Wisconsin’s Governor-Elect Launches Sharp Attack on Public Workers

[marmar]

from In These Times:



Wisconsin’s Governor-Elect Launches Sharp Attack on Public Workers

Friday
Dec 17, 2010
12:40 pm

By Roger Bybee



Wisconsin Governor-Elect Scott Walker hasn't taken office yet, but that hasn't stopped him from directing a major bombardment at his state's employees. Eager to exercise power before his January 3 inauguration despite the absence of any clear mandate for his package of "free market" policies, Walker announced that public-sector workers were squarely in his sights.

On December 7, speaking at a Milwaukee Press Club luncheon, Walker said he supports

Anything from the decertifying of unions all the way through modifications of the current laws in place.

The bottom line is that we are going to look at every legal means we have to try to put that balance more on the side of taxpayers and the people who care about services.

Since his election, Walker has also spurned $810 million in federal aid that would have created a high-speed rail system between Milwaukee and Chicago. With his new round of attacks on public workers, Walker is again taking another decisive step even before being sworn in. While his comment about decertification indicated seeming ignorance about Wisconsin law, it undeniably heightens the intimidation facing state workers.

Uprooting Wisconsin state workers from their unions would require a long process of changing Wisconsin law, and might well inspire illegal strikes like the 1977 three-week walkout by about 25,000 members of AFSCME.

However, an incoming co-chair of the Budget Committee has already expressed that she "was open to changing state labor laws to make it easier to cut labor costs such as health and pension benefits. Rumors are rife that the Republicans—with a 19-14 majority in the Senate and a 59-36 bulge in the Assembly—are ready to introduce "right-to-work" legislation that would ban the union shop while binding unions to absorb the costs of representing workers who were non-members. ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6783/wisconsins_governor-elect_launches_sharp_attack_on_public_workers/

[Creative]

1. The same thing is happening in California with a Dem gov and legislature.

Times are tough and money is tight.

[Johonny]

8. and New York

The private sector has been so beaten down salary and compensation wise, now they are moving on to the public sector where mostly non-union electorate has grown envious at the better working conditions generated by the mostly strong union public sector jobs.

[Creative]

11. Many states are trying make these cuts as painless as possible.

One of the strategies I have seen used is reduction of workers via attrition. When a worker retires, they are simply not being replaced.

[OneAngryDemocrat]

2. Speaking as a state employee...

It is high time for those workers who can, by law, go on strike (not all governemnt employees can) to walk.

Shut the motherfucker down.

[lonestarnot]

6. Takes balls to do that. From the sounds of it, there are less balls in Wisconsin than are needed.

[Creative]

10. I hope your PR guy demonstrates more tact than that.

If not, the negotiation process is not going to go very well.

[doc03]

3. We will see the same from John Kasich in

Ohio. He is going to try and bust public employee Unions starting with teachers. He hasn't even taken office and he lost us $400 million and 16000 jobs when he turned down the high speed rail.

[atreides1]

4. The funny part of this

It's a good bet that some of those same state workers he's going after, voted for him.

I wonder if they stiil think they made the right choice?

[lpbk2713]

5. Oh this is gonna work out real well for him.

Sure it will. :eyes:


I'm pulling for the workers.

[OHdem10]

7. Several states including Ohio's Govenor have taken aim at

Unions period.

What else do you expect from a Pro Business Party feeling
their power and getting no serious opposition on anything.

Tea Party rules and apparently they meant what they said.
They have Republican Leadership jumping hoops.

Unions are under attack and will be under attack. Elections
have consequences.

[Bandit]

9. Does it surprise anyone that Republicans work against the American worker?

It is something they have been doing forever.. :shrug: Unions in this day and age either have no power or just won't exercise what power they have, so they are easy targets.. :shrug:

[hfojvt]

12. dang, you think it is a blue state

but the Democratic Party has done a bad job of electing people at the local level. Now Republicans are right there to gerrymander the districts for 2012. Legislatively Wisconsin does not look that much different from Kansas. Well, except for the huge hit we took in 2010.