Cry me a river.

Captain Oblivious: Unions DO need to go the way of the dinosaur. There is no real need for them anymore like there may have been years ago. And Walker did not threaten to bring in the National Guard "if he didn't get his way." He planned on bringing in the National Guard to run the state prisons if prison guards walked off their jobs, and also to ensure that other state functions continue.
And as for the Family and Medical Leave Act, Walker plans to make it more accessible to soldiers and foster parents. He does plan on bringing it more in line with the federal FMLA - which requires more worked hours before one can go on FMLA (1,250 hours vs. the Wisconsin standard of 1,000 hours). Also, if two spouses work for the same company, they would share the time allotted for family leave. Walker is cutting down how part-time employers can take advantage of family leave. Walker is by no means "cutting and damaging" the act - he is bringing it in line by what the feds do, as Wisconsin's plan is overly-generous, thereby saving the state even more money.

Oblivious . Show me where he threatened the National Guard ? Union busting
101 is to expect overpay and extreme benefits !! The unions brought this upon
themselves . Can you make an argument with out the political schtick from the
PDLS's ? You take a portion that is true and then you swing your beliefs in to the
mix and call it proof ! I also find it funny that the PDLS's who have an ideology of
Naziism pretend to be appalled by them . The only Wunderkindt ist die Furer o .
Just read the papers two years ago . Plus the only toes we are sucking are the
people in the unions and it is time to be weened off !! Jawol Capitan Oblivious !

Another thing, Captain Oblivious: in the private sector, potential employees take what the employer is offering. If they don't like it, they don't work for that particular company. Why should anyone have "collective bargaining" rights? Isn't the ability to bargain for employment perks a privilege? And we do need to abolish "collective bargaining" as all it has resulted in is lavish perks that are unsustainable at the expense of the taxpayers. State employees employment offerings need to become more in line with that of the private sector. We cannot afford to pay for cadillac insurance plans and cushy retirement deals for public sector employees with no money coming in to support it anymore. Public sector employees need to start sharing some of the burden - just like the private sector. Get it? And in the constant liberal whine: isn't that FAIR?

Amy, collective bargaining has given you the right to a 40 work week, regular
holidays, weekends and reasonably safe working environments. Had it not been
for the brave men and woman who, in some cases, gave their lives. You probably
would not be able to enjoy the kind of work environment you do today. I am often
dumbfounded by the argument that unions are not needed, this is an excellent
example of why they are. Also it is a reasonable question to ask why should the
public sector have better health and pension benefits than most private sector
employees. The answer is because of people like you who have a me first approach to life. The answer should not be to limit the ability of our public servants to organize and collectively bargain but we should be asking why as
private sector employees are we allowing our employers to sell us short. Also
just so you know few people are against the austerity measures in this bill but
find it reprehensible that Scott Walker wants to take away the right to collectively bargain.

Proud Progressive: Unions are not needed. They may have been needed in the early 1900's, but they have run their course. Why do public sector employees these days need a union? What protections do they need? Why are they - at taxpayer expense - entitled to low expenses for health care and benefits that are not provided to the private sector? But most importantly, why are public employees expecting the taxpayers to continue to fund their wonderful benefits and health care? The pendulum, for years, has swung way too far in favor of the public sector employees - bankrupting the state (and most others) in the process. The pendulum needs to swing back - and in the process save our state from the unsustainable financial drain that such benefits cost the taxpayers. Walker is not being unreasonable in any sense by asking public sector employees to share some of the financial burden the rest of us have experienced - and pay for on our own! And what Walker is asking for public sector employees to contribute a small 5.8% to help fund their pensions, and contribute 12.6% to their own health care. Both amounts are still far below what private sector employees pay. And many private sector employees have no pension plans at their place of employment. Instead, we can save on our own in the form of various plans like a 401K. So, like my blog title says, Proud Progressive - Cry me a river. By the way, what union are you in?

