Judge Maryann Sumi temporarily blocked Wisconsin anti-union law today that was signed by Governor Scott Walker. The law curtailed much of the collective bargaining rights public employees had previously been allowed to employ.
According to the LA Times:
Dane County Judge Maryann Sumi granted the temporary order that prevents publication of the measure signed into law by Republican Gov. Scott Walker after weeks of protests and a boycott by Senate Democrats that turned the capital of Madison in a national political battleground on the issue of limiting public employee union power.
The judge was acting on a request by Dist. Atty. Ismael Ozanne, a Democrat, who had filed a lawsuit contending a legislative committee had violated Wisconsin’s open meetings law by pushing the measure onto the floor. That maneuver was key in unblocking the legislative stalemate and allowing the bill to be signed by Walker on March 11.
“I’ll definitely take it,” said Eddie Vale, political communications director for the AFL-CIO, the national labor federation that had fought Walker and the bill. “But the big caveat, of course, is that this is temporary. They can appeal the case. And they can also re-notice the meeting and hold another vote.
The important thing to remember is that this ruling is temporary and will be revisited. It is probably just the beginning of many legal battles over this national obsession on public employees and unions. No one appears to be taking victory laps yet.
I hope they hold another vote. It would be interesting to watch the Democrats try to flee again.
Judge “Sumi”–seriously?
I don’t object to another vote.
just a stall tactic so that they can sign as many contracts as they can before it becomes law. They should just announce a vote now, then vote on it this time tomorrow in a special session which doesn’t require a quorum and then no issue.
If they did that I wonder how may more death threats would be made against Republicans that LSM won’t talk about?
On a union related matter… you know who REALLY hates unions? And forget about actually paying a ‘living wage’, this person pays NO WAGES. None other that your hero, Arianna Huffington.
She joins with AOL and what does she do? She fires almost 1,000 employees of AOL. What does she then do? She refuses to pay most of the contributors to her site. Now the Newspaper Guild (who is affiliated with the AFL-CIO) is calling for a strike against the Huffington Post.
Boy, she is really showing her true colors isn’t she. Unions for thee but not for me, typical of the far left.
From the article:
Ruiz’s February 20 e-mail addressed a post on the Newspaper Guild’s website titled “Arianna got millions, all we got was a byline.” The post called on Arianna Huffington “to invest in quality journalism by sharing a portion of this fortune with the people who made her successful.”
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/03/17/newspaper-guild-huffington-post-strike/#ixzz1GzDWgEbX
So she get $300,000,000.00 and does she redistribute the wealth among her contributors? Nope, she banks it all, fires 1,000 people, and refuses to pay contributors.
Arianna is nothing more that a greedy corporate sell-out who has now lost any and all credibility for ‘caring for the working middle class’.
Hello, I saw the HuffPo piece on unions but wanted to see how long it would take for more mainstream sites to cover the story.. Still not many but atleast there is now some coverage.
I still say the best way to get the vote (by forcing the Dems to stay) is to put open and concealed carry up for a vote as well. The citizens of WI lack those rights too.
I’m still content that the mood of the nation is towards going away from public unions.. That makes the black lump of coal in my chest cavity warm and fuzzy. 😉
What was in the writer’s union contract with the Huff Post? I am sure that anyone with ownership in Huff Post was paid, according to the ownership percentages. But do not twist the story – Huff Post was bought by AOL, and AOL layed off employees – this really has nothing to do with unions. What is the story that someone is trying to create?
I always find it funny when unions hire non-union people to hold protests.
Lie did you come here to start another fight? You know how that ends up.
Show me one place I have said Arianna huffington is my hero. I am waiting.
Marin, I wouldn’t puff up over thinking everyone agrees with you. I would say on this issue it is split about 50/50. If you never check polls in mainstream publications and I include faux news in that category, you simply won’t see it. Just because everyone in your crowd is cheering for the dissolution of public employee unions doesn’t mean that will stand on Main STreet. I wouldn’t count on that happening at all.
I still find it funny with the little guy thinking he’s just like the big business guy. And believing the big business guy really thinks the little guy is the same as he.
Heck the judge gave Republicans the answer….pass it the right way! If they don’t do that, then I have to question their resolve to really do what they say they want to do.
Gov Sununu’s cousin.
@Juturna, funniest thing about that misguided self image, isn’t it? I actually think all of those protesting the public employees had negative experiences with teachers, cops or librarians. Time to get even! Thank goodness they have the unions to protect them.
@Moon-howler
I’m sorry, I confused what’s happening in MI, OH, NY, FL as public support… My crowd includes a very heavy union-side of the family (hers, not mine) that are not on speaking terms with me right now.
