Some Recent Historical Context for Wisconsin-Union Dispute [UPDATED]

20Feb/1121

Some Recent Historical Context for Wisconsin-Union Dispute [UPDATED]

In my previous post, I talked about how Wisconsinites likely view the money issues. But as the unions tell us, this isn't really about money: it's about the "right" to bargain collectively. This information is taken from the excellent No Runny Eggs blog.

In December of last year, after Wisconsin Democrats had taken their shellacking in the polls, but before their replacements could be sworn in, they called a last-minute Special Session in the legislature to try to pass new bargains with a variety of unions. A lame-duck special session is a rarity in Wisconsin state politics, having been called only once before in the past 40 years. Those very same Democratic Senators who have fled Wisconsin so as to prevent a voting quorum were part of this scheme, and the idea was to take advantage of the absence of any Republican State Senators who had left on vacation to ram through the new deals with 17 different unions, including language that would effectively eliminate oversight of state regulatory agencies and give them full control of workplace policies without having to get government permission.

For outgoing lawmakers, including departing, scandal-ridden Governor Doyle, this would prove an effective way of feathering their nests via various kinds of quid pro quo paid for by compulsory union dues. But it was a bridge too far, even though they used their clout to spring an Independent Senator who caucused with the Dems from jail on a Huber sentence for his fourth DUI conviction. Dave Hansen, the outgoing Dem majority leader, made the principled decision that the voters of the state had elected a new slate of legislators to deal with budget matters, and all of the contracts but one (for child-care providers) went down by identical 16-16 votes.

It was widely believed that all of those contracts would be approved in Special Session, but Republican lawmakers showed up to do their jobs. Whether Nancy Pelosi was proud of them or not is not recorded.

Yes, it's true that the new legislators and the new Governor were brought in to address the budget mess, and that likely signalled trouble for the unions. Governor Walker is correct when he says that the Runners shouldn't be surprised by the legislation, because getting a grip on public employee compensation and benefits was a big part of what they were elected to do. But it was that last-gasp attempt to make themselves invulnerable to public accountability that really was the last straw and that convinced Wisconsinites and their representatives that the cozy relations between government unions and legislators had gone too far and needed to be stopped, even if that meant "breaking" the unions.

This isn't a plebiscite on Wisconsin teachers, but on their union, which, in the minds of many Wisconsinites, has proved itself unworthy of the privileges it has been granted. It follows the results of a plebiscite in which the voters deemed some of the union backers in the legislature unworthy of their role as representatives for the commonweal.

This kind of fraudulent collusion doesn't help, either. More at No Sheeples regarding the Flee Flu.

Hangers-on from Chicago Revolutionary Communist Party movement, because communists are always emancipating humanity . . . by whatever inhumane means are necessary (because Walker's just like Mubarak):

Keffiyeh. Check. Because Islamists are all about teh human rights. Via Stacy

Dan Collins

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Meleah
February 20th, 2011 - 10:43

Oh please! I’ve obviously hit upon nothing but a partisan blog with a propensity to twist and distort facts. Not only are the facts here not backed with adequate searchable documentation, they are twisted and lied about to support one cause–the Tea Party. The poor Tea Partier in the video complains about people supposedly being bused in “across state lines” by the unions; yet he goes on to detail his account of his Tea Party bus being egged in Searchlight Nevada. What the heck is he doing in Wisconsin then? Where exactly does he live? It really doesn’t matter, but he will argue that it does until he sticks his own foot in his mouth. He can demonstrate across state lines but listen to the whine when others do it. Why do people care about this? Not because we are in some big bad Obama backed union. NO, because Wisconsin’s governors actions are egregiously insidious. Tea Partiers complain about being portrayed as racist by the “leftist media”. Well, if you don’t want the label, reign in your troops. Some of us don’t fall for the communist anarchy munshia either. Welcome to the world Tea Party. Please stop complaining, you sound exactly like all the other “sheeples” you complain about. Good job!

