1. I guess public employees currently have the right to collectively bargain. What does this mean? Does this mean the government does not have the right to not collectively bargain with them and just hire people that are non-union?

This means that public employees can unionize and discuss whatever they want (eg pay, benefits, working conditions, etc).

The governor wants to limit that ability to only be a limited discussion of wages.

I think it's downright hilarious that the Republicans went ahead and passed the measure as a non-fiscal one to get around needing the democrats to be there.

After the Democrats fled the state instead of actually trying to resolve it :)


Nice to see that smart assed actions get retalled 1:1.


Trife
Voted for Obama

Democrats finally realized that problems are best solved by them not showing up for work. Now if only Republicans would realize that, too ....

The Democrats wanted to negotiate however Walker tried to railroad it and refused to negotiate so leaving the state was the only way for the democratic senators to protect workers rights.

The Wisconsin State Seante Majority Leader actually said to Fox that the motivation for this was to weaken unions so Obama would not get re-elected. They literally admitted this had nothing to do with trying to balance the budget.

It is actually really sad to see a few corrupt politicans who were elected to serve their state just do the bidding of their masters at national headquarters.

+1

ah, da organized crime lords don't have legal contracts to extort money from the tax payers of Wisconsin anymore... bummer...

So, Detmer, any thoughts on the Unions threatening to bomb Scott Walker, wherever his whereabouts may be?

Pfft Obama hasn't done fluff. Everything he trys costs ridiculous amounts of money...we don't have. Not saying the Republicans are right I think both parties suck...with Obama.

Yes I do.

100% bogus, untrue and falsified.

And I do assume you're referring to this (which for those who don't care to read anything is an alleged nut job(s) threatening legislators... not unions)

http://www.channel3000.com/...tics/27148036/detail.html

i think anyone that says that "both parties suck" or all parties suck in a political setting should at least provide there alternate solution...

And to be clear, I am not saying a few idiots didn't make death threats. The unions have nothing to do with those is what I am saying is completely false.

3 seconds off perfection with those posts!!!!

I know!

Libertarian Party and/or Constitution party is the best I can find. There's much I dislike about both, but they are much better than the alternatives.

Russell Means was/is one of my favorite 'politicians'. And where my step-mom is from in South Dakota, he's hated even more than any politician.

That's a good reply rockman.

I didn't even notice you posted i was posting in response to ZDH:p

DL i'm not real into politics but I can tell you 1 thing is for sure. SPEND SPEND SPEND...Then SPEND some more will never work. Conservative (with money) is the ONLY way to go I feel IDK why people have to be put into a category to make change. I feel we should save our money invest it smart and pay off our debts as quickly as possible and quit fluffing around with foreign countries if they want to fight a revolution go ahead but don't come beg us for help because it costs to much $$$ to play world police.

I feel the each state should be given control of it's area (less central government and more FOR the people BY the people). Balance the rich and the poor better not all rich and all poor but building a larger middle class.

And last but not least...COMMUNITY down with the massive chain style industry Wal-Mart/McDonalds ect ect... the massive chains they make it where the little guy can't make it thus making rich men richer...while poor men poorer.

IDK what party that would put me in because all I see when I look at politics is whats best for the politician and his investors. And what the best lie he can tell to get the office.

Like Obamas..."WE WILL BRING THE TROOPS HOME"

But what you didn't do was read the fine print on the statement that says "whenever I feal like bringing them home"

i'm guessing that you learned to clarify from an overpaid Wisconsin school teacher...

you basically stated that it's a falsehood that the unions did not implicitly demand the death threats to be delivered from the few idiots who actually listened to their union leaders.

http://monroerising.com/...ont-want-you-to-remember/

When it comes to unions and how they work only one name need brought up.

Jimmy Hoffa

Before you say thats old news tell me what has been done to clean up unions in the last 30 to 35 years.

http://jammiewearingfool.blogspot.com/...makers-getting-death.html

oh my, The population of Wisconsin on January 1st 2010 is approximately 5,714,588. 300,000 union workers will commit genocide on all who oppose them!!! Fear The Union OR They Will Detah YOU too!!!!

probably why the US doesn't have Secret Police... it's what the union members are for... run around terrorizing people into submitting to their will...

1) I did not go to school in Wisconsin
2) It is a falsehood that the unions implicitly demanded death thread to be delivered from a few idiots. That was unusually perceptive of you to pick that up! Nice job!

yeah, it was kinda unusual that i actually paid attention to it, though it's not that unusual for me to detect it. oh, they made a death thread on their union member only site??? didn't hear about that on the news... really... is that kinda like a Dead Pool? is Dirty Harry going to run around shooting a bunch of people?

The anti-employee union is crying because they're being put back into their place. Give me a break. The day that unions start being pro-employee again, instead of just pro-union, is the day I'll start taking them seriously again. People seriously need employment and jacking up the cost of employing people can price companies into Mexico, China, India or even just out of business.

Regardless of motives, the Wisconsin Republicans did the right thing and more states will follow. The question that I would pose to Democrats and pro-union forces is, "How badly do you want to lose?" The unions will have to yield significant ground or people will escalate the retaliation against them. People cut breaks to reasonable people and organizations. The Unions aren't being particularly reasonable right now and so their opponents are retaliating more than they otherwise would.


I want to add some more points to my initial post here:

Tennessee has a non-union state employee association (The Tennessee State Employee Association). This association doesn't have the rights of a union, but it advocates on behalf of state employees. They advocate both to state officials and to the citizens of Tennessee. More than just their advocacy is their commitment to serving as partner for Tennessee and to help the state keep well-qualified employees and to keep them happy in safe working conditions. They play a role in determining how terminations are decided and the appeals processes that terminated employees can thereafter utilize.

Through their efforts and because no one can really run roughshod over any other stakeholder, Tennessee is able to have a relatively civil and cordial discussion about its budget. Governor Bill Haslam even included a 1.6% pay raise for state employees at a time when the state is trying to save money and cut costs. Granted, this is after three years in which state employees received no raise, so everyone kind of knew it was coming. That being said, a Republican Governor proposed a pay raise without prompting and without being called to task by the opposition.

The point of this digression is that when the power distribution among stakeholders is balanced appropriately then government can be civil and we can actually have a reasonable discussion. Domineering power is addictive, so I can't blame unions and the left for wanting to keep the power that they have unfortunately gained.