Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill

[jorhea]

What are everyone's thoughts about what is going on in Wisconsin regarding the budget repair bill and the questionable ethics of the governor? It sure looks like he is trying to bust up the unions. He said he will not negotiate on this at all.

[GramPolly3]

That is exactly what he is trying to do with the help of the Koch Bros. I so admire the people who have been in the state house protesting. We have to be vigilant in these times. Glad to see the Packers stepped up to the plate in support.

[jorhea]

I am surprised that this post is not getting more responses! I live in Wisconsin and let me tell you, it has people not talking to each other. Families and friends alike. Whichever opinion people here have about it, it is very strong. It is something that either you are totally against or totally believe that Gov. Walker is right. I know alot of people that voted for Gov. Walker that now say they wish they could rescind their vote. I, personally, believe the man is comitting political suicide.

[ppv2]

I think that the only way that the terrible and unorganized situation can be resolved is to negiotiate between the parties that are involved.

[sandersdebt]

Unfortunately there is fault on both sides. The union and government bodies both knew that we are in a reccesion for several years and NO ONE was willing to give up anything. Yes I have lived with unions most of my life. The definately have good points but no one was really worried about the total picture including the employees that insisted in having theirs. This also includes non-union management that make even more than union members. Everyone benefits from unions including the non union management that will get increases because they supervise persons making more money.

[jaymz462]

After Walker took that phone call from "Koch" you'd think everyone would be calling for his head.  He obviously isn't working for the people of Wisconsin.

[mattymatt79]

Screw the unions. Pass Right to Work.

However; what most people are missing if they're just getting news about this through MSM, he isn't busting the Unions. Apparently the bill he WANTED would have done exactly that. The bill that he ended up having though still allows for organization it just, like most right to work states doesn't require you to have a job to be a union member or pay union dues as well as it requires the union to be voted in through its membership.

My whole point is states that are strictly union only are floundering; their damn near bankrupt. California, Michigan, NY all of them union states, yet almost completely bankrupt.

My biggest issue though with unions is how they're nothing more than a fundraising arm for the democrats.

Screw the union and pass right to work. You shouldn't be required to pay some thug dues in order to have a job.

[Trebor64]

If you want the union to control the government it really means you want to be controlled

[amyrouse]

I live in a right to work state.  I do not recommend it.  I'd gladly pay union dues.

[mattymatt79]

My question is why would you rather pay union dues? I don't see the point. Why do you need a representative to have a job or why should you be required to pay them just to have a job.

Please let me know why you think this is a good idea because for the life of me, I can't figure out why people would want to do this. I live in Virginia and the public works persons are all nonunion and Virginia is doing just fine. The teachers, police, fire and most other persons are doing just fine with their way of not being forced into a union.

[sandersdebt]

Let me give you an example of why you might want to keep unions. I was a wife of a union member (he is now deceased), but I was not a member of a union. The union - for the most part - has helped you receive many of the benefits. As a group they have helped:

1. shorten our work weeks
2. demanded safer working conditions
3. Helped with vacation/sick days
4. aided our retirement benefits
5. got children out of dangerous jobs and being the sole support of the family

I can't address everything here, but here is some food for thought.
 
Not all unions get away with holding the company over a barrel. The unions are not there unless the members have voted to have one and the members(employees & retirees) can vote to get rid of the union. The members also vote on the contract and are represented at the bargining table. It is up to the members to tell the union what they want. The union works for the members. (ie: like your credit union)

The hi-tech companies in the Pacific NW that I worked for in the 70's had union organizers attempt to start a union. The companies made a decision that they would up the benefits to the employees (good health plans, paid vacation, profit sharing, good retirement) and they keep the unions out and have continued that way.

On the other hand my husbands union company was bought out by another company. The company had to remain in the state for 4 years to get the patents (what they really wanted). At the end of 4 years the company closed the plants and moved everything to a right to work state. The employees there were no-union and their journeyman made 52% of the wages. The price of the product did not go down. The profits of the company went way up and upper management received large bonuses for cutting the costs of production.

Are all unions good----NO
Are all unions bad-----NO

Just be sure not to throw the baby out with the dirty bath water.