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- daveinboca
  February 20th, 2011 - 11:06
  
  As a native Wisconsinite, I consider that the whole concept of public unions should be illegal, in that it allows members to be represented twice, once directly at the negotiating table as a union member, and again at the polling booth as a citizen of the locality. Simultaneously, each of those privately-employed citizens who together pay the bulk of the union members’ salaries have but one vote, and effectively no power to fight off the unions’ ever-greedier demands. One man, one vote? Not when there are public unions, who offer nothing but specious rationalizations and thuggery when challenged. Public unions are undemocratic in theory, and stink of nothing but corruption in reality. They must all be dissolved.
  
  That’s not partisan, that’s a statement of moral preference.
  
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- Bob Reed
  February 20th, 2011 - 11:28
  
  Meleah,
  There was a national Tea-Party rally held last year in Searchlight Nevada; people attended from all over the US, and opponents of the Tea-Party tried to disrupt the event by attacking the busses bringing folks to the convention site as well as other shenanigans. This is most likely what he was referring to.
  
  And what do you mean, “allegedly bussed in”? It’s documented that the DNC. Obama’s OFA, and “Big Labor” groups from across the country have traveled to WI and are inseting themselves into what should be a local government issue only.
  
  I have to ask you, is it right that the Democrat state Senators are hiding out, in an effort to unlawfully block the process of the Governor exercising the will of the people? Of fullfilling campaign promises he was elected on? I haven’t heard you opine on the legitimacy of this…
  
  How is Walker fullfilling the promises he was elected on “egregiously insidious”? How is criticism of the protesters or the unlawful actions of the WI senate Democrats, or supporting the Governor’s initiatives racist?
  
  For an educated person who was at one time a teacher, I’m having a hard time understanding your intent.
  
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Enoch_Root
February 20th, 2011 - 10:58

Meleah. I suppose some of us might be called Tea Baggers. But others not so. Partisan blog? If Conservative is partisan, I spose.

Can I suggest removing emotion and applying reason?

I live in Wisconsin. You may not have a grasp on how the Public Unions have dominated every aspect of the process here for the past 50 years.

We don’t have the money to continue to afford the luxury of public employees being outside the scope of sacrifice. We just can’t sustain the privilege that was granted the public unions some decades ago.

Different reality. We just want the public employees to give their fair share. For the CCCPommon Good. And the children.

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- Pissed off in TN
  February 23rd, 2011 - 14:53
  
  I am SO SICK AND TIRED of hearing the lame excuse of “for the children.” If it was for th echildren, N.C.L.B. would be abolished, standardized testing scrapped, and school boards and teacher’s unions TOGETHER would get the heck out of the the educator’s way. Academics would take FIRST priority, before ANYTHING else in the school system. Defund school athletics, pay the teachers, and tell your politicians to stop lining the pockets of themselves and their cronies.
  
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  - Enoch_Root
    February 23rd, 2011 - 15:15
    
    teehee – obnoxious, aint it… fer teh childrin
    
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snaqwells
February 20th, 2011 - 12:11

I still haven’t seen anyone point exactly to the portions of Walker’s proposals that they find offensive. Instead, all we’re getting is ad hominems.

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Comanche Voter
February 20th, 2011 - 12:51

Melea, every time I hear a liberal/progressive or whatever start with “oh please” I know a lot of nonsense will be spouted.

The new Wisconsin governor’s antipathy towards public union contracts was well known in his years as Milwaukee County Executive. He tried to beat them like a cheap rug. So these actions are no surprise–the voters knew what he stood for, and they voted him in.

There is much talk among the progressives of starting recall elections for those “nasty Rethuglicans”. That’s the ticket! That’ll show ‘em!

