Wis. gov. officially cuts collective bargaining

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker succeeded Friday in taking away nearly all collective bargaining rights from the vast majority of the state's public employees, quietly capping weeks of contentious debate and delivering an epic defeat to the labor movement with a private bill signing.

The bill forces state workers to pay more for their pensions and health care benefits, which is estimated to save Wisconsin $30 million to help pay down a $137 million budget shortfall projected by July 1. The higher payments for state workers will take effect over the coming weeks.

Walker had repeatedly argued that ending collective bargaining would give local governments the flexibility they needed to confront the state aid cuts necessary to fix Wisconsin's deficit, which is projected to grow to $3.6 billion deficit over two years.

"This is ultimately about a commitment to the future, so our children don't face even more dire consequences than what we face today," Walker said at a news conference in the West Allis community of Milwaukee on Thursday.

Republican Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Republicans were fulfilling campaign promises with enactment of the law.

"It shouldn't have taken two years for the recession to finally affect the government, but the public sector is finally sharing in the pain, albeit with modest concessions," Fitzgerald said.

Walker's Democratic predecessor, Gov. Jim Doyle, ordered 16 unpaid days off for state workers over the past two years that amounted to roughly a 3 percent pay cut.

Walker said his plan would avoid the need for any furloughs or layoffs. He had issued public employee unions a notice last week that up to 1,500 layoffs would be coming if the bill didn't pass. But just before he signed it Friday, Walker rescinded the notice.

"We came into office promising to help the economy and create jobs," Fitzgerald said. "This budget repair bill prevents 1,500 real layoffs, and countless more at the local level over the next few years."

Republicans said they were simply doing what voters wanted.

In last year's election, "people spoke very clearly and very loudly and said they wanted government to change here in Madison," Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said. "It's a tough vote, but it's the right vote. People are sick of the status quo."

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9LT5FM00&show_article=1

[Pinocchio Liberal 268]

Collective BARGAINING? More like collective bullshite! Aint happinin no mo. :rofl:Piece by piece were gonna tear the mofo DOWN!

Edited March 12, 2011 by Unions suck

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I wonder if anyone is still going to call him "Hosni Walker" ?

[Sofiyya 1,687]

Good.

[Zero Sum 305]

Yay And I mean it. You get what you bargain for.