Prepared for OppositionWalker is so dedicated to union busting that everyone is assuming that he'll try to take away the rights of graduate student workers to bargain collectively, even in the wretchedly weakened ways that his proposals would allow. To stay up on this issue, go here.
Opponents are planning rallies for Tuesday at the State Capitol in Madison. Mr. Walker is prepared for the worst. He said on Friday that the Wisconsin National Guard will provide state services if necessary.
Unclear is the impact of the governor's proposal on the union of graduate students on the Madison campus. If they are considered academic employees, they would no longer be allowed to organize under Mr. Walker's plan. If they are considered state employees, the union could remain, but it would be severely limited in what it could bargain for. At most risk could be tuition remission.
If that happens, I predict, and do it with some confidence, that the University of Wisconsin – Madison will be shut down by strikes.
8 comments:
Not calling out, but putting them on alert in case they are needed to provide state services, e.g., if prison guards strike. Or that's what he's saying.
This is a crisis situation.
I thought Republicans were the ones who wanted to protect our rights. Oh wait, that's the rights of corporations, not citizens and certainly not workers.
Sending solidarity from Michigan. Wish I could come out to stand as a body tomorrow and Wednesday...give 'em hell, UW!
Thanks. It's bad and getting worse. But there are some Rs who might not vote for the most profoundly evil parts of this.
Why were the cops and firemen unions exempt from this proposal?
Good question.
The republicans know better than to blame unions for their budget problems, it's consistent with how they communicatee with their supporters. Public employees form a union to have a singular voice in negotiation for their job category. Contracts are negotiated in good faith based on the amount of funds a government entity has to spend in a given year. In this republican driven recession, public employees, who just show up to work and accept whatever wage and benefits both sides agree to, are the villans, a convenient scapegoats for republicans. Let Wisconsin legislators have their salary and benefits imposed upon them by the voters, it's only fair play.
Thanks. I've spent many hours at the Capitol in the last two days and expect to continue that. There's real democracy in action here. I'm not sure that the governor knows what that means, but he has many people working patiently to teach him.
Post a Comment