Unions are protesting in Wisconsin

[Kenneth]

Protesters clogged the hallways of the Wisconsin state Capitol on Thursday as the Senate prepared to pass a momentous bill that would strip government workers, including school teachers, of nearly all collective bargaining rights.

The nation's most aggressive anti-union proposal has been speeding through the Legislature since Republican Gov. Scott Walker introduced it a week ago. After clearing a major legislative hurdle Wednesday night, it was headed to votes in the Senate and Assembly.

Hundreds of protesters massed outside the Senate chamber on the second floor of the Capitol early Thursday, hours before the planned vote. Republican leaders said it has the votes to pass in both the Senate and Assembly.

The bill marks a dramatic shift for Wisconsin, which passed a comprehensive collective bargaining law in 1959 and was the birthplace of the national union representing all non-federal public employees.

Thousands of protesters, including children and teachers from more than two dozen schools forced to close due to high absences, were expected in and outside the Capitol for a third day of protests. Schools in Madison, the state's second largest district with 2,600-union covered employees, closed for a second day.

Hundreds of people, many of them students from the nearby University of Wisconsin campus, slept in the rotunda for a second night leading up to the vote.

They chanted "Kill the bill!" and "Recall Walker!" early on Thursday. But there appeared to be little doubt the bill would pass.

The head of the 98,000-member statewide teachers union called on all Wisconsin residents to come to the Capitol on Thursday for the votes in the Senate and Assembly.

"Our goal is not to close schools, but to instead to remain vigilant in our efforts to be heard," said Wisconsin Education Association Council President Mary Bell.

The Legislature's budget committee passed the bill on a partisan vote just before midnight. Several opponents in the crowd broke into tears as Democrats on the committee encouraged them not to give up the fight.

"I'm sad. Scared. Disappointed," said Kelly Dzurick, a 31-year-old fifth-grade teacher in Elkhorn, who came to the Capitol on Wednesday night. "Nobody's listening to what people say."

Democrats have been powerless to stop the bill.

"The story around the world is the rush to democracy," said Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar. "The story in Wisconsin is the end of the democratic process."

In addition to eliminating collective bargaining rights, the legislation also would make public workers pay half the costs of their pensions and at least 12.6 percent of their health care coverage _ increases Walker calls "modest" compared with those in the private sector.

Republican leaders said they expected Wisconsin residents would be pleased with the changes and that the bill was about saving money. The union concessions would save the state $30 million by July 1 and $300 million over the next two years to address a $3.6 billion budget shortfall.

"I think the taxpayers will support this idea," Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said.

As protesters chanted "Recall Walker now!" outside the governor's office, Walker insisted he had the votes to pass the measure. He says it's needed to help balance the budget and avoid massive layoffs.

"We're at a point of crisis," the governor said. He has said he would call out the National Guard if needed to keep state operations, including prisons, running.

In an interview with Milwaukee television station WTMJ, President Barack Obama said he was monitoring the situation in Madison and acknowledged the need for budget cuts. But, he said, pushing public employees away from the bargaining table "seems like more of an assault on unions."

While other states have proposed bills curtailing labor rights, Wisconsin's measure is the most aggressive anti-union move yet to solve state budget problems. It would end collective bargaining for state, county and local workers, except for police, firefighters and the state patrol.

Wisconsin has long been a bastion for workers' rights. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees was founded in 1936 in Madison.

But when voters elected Walker, an outspoken conservative, along with GOP majorities in both legislative chambers, it set the stage for a dramatic reversal of Wisconsin's labor history.

Under Walker's plan, state employees' share of pension and health care costs would go up by an average of 8 percent.

Unions still could represent workers, but could not seek pay increases above those pegged to the Consumer Price Index unless approved by a public referendum. Unions also could not force employees to pay dues and would have to hold annual votes to stay organized.

In exchange for bearing more costs and losing bargaining leverage, public employees were promised no furloughs or layoffs. Walker has threatened to order layoffs of up to 6,000 state workers if the measure does not pass.