Well recalls work for either party. If I was one of those Democrat Wisconsin senators holed up outside the state to deny the Repubs a qourum, I’d be worried about a recall myself. If the people can’t get their business done in a Wisconsin Senate with 14 Dems and 19 Republicans, they’ll be able to do in a Wisconsin Senate with only 13 or less Democrats.

Yes contracts should be honored–but contracts that have become difficult for one party get renegotiated everyday in the real world.

So please Melea, no more of this “oh please” babbling!

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Meleah
February 20th, 2011 - 13:22

Duely noted, “Oh Please” = liberal, progressive & emotional. To think for oneself based on accurate interpretation of the legislative process with respect to current & historical documents = not conservative. Thanks for the schooling. Please proceed with throwing your teachers under their school bus.

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- Enoch_Root
  February 20th, 2011 - 13:35
  
  correction: it’s not “their bus” – It’s nuanced, I know, but the bus belongs to the taxpayers… not the teachers.
  
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  - Meleah
    February 20th, 2011 - 13:40
    
    Correction–It’s their bus too. Teachers pay taxes.
    
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    - Enoch_Root
      February 20th, 2011 - 15:16
      
      You liked that one, eh?
      
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    - Mike Giles
      February 27th, 2011 - 21:10
      
      Meleah says:
      02/20/2011 at 1:40 pm
      
      Correction–It’s their bus too. Teachers pay taxes.
      
      If their salaries – funded by the taxpayers – are greater then their tax bill, then they can be said to have, in reality, not actually paid anything].
      
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Donald Douglas
February 20th, 2011 - 13:32

Linked with an epic blog roundup: ‘Wisconsin Protests: ‘A Massive Onslaught Against Democracy’.

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fortcww
February 20th, 2011 - 14:40

Union members, especially teachers, know they are worth less than what they are paid. Because of the violence and thuggery of unions, which has resulted in political power as well as vast amounts of wealth, these greedy, violent leeches will continue to do what it is they do.

Act like a mob, all the while convinced they are “good” people fighting “evil” men, hence any and all action is justified including murder, like in Greece.

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daveinboca
February 20th, 2011 - 16:36

Union members, especially teachers, know they are worth less than what they are paid. Because of the violence and thuggery of unions, which has resulted in political power as well as vast amounts of wealth, these greedy, violent leeches will continue to do what it is they do.

Act like a mob, all the while convinced they are “good” people fighting “evil” men, hence any and all action is justified including murder, like in Greece.

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daveinboca
February 20th, 2011 - 16:38

Thought I’d repeat fortcww’s outstanding post because he’s summed it all up in a nutshell.

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jefferson101
February 20th, 2011 - 17:54

Wow. I like that one. meleah says that “…Wisconsin’s governors actions are egregiously insidious”.

And he spelled egregiously right, too. His spell-check must be turned on. (I’ll give him a point for that one.)

But consider. He doesn’t find the fact that the Democrats had to spring one of their own from jail using the Huber Law (That’s their “work-release” program), in order to try to cram down a buy-off on a whole bunch of Union Contracts with a Lame Duck session last December 15th.

That’s not egregiously offensive. But Walker is. Going into hiding to prevent the Senate from having a Quorum isn’t egregiously offensive. But Scott Walker is. Staging a clearly illegal Job Action isn’t egregiously offensive. But Governor Scott Walker is.

Do they realize how pathetic they look and sound right now?

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- Enoch_Root
  February 20th, 2011 - 18:05
  
  Negative. They do not. These sorts are not given to embarrassment.
  
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- daveinboca
  February 20th, 2011 - 18:34
  
  Sadly, the consciousness level of these specimens of union thuggery and political cowardice is down in the third sub-basement with their consciences, barely perceptible if present at all, but lower than a snake’s belly.
  
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Michael Mason
February 23rd, 2011 - 09:48

“Act like a mob, all the while convinced they are “good” people fighting “evil” men, hence any and all action is justified including murder” Whoops, thought I’d stumbled on a gay rights debate there for a moment!

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