The Wisconsin Senate adjourned for the day after minority Democrats blocked an attempt by Republicans to vote on a reform bill by leaving the state. Healthy teachers called in sick and used their students as pawns to bolster their protests. They claim the reform bill was an attempt to bust the unions. But the facts do not support their contentions. The state is facing a $3.6 billion dollar budget deficit in the coming two-year budget.
The bill would eliminate collective bargaining rights for most public workers. The unions would still represent those workers but pay increases would be pegged to the Consumer Price Index. Unions could not force employees to pay dues and would have to hold annual votes to stay organized.
Gov. Scott Walker, recognizing the importance of public safety, has allowed local police, firefighters and state troopers to retain their collective bargaining rights. Public workers would pay half the costs of their pensions and at least 12.6 percent of their health care coverage, representing an 8 percent increase in state employees’ share of pension and health care costs. In return, public employees were promised no furloughs or layoffs. If concessions are not made, up to 6,000 state workers could be laid off.
The estimated cost savings would be $30 million by July 1 and $300 million over the next two years. The private sector has made far greater sacrifices since the start of the recession. Unions, specifically the teacher’s union, feel that they should be immune from the sacrifices that millions of other wage earners have already made.
Teachers have proclaimed early and often that they just care about providing children with a quality education. But there are only three people they really care about: me, myself, and I.
— Ray Cziczo, Antioch