Republican-backed changes to the bill made by the committee Wednesday would extend a grievance procedure to public workers who don't have one and require more oversight and put a deadline on changes Walker's administration can make to the Medicaid program. It would also give a level of legislative oversight to Walker's ability to sell public power plants.
http://news.ino.com/headlines/?newsid=6897669747585790

The Wisconsin National Guard has not been activated but it is on alert.

"Plan for the worst, expect the best," Gov. Scott Walker explained to a jam-packed press conference this morning in the State Capitol.

It was the official roll-out of his broad rollback of collective bargaining rights for unionized government employees, part of his budget repair bill, seeking to resolve a $150 million shortfall in the next five months.

Walker said he was well aware that "some union leaders will try to incite their members."

The governor has contingency plans to take over the prisons, undoubtedly using the National Guard. Plans are also in place to staff intensive care facilities, should those employees walk out.

These contingency plans have been in the works "for months," Walker said this morning.

That is one reason local police and fire and the state patrol are exempt from the governor’s far-reaching changes to collective bargaining by government employees in Wisconsin. He cannot account for local safety. Besides, he said, police and fire have a tradition of being treated different in practice and in statute

One of the provisions in his budget repair bill calls for the automatic dismissal of any employee with an unexcused absence of three days "or any employees participating in an organized action to stop or slow work if the governor has declared a state of emergency."

"I do expect the good and decent people who work for the State of Wisconsin to show up for work and do a great job," Walker said.

The governor’s demeanor was firm and frank. Asked why he did not negotiate the changes with the union Walker gave two reasons:

1. He has nothing to offer. "The state is broke."

2. Contract negotiations have averaged 15 months in recent years. "We don’t have that kind of time."

He cast the changes as a good deal for state employees in bad economic times, that the pension and health contributions are half the national average.

He said employees could offset the increases in pension and health insurance contributions by opting out of paying union dues. Indeed, his recommendations make it more difficult for the unions to collect dues.

He stressed that his package avoids layoffs or unpaid furloughs. "I don’t want to see anyone being laid off in the state of Wisconsin."

But if the Legislature fails to act, "massive layoffs" will result. He put the number of state employees that would be laid off in such a situation at 6,000 over the course of the next biennium. More layoffs would result at the local government level, he said.

That put the onus on the Legislature to approve his plan. Many of them witnessed the press conference this morning, including Mark Pocan and Fred Risser.

He said he was elected to "be bold and aggressive." In the three months since his election — not even waiting to be inaugurated January 2 — Scott Walker has been that and more.

Push too hard and this governor could go for the complete union kill shot.
http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/turningpoints/tp-036/?action=more_essay

[dinarded]

Fire them all and hire new teachers.

Ronald Reagan didn't put up with the crap from the air traffic controller's union. He fired them all and hired new workers.

[Silence Dogood]

What was done was correct. Everyone still has a job and the budget is closer to being balanced. If "the people" have a ligitimate better plan that saves even more money and benifits they WILL do it! But most would just rather complain.

[Kenneth]

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/17/teachers-march-wisconsin-capitol-senate-moves-curtail-union-rights/

[Kenneth]

Now the democrats didn't show up to vote and they can't vote without at least one Democrat.

[Lonzworth]

If it wasn't for unions, there'd be no middle class in America.

Do you honestly think Wisconsin will run a budget surplus for even one year out of the next ten because of this?

Not gonna happen.

[Polecat85]

Socialists should be careful, afterall we conservatives have all the guns and the ability yo use them.

If it wasn't for unions, there'd be no middle class in America.

Do you honestly think Wisconsin will run a budget surplus for even one year out of the next ten because of this?

Not gonna happen.

What a load of horse manure. Unions will get credit for bringing safety to a new level, but paying "middle class" wages for putting a lugnut on a car is why we have no manufacturing in this country anymore. Unskilled labor should not get skilled labor wages.

