Deny Collective Bargaining Rights?

Is the Wisconsin deal basically about denying workers collective bargaining rights?

The Governor and legislature could certainly just accept the public sector union's position, that of a willingness to accept a very modest rollback for the current year.

While doing that might solve the immediate problem for the current year, it would not solve the problem created by the unbalanced situation that exists where one side has most of the power, i.e. the public sector unions, that can basically hold the state hostage to whatever it is they want in the long term.

No level of government can make a budget if the unions can call in an outside negotiator and then demand this and that and the political subdivisions must accept the demand.

The proposal on the desk is to limit the power of public sector unions to negotiate certain things--not wages--as well as requiring that unions undergo re-certification each year, meaning workers would have the opportunity to choose whether to continue paying in huge union fees, which are now collected by the state using force--no choice is allowed, and worker's union dues then go to support Democrats and union bosses.

Make no mistake, a change such as is proposed will put an effective end to the corrupt system we have in so many states and that has led them to bankruptcy. Democrats who derive their main support from forced union dues will suffer. But that, in my opinion, is a good thing.

Workers in any case are protected by Wisconsin's civil service laws--the strongest in the country.

If the unions win this contest, then the Governor will have no choice but to begin firing public sector workers to make up the shortfall. The unions are on record as having no problem with firings. The Governor, however, does have a problem with firing state workers. Let's not forget, the state is facing financial catastrophe. Either we get a budget or we fire workers. That is the choice, unless we have reforms.

I should hasten to add, despite all the Democrat and liberal propaganda, the proposal does not address itself to private sector unions. We are talking about reforming a deeply corrupt system so that taxpayers will be put back in charge of spending. It's as simple as that.