Though the election’s not quite over yet, it seems Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Walker’s already trying to treat state employees’ unions the same way he’s been treating Milwaukee County’s unionized employees for the past 8 years (emphasis mine):
From: Stephan Kuehn [mailto:sekuehn@charter.net]
Sent: Friday, October 29, 2010 7:59 PM
To:
Subject: BARGAINING LATESTIt was reported to us today at the C24 Executive Board Meeting that some of the teams still have non economic issues to complete prior to beginning the talks regarding economics. The monies rumored in the Compensation Reserve would be the equivalent of less than one quarter of one percent for all state employees. On another note. The Scott Walker campaign contacted C24 last Friday and stated that if we want a working relationship with the next Governor we should immediately walk away from the current bargaining table and wait until after Mr. Walker is elected to negotiate the current contract. They were told no deal. If this isn’t proof to all state employees that Mr. Walker is already attempting to cut into our current wages and benefits package nothing else will change your mind. The campaign has inferred that he has already won the Governors seat. Please send this to all of your members/contacts and tell them to send it on to all of their contacts. We need everyone to get out and vote. Period. There isn’t much time left so please get this out to everyone. I don’t have everyones email addresses on my home computer, so fwd, fwd, fwd.
Stephan Kuehn
C24 Executive Board Member
I’m not sure why Scott Walker thinks the state employees’ unions would walk away from negotiations they’ve been in for months, but it simply doesn’t make any sense for the unions to walk away from the bargaining table and throw away all the progress that has been made in negotiations between the state and the unions.
Capper has his own take on this.
If this despicable man wins tomorrow (which I have faith he won’t) I hope everyone and their neighbor makes the next four years miserable for him.
The fact is, the negotiating that’s taking place right now isn’t for the contract for the next few years; it’s the contract we’ve been working without for the past couple of years, if memory serves me.
Good for Scott the unions have been milking the taxpayers for too long. I hope when Scott wins he completely takes everytng off teh table and starts from square one and really tigthen the contract,I mean just look at how WEAC is ripping off the tax payer school districts pay 96% of the single-coverage health insurance premium on behalf of teachers and 95% of the family-coverage premium, hell people with real jobs do not get that kind of coverage and teachers certainly should not also.
The problem is with Walker’s grandstanding, he is actually costing you more money, because as long as there is no new contract, there is no savings.
Sort of like a strike in reverse. Strikers might eventually get a raise, but they will never make up the money they lost while out on strike.
Walker might eventually get some concessions, but it will never make up for the lost savings his illegal showboating will cost.
Yeah, that makes sense.
As long as he gets a contract thats favorable to taxpayers thats what counts, if people go on strike and lose money that is their problem only and if they cant make up their loss wages they are the only ones responsible
That’s the whole point. No matter what, he has already cost the tax payers more money that he could hope to save, just like he is doing with the county. He hasn’t even been elected, and he has already failed!
Notalib! You state that State employees do not have REAL jobs? Try putting your life at stake everyday working with criminals and violent mental patients or sex offenders everyday? We get no raise and start at very low wage. We work with inmates and patients who throw feces and urine on staff and assault or kill staff who are keeping them housed in a secure facitlity to protect people like you and their children. Spend a week where we work? I bet you would change your views on Scotty Walker! Our union has tried to keep us HARD working state workers with a fair wage and benefits. Do some homework and realize that YOU and all wisconsin people need HARD working State workers. Maybe if we all went on strike they can call you and see how long you last? If it was not for Teachers you would not know your ABCs. Get real! He will most likly get more money out of you as well. Maybe scotty will let all the sex offenders loose along with prisoners and mental patients like Saddam did? I bet you would appreciate state workers then.
Personally I don’t think guards make enough they are underpaid. As for teachers luckily I went to a private school the first 8 years of my life so I did learn my ABC’s.
