I don't know about each state employee, but I am livid with an elected official who takes claim to being a "Republican". For years I have heard republicans on the campaign trail talk about how they are for the "worker" and I have actually seen first hand and even attempted to cooperate with the Wisconsin GOP when they created a Wisconsin Labor Caucus within their own state party.
But now that they have seized power starting on January 3rd, 2011 all I have read, watched and heard is the continuous bantering that workers, more specifically state employees and major Unions will not like what the republicans will do when they assume their control.
Of the top ten agenda items of the incoming republican control is an item;
Cutting state employee benefits
"Do you know that state workers don't pay anything toward their retirement?" asked Walker in a campaign ad. "Now people outside of government –– they contribute to their retirement. So I think it's only fair that state workers do too."
Public workers are a favorite target of Republicans, and nothing offers a better excuse for cutting into civil servants' benefits than a budget deficit. Making the change for the state's 33,000 non-unionized workers may be relatively easy –– a GOP-led attempt to do so in 2005 was stopped only by Doyle's veto.
But negotiating benefit reductions with the unions that represent the other 25,000 state employees will be a much tougher task. Walker's attempt to get a head start on this failed when Doyle denied his request to leave negotiation of already-overdue union contracts for the new administration. Meanwhile, the Wisconsin State Employees Union is gearing up for a fight.
Read the article in full >>>
If I had the wealth of Warren Buffett I would very much like to pay the wages and benefits of every state employee to walk away from their job for two weeks and just let the elected officials and citizens feel the impact of having no delivery of state services. If I truly had the money I would ADD every public sector employee from the city and county levels of government as well.
Then and probably ONLY then would these republican elected leaders and their supporters realize that state employees are not "THE ENEMY OF THE STATE".
For those public servants that are "non-represented" in state service, I pity you, you will be the guinea pigs because Walker and his kowtowing republican leadership will use you as such. For the "represented" state employees at least you will have a collective voice of one that is referred to as "The Union".
Posted by Steven Williams
PEL Coordinator
AFSCME Council 24 AFL-CIO
Friday, November 26, 2010
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WSEU contracts are extended by mutual consent until the next one is negotiated and signed into law. What will the WSEU do if Walker decides to NOT agree to the extension of the old contract after June 30, 2011? Will its represented employees be totally without protection?
ReplyDeleteIt is the responsibility of both parties to bargain in good faith. Good faith bargaining includes extending the current contract while a new contract is being negotiated. A contract provides for an orderly work environment. If the Walker administration or any administration refused to extend the contract we would use any venue available to protect the rights of the members of Council 24. No matter what, represented employees will not be without protections. Mandatory subjects of bargaining are protected by state statute and no governor can take them away with a stroke of a pen. Mandatory subjects include wages, benefits etc.
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