[shwngo]

The same thing is going on this week in Cbus Ohio.. Unions were needed back in the day to protect the worker. In this day and age unions are not needed. The feds regulate what employers can and cannot do, the union now is just big business that funds Crap politics.. I have many friends that work in Union's, they are at the bar while they are clocked in at work all with the same attitude: that they can't be fired because the union will protect them... So they are almost un firable.....

Look what the unions did in the Motor City, they BK'ed the auto factory's. (i know it wasn't all thembut they sure made it worse) by forcing company's to hire to many people. If you screw around at work you should be fired or written up for it, not protected because you pay $100 bucks a month to some union.

[Kenneth]

If it wasn't for unions, there'd be no middle class in America.

Do you honestly think Wisconsin will run a budget surplus for even one year out of the next ten because of this?

Not gonna happen.

I hope you really don't believe that, unions have more harm then good in America and the world.

Let’s also point out that while labor unions were being violent racists in America, they were in the process of being the source of the greatest evil in human history in Europe. It was the labor unions that formed the core of Lenin’s violent communist movement. The Marxists started out in 1898 by forming the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. Just as labor unions formed the core of Hitler’s National Socialist German WORKERS Party.

From a 1935 German magazine:

“A Socialist Workers’ Government has achieved a workers revolution in Germany without resorting to, tho in some respects it approximates, Communism. Adolf Hitler has done it by wiping out all class privileges and class distinction, but the economics foundation of property rights and private capital has been left almost intact – for the present time.”

“The Third Reich, under Hitler, has wiped out corporate trade-unionism by forcing all workers to join one great government union, the National Socialist Union of Employers and Workers…”

Labor unions have destroyed every single industry they have ever been allowed to contaminate. From manufacturing (airline, auto, steel, textile, etc.) to teaching. And Superman aint coming, because labor unions are the strength-sapping, lethal Kryptonite.

Labor unions have represented genuine evil for more than a century. And if we don’t vote out the Democrats who use public money to keep their voter-turnout apparatus going in a sick game of political patronage, they will murder this country.

http://startthinkingright.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/labor-unions-a-century-of-genuine-evil/

[dinarded]

I hope you really don't believe that, unions have more harm then good in America and the world.

Let’s also point out that while labor unions were being violent racists in America, they were in the process of being the source of the greatest evil in human history in Europe. It was the labor unions that formed the core of Lenin’s violent communist movement. The Marxists started out in 1898 by forming the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party. Just as labor unions formed the core of Hitler’s National Socialist German WORKERS Party.

From a 1935 German magazine:

“A Socialist Workers’ Government has achieved a workers revolution in Germany without resorting to, tho in some respects it approximates, Communism. Adolf Hitler has done it by wiping out all class privileges and class distinction, but the economics foundation of property rights and private capital has been left almost intact – for the present time.”

“The Third Reich, under Hitler, has wiped out corporate trade-unionism by forcing all workers to join one great government union, the National Socialist Union of Employers and Workers…”

Labor unions have destroyed every single industry they have ever been allowed to contaminate. From manufacturing (airline, auto, steel, textile, etc.) to teaching. And Superman aint coming, because labor unions are the strength-sapping, lethal Kryptonite.

Labor unions have represented genuine evil for more than a century. And if we don’t vote out the Democrats who use public money to keep their voter-turnout apparatus going in a sick game of political patronage, they will murder this country.

http://startthinkingright.wordpress.com/2010/10/05/labor-unions-a-century-of-genuine-evil/

Most excellent

[BlueOrchid919]

Fire them all and hire new teachers.

Ronald Reagan didn't put up with the crap from the air traffic controller's union. He fired them all and hired new workers.

You can be assured there are many hundreds of teachers from around the country who would be thrilled to fill those positions. Many qualified teachers in many states are begging for teaching jobs, having been laid off due to budget constraints. They'd be most willing to move in a heartbeat for a replacement job. What Gov Walker is doing is being watched very carefully by all other states. This is a precedent setting event. Watch other states follow suit. No entity or person can continue to spend more than is coming in. It's simply not sustainable. Try it, you'll see it does not work. Time to pay the piper....

