Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Didn't Campaign on Union-Busting

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Scott Walker did not campaign on Union busting.
Unionbusting:
By law, employers aren’t supposed to intimidate, coerce, or fire employees for exercising their democratic rights to form unions. Yet when faced with organizing drives, 25 percent of employers fire at least one pro-union worker.
Anti-union employers rarely go it alone – many seek the help of outside unionbusting consultants to stop workers from organizing a union, or to destroy one that’s already in place. Under the current labor law system, employers often use a combination of legal and illegal methods to silence employees who attempt to form unions and bargain for better wages and working conditions.

Linda McGoey of WI 1:08PM June 04, 2012

It is lunacy to expect any candidate to have his/her plans completely formulated before they are elected. While the exact plan was not detailed, the general direction clearly was.
Scott Walker ran on cutting the deficit and requiring concessions from public employees to help him. He vowed to slash pay and benefits for public sector unions. Anyone familiar with Walker's efforts to balance budgets as Milwaukee county executive understood that collective bargaining requirements made his task nearly impossible. And while the specific collective bargaining proposal in the budget repair bill was not a regular line in his stump speech, it was also no secret that he would make significant changes to Wisconsin's collective bargaining rules.
In a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article on August 30, 2010, Ryan Murray, a policy adviser for the Walker campaign, explaining Walker's plan to revamp public health insurance, said, "The way the proposal would work is we would take the choice (of health insurers) out of the collective bargaining process.” Does taking the choice out of CB mean ending CB for health care? The reporter certainly seemed to think so. "Murray said school districts often have some of the most expensive health benefits in Wisconsin and could receive cheaper insurance through the state if they didn't have to negotiate with unions about who would insure their members."
What was clear to the reporter was also clear to the teachers' unions, who reacted to the report thusly: "Our members oppose taking away their rights to collective bargaining, so they would definitely raise their voices against it," said Christina Brey, a spokesman for WEAC.
So a top Walker adviser made an on-the-record comment that both a reporter and a union representative understood as meaning an end to a part of collective bargaining. And another teachers' union, the American Federation of Teachers, found Murray's comment so threatening that they included it in a flyer warning teachers to vote against Walker who, they claimed, wanted to "void parts of labor contracts."
Later, in a Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article that ran on October 29, 2010, just three days before the election, Richard Abelson, head of the local AFSCME chapter, said, "The premise is still that they want to bypass collective bargaining and adopt wages and working conditions through the budget process."
Even after the election, following a Dec. 7, 2010 Walker press club forum appearance, Abelson was quoted in the Journal-Sentinel, "His union-busting attitude shouldn't surprise anybody."
If Scott Walker did not campaign on the specific collective bargaining proposal in his budget repair bill, it was no secret that Walker would be proposing dramatic changes to the state's relationship with its employees — changes he made clear would include collective bargaining.

Ally of WI 12:46PM April 20, 2011

Public employees still pay taxes just like everyone else, so when you say they are paid by the taxpayers . . that includes them as well. You really have to work to find those who don't pay taxes by law. And public employees are much like their private sector counterparts . . people. People who see their government officials plan and waste money decade in decade out and pit the people against each other. So, how many homeless politicians have you ever seen, how many suffer with the people?
Yes, I believe in fairly planned budgets, employees should give back to fairly ensure sound budgets, especially if it truly avoids layoffs and outsourcing.
And on layoffs, having never been laid off, do you still collect unemployment compensation as provided by the government? How does joblessness affect taxes, local economics, those things that having income impact? Just asking.

Xavier of VA 7:03AM March 12, 2011

You're kind of splitting hairs here. He did campaign on reforming pensions and healthcare as you admit in your article. He is now trying to curtail collective bargaining rights for public unions on those issues which have direct effects on the budget. People are deluding themselves if they believe that there is only a short term fix to a fiscal crisis. Prudence demands that the long term should not be ignored simply because it's easier to fix the short term. If that were the case then we would just tax ourselves into oblivion. Fortunately, reality exists, and as such collective bargaining rights for public workers regarding healthcare and pensions needs to go because it has put a stranglehold on the state's budget. It's time that the free ride ended.