Private school I went to as well but public teachers are just as important as private. Most teachers have to bring work home with them to complete while not getting paid for that. The heads at the capital are the ones who make all the money during any union contract negotiations. Plus they get full health insurance and salary when they retire. The point is that Scott Walker wants all people in wisconsin to butt heads over this. State workers are the ones that are getting an extra 3% taken out of each of our checks to help pay down the huge deficit that we have. This only helps a small percentage to get paid off. Not only are Guards underpaid but all state workers are underpaid from the day they start. We get a lower per hour wage then private workers. Now we get zero raises and still have to pay out more not only to pay down the deficit but also to provide health care for our families and then pay more into our retirement. State workers also pay state taxes, now we pay over 3% more. Walker will definetly try and raise that amout but not give us a raise plus will make us pay out more then we have. Walker also wants to eliminate Badger Care. Is that humane? Many people have no job and no health insurance. Walker a son of a preacher? Unbeleivable! Eventually people seeking employment with state will reconsider since walker is downsizing pay and benefits. Then who will guard the prisoners, mental health patients and sex offenders? What did you mean by having a REAL job? Beleive me the job I and many others have real jobs protecting state residents plus keeping university and schools clean and caring for severly diabled people a CWC. Like I said. Walker likes the fact that he can get people like you and debating over this. Lets see what happens once he actually gets in? He already is sticking his nose in things before he is in office. Our union is fighting hard so he will have a tough fight. I have served in the State of Wisconsin for over 21 years. Now I am one of many who have to pay more just because I am a State worker. Like I said! Come on down and do my job for a week. See how really great it is!
Don’t like your job, don’t like your pay don’t like that you finally are going to pay for your benefits instead of taxpayers you can simply quit and go get a different job. Economy is tough and for you to expect taxpayers to continue to cater to you is just wrong. I did not get a pay raise for two years I saw my health insurance cost go up every year, life is tough abut time you state workers understand that fact.
I like my job! You are the one that displayed your dislike for state workers who take care of many needs in wisconsin. You sound as if you are mad about your job. i never stated I did not like my job. We have been paying for benefits even before I started state service. The payment has always been a lower wage compared to private workers who have complained about everything. Why do you consider yourself a taxpayer and State workers are not taxpayers? You talk like you know something while online? You never commented on the fact that this is what Walker wants is people to dispute this issue when like you said “economy is tough” but that is for all of us in this state! You as well as all of us will continue to pay for the upper management in the capital through OUR tax dollars. They are still robbing all of us by getting better benefits then any public or private employee especially when they retire.
Only 2 years without a pay raise? Try going without one for over 3 years now? I can see you are just not understanding what I am saying? Being a State worker or not we all in every state will pay the penelty. He is not even in office yet and he has already given away 810,000,000 million federal dollars that many States are fighting for now to exspand their rail system. This would have created many needed jobs plus a great means of travel for several states. he is the only one who does not want obvious good changes within the the midwest. You still have not taken my invitation to work in my shoes for one week? Probably scared I imagine right? Working to protect Wisconsin residents and provide care for those in need of 24 medical care is something many people will not do. I did not take my job because of the pay because it was not there. It was to help people.
We will see his works once in office. AFSCME will stand up to him. Hopefully he will not mess things up like Bush did with our economy. If he gets a chance to run again he may want consider not everyone thinks like you about state workers. I too worked in private industry. Without a union they could terminate your employment at anytime. I saw that happen to a friend that was a very hard worker. Mangement wanted one of their relatives to have his job.
If everyone could afford to go to private school then they would. In the real world most children go to public schools due to few jobs and low pay. I have had enough of this. You seem very upset because you have higher pay then a state worker in the same job but you pay more for some benefits. We are really equal since state workers get less pay but pay a little less for benefits. But we get the blame from non state workers. How about a “Thank You!” for giving us giving the state over 3% extra the last 2 years out of each of our checks in addtion to state,federal and social security. Good luck! Unrepresented workers will feel his hit before state workers will. Yes most likly you will be paying considerably more due to no union backing!
The left always points to the rail as if its some kind of magic wand. How many jobs do you think this rail will actually provide, now I am not talking temporary jobs but long term full time jobs, just how many?
Nota, I’ve taken a pay cut the past two years, and I’ve seen my health care costs rise as well. Explain to me again why that means I deserved to be demonized simply because my employers happen to be the citizens of the state of Wisconsin.
And I went to public schools (in Milwaukee, no less) and I seem to have learned my ABCs.
