Re: Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states having protests against governor bills to get rid of collective bargaining rights!

by JaneWI Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:40 pm

Part of balancing a budget besides cutting costs is not adding new items to spend money on and Walker has added quite a bit to the budget in the form of "pork" spending while asking the state employees to make concessions.

by MoInSTL Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:42 pm

CBC news just reported health care costs would double. Cost average worker $2900 and lose rights to negotiate contracts!

by Phillymg Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:43 pm

It was Texas--

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quorum

The 'Texas 11' stayed in New Mexico for 46 days.

by JaneWI Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:45 pm

MoInSTL wrote:CBC news just reported health care costs would double. Cost average worker $2900 and lose rights to negotiate contracts!

The most important part is losing rights to negotiate contracts. As workers we all have to stick together.

by Phillymg Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:47 pm

I believe that currently WI state workers don't pay anything towards their healthcare premiums or their retirement. They are willing to negotiate to pay something. The Governor has refused to meet with them. He wants to be an autocrat who reigns by fiat. That isn't how America works. In fact it isn't even the way Egypt works any more.

by JaneWI Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:50 pm

I'm pretty sure they do pay for health care premiums and retirement, just not sure how much. Those items have been main concession points for the union for the last few years.

The most important point right now is if this passes, they will no longer be able to negotiate.

by MoInSTL Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:51 pm

JaneWI, I agree. I have belonged to 3 unions and was actively involved in the first homeless shelter in the U.S. to become a union shop. Prior to that they were overworking the homeless in menial jobs. One big change was that if they worked over so many hours a week they had to be hired.

My family was very involved in the labor movement. It's a shame so little is known about it now.

by Guest Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:52 pm

Philly, it wasn't my intent to turn this into an argument. My apologies. But, if it's true that the governor is doing this to eliminate their collective bargaining agreement, then that's something that they should be taking before a Federal judge. I admit that I don't know exactly what's going on but I've just been under the impression that's mainly been the workers who haven't been conceding.

by zeke Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:53 pm

lendmeflight2 wrote:
JaneWI wrote:
zeke wrote:Yeah! And when WI goes bankrupt , and all the paychecks bounce, kids are taught in lecture halls or home schooled with computer classes, those teachers can live right there in the streets where they protested! These are some of the same smug bastards who said 99 ers are lazy, go to McDonalds, etc. I find it amusing when it happens to me, tough Doo Doo, when it happens to them, I SHOULD CARE!?!?! After two years of unemployment, they will be happy if they can find a job...

Please read the following editorial. Some people are saying the budget crisis is being staged to take away the collective bargaining from public workers. If this passes in WI, then it could snowball to other states. If collective bargaining is taken away from public workers I don't see much of a future for collective bargaining in the private sector.

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/editorial/article_61064e9a-27b0-5f28-b6d1-a57c8b2aaaf6.html

I agree Jane. This is obviously an attempt to break unions. The state of Wisconsin is not going broke, paychecks won't bounce. The governor is trying to tell state workers that if they don't leave their unions they could be laid off. It's a scare tactic to keep the working class in line. There is always some company man living by the company book who says "we should take the little that they offer or they might not give us anything".
The truth is that they can't run anything without us. What is the governor gonna do? Fire all the garbage men and pick up trash himself? Can he find enough scabs to cover all the people he would have to fire? I doubt it and if he did what would the quality be like? We have all the control we just have to remember how to take it. We need to forget 50 years of brainwashing from the company man. "The company has your best interest at heart", yeah right.

I don't know who the "we" you refer to is but I would love to take a state job in driving distance of my home. I would do it for 75% pay, 75% benefits. But I was laid off, its a "work at will " state, and I was out. My taxes went up 3% each year. My bills are the same.I have to leave my home and move 200 miles for work, trying to pay for 2 households until I retire or sell one. My schooling was horrible, I abhor teachers. Most of the state DNR people I deal with are self righteous douche bags. These are MY PERSONAL FEELINGS, I would love to see some firings. If these state people call in sick, protest in the street, and take sick pay, that is stealing and should be punished.

by Phillymg Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:54 pm

No it's the Governor who's refused to even meet with the unions. You're probably right that the next step will be a federal judge.

by Jen Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:54 pm

kemcha wrote:Philly, it wasn't my intent to turn this into an argument. My apologies. But, if it's true that the governor is doing this to eliminate their collective bargaining agreement, then that's something that they should be taking before a Federal judge. I admit that I don't know exactly what's going on but I've just been under the impression that's mainly been the workers who haven't been conceding.

I find good debates very informative. As long as we don't get angry and personally attack each other then we're doing just fine. Very Happy

by Guest Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:54 pm

Thanks, Philly. That's what I was referring to. I just couldn't remember what state it was.

by Guest Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:56 pm

Jen wrote:
kemcha wrote:Philly, it wasn't my intent to turn this into an argument. My apologies. But, if it's true that the governor is doing this to eliminate their collective bargaining agreement, then that's something that they should be taking before a Federal judge. I admit that I don't know exactly what's going on but I've just been under the impression that's mainly been the workers who haven't been conceding.
I find healthy debates good and very informative.

Thanks. I don't like getting into confrontations when it involves discussion topics. I'm just usually going by various articles from the major media websites.

by JaneWI Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:57 pm

Jen wrote:
kemcha wrote:Philly, it wasn't my intent to turn this into an argument. My apologies. But, if it's true that the governor is doing this to eliminate their collective bargaining agreement, then that's something that they should be taking before a Federal judge. I admit that I don't know exactly what's going on but I've just been under the impression that's mainly been the workers who haven't been conceding.
I find healthy debates good and very informative.

