From the files of, “It’s the thought that counts…”

Yesterday State Representative Mark Pocan (D-Madison) and Senator Fred Risser (D-Madison) submitted legislation that would reinstate collective bargaining rights that were stripped from public employees as a result of the passage of Republican Governor Scott Walker’s “budget repair” bill earlier this year.

The legislation submitted by Rep. Pocan and Sen. Risser would repeal the anti-union provisions of Wisconsin Act 10, which essentially eliminated public employee unions and their right to collectively bargain on issues like workplace safety, employee leave time, and work rules.

“Unions exist because employers can mistreat their employees. Through this legislation, we are sending a signal to public employees that we value their service to Wisconsin and, unlike Scott Walker, we think they should have the right to collectively bargain, just as they have for half a century in Wisconsin,” said Pocan. “Our goal is to restore 50 years of labor peace in Wisconsin by rolling back Republican attacks on workers.”

While I certainly appreciate the efforts of Rep. Pocan and Sen. Risser to restore collective bargaining rights for Wisconsin’s public employees, barring some miraculous series of events that leads to Democrats regaining control of the State Senate, Assembly, and Governor’s office, the bill and its 45 cosponsors will do nothing more than collect dust.

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