Things, they are a changin'.... Be prepared.

Edited February 18, 2011 by BlueOrchid919

[Kenneth]

Democrats leave state to block vote!

Democratic lawmakers fled the state Thursday in an effort to torpedo a closely watched vote on what would be the nation's first major overhaul of union laws in years, as government workers flooded the statehouse for a third day seeking to block passage of the bill.

Wisconsin senate Democrats fled the state today in protest of Republican Gov. Scott Walker's budget bill, which continued to draw massive protests from public-employee union members. One of the missing senators talks to Kelsey Hubbard & Bob O'Brien.

Journal Community

Surrounded by thousands of tightly packed protesters, including teachers who had been encouraged by union leaders to show up in force, state senators gathered around 11 a.m. to vote on Republican Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to limit collective-bargaining rights for most state employees.

The governor's proposal, part of a bill aimed at overcoming a $137 million deficit in the current budget and a projected $3.6 billion hole in the next two years, would allow collective bargaining on wages, but not pensions and health care. Workers would be required to pay more for both. And raises would be limited to the inflation rate, unless voters approved steeper boosts.

But a roll call revealed that while 19 GOP senators were present, none of the 14 Democrats were in the chamber, leaving the Senate one vote short of the 20 needed to vote on the measure.

http://online.wsj.com/video/news-hub-wisconsin-senator-on-why-democrats-fled/533330DC-12CE-4D92-A3CC-07E2B9E96300.html

[Lonzworth]

Socialists should be careful, afterall we conservatives have all the guns and the ability yo use them.

First of all, maybe you should move to Columbine with that threat.

Secondly, paying a livable wage has nothing to do with socialism.

Why don't you turn off the O'Reilly Factor and read a book.

You're a moron.

Do you really believe that unions are resposible for our $14 Trillion Debt?

If you really believe that unions are responsible for shipping jobs overseas, you're a moron.

All this talk on this board of people knowing the true intentions of the IMF, why don't you look up their Structural Adjustment Policies?

That's why jobs go overseas, we bankrupt countries and force them to open up their industry to American interests/companies.

Look at some of the guidlines for SAP's and ask yourself if you see that happening in America.

It sure is.

Youtube yourself some John Perkins/Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.

P.S. last time I checked, a lot of Unions had a veterans preference... They're very accommodating of service members.

When you get home and you have a choice between $8 at Wal Mart or union job, tell me where your ideals stand.

[BlueOrchid919]

As to living wage, the teachers in Wisconsin earn benefits packages FOUR TIMES the national average! Most govt employees here in the US earn at least TWO TIMES that of the private sector. The proposed Walker cuts are very reasonable and will help save the state. Sadly, every country that has had unions has ended up broke. Looks like it will happen to ours as well.

Unions may have had their day, but their time has run out. They are hurting govts. Union wages and benefits packages are no longer sustainable.

PS: There are nicer ways to state what you wanted to say without calling someone a moron.

Edited February 18, 2011 by BlueOrchid919

[cvw1951]

First of all, maybe you should move to Columbine with that threat.

Secondly, paying a livable wage has nothing to do with socialism.

Why don't you turn off the O'Reilly Factor and read a book.

You're a moron.

Do you really believe that unions are resposible for our $14 Trillion Debt?

If you really believe that unions are responsible for shipping jobs overseas, you're a moron.

All this talk on this board of people knowing the true intentions of the IMF, why don't you look up their Structural Adjustment Policies?

That's why jobs go overseas, we bankrupt countries and force them to open up their industry to American interests/companies.

Look at some of the guidlines for SAP's and ask yourself if you see that happening in America.

It sure is.

Youtube yourself some John Perkins/Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.

P.S. last time I checked, a lot of Unions had a veterans preference... They're very accommodating of service members.

When you get home and you have a choice between $8 at Wal Mart or union job, tell me where your ideals stand.

Read more:

Well said, but probably pointless in this venue. As a veteran and a union member, I certainly know where I stand. I won't miss the G. Beck stuff at DV when this thing of ours finally comes to fruition.

