UW-Madison Academic Staff Should Have Supported Bargaining When they Had the Chance

As a public employee with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I only recently received the right to organize with my coworkers under a 2009 Bill signed by then-Governor Jim Doyle.  Attempts to recruit us into unions through the process called unit clarification has been opposed by my fellow academic staff, who have denied that there is any support for it.  I questioned this, as I don't think that the committee responsible for gathering staff input has done a good job asking employees for their opinions and have possibly intimidated those who may have been open to unit clarification from speaking out.  Indeed, the UW-Madison Academic Staff Assembly has even created a committee that is actively working against unit clarification.  Right now, it doesn't seem to even matter, since the so-called Budget Repair Bill introduced by Gov. Scott Walker last week would take away our right to organize in support of collective bargaining carte-blanche.  Anyway, as a former Academic Staff Assembly representative I am guilty of not speaking out in favor of organizing with my co-workers back in 2009 when we had the chance.  Now it is an opportunity that is quickly slipping away.  No one can say whether this right will remain in the future, but if the Republicans have their way it surely will go away for good.