Im with you nota….those damm teachers, who are they to expect to get paid and have health insurance?? we are in a global economy and so our salaries should reflect that. We need to renegotiate with teachers so they only make a few dollars a day and they can get their own health insurance.
Anything to save money on taxes. As long as there are Americans with jobs and people in China/Mexico/Vietnam without jobs, then our work is not done.
Solidarity brother notalib!!!
Hey I have no problem with teachers making a good wage it is a crappy job a lot of times and the deserve to be paid fairly. As for insurance I don’t think I said anything about them not having any but they could pay a little more of the premium like most people do.
But nope in the typical left wing scare tactic you come up with I hate teachers, I hate what they get paid and I don’t want them to have insurance. Then progressives wonder why America is turning its back on them.
Why Scott Walker thinks he should have any input in negotiations that have to do with a contract that covers the past few years is beyond me. Walker will have ample opportunities to engage in contract negotiations with the state employee unions if he’s elected, so there’s no reason – other than posturing – for Walker to stick his nose into this.
The first shot just got fired across the bow. I have no doubt that it will be a tough couple years for those of us on the public payroll. Of course, for some of us, the past couple years have been no treat. My unit does had 15 people a couple years back; we’re down to 5 and are under furlough status. I say this not to gripe but to let you know that some of us are trying to do it right.
If the taxpayers don’t want the services, they should be shut down. If the services are wanted, I think it makes sense to have them staffed by people who are actually good at their jobs. I’d rather have 5 people who can justify a #60,000 salary than 10 people at 40k who are willing to take it because they can’t get anything else.
You’d think it would be easy to get people to come into a government post with the way the economy has been, but that’s not always the case. Sure, we can get all the unskilled labor we ask for, but if you need an experienced manager, IT professional, lawyer, engineer, accountant, health care pro, it’s just not always the case.
I’ve wondered for years why “you get what you pay for” only gets applied to CEOs and middle linebackers.
Scott Walker (and notalib) should do more fact finding and less grandstanding. The average state of WI worker receives a 1.5% pay increase every 2-3 years. The cost of living increases in WI increases each year by approximately 5-7%. You do the math.
Everyone’s hurting, and the only reason state workers have been targeted for several years is because the Governor’s office controls their budget.
One of the reasons I accepted Wisconsin government employment 27 years ago at a lower salary was because benefits were good. 8 furlough days equates to a substantial loss of my meager salary. If Walker gets his way, state of WI workers will end up with 26 furlough days like some Milwaukee County employees.
It’s the time the rest of Wisconsin shares the deficit burden,and program cuts take place. We’re tired of being the punching bag.
Notalib, I ask you to ponder this thought: Try managing your household with 5 working weeks each year with unpaid leave.
I don’t mind the fact that he wants to cut the budget. What I believe would be the best idea is for the right salaries to be cut. There are state workers out here making less than $12 per hour in positions that basically keep the university alive and kicking. Think about how having only $1.54 worth of raises in 6 years that actually haven’t even helped because of taking furlough days. It’s like we never got it at all and lost any raise we ever had. We’ve taken less raises over the years and even skipped them completely. Our union dues have increased and so have our insurance premiums. We also had insurance benefits cuts. Yet, we have those who are making 65K or more per year could be the people that are cut instead of causing workers at the bottom have to live near the poverty level in consideration to the pay we make. I feel like if we take another cut, it’s going to kill us over time and to be honest, those of us who make less have been hit the hardest. It’s about time the gov’t recognizes that and starts making cuts where its appropriate until things get better.
I guess what I am saying is I think that maybe they need to assess the salaries that are over $65K or maybe even $50K. I think that’s fair to consider rather than having those who are struggling have to struggle more. Whatever way they can do that then he should take that into consideration rather than make some people’s situation worse. Just an idea, but I think it would be easier for someone who made over 50K to cut back than someone who is making less than that. As I mentioned, there are people who have worked for the UW for over 7 years and make barely $12 an hour. That is something to think about when the Walker starts talking about cutting budgets.
JW, I’m in agreement with you on which positions need to be looked at. There’s an awful lot of bosses/bureaucrats working within state government – folks making $75,000 a year and more – and those folks should be looked at before cuts are made within the rank and file of state government. Instead of cutting the folks who provide the actual services to the public, like corrections officers, game wardens, state troopers, etc., let’s look at cutting bureaucratic positions.
