Feingold statement on Walker move to eviscerate public employee unions

Former U.S. Senator issued a statement earlier todayon Gov. Scott Walker’s decision to take away virtually all the collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin’s public employees:

“Governor Walker’s request to the State Legislature to eliminate nearly all of the collective-bargaining rights for thousands of Wisconsin workers is big government at its worst. No private employer can do what the governor proposes, nor should it. For decades, Wisconsin has protected the rights of workers to collectively bargain with their employer on wages, benefits, workplace rules, and many other aspects of their employment. The governor is wrong to suggest that public workers are responsible for the state’s budget woes, and he is wrong to use that bogus excuse to strip them of rights that millions of other American workers have.”

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20 thoughts on “Feingold statement on Walker move to eviscerate public employee unions

  1. Well said, government does the things that many of us need to have done but could never afford individually in the private sector.

    Russ 2012. And it ain’t for Senate or President. The fact that the best Wisconsin politician in my lifetime got loose on this issue may be a great sign.

    1. Not only psychotic, but fiscally hypocritical too. Imagine all the tax dollars being wasted to pay those soldiers (with their fancy health benefits) to crack American workers’ skulls. We could get a much better rate from private military contractors! Somebody call Blackwater, er, I mean Xe Services.

    2. I love to see conservatives defend Walker’s choice of thinking of taking out the National Guard on Union workers.

      I bet they will even if people end up dead.

      1. They’ll not only defend it; they’ll celebrate it. After all, in their minds union members who dare to express themselves are all just thugs.

      2. People end up dead? You are ridiculous. Are you all out of your minds?

        Clearly putting the Natl Guard on alert was out of line… Especially when I see a bunch of union folks marching around and screaming in front of Fitzgerld’s house. We’ve all seen some union stuff that’s been out of line in the past. And then they expect to be taken seriously as professionals.

        1. ” Especially when I see a bunch of union folks marching around and screaming in front of Fitzgerld’s house.”

          Last time I checked, folks were still able to exercise their first amendment rights to free speech and free assembly. As long as no laws were broken, then what’s the issue?

  2. When you are up against the unions, you have to be tough like the unions. Kudos for Walker. If he’s successful, maybe, just maybe, state workers will be a little less smug at the DMV and the DNR offices across the state, recognizing that their customers are actually their employers.

    1. I have received nothing but good things from the DMV and DNR. They are polite, helpful, and quickly on the task. I assume sometimes they have their bad days, but I think we should give proper respect to them instead of taking more things away.

      But hey, since you justify bringing out the National Guard against unarmed citizens, I guess I am the one who is in the faulty logic zone.

  3. Do you get to the DMV and DNR offices a lot, such that perceived slights to your person require calling on the Wisconsin National Guard? Really?

    The labor movement in this country has given all of us a better life, whether or not the DMV man/woman is of pleasant demeanor.

  4. Mr. Feingold said that private employers could do what the governor proposes…but if Gov. Walker gets away with it…there will be legislation to do the same to the other unions in this state. I don’t understand why we haven’t seen them get on the bandwagon yet. If this were Europe, Wisconsin would come to a grinding halt on Monday.

  5. Here’s something that makes this even more bizarre.

    http://www.wseu-24.org/

    Scroll down and you’ll see a paragraph on how Walker has instructed the capitol police to meet with legislators and “advise” them not to meet with constituents in their district! What?

    I think we’ve got a new GOP presidential ticket here.

    Walker/Mubarak 2012

    1. Steve, I also have it on good authority that Gov. Walker has instructed agency heads to tell their managers not to grant any leave requests for next week, in order to minimize attendance at the rallies planned.

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