Starving Wisconsin's unions

[Ellipsis]

Source: Washington Post

Let's be clear: The high-stakesstandoff in Wisconsin has nothing to do with balancing the state's budget.

It is about money, though - but only in the sense that money translates into political power. At this point, it's clear for all to see that Gov. Scott Walker's true aim is to bust the public employee unions, thus permanently reshaping the political landscape in the Republican Party's favor.


(snip)

That's what the Wisconsin fight is really about. That's why Walker won't settle for budget-balancing concessions. He wants to eliminate the greatest benefit that unions can give their members - collective bargaining - and also, by the way, make it much harder to collect union dues. He wants to starve the unions to death.

This is pure, unadulterated union-busting - not with goons and brickbats, but with the stroke of a scheming governor's pen.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/21/AR2011022104247.html

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"...with the stroke of a scheming governor's pen"


I love that line.

[Ellipsis]

1. Tuscon Citizen : In Wisconsin, union-busting as GOP strategy

(snip)

Evidence of this strategy can be seen in Walker ‘s insistence on trying to strip away the collective bargaining rights of many public employees — at least on health care, pension benefits and working conditions — even after they’ve agreed to the financial concessions the governor said are needed to balance the state’s budget.

Walker’s bill is a shoot-the-wounded assault on the Democratic Party’s base, which when combined with a voter ID law that’s also being pushed through Wisconsin’s Republican-controlled Legislature, could put the Badger State firmly in GOP hands for decades.

The proposed ID law would restrict the right to vote to people with military IDs, driver’s licenses and a state-issued ID card. Passports and photo ID cards issued to college students (even those from state universities) would not be acceptable.

College students and public unions are pillars of the Democratic base. Wisconsin’s ID law would suppress voter participation among students. A 2005 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Employment and Training Institute study found that 82% of 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds did not have a driver’s license in the ZIP codes for neighborhoods near Marquette University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. The study also showed that statewide, the majority of college-age blacks and Hispanics lacked driver’s licenses.


http://tucsoncitizen.com/usa-today-news/2011/02/21/in-wisconsin-union-busting-as-gop-strategy/

[speltwon]

2. I stand with the unions.

We are on the right side here, and w.o collective bargaining, labor in WI will be crippled.

[pengillian101]

4. So did I in the '70's

We lost, but eventually won. Life went on.

I and my other State employees pals went on strike for more than a week. Over-ruled in the end.
was fighting for woman's rights. I was a blue collar back then.

I was about 23 or so and progressed in the State's steno pool. Very unfair for older gals who proceeded me and never advanced. And then a supervisor at 24.

We staged a protest for quite some time. AFSCFE Union protesters had a fun time after-hours.

[speltwon]

6. we are all standing on the backs of those that preceded us

Thanks for what you did

[ps1074]

3. Democrats need to learn from republicans

Remember the gay marriage initiatives in 2002 and 2004?

Democrats should put collective bargaining initiative on the ballot in every Midwest state in 2012. That's election over for republicans.

[Ellipsis]

5. .