Glad ASFCME is getting the vote out now before Walker gets in officialy. Seems like he thinks he is already in.LOL!! Have a feeling he may not get a second chance at governor after he does all the cutting. Typical that he wants all state residents to butt heads either public or private. Residents who voted will most likly see their mistake. Go unions!!!
And I’m glad ASFCME uses union dues to pay for campaigns for the Democrats. You know, the dues they have to pay from their salary, which are provided by the tax payer. The same tax payer that voted in Walker to stop this nonsense. I find it funny that you complain about all the cutting that Walker is going to be doing, but have no problem with AFSCME spending 90 million dollars on campaign contributions in 2010 instead of using that money to help with employee benefits or salaries.
I find it funny that you seem to have a problem with AFSCME spending money on elections, but I’m willing to bet you don’t have a problem with right-leaning interest groups from spending their money advocating on behalf of conservative politicians and candidates.
I have a problem with AFSCME spending MY money on elections. My tax dollars, MINE.
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20020498-503544.html
My tax dollars. MINE.
What? You pay taxes?
Contrary to what some conservatives seem to think, I actually do pay taxes. I pay taxes on my income, I pay taxes on the goods and services I buy, and I pay taxes on the home that I own, just like everyone else.
I’m not sure why some conservatives are so fond of implying state employees aren’t taxpayers, but we are.
Actually, the political money comes from AFSCME’s PAC, PEOPLE, which is strictly voluntary as far as donations go.
Another fun point, Milwaukee County’s AFSCME PEOPLE have actually endorsed people like Alberta Darling.
http://www.afscme.org/about/906.cfm
“they may be used to support some state-level candidates.”
Yup, completely voluntary.
Some states, but I do not believe that includes WI. Do read the whole page too. You could learn a lot.
Glad you are a funny person! Tax payers always pay for for elections and caring for mental patients and protecting citizens from prisioners plus much more. if Walker does not allow the contract to pass in June 2011 there could be strike or many many sick calls which will open eyes to people who voted him in. They will see that state employes are a much needed asset for Wisconsin. It always takes money to to get issues settled. If you are a state employee I hope you attend your union meetings regularly and voice your opinion. I also am a tax payer and like to know where my tax dollars go.
“June 2011 there could be strike or many many sick calls” Go ahead and strike in todays economy you would get little sympathy, just look at Kohler they are threating to strike think anyone feels sorry for them? If you refuse to work when you are not sick, then you should be fired immediately.
Your correct nota, anyone who would complain about a 35% cut in wages and a 5 year wage freeze should be fired. Dont they know we have management bonuses to pay out?
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2010/12/06/tax-fear-may-move-bonuses-earlier/
There is no way I will participate in any labor action against the people of this state beyond good faith bargaining. The people have a right to decide which services they want and what they can pay for them. Period.
I will argue. I will try to show the benefits that are derived. I will try to to show that the total cost of running my service is competitive with the private sector. I might even walk a picket line on my off time, but there is no way I’m going to screw over the people I signed on to serve by calling in sick when I’m not or failing to work to my capacity when I’m in pay status. I consider such actions personally dishonorable.
If you want to know where your taxes are going, the executive budget is a pretty good place to start as is the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s employment database.
http://www.wisgov.state.wi.us/budget.asp
http://www.jsonline.com/watchdog/dataondemand/
Honestly…all state workers should go on strike. I don’t know if you are forbidden to strike by law Zach…but those who aren’t should go on strike right as Walker takes office. See how the state fairs without it’s employees holding things together.
Anon do you think they walk on water or something? Do you think they are not replaceable? I bet if they walked out and were threaten with get your ass back to work or get canned 85% would return to work……
We are forbidden by law to strike, and I’d certainly hate to see this situation come to that point.
If I were Scott Walker, I would be drooling in my shoes over the prospect of people taking labor actions. I am certain that anybody going out on strike will be replaced immediately, and the public will cheer Walker for doing it.
And before you say it – yes, I’m a union guy.
