. Any question of whether Walker's attack on unions is politically motivated can be answered by the fact that he exempted the police and firefighter unions from this power grab -- two groups that supported his candidacy. Certainly, Walker's anti-union policies didn't arise in a vacuum but were orchestrated and buttressed by notorious right-wing political players including Koch Industries and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation -- "a $460 million conservative honey pot dedicated to crushing the labor movement." Indeed, the Bradley Foundation's CEO, former state GOP chairman Michele Grebe, headed Walker's campaign and transition. What's more, media and astroturf organizations ginning up support for Walker's power grab include the MacIver Institute (which produced a series of videos attacking anti-Walker protesters) the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute (which funded polls, policy pieces, and attack videos against Walker's opposition) and Americans for Prosperity (which not only helped elect Walker but bused in Tea Party supporters to hold a pro-Walker demonstration Saturday). All of these groups receive funding from the Bradley Foundation. As the New York Times' Paul Krugman notes, "billionaires can field armies of lobbyists; they can finance think tanks that put the desired spin on policy issues; [and] they can funnel cash to politicians with sympathetic views." Given this political reality, unions "are among the most important" of the institutions "that can act as counterweights to the power of big money." Nancy MacLean, a labor historian at Duke University, said "eliminating unions would do to the Democratic Party what getting rid of socially conservative churches would do to Republicans." "It's a stunning partisan calculation on the governor's part," she said, "and really ugly."

 

ANTI-UNION TIDAL WAVE: The high-stakes battle against union rights is gaining momentum in other GOP-led states. While "Wisconsin is moving the fastest and most aggressively so far," Wisconsin Democracy Campaign director Mike McCabe points out that "this is a national push, and it's being simultaneously pushed in a number of states." Ohio Republican Gov. John Kasich, who believes public employees should be fired if they strike, is backing a similar bill in Ohio to roll back collective-bargaining rights for about 400,000 public employees. Kasich will see at least 5,000 protesters today at the statehouse to protest his efforts. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels ® is ahead of the curve as he has already "aggressively gone after the state's public-sector unions, taking away their collective-bargaining rights on his first day in office in 2005." He is also pushing the legislature to weaken tenure protection for teachers. "The new crop of governors is even more bold," said Walker ally and Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad ®. Incredulous over state employee benefits, Branstad indicated "he was anxious to reassess Iowa's public employee benefits and had brought in an official from the private sector to examine the state's collective-bargaining law." Currently, 16 states are "now weighing, or expected to weigh, laws to trim unions powers or benefits" including New Jersey, Michigan, Tennessee, Idaho, Indiana, and Florida. This tidal wave of contempt that Republican controlled states hold against unions marks more than a blind power grab, and more than "a violent break with a bipartisan consensus about government workers that has operated unquestioned for four decades." Should it succeed, this Republican onslaught on unions will eradicate the existence of "the few influential players in our political system representing the interests of middle- and working-class Americans." As SEIU president Mary Kay Henry points out, "it's not just union members at risk; it's the services these members provide-whether that be as teachers, public safety personnel or home health care workers." Whether Walker and his cohort will succeed is unclear, but as Krugman notes, "anyone who cares about retaining government of the people by the people should hope that it doesn't."

[Guest John Cooper]

Over the years this attrition is bound to continue and we have to be alert to possibilities of reformation, but crucially this will only come out of a movement such as around the economic crisis.

[Guest RT]

Protests continue in Wisconsin with Gov. Scott Walker warning Tuesday that state employees could start receiving layoff notices as early as next week if a bill eliminating most collective bargaining rights isn't passed soon. University of Wisconsin student David Vines says unions give power to blue collar hard working Americans. Governor Walker might make cutbacks and the unions are ok with that but they are not willing to do is lose their right to negotiate and collectively bargain.

[Guest Ol Ray]

When government unions strike, they strike against taxpayers. Now Unions are fighting to keep their payroll state and local withholding money sieve (governments collection of either union dues or an equivalent fee) from all employees. If you don't want to be part of the union you still have to pay.