[amyrouse]

My question is why would you rather pay union dues? I don't see the point. Why do you need a representative to have a job or why should you be required to pay them just to have a job.

Please let me know why you think this is a good idea because for the life of me, I can't figure out why people would want to do this. I live in Virginia and the public works persons are all nonunion and Virginia is doing just fine. The teachers, police, fire and most other persons are doing just fine with their way of not being forced into a union.

I definitely see the point.  Without the union, where is your protection?  My husband was recently fired from his job for moving a security camera in his duties as assistant manager, after he caught several shoplifters.  Why was he really fired?  Because he caught his boss altering his time card and erasing his overtime so she could boost her own bonus.  If a union had been in place, he would have had a place to go without having to contact the Department of Labor.

Working in a factory and you have to use the bathroom?  Better have the protection of a union in place, because in a right to work state they can fire you over that.  I've been fired a total of once from a job, and the reason I was given was "its just not working out" when just the week before I talked to my boss and told him that I was doing the work of both an office manager and catering manager as well as keeping the Alcoholic Beverage Commission from shutting him down for non-compliance for $8 an hour...and I had in no way demanded a raise, just the recognition that I was doing a good job and had a raise in my future when the business was doing better financially (as we were already having an upturn and he wanted to hire a chef making over $50,000 a year that would have to answer to me).

Finding a job is hard.  So is keeping one.  The hardest part, though, is protecting yourself without the backing of a union.

[constance312003]

If you want the union to control the government it really means you want to be controlled

This is so true.  We are losing our freedom daily and unions play on greed and the mentality that man deserves something for nothing.  It is sad because when unions were created they were very much needed but got out of balance many years ago.

[amyrouse]

If you want the union to control the government it really means you want to be controlled

This is so true.  We are losing our freedom daily and unions play on greed and the mentality that man deserves something for nothing.  It is sad because when unions were created they were very much needed but got out of balance many years ago.

That would actually be the CEO's and VP's of corporations, not the unions.  There are a great many people who believe that they deserve something for nothing, but unions are there to ensure that people get their fair pay and benefits for their work.

[mattymatt79]

Well then to answer a brunt of your questions why do we have OSHA standards then as well as multiple government entities to protect worker safety. Those are established to all without a union representative.

You make some valid points, but you're partly wrong. In some states you're required to be in a Union. There is no voting process in order to have it. If you want a job you must be in a union. What I'm a supporter of is the voting process which is a huge reason why I'm against the EFCA or Card Check as it's called in a lot of sectors being that it takes away the ability of secret ballots.

Look at all the bad of the unions, look at Detroit and California. They can't pay their bills, the factories are shutting down; places like Pittsburgh; a once thriving economy has had thier economy ruined and there is not a whole lot they can do. In Detroits case, the UAW has singlehandledly destroyed that entire area. The states are insolvant and there is nothing else to blame other than the fact that the Unions demanded far too much and the states agreed and now can't pay.

I think also, it demands to note that workers do have representation, your labor board in your state represents you if you feel you're unjustly fired. Why do you need to have union dues to pay for a service you may not need. In the long run, it costs you more for a service you may never use than for you to have a service that you could use if so needed. Commitees like the NRTW commitee represents you if you've been unjustly fired, there are multiple ways to have it happen and you as an individual make more money in the long run by only paying for services that you need at the current time.

States like Texas and Wyoming and Montana are having econmic booms right now and I think it rests on the fact that they are Right to Work states. I mean Toyota manufactures in the States as well as Honda and they're having increasing profits and are highly ranked as companies to work for yet they don't employee UAW members. Grocery chains like Wegmans refuses to allow unions yet they're ranked number 3 on Forbes list as far as profitability, worker compensation, and worker happiness; again, no union there.

This doesn't even begin to mention the amount of corruption that goes on the inside as well as the fact that your union dues are nothing but campaign funds for the DNC.

In the long run, I just see people who work in RTW states are earning more as well as not allowing for a tax burden on the people of the state. I on't see how it's fair that I as an individual should pay for someone elses retirement or healthcare when I'm doing a simular job . I think that's the biggest issue, you want a union great, but I don't see how they shoul nor have the ability to form PAC's as well as place demands on the tax payers of the state or locality to pay for things that they can get on their own. Also... if you don't like the job you can always leave...