[Lonzworth]

PS: There are nicer ways to state what you wanted to say without calling someone a moron.

Well, I was referred to a socialist and then was threatened to be shot.

There were certainly nicer ways for that person to state their opinion as well...

But, I would never expect you to call out a fellow anti-union brother.

[Kenneth]

First of all, maybe you should move to Columbine with that threat.

Secondly, paying a livable wage has nothing to do with socialism.

Why don't you turn off the O'Reilly Factor and read a book.

You're a moron.

Do you really believe that unions are resposible for our $14 Trillion Debt?

If you really believe that unions are responsible for shipping jobs overseas, you're a moron.

All this talk on this board of people knowing the true intentions of the IMF, why don't you look up their Structural Adjustment Policies?

That's why jobs go overseas, we bankrupt countries and force them to open up their industry to American interests/companies.

Look at some of the guidlines for SAP's and ask yourself if you see that happening in America.

It sure is.

Youtube yourself some John Perkins/Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.

P.S. last time I checked, a lot of Unions had a veterans preference... They're very accommodating of service members.

When you get home and you have a choice between $8 at Wal Mart or union job, tell me where your ideals stand.

The true evil history of unions, including the Soviet UNION!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,595253,00.html

[Lonzworth]

The true evil history of unions, including the Soviet UNION!

Since we're now currently bashing all references to the word Union....

Lets not forget the preamble to The United Stated Constitution.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union[/i]

Man's union with Christ and/or God

A man and woman's union in holy matrimony.

Let's keep it going by seeing how many unions we can bash.

[Deathmonkey]

Socialists should be careful, afterall we conservatives have all the guns and the ability yo use them.

What a load of horse manure. Unions will get credit for bringing safety to a new level, but paying "middle class" wages for putting a lugnut on a car is why we have no manufacturing in this country anymore. Unskilled labor should not get skilled labor wages.

We have no more manufacturing in this country because of presidents giving tax cuts to businesses who outsourced their business to other countries. The unions may have a part, but don't put 100% blame on them.

[desimo]

The ones whom, in my opinion, need to be ashamed are the cowardly Democrats who have ran away to Illinois instead of doing the business they were supposed to do in Wisconsin. This should be illegal and if it is they should be held accountable.

[Deathmonkey]

Since we're now currently bashing all references to the word Union....

Lets not forget the preamble to The United Stated Constitution.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union[/i]

Man's union with Christ and/or God

A man and woman's union in holy matrimony.

Let's keep it going by seeing how many unions we can bash.

Give it up. On this site, if you are not GOP you are a socialist, commie loving muslim. I can only give you so many +'s before running out.

[GIDad]

I STAND WITH WISCONSIN GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER RALLY

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=142039272524888

[Deathmonkey]

The true evil history of unions, including the Soviet UNION!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,595253,00.html

For f'ing sake...2 strikes in one post!

Strike 1: Thinking Fox News is a legitimate news source (PS They are all BIASED)

Strike 2: IT IS GLENN BECK! He is paid to get you all fired up! NEVER use him in any posting as proof of anything, except how corrupt he is!

Ex: Obama is ruining our economy! Go out and buy Gold.......followed by a commercial for buying gold in which he is a sponsor

Our country may soon revolt! Be prepared! ....followed by a commercial in which he is selling disaster ready food kits

[parmenio]

The issue here is plain and simple..., the socialist/marxists that now have control of the unions are out to subvert our forms of government whether

federal or state. They bamboozled illiterates, chronies and radical marxists of the 60" to get their "leader" into the WH and create chaos in this country..., which he's so far is doing a fine job.

The radical BULLIES see themselves failing politically in this Republic called America. And thus many who voted for this phoney have wised up as evidenced from the 2010 elections.

This is their SWAN SONG or perhaps a better term that they understand..., this is their Little Bighorn. Another election is coming up in 2012 and the radicals have nothing else left in their arsenal...,they are scared out of their minds!!!

[suntiger]

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker will be voting himself a pay raise next!