Union-Busting Gov. Scott Walker Only Hurting Wisconsin

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I can't belive that any governer can possibly think that they can strip unions of their right to collective barging rights. (union busting) this will never happen in this country. We will all unite and win this battle and this republicans will NEVER HAVE MY VOTE & THE VOTE OF MANY FOR YEARS TO COME & I FOR ONE & A PART OF MANY 32BJ (AFLCIO) IN NEW YORK WILL NEVER FORGET, ,RECALL,RECALL. We will expose leading corporations and boycot their products. banks, industries,that profit on the backs of the middle class your rein is nearing an end. people control this country from this point. we will shut down any state that follows the above Illegal agenta. Lawrence Schuman

Lawrence W Schuman of NY 10:26PM March 09, 2011

I've got a message for Gov. Walker. We're gonna roll right over you. (from an old union song) To find out more go to http://roominhouseblues.blogspot.com/2011/03/almanac-singers-roll-union-on_05.html

Joseph Drake of WA 11:53PM March 05, 2011

While the prospects of keeping the lights on in many households becomes more ominous, the deep pockets on Wall Street can dole out greater and greater sums to alumni of Wall Street's revolving door. The express purpose being to demand and extract greater and greater control over our country.
Before getting the public agitated against civil servants who have seen zero percent increases repeatedly over the last dozen years let us be clear that the financial debacle we now face is due to 30 years of deregulation by shills for the financial and energy industries. The 1999 deregulation repealing the firewall between banks and brokerages was largely a Republican agenda. While some Democrat politicians mistakenly went along with it, the heart of deregulation is essentially the plan of the Wrecking Crew - Republicans who value the short term gain they can derive while disemboweling any social ,economic, health or environmental safeguards.
While the president and other Democrats were working on health insurance legislation that even Richard Nixon had tried to initiate, there were people with guns in holsters waving signs with various threats. During the Bush Cheney administration, people were being thrown around because they wore a tee shirt that spoke against the administrations’ policies. If we see improved water quality in Hempstead Bay, that is good news and is likely not only due to the demise of the local sand mining industry but to the government budgeting, spending and investing in improved water processing and infrastructure. That comes from planning and investment. Likewise it costs money to have a police department, a school , a library and an unemployment office.

Marc Heineman of NY 9:27PM March 01, 2011

When unions had local folks as spokesmen, this extortion of economically ruinously high wages was never a problem. But when the Neo-Marxists insidiously infiltrated the leadership of the unions, perniciously exploiting the workers to the detriment of the state, unions became unpopular. Walker, by "His move to strip many state workers of their collective bargaining rights has drawn national attention. Conservatives are hailing his bold leadership." These Neo-Marxists leaders are condemned by the Tea Parties to go to wall – to the benefit of the American People.

Jeugenen of MA 1:36PM February 28, 2011

I've been a Sheet Metal union member for 40 years and it wuz an opportunity choice, not a forced requirement in order to provide for my family. I looked around and compared the chance to learn a trade compared to being a Quality Control Engineer that I wuz at the time and I jumped at the chance that isn't usually open to some monkey walkin' down the street. I served a four year apprenticeship, wuz tested in every way you probably would avoid and awarded a journeymanship which probably means little to you. I remained a Republican until a few short years ago when the Party no longer held the ideals that Eisenhower did when I decided to embrace hiz ideals of our government. Never once have I donated to my Church, Union, family, community, local barroom sweepstakes or other fellowship any amount of money I didn't fully believe the Good Lord intended me to. My union meetings would send you up the wall, but we intend to support our economy while we serve the working class. That's where I find yer comments and efforts fulla shit.

