Thursday, November 18, 2010

Scott Walker Not Happy with Dems Call to Approve State Employee Contracts

Governor-elect Scott Walker is displeased with Sen. Majority Leader Russ Decker's call to bring the Senate back to Madison to finish work on the already delayed contracts between the State of Wisconsin and its Employees.

"We obviously have a monumental budget deficit to deal with, and the idea that anyone would want to try to pile on and make that more difficult for the next governor and Legislature is just horrible news for taxpayers," he said.

Walker said it's a good sign that the negotiated contracts don't include pay raises. Still, he said that needs to be accompanied with "significant changes" in the benefit packages for state employees.

We have also learned that Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan also intends for the present Assembly to finish up their responsibility of approving state employee contracts that the Administration sends to them after more than a year of ongoing negotiations.

What is outrageous in Walker's above quotes is that he accuses that passage of state employee contracts would amount to "piling on" to the state budget deficit, but in a second breath he acknowledges that the nearly completed negotiations contain NO wage increases. He fails to mention that the nearly completed negotiations require state employees to contribute EVEN MORE toward their pensions and health care benefits.

I have to ask, how will Wisconsin survive such arrogance for the next four years?

Posted by Steven Williams
PEL Coordinator
AFSCME Council 24

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