Yeah ! proud progressive I need help with money please spread some of your
wealth this way . Please tell me how much you are willing to give to help your
neighbor ? I do not have a cushy job like a union worker . Or the benefits can you
also pay my doctor bills for this month including prescriptions so far this month I
paid a little over $600. Progressives believe in spreading the wealth well here I
am come give me some . We can meet tomorrow at the Dairy Queen at 9:30 OK
? Please tell me how much you are willing to spread my way ? Please do not tell
us you have a me first attitude about this ? Please help ? waiting for response .

Proud progressive when there is nothing in the pot, what are you collectivly bargaining for? That's a flat out lie disguised as talking points.

Next you'll whip out the be all catch all "But it's for the children". Enough! Maybe the state workers can ask their own union thug insurance pool to forgo their profits and pay for their members health-care. They won't because they have the biggest scam going and finally the jig is up. You have no where to go with this argument because we voted that garbage out last fall. Just as the private sector has been greedy, now it's the public sector's turn to twist in the wind and to take the verbal bloodbath that it so rightly has coming. Feel the heat?

Proud Progressive...you my friend are a hypocrite with this statement. "Had it not been for the brave men and woman who, in some cases, gave their lives. You probably would not be able to enjoy the kind of work environment you do today."

Bring up the same quote by me over the war on terror and you liberals go nuts!!! Nice to use a quote or phrase when it works for you libs, hey PP

Amy, I agree public employees should have to concede ssomewhat where pay is
conserned, however that has NOTHING to do with their ability to collectively bargain,
and neither does your responce. Irked, you either are very nieve or think I am. I can not
afford your care along with mine alone, however if we had a single payer system your
payments would be much smaller and affordable. There are very few people who can
bare the costs of the current system alone, but together we all can make sure that each
other is taken care of easily. Yert49 perhaps you're confused, most people understand
that they need to pay more, just don't take our ability to negotiate away for ever, that's
all.

Jim, many workers died due to the conditions of their work place, when they went on
strike police and thugs were hired to beat them to death or submission, that hardly
equates to a mostly chosen war where the majority or the actors are highly paid
mercenaries. The rights of the working class have nothing to do with the whims of the
war machine.

PP...show me when and what country this took plaice in. Specifics and dates and time will also help.

"Jim, many workers died due to the conditions of their work place, when they went on strike police and thugs were hired to beat them to death or submission, that hardly equates to a mostly chosen war where the majority or the actors are highly paid mercenaries. The rights of the working class have nothing to do with the whims of the war machine." PP

PP...show me when and what country this took plaice in. Specifics and dates and time will also help.

May 1937

"Frankensteen's coat was pulled over his arms. He was then kicked in the head, kidneys, and groin. Witnesses also testified that as he lay on the ground, the attackers ground their heels in his stomach. Reuther was picked up and thrown down repeatedly and was kicked in the face and body. He was then thrown down the steps of the overpass. Merriweather's back was broken, and Dunham was also severely injured. The women too were attacked. Newspapers and magazines published the photographs all over the country and several witnesses testified before the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB found Ford in violation of the Wagner Act and ordered it to stop interfering with union organization. Henry Ford and the company denied the charges, but the Battle of the Overpass had already become a lasting symbol in the labor struggle.

http://www.hfmgv.org/exhibits/fmc/battle.asp

Hey pp . I am not the one who believes in spreading the wealth ! Since you do
please spread it my way . Do not think of yourself first . Now is not the time for
that , you ``said that together we could afford it . No we can not !! that is why
we need to stop the collective bargaining . Funny how you can correlate
affordability when it comes out of your pocket . But where are you when it is
coming out of mine ? You are back tracking and showing that you are the selfish
one . Teach by example ! Give me a portion of your money so it can be our money
.. Oh yeah I forgot You and We can not afford to pay the union workers that
amount !! Funny how that works . Affordability !!!! What a concept . By the way
who is nieve ?Hell I can not afford to stop working . Why don't you work for the
both of us and I will stay at our homes and raise our kids . That sounds like a
good bargain . We do not have to trade money either . You pay all the bills and I
will raise our children . Bartering is great !! Now do not tell me that your kids are
not worth that ! We all know that money is not important . I will even feed your
kids with my money . You just pay the other bills .. Wow bartering does sound
great . Dairy Queen tomorrow at 9:30 ? Are your kids worth it ? You even get the
better deal for your kids are worth so much .

