GOP Budget Proposal Signals Retreat from Wisconsin Values

Assembly Republicans have run up a white flag with a budget proposal that would surrender Wisconsin's leadership in areas critical to our future, said Marty Beil, executive director of the Wisconsin State Employees Union, AFSCME Council 24.

"They give up on everything that makes Wisconsin special," he said.

"They give up our leadership in world class education by slashing support for learning at every level. Their lack of support for higher education - the economic engine of our state - is especially destructive and shortsighted.

"They give up on making health care more affordable and accessible.

"They give up on public safety by understaffing our overcrowded correctional facilities.

"They give up on protecting our natural resources by undercutting parks and enforcement while slashing investment in stewardship of our sensitive lands.

"They give up on attracting the best and brightest to public service by attacking and undercutting at every turn the dedicated public servants who keep us safe and keep our state running," Beil said.

One thing Assembly Republicans don't give up on is siding with big oil companies, cigarette makers and hospital conglomerates, Beil said.

"They have no problem rewarding big oil for gouging us while taking it out on students, uninsured working people and hardworking state employees. They protect cigarette makers while punishing the people whose only crime is that they happen to go to work and do their best every day for the state of Wisconsin," Beil said.

"By lining up with Exxon and Phillip Morris and turning their backs on working families, they have perfected the recipe that will lose them even more seats in the next election and put them in the minority for years to come. This isn't the product of forward-looking leaders, it's the cowering of fearful and defeatist losers who have given up on even pretending they're interested in creating a better future for Wisconsin," Beil said.

-- Released 7/10/07 by AFSCME Council 24

Assembly Budget

In 1932, a group of Wisconsin Civil Service Employees got together to discuss the future of their work and what could be done to protect their positions in the midst of the Great Depression.   Out of those meetings, the Wisconsin State Employees Association was born.   This group would not only work to protect the Civil Service System in Wisconsin, but also worked over the years to create a retirement system for ALL state employees.  They also worked for, among other things to create earned sick leave for all state employees.   This grouped accomplished a lot before they earned Collective Bargaining rights, including a pension plan and the sick leave.   What was known as the WSEA would become the basis for the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).   The WSEA would later change its name to the Wisconsin State Employees Union.   The WSEU represents over 26,000 state employees statewide.   It is no secret that over the years, negotiation wins by the WSEU have helped improve the benefits of non-represented state employees, including management, faculty and academic staff.   I’d love to share the rich 75-year history of my union with you, but today, we all face a situation that we have to act TOGETHER on.

Today, the Assembly Republican Caucus (ARC) issued their proposed State Budget. In that budget, many of the items that the WSEA fought for during the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s, before they had Collective Bargaining are being threatened. This document can be found at www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/2007-09budget/ARC%20Amendments%20to%20JFC%20Sub.pdf (Take Action article below).   

On Tuesday, July 10, this version of the budget goes before the State Assembly for debate and action.  If passed, a Conference Committee will be formed to work on a compromise budget between the vastly different Senate version.   However, we cannot sit and wait for the die to be cast and allow these pre-1932 philosophies to even make to the Conference Committee for any consideration.   It is important that anyone who cares about the University along with their compensation and benefits contact their legislator (on non-state email, please).   If your Assembly Representative is a Democrat, thank them for supporting the University and it’s employees and tell them that you support their fight against the ARC budget.   If you have a Republican Representative in the Assembly, indicate your disappointment in this budget and ask for their support.   There are some Republicans who are not in agreement with this budget.   It would only take a few votes to turn the tables on this budget.  
If you do not know who your Assembly Representative is, link to http://waml.legis.state.wi.us

We need to work together to keep Wisconsin’s Motto “Forward” instead of changing it to “Backward”. Please contact your Representative today.

Thank you.

Paulette Feld
Polk Library Technical Services
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

TAKE ACTION!
Your Immediate Action is Needed
Comp Reserves Slashed by $94 Million

ARC Slashes Comp Reserves by $94 Million
Full Assault on State Employee Benefits

The Assembly Republican Caucus has put into written form, their planned assault of state employees and municipal employees as well. For those who received a response in the recent past from their Republican State Representative stating they have heard nothing about a proposal to cut state employee compensation reserves, to that, your Union says, "Crap!"

Today, the Assembly Republican Caucus released their 185 page budget proposal. In this proposal two immediate issues jump right out. The ARC proposes cutting state employee compensation reserves by $94 Million over the two-year budget and if that is not enough, they plan to modify the current payroll period from biweekly to monthly. In their continued "support" of state employees, they intend to provide that the payroll period would be a prohibited subject of collective bargaining.

In addition the ARC is assaulting the state employee benefits of health insurance and retirement, such as:

1. Require non-represented state employees to contribute 5 percent to the WRS. Note: Non-represented state employees is the first step toward represented state employees.

2. Require "Non-Protective" status state employees to pay 10 percent of their state health insurance monthly premium. Note: This is an attempt to divide non-protective and protective status state employees.

3. Reduce Sick leave days to ONLY six days per year for NEW "Non-Protective" status state employees. Note: This is an attempt to divide non-protective and protective status state employees. This would also become a prohibited subject of collective bargaining.

4. Reduce Correctional Officer Overtime by $18 Million and eliminate 50 Correctional Officer positions.

5. Require Municipal Employees to contribute 3 percent to the WRS.

6. Eliminate health insurance as a subject of collective bargaining for Municipal Employees. Note: Success on the Municipal level will lead toward the future action against State Employees.

The AFSCME lobbyists are pouring over the remainder of the ARC budget proposal as of this writing. There are many other attacks, some not as severe and some that apply only to select state and municipal employees. If you are not mad at this point, then you need to get real MAD! Right NOW, we need for you to voice your anger with your state representative, republican or democrat, and have them commit to you that they will not assault state and municipal employees by supporting this outrageous cut in state employee compensation reserves and at the same time prohibit payroll period as a subject of collective bargaining as well as all of the other cuts to state employee benefits.

DO NOT just ignite the fire! Hit your state representative with all the fury you have and if you tire grab the fury of your families, friends and neighbors and throw it at them. Get on your keyboard or the phone and fight like hell to oppose this outrageous assault. This is no time to sit and be idle. You need to voice your outrage at every republican that supports the ARC budget proposal and even any democrat that would support the ARC budget proposal. Toss your political affiliation and fight for you, your family and every other working family in Wisconsin.

You can download and view the complete ARC budget proposal by following this link: http://www.legis.state.wi.us/lfb/LFBPublications_ButtonPages/Publications_Main.htm

-- AFSCME Council 24 SEPAC

(submitted 7/10/07)

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