Me too, I learn more when not everyone completely agrees, but still treats each other with respect.

by Guest Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:59 pm

Hey! That's all that I ask. We might not agree with each other, but, as long as we treat each other with respect and don't make it personal, then, it's all good.

by Phillymg Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:03 pm

gettheminNOVEMBER wrote:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/17/wisconsin-protests-scott-walker-police_n_824697.html?ref=fb&src=sp

Good read.

Thanx Getthem. Like a Star @ heaven

by Phillymg Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:05 pm

Jen wrote:The reason that our country and the states are in debt is because they got duped into investing in fraudulent derivatives by the global banks and had all of our money stolen. This is what the mainstream media does not tell you! It is not our fault that we are broke. It is the fault of JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, etc. It is fraud and we don't really owe the money.

AMEN JEN!! Wisconsin, Ohio, and other states having protests against governor bills to get rid of collective bargaining rights! - Page 5 990903

by Guest Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:06 pm

The labor strike has gotten worse. The strike has officially expanded into Ohio and Indiana:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/17/dnc-expands-mobilization-protests-ohio-indiana_n_824743.html

The media is describing this as an Egypt-level protest.

by Guest Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:09 pm

Well, the strike has officially expanded into two other states: Ohio and Indiana. The media is describing this as an Egypt-styled protest:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/17/dnc-expands-mobilization-protests-ohio-indiana_n_824743.html

by lendmeflight2 Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:11 pm

zeke wrote:
lendmeflight2 wrote:
JaneWI wrote:
zeke wrote:Yeah! And when WI goes bankrupt , and all the paychecks bounce, kids are taught in lecture halls or home schooled with computer classes, those teachers can live right there in the streets where they protested! These are some of the same smug bastards who said 99 ers are lazy, go to McDonalds, etc. I find it amusing when it happens to me, tough Doo Doo, when it happens to them, I SHOULD CARE!?!?! After two years of unemployment, they will be happy if they can find a job...

Please read the following editorial. Some people are saying the budget crisis is being staged to take away the collective bargaining from public workers. If this passes in WI, then it could snowball to other states. If collective bargaining is taken away from public workers I don't see much of a future for collective bargaining in the private sector.

http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/editorial/article_61064e9a-27b0-5f28-b6d1-a57c8b2aaaf6.html

I agree Jane. This is obviously an attempt to break unions. The state of Wisconsin is not going broke, paychecks won't bounce. The governor is trying to tell state workers that if they don't leave their unions they could be laid off. It's a scare tactic to keep the working class in line. There is always some company man living by the company book who says "we should take the little that they offer or they might not give us anything".
The truth is that they can't run anything without us. What is the governor gonna do? Fire all the garbage men and pick up trash himself? Can he find enough scabs to cover all the people he would have to fire? I doubt it and if he did what would the quality be like? We have all the control we just have to remember how to take it. We need to forget 50 years of brainwashing from the company man. "The company has your best interest at heart", yeah right.
I don't know who the "we" you refer to is but I would love to take a state job in driving distance of my home. I would do it for 75% pay, 75% benefits. But I was laid off, its a "work at will " state, and I was out. My taxes went up 3% each year. My bills are the same.I have to leave my home and move 200 miles for work, trying to pay for 2 households until I retire or sell one. My schooling was horrible, I abhor teachers. Most of the state DNR people I deal with are self righteous douche bags. These are MY PERSONAL FEELINGS, I would love to see some firings. If these state people call in sick, protest in the street, and take sick pay, that is stealing and should be punished.

The "we" I was referring is anyone standing in solidarity with working class people.

That doesn't seem to be you so I guess I wasn't talking about you.

You abhor teachers? Who says something like that? I hate the fact that your education was so obviously terrible. I am from NC and I didn't have the greatest teachers either. However, I educated myself, went to college and I have a lot of knowledge now. Standing up for your rights is not stealing. Why should we let government run over us?

As you said these are your personal feelings. It also seems to be a personal problem. But the fact is there are a lot of teachers who do a lot of good work all over the country and now your governor is basically saying that they make too much and should not have the right to stand up to him.

by Guest Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:11 pm

Pandora's box is officially open.

by kjps12 Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:11 pm

Phillymg wrote:
Jen wrote:The reason that our country and the states are in debt is because they got duped into investing in fraudulent derivatives by the global banks and had all of our money stolen. This is what the mainstream media does not tell you! It is not our fault that we are broke. It is the fault of JP Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, etc. It is fraud and we don't really owe the money.
AMEN JEN!!

and they still want to privatize social security

by Guest Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:13 pm

And they want to cut back on Social Security benefits despite the fact that they neglect to tell everyone that they were the ones who raided the Social Security funds in the first place.

My question is, when are they going to repay that money they originally took out of the fund?

by Phillymg Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:13 pm

JaneWI wrote:Here's another article that mentions both WI and OH and states there were about 3.800 people protesting in Ohio.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-17/public-employee-union-protests-spread-from-wisconsin-to-ohio.html

Thanx Jane good one. Cool

by Guest Thu Feb 17, 2011 8:14 pm

Not yet, it isn't. What the unemployed need to do is get all 16 million unemployed Americans and go on a nationwide strike across the United States. Just think of the impact and the message that would send.

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