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Re: The battle of Wisconsin-labor unions
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110310/ap_ … get_unions
Wis. GOP bypasses Dems, cuts collective bargaining
By SCOTT BAUER, Associated Press Scott Bauer, Associated Press – 14 mins ago
MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Senate voted Wednesday night to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers, approving an explosive proposal that had rocked the state and unions nationwide after Republicans discovered a way to bypass the chamber's missing Democrats.
All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members present to consider Gov. Scott Walker's "budget-repair bill" — a proposal introduced to plug a $137 million budget shortfall.
The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measures that spend money. But Republicans on Wednesday separated from the legislation the proposal to curtail union rights, which spends no money, and a special committee of lawmakers from both the Senate and Assembly approved the bill a short time later.
The unexpected yet surprisingly simple procedural move ended a stalemate that had threatened to drag on indefinitely. Until Wednesday's stunning vote, it appeared the standoff would persist until Democrats returned to Madison from their self-imposed exile.
"In 30 minutes, 18 state Senators undid 50 years of civil rights in Wisconsin. Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten," said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller. "Tonight, 18 Senate Republicans conspired to take government away from the people."
Miller said in an interview with The Associated Press there is nothing Democrats can do now to stop the bill: "It's a done deal."
The lone Democrat present on the special committee, Democratic Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, shouted that the meeting was a violation of the state's open meetings law. Republicans voted over his objections, and the Senate convened within minutes and passed the measure without discussion or debate.
"The gig is now up," Barca said. "The fraud on the people of Wisconsin is now clear."
Walker had repeatedly argued that collective bargaining was a budget issue, because his proposed changes would give local governments the flexibility to confront budget cuts needed to close the state's $3.6 billion deficit. He has said that without the changes, he may have needed to lay off 1,500 state workers and make other cuts to balance the budget.
Walker said Wednesday night that Democrats had three weeks to debate the bill and were offered repeated opportunities to come back, but refused.
"I applaud the Legislature's action today to stand up to the status quo and take a step in the right direction to balance the budget and reform government," Walker said in the statement.
The measure approved Wednesday forbids most government workers from collectively bargaining for wage increases beyond the rate of inflation. It also requires public workers to pay more toward their pensions and double their health insurance contribution, a combination equivalent to an 8 percent pay cut for the average worker.
Police and firefighters are exempt.
Walker's proposal touched off a national debate over union rights for public employees and prompted tens of thousands of demonstrators to converge on Wisconsin's capital for weeks of protests. Spectators in the Senate gallery screamed "You are cowards" as lawmakers voted on Wednesday.
About 2,000 protesters remained in the building after police repeatedly announced the building was closed and they needed to leave.
"The whole world is watching!" they shouted as they pressed up against the entrance to the Senate chamber, which was heavily guarded by state patrol officers.
The drama unfolded less than four hours after Walker met with GOP senators in a closed-door meeting. He emerged from the meeting saying senators were "firm" in their support of the bill.
For weeks, Democrats had offered concessions on issues other than the bargaining rights and they spent much of Wednesday again calling on Walker and Republicans to compromise.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said earlier that Republicans had been discussing concessions offered by Walker, including allowing public workers to bargain over their salaries without a wage limit. Several GOP senators facing recall efforts had also publicly called for a compromise.
"The people of Wisconsin elected us to come to Madison and do a job," Fitzgerald said in a statement after the vote. "Just because the Senate Democrats won't do theirs, doesn't mean we won't do ours."
Union leaders weren't happy with Walker's offer, and were furious at the Senate's move to push the measure forward with a quick vote. Phil Neuenfeldt, president of the Wisconsin state AFL-CIO, said after Wednesday's vote that Republicans exercised a "nuclear option."
"Scott Walker and the Republicans' ideological war on the middle class and working families is now indisputable," Neuenfeldt said.
While talks had been going on sporadically behind the scenes, Republicans in the Senate also had publicly tried to ratchet up pressure on Democrats to return. They had agreed earlier Wednesday to start fining Democrats $100 for each day legislative session day they miss.
___
Associated Press writers Todd Richmond and Jason Smathers contributed to this report.
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Re: The battle of Wisconsin-labor unions
I don't like Right-to-Work laws, and I think both sides in Wisconsin have good and bad points, but overall this article is the first to sum up my feelings well.
http://reason.com/archives/2011/03/08/t … -wisconsin
It's not the Walker's good or evil, or the unions are good or evil, they just made a bad bet and lived in Candyland too long, and now they're stuck with the consequences.
Re: The battle of Wisconsin-labor unions
I do not believe in good and evil either...
I also don't quite understand what this article is getting at...or if y ou're implying that it justifies the means.
I don't like muddling all this complex legal jargon, and rationlization of political moves.
An open market cannot be trusted. This is how we got here in the first place.
Re: The battle of Wisconsin-labor unions
I am happy for the gov. I don't necessarily agree with what they are doing, but at some point when the other team takes it's ball and goes home, you have to play without them.
I have been in unions. I'm not pro-union, nor am I anti-union. The union did nothing for me other than take my money, but I have seen it help others. For the most part, unions are more about self preservation than anything else.
Re: The battle of Wisconsin-labor unions
The problem is just this...just because you have the majority doesn't mean you get to do whateve r you want, when you want to do it.
Many people in Wisconsin do not trust their government anymore.
The reason they fled is that the bill was not up for debate or discussion...it was simply voted on...that is WRONG no matter how you slice it.
Re: The battle of Wisconsin-labor unions
How is it a big hair? It's the same thing. If they left and said "we're going, because they're not gonna listen to us", would've had the same result.
There's no splitting hairs on this. It's simple really - the Republicans have WAY overstepped their authority in Wisconsin. Simple as that.
Re: The battle of Wisconsin-labor unions
Not really. You think it's that simple. The law says otherwise. Protocol was followed.
Leaving because you know you can't win is cowardly. There is a major difference in leaving because you know you're going to lose anyway and leaving because someone isn't listening.
