Monday, June 23, 2014

Walker Continues Wage War With Workers

Because organized labor is the only answer to organized greed, the greedy corporate special interests have spent untold amounts of time and money to destroy the unions.  These attacks have taken many forms, from the misleading "Right to Work" laws to things like Scott Walker's Act 10.

As the gentle reader is aware, Act 10 did everything from taking away from collective bargaining rights for anything and everything but a controlled wage increase to imposing ridiculously rigid demands for recertification.  (Keep in mind that even with Act 10, Walker can't really decertify n union.  He can refuse to work with them - which is a trademark for him - but he can't decertify them.  Only a union can decertify itself.)

Sadly, the damage done to the workers (and subsequently, to the entire state) isn't enough for Walker.  Even has he is embroiled in his own scandal and failing jobs record, he still finds time to screw with state workers.  This time, he is after the correction officers again.

According to the 2013-2015 state budget, all not represented state workers - including those belonging to "decertified" unions, were supposed to get a 1% raise, effective June 29, 2014.  However, Walker is trying to renege on this raise with the corrections officers, as evidenced by this email:
From: DOC PostMaster
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2014 3:50 PM
Subject: Attention: ALL DOC Employees: Information Regarding the 6/29/14 General Wage Adjustment
Importance: High

In accordance with the 2013-2015 State Compensation Plan, effective June 29, 2014, eligible state employees will receive a 1% general wage adjustment (GWA).  The increases will be reflected on the July 24, 2014 pay check.

However, the Office of State Employment Relations (OSER) has informed us employees within the following bargaining units will not receive the GWA at this time:
·       Building Trades Crafts (schedule 04)
·       Legal (Attorneys in schedule 09)
·       Security and Public Safety (SPS) (schedule 05) which includes the following DOC classifications:
o   Correctional Officer and Sergeant
o   Youth Counselor and Youth Counselor Advanced

Trades and Legal are certified bargaining units and the GWA is established through a separate process.

SPS is not eligible for the GWA at this time due to a pending objection. Wisconsin Association for Correctional Law Enforcement (WACLE) filed an Objection to Election with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission (WERC) after the recertification elections from November of 2013.  Once the WERC issues a decision on the objection, OSER will provide further instructions including information on potential back pay to June 29, 2014.

We will keep affected employees updated on information as it becomes available.

These ineligibilities apply only to the GWA.  All other Compensation Plan provisions are still applicable.

Please contact your local Human Resources Office if you have any additional questions.

Thank you,

DOC Human Resources
In short, Walker is trying to hold off on giving the budgeted raise for an indefinite amount of time, needing the money to fill some of the myriad of holes in his budget. On top of trying to screw the workers out of their raise, Walker is also trying to blame the union for this egregious stunt.

Fortunately, AFSCME is still alive and kicking and representing its members, as shown by this quick and direct letter to the WERC:



Obviously, Walker is in a panic about the upcoming election. He has the fallout of the Walkergate scandal as more and more information is being released. His job numbers suck and are worse than if he had done nothing at all.  Despite his grandiose claims to the contrary, taxes are going up even as property values are sinking like stones.

Because he is such dire straits, he will do whatever he can to try to throw people off balance and to jerk them around.  I also wouldn't be surprised that he decides to pay this out as we get closer to the election in order to fire up his anti-union base.

Fortunately, the union will still  be there to stand up for its members and for the people of the state.

3 comments:

  1. Like mtea was so helpful in stopping the degeneration of mps into some of America's most dysfunctional schools. mtea is actually full of teabaggers that voted for walker!

    Funny how some thing "workers rights" means a relatively small group of extreme entitlement complexes have a right to put down other works and, in this case, children too.

    This is a very strange definition of "solidariy", but very common. If you are in a public union, solidarity went no farther than the circle around your feet.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Ok Anon 0900, please explain the massive protests in the middle of winter if the unionized employees are only out for themselves.

    This is divide and conquer in action, must be awesome fun for these guys. I especially liked the little sentence about "potential backpay".

    Corrections used to be a field where an employee would recruit a friend or family member to apply, now we ask each other, "Would you reccomend this job to anyone you know." The answer is always, "No."

    ReplyDelete
  3. Get over yourself with the "mps is full of tea baggers" comments here and elsewhere.
    Yes, there were public school teachers all over the state that initially voted for walker because he was the republican candidate and they were voting their faith. They've seen what it cost them and many won't be voting for walker again.

    ReplyDelete