Do you really think they will fire state employees if they strike? Do you understand what kind of people and training it takes to work in a state prison. I would like to see you do my job for a day, I would be willing to bet you would shit yourself in the first 10 minutes and run home to mommy. Get a clue before you speak. As state workers we expect to make less than the private industry, but we make up some of it with the benefits we get. Over all the private sector makes more. don’t come crying when you have sex offenders and rapist living next to you because scotty let them out of prisons that I work at to protect people in society so you don’t have to be afraid to walk the street. I worked when we did the blue flu. The state paid out more money in overtime than if they would have just gave us our less than 1% raise for the year. Why doesn’t scotty talk about cutting managements wages? As non union state workers they make 4 times if not greater than what union workers make. Because he is for the rich and that is how it has always been. Unions have done more than what most people know for wages, if there were no unions this county would be like china, work all day for $20. Do some research before you respond.
Yes Tech47 I think that Scotty Walker would have no qualms whatsoever in firing everyone. He has already proven that he is not the brightest bulb on the tree and that the main people he tries to please are the hate radio triad.
While i vehemently support all AMERICAN workers and all unions, I think that walker would fire everyone in a second if he could. Think about how popular that would make him with the tea party crowd. As we see with all of the lunatic letters that Walker keeps writing to doyle, walkers only focus is on Scott Walker.
Get off the high horse, Tech47. I know exactly what it takes to staff a prison, but there’s 250,000 people in this state who are officially unemployed. I’d be willing to bet there’s another 100,000 who either aren’t on the list anymore or who are badly underemployed. Then we can start looking into Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota.
If you don’t think Walker would relish the chance to break our unions, you haven’t been paying attention. He’d cast himself as Ronald Regan returned, and the Republicans in this state would cheer in the streets. Perhaps my phrasing misdirected you. I’m not in any way saying it would be a good thing, but I have no doubt that he’d do it.
If Walker does not want to start negotiations on July 1st 2011 then there will be no contract. It will be legal to strike at this time. I read the paper this morning and he is already adding more critics to his club. He is a high school graduate with no knowledge of what the State Employees do and how important they are. A strike or mass call in of state workers for a few days may wake up walker and his supporters? Who will watch over prisioners and sex offenders and mentally ill patients? Correctional officers have to go through 6-8 weeks of training before they start at a prision. Walker was a big mistake and he is showing his colors before he starts. State employees alone are not responsible for the deficit. They only are a sliver of the working class of wisconsin. Walker is a ME person.Its all about him. Remember he is a state employee as well now. He is getting better benefits and pay then most all workers in wisconsin. We all pay his wages and for what? His presence as Govenor is a big mistake with only the voters who elected him to blame.
Go ahead walk out see how much public support you get. While I believe the people who work in the correctional system would be the the state workers who would be the people most missed from their jobs those days, but if you don’t think that every single one of you are not replaceable you are sadly mistaken.
Weren’t those people too lazy to find jobs before by your logic in an argument before?
Replaceable? Perhaps. But it sure would take awhile to train people to fill all those jobs and in the meantime who would be taking care of business?
Do you really think that many would actually walk away, I don’t. I think once their bluff was called a good majority would go back to work.
The point is…the workers are valuable. The state can’t run without them. They deserve a decent wage without being attacked and demonized.
You know…I don’t the ins and outs of what it means to decertify unions (I need to do a lot of reading on the topic)…or which unions Walker could decertify…but it would be really fun to watch Walker try to decertify LE unions. I would love for him to start with the MPD.
Thank you for agreeing with the importance of State workers! Walker has no clue about what it takes to try and deserify any union. It would be a great mistake along with the many he has made before even starting. In todays economy everyone deserves a decent wage. Prisions, Sandridge and all 24 hour institutions plus even the city workers who plow our streets are taken for granted by many people. It would be a major headache for Walker if he tried to get rid of unions and we rebelled. Good luck getting people trained to take our place.
I really think this is the wrong play for us. Air traffic controllers . . . anybody remember them? The Reagan Mythology was partly built on his reaction to that strike.
We should not provide Scott Walker with the opportunity to cast us as the villains in this situation.
Do we really need to worry about the prisons? Don’t Republicans like prisons? They already have a hard time filling posts, so I think they could make a strong market-based argument for raising the pay there.
