WISCONSIN Pt. 2, "The DC Connection".

This is part two of my take on the recent discussions surrounding labor unions in the public sector.  Make no mistake about it I believe this is some BS for lack of a better phrase.  The Government gives away trillions for all types of projects and services annually.  Let’s add up the contracts given out by government agencies that too is expending dollars.  Let’s add up every single government, state, local, county, municipal, and federal contract that’s out there currently.  And what about the Politician in Washington own "sweet" benefit package?  Speaking of tax payer’s money what about entitlements for everyone one with a cause? Isn't that taxpayer money?  What about Kwame Brown and his custom made Navigator?  In fact it would be fair to say THE GOVERNMENT OPERATES OFF TAXPAYERS MONEY IN ALL REGARDS.  WE ARE NOT A BUSINESS, WE ARE PUBLIC SECTOR EMPLOYEES. 

To even suggest Labor Unions have some type of strangle hold on the taxpayer is nothing short of an aggressive attempt to show public sector workers as not worthy for what we earn.  In reality, the public sector labor unions in DC have seen a decline due to record consecutive years of RIF's.  Numerically we can yield significant leverage politically, however we must consider our experience under the Fenty administration where all common sense labor/management agreements were ignored.   

To Date WE EMPLOYEES HAVE GIVEN UP STEP INCREASES, CAREER LADDER PROMOTIONS, COST OF LIVING INCREASES, 20 MILLION IN FURLOUGHS.  I don't know what collective bargaining rights they are talking about since by law in public sector unions management has sole right over budget.  Using that logic a significant shift in the MANAGEMENT and ADMINISTRATION of the Government IS THE ONLY SOLUTION.  They are busy chasing employees for 1 hour of AWOL rather than adding any real value and efficiency to the present labor force.  I wonder what bargaining rights they are talking about.  Where was DC bargaining rights when they got us for 600 million on a baseball stadium with a sorry team in a low attendance area flooded with over priced and vacant developments?  What about the hundreds of millions funding various transportation projects?  Where was collective bargaining when the City just up and mandated all DMVE employees give up their Saturday or face termination?

The real issues are your benefits and the cost of maintaining those benefits.  The real money is in our retirement programs, health insurance, cost of living increases and rate of pay provisions.  That’s hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Imagine a one percent cut to your retirement contribution without having the ability to bargain.  As far as salary, DC can't in no way be compared to the Federal Pay structure.  It is misleading to place all public sector Unions in this big pot over some issue that's applicable to Wisconsin.  If the right wing is successful in this initiative this would place your benefits and bargaining rights in congress by a vote, just like Federal Sector Workers.  We are not Federal Workers and WE WANT TO MAINTAIN OUR RIGHT TO BARGAIN OVER BENEFITS.

Since you read this far I will give you a little secret.  Very few public Unions have the right to bargain over the terms of employment and all matters related to compensation.  Your Working Conditions and Compensation terms cover close 100 collective but separate provisions.  We are unique like several other state and city governments that have the right to barging over COMPENSATION.  This is what we have in common with the Wisconsin; we are a very rare few organizations that has that dual ability to negotiate.