Wisconsin's Gov. Walker Shows Signs Of Yielding On Some Labor Provisions

[Generic Other]

Aides to Wisconsin's Republican Gov. Scott Walker have been in talks with state senate Democrats in which the Republican position appears to be softening, according to e-mails obtained by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

According to the e-mails, while the governor's office still wants limits to collective bargaining, it's willing to allow more issues to come under such bargaining than initially the case.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/03/08/134369786/wisconsins-gov-walker-shows-signs-of-yielding-on-some-labor-provisions?ft=1&f=1001

[Generic Other]

1. The crackpot is seeing what happens when ya don't play with a full deck

Ed Schultz on his radio show described an interesting scene. He said Sensenbrenner went home for a town hall and hundreds showed up--too many to get in. He tried to gavel down citizen after citizen who wanted to talk about the union busting, because he didn't want to talk about local stuff. He ended up concluding the meeting and leaving the townhall. The citizens did not leave. Instead they signed the recall petitions and volunteered to get more signatures. Within a few hours, one GOP senator in the Wisconsin state leg. had 30% of the signatures needed to force a recall election!

The handwriting is on the wall for these jokers!

[pacalo]

5. "Turn out the lights" Sensenbrenner should be run out of the U.S. House, while they're at it.

I see no difference in his shenanigans from those state Republicans' in Wisconsin.

I hope someone took a video of this meeting & sent it to Ed.

[Generic Other]

2. E-mails reveal possible Walker concessions on union bill

• The bill would no longer seek to limit public employee union bargaining over wages to the rate of inflation.

• The bill would allow union bargaining over certain economic issues, including mandatory overtime, performance bonuses, hazardous duty pay, and classroom size. On this set of issues, both labor and management would have to agree to discuss them for bargaining to happen.

• The bill would allow bargaining over workplace safety but that would be limited to workers' physical health and safety. It would not allow bargaining over hours, overtime, sick leave or family leave, work schedules or vacation.

• Union contracts for public employees would be limited to a one- or two-year period.

• Unions would have to vote every three years to remain active, with the first of those votes coming within one year of the bill becoming law. The current version of the bill would require unions to vote to recertify every year and require them to get at least 51% of workers' votes.

http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/117584003.html

[MoonRiver]

3. Now's the time to teach Walker and his Koch brothers pals a lesson.

Refuse to compromise. Demand full union rights exactly as they were before Gov. Buffoon played his hand.

[pacalo]

6. +1. It's a power grab on the union -- don't compromise!

[Generic Other]

8. I like your style!!

I think that is exactly what is going to happen + some recalls. Let's hope!

[MoonRiver]

9. Hey, I'm a proud member of the NEA!

Teachers are taking a pounding and we gotta start punching back! :hi:

[Generic Other]

12. I'm AFT and I got your back

and a mean left hook too!! :hug:

[Angry Dragon]

4. There is so much more wrong with this bill than the union stuff

selling of utilities among other things

[Generic Other]

10. I predict before the Dems in Wisconsin are done with this thing

they will get rid of the bad bills, the bad GOP governor, his rich pals and half the GOP state legislators.

And I hope the people of Wisconsin have inspired every state to clean house. We are winning this battle. Cairo to Madison to Tallahassee to Columbus to Lansing to Trenton to Washington DC. Onward!!!!

[gratuitous]

7. Showing signs? Nice start

But I think the Wisconsin public employees might let Scott know that they're rather inclined to treat him with slightly less contempt than Pope Gregory showed King Henry at Canossa. But only slightly less. Get groveling, Scott! You've had a glimpse of what real power looks like, and the Kochs with all their billions don't have anything near what the people can bring to bear.

[Generic Other]

11. You need a crack before the dam can break!

Maybe I am premature in my optimism. I am just thrilled that the people of Wisconsin are pushing back hard enough to scare the cocksure little martinet.

[Johnny_dollar]

13. The union-busting provisions are a misdirection...

I sincerely believe that the real objective is to steal WI's power plants, public roads, and eventually, water delivery systems. After every thing has been "privatized," the powers can squeeze the public to its heart content. You can opt out of cable and internet service, but you cannot forgo water, power, fuel, and use of roads.