I bet you did not pass the test to be a State Correctional officer? Not only would they be missed, people like you would be scared because who would come in a instant since we can all be replaced? Admit it. You really hate your private job that Walker will get his hands on soon. You really wish you could be a State worker. Try it and see how your preception of the pay and benefits compare to your present job. The State would not run without the dedicated public workers it has. Wake up and live in harmony with all who work in Wisconsin. What about workers at Sand Ridge or Mendota or Wisconsin Resourse Center. I suppose you think they can all be replaced instantly if a strike would start?
Private jobs are much more relaceable! Without a union on their side they can be ousted for any reason. Not just Correctional officers will be missed. How about the Care Techs who watch over Maximun security Sandridge Treatment Center for sexual offenders? Also Mendota with some of the most dangerous and violent patients? Look around and see all the everyday people take for granted that public employees do. It would take several weeks to train new employees if there were a strike. Training is essential to prevent harm to staff and possible escapes out into your private world. Staff put there safety at risk daily while many people take this for granted. How much per hour and benefits does it pay for a persons safety or thier life? Think?
Appears he is not taking the brown bag lunch anymore. Having 200.00 plus meals. All people in public service are valuable. All officer,PCT jobs require a physical including a 1 and half mile run plus many other vigourous tests. Lazy is not the word. Healthy and alert is more like it. Jan 3rd will find out what he is up to. Looks like not good. Even our mayor is very dissapointed in Walker over the rail system. I see Walker not getting elected again after the mistake people made getting him in. Maybe there will be a plan of getting him out of office soon. Man! A high school education and you can be a Govenor. Maybe he was used to his mommy making the brown bag lunch? Most state employees cannot just be replaced at a drop of a hat. Training is needed to run secure doors and put on restraints for prisioners. A 3 day call in would cause major problems that may get Walker out of his childish behavior? We would not be bluffing! This could happen according to Walkers actions against state employees. Private workers appear that its a win if we get our wages reduced and benefits raised. Take a hard look at all public employees do to keep the state going. Who plowed the streets for you today? Who protects the city against crime? Who houses prisioners and sex offenders along with Mental Crimminals? We the State workers do. Count your blessings!
Just to add my own two cents, I don’t understand why we need to go from zero to decertification. Why can’t Scott Walker figure out how to compromise instead of just going right to the bully tactics? Saying, “it’s my way or the highway” isn’t compromise.
Republicans at every level are not in a mood now to compromise, as we saw from the boner interview. They are feeling empowered, and have immediatly forgotten about the bipartisan whining of the last two years.
Funny for two years democrats have been telling Republicans “WE won in 2008 and WE will run the show you can either go along with what we say or get out of the way,” now that the shoe is on the other foot the typical whining we have become accustomed to from the left has begun.
Notalib has the same memory loss issues that most conservatives due, and completely forgets the Bush/Cheney years, where we had eight years of totalitarianism.
In reality is this is the way governement runs and thats why nothing really ever gets accomplished.
So basically:
If the person behind it’s liberal that means they’re destroying the country by doing evil things that will degrade society.
But if they’re conservative despite them wanting to take away rights from veterans, workers, and about everyone else that’s just business as usual and that’s just how it is and simply can’t be helped because well that’s just how government operates and nothing will ever change with it so okay we can excuse them.
I love conservatives. 🙂
Its simple! Walker does not know what the #$@&* he is doing. Typical republican bologna he is pulling. He will be surprised at what unions will do concerning his selfish acts toward public employees. I do not see people who are getting their wages and benefits cut to pay the off the deficit that goverment has caused to be called winers. Most of us have the same type of bills to pay and familys to raise. I agree theat Notalib has memory loss. If the show were on the other foot I would love to hear Notalib crying. Notalib needs to wake up! Do not take people in public service for granted. People want us to do our jobs but not receive the compensation due us just because we are government payroll. Walker is going to get pie in his. Brown bag high school boy is running the State. Its really funny!LOL
At least he graduated HS how many of the union lapdogs just have a GED? Probably need a neighbor to read them the contract.