Shawn of CA 7:17PM March 09, 2011

I feel the same way Dan.. I don't think of it as a conspiracy but, I do agree with the people who believe in the Bloomingdale's Macy's theory of Government.
Where we shop or how we vote don't make any difference... The same people own our choices..

Mary of ME 9:45AM March 07, 2011

Hey Scotty!!
Looks like there's a new "Party of No", in Wisconsin.
Where do you suppose they learned that tactic??

frank saulino of TN 4:34PM March 05, 2011

Who in the world voted for this nut!
People wake up and start listening to who you are voting for.
I could have told you this nut was not what you wanted.
He is a liar and all for big business. He is out to work the
Middle Class. Come on quit doing this to America and start
voting for people who are going to be for the Middle Class or
we will not have a Middle Class and everything will be taken away
from us. This is the beginning.
This Governor should not have been voted in at all.
He is not a man at all. He is a coward and a liar.
I hope you have learned your lesson.
IMPEACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sharon of CA 11:46PM March 03, 2011

Wisconsin Gov Walker is operating under the assumption that what the Bush administration did in 2000- 2008 in terms of manufacturing facts and lying, making the facts fit the story they're telling is acceptable and standard practice. Why would he think any different? No one from the Bush administration was indicted or fined for all those years of lies and deceptions. Of course, Mr Walker is no Einstein, in that way similar to Bush, jr, so the question remains: Who is the puppet master? Whoever it is has eerily similar methods and desires as the puppet master circa 2000 to 2008. They have access to the same huge money, and the same ability to control the media reporting. And they have the ability to shut up the entire U.S. senate from talking about the issue. They have more in common. They didn't even bother to find an intelligent figurehead, because they don't need one. They're done hiding. The verdict: "Meet the new boss, same as the old boss"

Dan Schulte of OR 9:33PM March 03, 2011

Meant 2/3 of their budget on medicare and medicad......

Bill Hedges of MO 5:40AM March 02, 2011

We select our jobs realizing what we will be paid and possible advancements. While considering the rewards we personally will receive doing that job. Not restricted to teachers and the like.
AZ pays 2/3 of total cost for medicad and medicare. obamacare raises the numbers for both. Fed will not reimburse total cost to State for this. What help is given is only temporary. This was done to try and balance obamacare. Which isn't balanced. Even with benefits happening for only 6 years but judged over a 10 year period. Stealing from medicare monies.
State of WI is projected to be in deep debt. Being responsible is to cut cost. For which he ran for office on. He is not stopping collective bargaining on salary. If salary jump is more than cost of living it goes to the vote of the people.
The State can not just change health insurance. Is in contracts. State could change health care company and save money. Gov. wants to change.
If union doesn't like their agreement with State, they can go to local level. Gov. wants to change.,
The head of unions doesn't want State not collecting the dues. Certainly don't want right to work. Where teacher has right to be union or not member. They, union leaders, want it required. Like barry wants open votes, so all union members know how you vote. To me freedom is lost. People in work shirts beat up tea members. There are tapes. On a heated union vote, how would you feel voted against a issue if all knew your vote.
Clinton gave us this recession:
Video
"Democrats were WARNED of Financial crisis and did NOTHING"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPSDnGMzIdo
"Pelosi Caught In Major Lie- Says Bush Didn't Warn Congress About Financial Crisis… Records Show He Warned Congress 17 Times in 2008 Alone"
Posted by Jim Hoft on Monday, May 3, 2010, 3:24 PM
http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2010/05/pelosi-caught-in-major-lie-says-bush-didnt-warn-congress-about-financial-crisis-records-show-he-warned-congress-17-in-2008-alone/

Bill Hedges of MO 5:36AM March 02, 2011