Stop Governor Walker’s “Budget Repair Bill!
Contrary to the false information spread by Governor Walker and his corporate allies, along with other state employees, UW Faculty and Staff HAVE, “Shared the Burden.”
Know the facts:
• UW Faculty and Staff are not represented by a union. They have never had the opportunity to collectively bargain! This bill would prevent them from ever being able to do so.
• UW Faculty and Staff have not received a pay raise since 2006.
• UW Faculty and Staff took a 3% pay cut in 2009 with the implementation of furlough days. For instructional faculty and staff, these cuts came without a corresponding reduction in work load. In many cases, class sizes have increased at the same time. More work for less pay.
• UW Faculty and Staff have increased their contribution to their health insurance nearly $1100 annually over the last 6 years.
• UW Faculty and Staff are already paid less than their colleagues across the nation and in neighboring states. These cuts will obstruct the UW System’s ability to recruit and retain quality talent.
• State Employees represented by unions agreed to more than $100 million in concessions but that contract was voted down by the State Legislature in December 2010.
• State Employees make an average of 8% less than their private sector counterparts when comparing total compensation. “Wisconsin public sector workers are on average more highly educated than private sector workers; 59% of full-time Wisconsin public sector workers hold at least a four-year college degree, compared with 30% of full-time private sector workers. Wisconsin state and local governments pay college-educated employees 25% less in annual compensation, on average, than private employers.” (
http://epi.3cdn.net/9e237c56096a8e4904_rkm6b9hn1.pdf)
• The State Budget didn’t need to be “repaired” until the new legislature passed a series of bills that created new deficits. The WI Legislative Fiscal Bureau reported that WI was in position to exceed its budget obligations for the 2009-2011 Budget until Walker and his allies passed a series of tax giveaways under the guise of ‘job creation”. (
http://legis.wisconsin.gov/lfb/Misc/2011_01_31Vos&Darling.pdf)
Stop Governor Walker’s “Budget Repair Bill!