I do agree their benefits package needs reworking but removing collective bargaining rights is wrong.
Private sector employees jealous of government employee benefits should go find themselves a better job if unhappy with what they have now. It isn't very American for the have nots to take from the haves.

But I would like to applaud Walkers spokesperson for this very honest statement...

Along with the release of this information Governor Walker’s spokesman, Cullen Werwie, released the following statement:

Wisconsin is in a fiscal crisis because past budgets, which were supported by members of both political parties, used one time sources of revenue for ongoing operating expenditures and did little to address the long-term financial challenges facing our state.

http://www.thegovmonitor.com/world_news/united_states/wisconsin-outlines-cost-of-public-sector-employee-benefits-46426.html

Carl, it does not work that way. We are the bosses and we will say how much we want to pay. Given the value of their work today I'd say it's time that they help out and give back. For too long this arrangement has been one-sided. They have not had to experience the economic reality that the private sector has had to experience in the past 3-5 years. We all got in this mess together. We all are going to have to ride it out.

You have to remember Governor Walker is not asking them to take pay cuts.
Part of the agreement would be they still have the power to bargain their pay just not retirement and health care. As Amy state both agreements would still be far below the private sector.
Right now they pay next to nothing for both yet are entitle to retirement with full benefits in their late 50s. When a so called private sector union wants to raise their retirement funds they have a meeting and vote on it.
That’s how they increase their retirement benefits.
They Pay for It.
They each pay more into a retirement plan set up By Their Union.
Not the Tax payers.
That means taking a little bit more out of their pay so be it. They vote on it
Right now we the tax payers are paying for the working and retired state employees with a retirement plan 2nd to none along with their health care.
Every State in this country is going broke from these state employment retirement plans.
You need look no further then Milwaukee County to see just what it has done.
You can call it union busting if you want but really all he’s trying to do is balance a state budget that is going to lead use to bankruptcy.
He ran on this platform was voted in and now he’s doing exactly what he said he would.
We the people have had to sacrifice tremendously all he’s asking is that the State unions start paying a Fair Share.
There is no other way to get this state back in the black unless of course you raise taxes and that is not going to happen.
I for one pay plenty.
Let’s be reasonable he’s just asking them to pay a share not even a fair share just a share.
Union busting I think not.

Public education is the last equalizer of a free society. When Wisconsin's top-rated school system goes the way of the Bible Belt, you'd better hope you have the means to afford a private school.

I could care less if the unions are busted. If Walker accomplishes that, more power to him. Unions have no purpose these days - they are truly obsolete, although one thing they do is protect bad employees. All the while taking dues to be used as the union bosses see fit. They have served their purpose. We have safe work environments. We have 40 hour work weeks. We have vacation time, etc. Done. Bust up the unions and it would be a step in the right direction.
WEAC should be one of the first to go. "Every child deserves a good school." Yeah, right. And where are many teachers today? Teaching in the classroom? No. Protesting at Madison - at the encouragement of WEAC - yelling to protect their benefits and health care packages. And are the kids learning? No. So what really IS important? (And kudos should go to those teachers who decided to remain in their classrooms today - in spite of WEAC, and actually teach the children as is expected.)
WEAC needs to wake up and encourage it's members to start contributing their share to their own benefits and health care. It's not too much to ask, and many people in the private sector have been making sacrifices due to the economy for the past few years. Why not the union members?

"Unions have no purpose these days" I wonder if that guy in Illinois who got fired for wearing a Packer tie would have been able to be terminated if he had belonged to a union. Unions are there as part of a check and balance system to prevent management abuses. Walmart requiring workers to work after they had been punched off the clock is a prime example of management abuse.