[Guest HUMAN]

I have a question for the Union Leaders;

 

The state pensions USE TO BE SEPERATE from the State Budgets. Why did you folks tie them together with the State Budgets?

 

<Do I honestly think that I am going to get an answer from the Unions on this? NO , but it doesn't hurt to ask.>

[Guest Hubert F.]

Does every state budget directly tie into their pension funds?

[Guest HUMAN]

I'm not going to retire to this country.

 

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Does every state budget directly tie into their pension funds?

[Guest Martin in Indiana]

This thug is a fine example of the future of America if don't change. What happened to civility.

 

[Guest Ralph]

I have never seen so much irresponsible, grade school behavior by a party that what we are witnessing today.

[Guest What the Hell]

If this was really about money, why did Walker exempt Firefighters, Police and State Troopers from pension cuts and aim for restricted collective bargaining? If it is a budget issue why only choose certain unions and professions? Walker, in his own words, said it is a budget issue. So why not all unions??

 

I hate Unions period. But, what Walker has done is an outrage. He should not be cherry picking what Unions get pensions. The police would be my least pick. They are the ones that enforce our laws. Having Unions gives them way too much leverage. Its not Republican. Its not American. It is not right. Bad strategic move. Look what is happening.

 

From inside the Wisconsin State Capitol, RAN ally Ryan Harvey reports:

 

"Hundreds of cops have just marched into the Wisconsin state capitol building to protest the anti-Union bill, to massive applause. They now join up to 600 people who are inside."

 

Ryan reported on his Facebook page earlier today:

 

"Police have just announced to the crowds inside the occupied State Capitol of Wisconsin: 'We have been ordered by the legislature to kick you all out at 4:00 today. But we know what's right from wrong. We will not be kicking anyone out, in fact, we will be sleeping here with you!' Unreal."

 

See the power they have. They will not enforce anything. It is blowing up in our faces. Mr. Speaker we need you to lead us out of this crisis.

 

 

Stop giving preferential treatment to police!

[Guest What the Hell]

We can't ask Obama to bring out the National Guard, because he support the riots. WE NEED TO BACK OFF NOW!!!

 

http://www.wppa.com/news/02_11/BudgetAdjustment.html

 

Wisconsin Professional Police Association

 

While the WPPA appreciates that law enforcement is exempted from the bill's provisions, the WPPA opposes the bill on the basis of its union-busting measures. WPPA members are encouraged to contact their legislators to voice their concerns. Members can find their legislators their contact information by going to the following website:

 

http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/waml/waml.aspx.

[Guest Cindy]

I have a question for our government leaders.

 

44 states plus the District of Columbia are in financial crises right now with a projected cumulative short fall of 125 BILLION dollars. Bringing every troop home from Afghanistan, and the remaining troops from Iraq would save 160 billion.

 

We can't afford this war debt.

[Guest LAW]

The President supports the working class. But, he respects the individual State legislative process.

 

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jay Carney, 2/25/2011

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

Q On another matter, will the President, in light of his 2007 comments, walk a picket line in Wisconsin?

 

MR. CARNEY: What I said, Wendell, yesterday I think holds true today, which is the President has a variety of ways to communicate his views on various matters, including the rights of America’s working men and women. And I would just say that whatever shoes he’s wearing, he is always standing with America’s working men and women and America’s middle class.

 

Q On union rights, do public sector unions and private sector unions have different rights and responsibilities?

 

MR. CARNEY: I’m not sure what you’re asking exactly.

 

Q I’m asking if -- because private sector unions ultimately are competing with, if you will -- not competing but negotiating with board members, and because public sector unions are ultimately negotiating with taxpayers, do they have different responsibilities and rights?

 

MR. CARNEY: What we have said and what the President has said is that with regard to what’s happening in the states now, as the states address their fiscal situations, everybody needs to tighten their belts, everybody needs to sacrifice and work together to bring state budgets into balance, to bring stability to the fiscal situations in the states, much as we need to work together at the federal level. And that’s our position.