Jim Swisher of AZ 10:20PM February 27, 2011

Unions," the bumper sticker goes, "the folks that brought you the weekend." In
fact, unions brought America much more: its first broad middle class. Even
today, union wages are higher and benefits more extensive than in comparable
nonunion workplaces. Union members enjoy higher compensation directly, but the
far larger nonunion sector benefits as well. Organized labor's influence on
wages is felt most strongly by workers at the bottom and middle of the wage
scale, where it also narrows the historic gaps associated with race and
ethnicity. As membership slides, however, both unions' ability to raise wages
for their members and spin-off benefits for nonunion workers erodes, wiping out
the middle class dreams of many Americans.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicate a union wage advantage of 28.1% for
wages and 43.7% for total compensation (i.e., wages and benefits) (Mishel et al.
2007, 181). Another analysis that controls for factors such as experience,
industry, education, and region shows a smaller but still significant 14.7%
union premium (Mishel et al. 2007). This second study records a higher union
premium for African Americans (20.3%), Hispanics (21.9%), and Asians (16.7%)
(Mishel et al. 2007).
It is important to remember that union gains flow to nonunion workers,
particularly in highly unionized industries. Simply put, employers match what
unions win to avoid unionization. Farber (2002; 2003) found that the overall
effect of unionization on nonunion wages—i.e., the combined extra gains that all
nonunion workers receive in highly unionized industries—approaches being equal
to the total gains for union members. These gains in and of themselves represent
a major boost for consumer demand throughout the economy (Mishel and Walters
2003, 10). The corollary is that, as organized labor declines, so does this
payout. According to Farber (2002, 1), "more than half of the decline in the
average wage paid to workers with a high school education or less can be
accounted for by the decline in union density."

Shirley of TN 11:50AM February 25, 2011

It amazes me that there are so many people that don't have a clue about something, yet have to comment.
Huntly of SD forcing business to leave the country? If your right to work state works so well why doesn't business go to SD?
Mike from AZ...you're a real idiot...400K a year?
Bill from OR.. I didn't know the Union can legislate taxes
Bottom line most folks who are against unions are jealous and don't have the ball's to demand economic and social justice. Like your Weekend, Over Time pay, Health care, Safety at work, sick days, vacation, etc. ? You can thank Unions for that.
Thank God and Unions they do have the balls to demand what is right for ALL workers not just Union workers.

WireNut of MI 6:25PM February 22, 2011

Lets get real here. We all know that the Unions are just a PAC for the Democrat Party. The Dems get control, create legislation that forces American Business to hire only Union workers, then the Unions charge ridiculous membership fees and give giant sums of money back to the Democrats. Then the Dems give Billions of tax payer dollars back to the Unions in "stimulous" money and pension bailouts...and then the unions give even more back to the Dems...and this cycle goes on and on...IT'S CORRUPTION!
It's fundamentally unfair for anyone to have to join a union to get a job, period. It's even worse when you have to pay for membership, just to be able to work, especially when it means that your own political ideology isn't being represented...IT'S CORRUPTION!
I come from South Dakota...check the record. We have weathered this recession better than most. I think we rank 3rd or 4th overall in terms of our economic health. Current unemployment here is around 5%. We are a RIGHT TO WORK State!
Until We as Americans get our heads out of our butts and recognize corruption when we see it...even if it means we have to call it on ourselves; how do you expect our nation to get better?
Come on Union members get real. The day when Unions were needed to protect the American worker are over! Unions are simply no longer needed, and they are causing enormous damage to our economy. Forcing labor costs way beyond what is fair and normal in the private sector, forcing businesses to leave our country in favor of cheaper foreign labor, come on....

Rob Huntley of SD 5:20PM February 22, 2011

The unions have been raping pension plans and buying politicians.
Politicians then rape taxpayers to give back billions to the union leaders....not the pensions.
$23 billion to so called teacher aid have done nothing to help teachers.
Teachers/educators are completely ignorant of being the dupes of union leaders who are typically earning > $400,000/year.
Teachers want to keep on the wisconsin gravy train and earn more in salary and benefits than the people paying them.

mike of AZ 3:22AM February 22, 2011

America will do so much better with out Unions. Next will come Ohio, then Conn, Georgia, and Florida. As state budgets fail, the brave will take action and stop the unions from drowning the people in a tidal wave of taxation to support their lifestyle. I am hoping a tea party revolution begins in Wisconsin! Obamination can go home January of 2013 and play his basketball.

Bill of OR 11:55PM February 21, 2011