Unions Lose

AP Photo/Michael P. King

Republicans in WI went ahead and voted anyway to strip bargaining rights from union members.

The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measure that spends money. But Republicans on Wednesday took all the spending measures out of Walker's proposal and a special committee of lawmakers from both the Senate and Assembly approved the revised bill a short time later.

The response to this was none too pretty. 

"In 30 minutes, 18 state senators undid 50 years of civil rights in Wisconsin. Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten," said Democratic Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller. "Tonight, 18 Senate Republicans conspired to take government away from the people."

 Okay. So, what do you say about the democrats up and leaving? What about their responsibility to serve the people and do their job? Instead, they take a vacation and stall any negotiations.

I'm not sure why the government even allows unions. Can someone explain that to me? I can sort of understand private unions but, government employees as union members?

The state Assembly previously approved the original proposal and was set to consider the new measure on Thursday. Miller said in an interview with The Associated Press there is nothing Democrats can do now to stop the bill: "It's a done deal."

Well, I guess they should have done their job and not have run away. 

The measure approved Wednesday forbids most government workers from collectively bargaining for wage increases beyond the rate of inflation. It also requires public workers to pay more toward their pensions and double their health insurance contribution, a combination equivalent to an 8 percent pay cut for the average worker.

Police and firefighters are exempt.

That doesn't sound unfair to me at all.

"The people of Wisconsin elected us to come to Madison and do a job," Fitzgerald said in a statement after the vote. "Just because the Senate Democrats won't do theirs, doesn't mean we won't do ours."

I concur.

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