Soooo....you think you're not hurting anybody?

[ewagner]

Hey Walker...think again..(or maybe just for the first time)

I don't usually read KOS but ran across this morning's post:

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2011/2/10/942548/-Ignorance-is-Just-Ignorance-

Walker and his boys are trying to do in Wisconsin what Jan Brewer did (and is doing) in Arizona...and it hurts the state in ways that the simple-minded Republicans never even thought of

It's a fairly long post but rich in detail and should be a CANARY IN THE COAL MINE for WISCONSIN!

[sybylla]

1. I'd love to read it, but it's just so damn depressing

Unfortunately, I don't need to see it to believe it.

[ewagner]

2. Just read

a bulletin/email from Wisconsin Counties Association regarding an selective briefing given to invited County and Municipal officials on Walker's "BUDGET ADJUSTMENT".

It's a beaut...here are some highlights: (note my emphasis added)

The budget adjustment bill will include changes to WRS and to health care payments by employees. Neither the terms of WRS participation nor health care will be bargainable; they will, we believe, become prohibited subjects of collective bargaining.

· The budget adjustment bill includes a requirement that employee contributions to WRS will be set at 5.8% for non-protective employees. The changes would take effect April 1, 2011.

· The bill also includes freedom for local government employers to mandate changes in health coverage plans that would generate savings; the Governor's goal is a 12.5% savings in health care contributions.

· Under the budget adjustment bill, increases in wages will be limited to increases in CPI. Larger increases could only be achieved upon approval by referendum. We believe this places hourly wages as a mandatory subject of bargaining, up to the threshold of CPI.

· Under the proposal, only hourly pay is bargainable. Lanes, steps, scales, and overtime would no longer be mandatory subjects of collective bargaining. The effect of this proposal would be to allow freezes in these areas.

· While we need to analyze the bill, it is our understanding that under the proposal, the only mandatory subject of collective bargaining would be wages, and only up to the threshold of CPI.


· A major exception to these provisions are protective employees: police and fire employees. Included in the exception (and thus unaffected by the proposal) would be Sheriff staff. Corrections employees are apparently to be included in the proposal.

· Under the budget adjustment bill, "fair share" (required union dues payments) would be eliminated. We also anticipate further provisions in the bill affecting representation, including perhaps eliminations of required union memberships, requirements for annual certification votes, and similar measures.

· Current contracts will not be abrogated by the bill. However, passage of the bill could create pressure to reopen existing contracts.

· It was indicated that other reforms would follow in the biennial budget bill on February 22, 2011.