I think the jig I did on the UAW sign was a little much – I admit. 😉
I have no issue if it’s bounced back and they just have to ‘do it right’. Git’R’done boys. They’re gonna try and recall you anyways so might as well hold the line and save Wisconsin.
@marin, it doesn’t sound like they are your crowd at all.
Not sure on the UAW sign what you mean.
UAW = United Auto Workers
Not my crowd but I don’t limit myself to just one view. I have a buddy of mine that is a flaming progressive. We’re always wide apart on the politico spectrum but we still get along. I figure one day I can convert him.
I’m with Greta VanSustren on this. Wasting taxpayer money appealing this thing is crazy. Just redo it the right way and be done with it. If Wisconsin Republicans don’t do that, then they are just re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again…..NEVER underestimate the Republicans’ ability to screw up a golden opportunity.
@Slowpoke-I don’t think the Democrats are much different as far as screwing up a golden opportunity.
@marinm
I know what the UAW is, I just don’t understand what you said about it.
I doubt if you will be able to convert your friend.
The resentment over decent benefits and pension is very short sighted. Many people got those benefits and pensions in exchange for wages, especially in Virginia.
Stop resenting what others have. Some of you were free to come do my job back when I went without a raise for a few years. When those pension fees were paid, it was in exchange for not getting a raise for a couple years in a row.
Oh, I forgot, you were too young. I rest my case.
I understand there is some anger for the changes that need to happen to get a handle on our governmental fiscal issues but I personally have no issue with teachers. I only object to the benefits package they are getting and to a system that encourages protecting seniority over performance.
Unions have been so successful that they’ve killed the golden goose.
If the public really “supports” the position of the public workforce then I say go the referendum route. Nothing to lose, right?
Why? Why do you object?
Do you realize that the same conditions exist with or without a union in most cases?
In Virginia seniority is also used. There is no good way to measure teachers. That is the problem. Test scores do not work. The area where you need the best teachers generate low test scores. PW county was all set to go with a pay for performance and they found out they couldn’t afford it.
Additionally, the seniority usually only counts for lay offs. Do you see what would happen if that weren’t in place? Any time money got tight, a jurisdiction would lay off its most expensive teachers in favor of the spring chickens. Is that what people want for their kids?
You need to know a little bit about why these things happen before you attack.
And yes,, when you attack making a decent salary, good working conditions and having a pension and benefits, you are attacking teachers, regardless of your intention.
Start off by asking people who know WHY these things are in place. Did you know about the VA deal in 1983? Had you ever thought what a cash strapped district would do to its veteran teaching force?
So, whats the answer? The current system is unsustainable, costs more than in the past and is producing less qualified (educated) students [based on colleges having to teach incoming freshman remedial skills/classes at the high school level]. So, we’re getting less and paying more.
I’ve also never seen a teachers union “give back” by advocating for less taxes and less pay/benefits.
It is amusing that you are personalizing this to me. If you notice my responses it’s not working. To me this is a simple equation that is out of whack and needs to be fixed. Different states are taking different and somewhat novel approaches. Some are ignoring the problem and maybe hoping for a federal bailout.
If we really want to win the future we need to take ownership of this problem and I don’t see teachers unions doing that. I see them getting in the way and not providing anything of useful substance.
I would assume the veterans would be fired to hire less expensive “new” or inexperienced teachers. That’s what happens in the private work force.
@marin, actually, it always has been our argument. Other people have weighed in occassionally.
Certain states have problems. Not all have problems. Take Virginia. Who caused the problem? It wasn’t the teachers or the other public employees. It was the legislators. They need to fix it. I have no problem with public employees being asked to chip in some portion of their retirement. However, I do have a problem with the state govt. continuing to borrow money and then saying that they have a balanced budget. That is unethical and deceiptful. In fairness, McDonnell also hasn’t waged war on the public employees.
Most industry I have any knowledge of values its senior employees and their expertise. Companies who want to make a profit are looking for experience and don’t go for those without experience. In fact, education is one of the few professions where people are penalized for their years of experience or they would be, if they didn’t have built in protections.
Unless you are doing non skilled labor, experience is very much valued, at least amongst professionals. How many companies are looking for architects on the cheap? Statisticians on the cheap? Accountants? People are valued for their knowledge and skills.
marin said
How many in any profession ‘give back’ by saying pay me less and give me fewer benefits? I don’t know of any profession that does that. However, as far as giving back, teachers give back all the time–when they stay after school on their own time to help a kid, when they sponsor a club or activity, when they buy materials out of their own pocket….
The union isn’t there to give back. Its there to protect earning capacity, work conditions and benefits. There is no free lunch, even for the doting public. ….oh excuse me, tax payers.
From the Washington Post: (excellent article)
Union-free Virginia not spared state pension woes
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/politics/union-free-virginia-not-spared-state-pension-woes/2011/03/16/ABkOKFx_story.html