You will be wishing you a had a union once your BOY gets in. You seem to think you are better and more qualified then any public employee? How would you know what type of education anyone would have? Apparently education does not matter to you concerning the new BOY govenor. He most likly just passed classes barely. I see how good his education is helping him make choices for how to run this State. Try listening to other public employees about our Current Oppurtunities Board at WISC.gov and look up the job you have and compare starting wage to yours? Hope you read the Journal today! AFSCME will not be backed into a corner. Walker will be causing more problems and costing this State even more money. Many people who did vote for him are wishing for a new vote to get rid of him. I see him not lasting for his term. He is making so many people against him. Of course you will not see this but it is all over the news. Walker=MISTAKE. I cannot beleive your job allows you to use the internet while working?
“I cannot beleive your job allows you to use the internet while working?” What makes you think I am doing this during work hours?
” AFSCME will not be backed into a corner.”
Is that a threat of some sort? Do you think they would have the general population backing any type of work stoppage or strike or stunt they pull……they will find out real quickly how little support they have statewide.
You have no idea what you are talking about! AFSCME does have the support thats why our contract is in the process of going through before dumbass walker gets in. If you do read the paper or watch the news and listened to Marty Beil you would understand that we will not be backed into a corner by walker. There will be no backing down from us!! We will have support when they have no one trained to do our jobs when and if we are not there. With little to no staff at 24 hour institutions, who will watch them? Minnesota state employees stopped there govenor with strike,mass call ins as well! Walker with only his high school education even knows this could happen here. He is not the first govenor to take AFSCME on. We have won before!! Plus he is breaking laws by even attempting to break up unions. Your voting mistake will cause some issues! Again! Wake up!!! No threat! Just facts!!
AFSCME may have union support but he majority of the people in this state are hard working non union people and they are not going to feel sorry for when you lose your jobs because you were crying about state workers being asked to contribute 5 percent of their salaries to their pension fund, as well as additional increases in employees’ contributions to their health care. It’s time union people join the rest of the real world and pay their fair shaer and stop expectng taxpayers to play sugar daddies for you….
nota is that before or after we get rid of combined reporting. h
Your thinking that the criteria for a hard working wisconsin resident is someone who does not work as a State employee and not be a part of a union? Lose our jobs? You are a radical. No one is crying. You appear very unaware of how important it is to have a stable public work force in any state. Guess what? We still need to get a pay check to feed our families and pay bills. Yes 5% extra is alot for us State workers who have not received a raise in over 3 years and we have been paying an extra 3 and a half percent per paycheck for the deficit. There is a possible chance little Walker will raise that to 10% plus increase our contribution to retirement and health insurance. Public employees according to you have to scrape the bottom to live? Get real! You have no clue what its like to be a public employee with no raise doing God only knows what job plus being exspected to do this job at a lower wage then private plus have to pay more of what little money we get. Put that in your pipie and smoke it!!
>implying that many workers not in unions or in the private sector get an education.
Look, grasping for straws like this in arguing about whether Walker is good for not graduating college or not is really dumb. For example, Harry Truman? Never went to college yet he had a thing that many politics don’t have these days. Common. Sense.
The reason I don’t like Walker is because I kept track of him since 1991. He hasn’t done anything but climb his way up through the cracks and dodging responsibility each time by blaming someone else. He is a career politician in the worst sense of the word and we will see that in the next four years to come.
It won’t hit your side at first, but I’m sure you’re going to eventually being feeling it as we pummel our state further in debt.
Notalib – Check the available state jobs at this moment. You will find posts for lawyers, accountants, managers, dentists, nurses, engineers, computer programmers, a microbiologist, corrections sergeant, PTs, MDs, Psych people . . . much of what’s out there requires a degree and many times an advanced education.
http://wisc.jobs/public/index.asp
As of today Walker still refuses to meet with AFSCME concerning a contract. Its his way or the highway. It appears he feels that the State employees who make up about 6% of the population of wisconsin have to take the burden of paying out of their pockets to satisfy his clueless views. Why the american people think that all public employees have a outstanding financial portfolio is amazing to me. It would be trully american to have a Govenor who would meet and work out contracts with unions instead of just pushing his way through law changes.
Yeah, it’s telling that neither Walker nor anyone from his administration has even attempted to reach out to the unions to see if there was room to negotiate. Instead it appears they’re just going to change the law and start dictating terms.