Governor Scott Walker has taken a leap of faith in attacking public employees. He seems to think that abolishing 50+ years of negotiated labor agreements with a week's notice will be accepted by the people of Wisconsin. But it will not.
Public employees, like me, provide services to the state that are as necessary as those performed by union employees in the public sector. We are paid less on average, and although we receive fair benefits many of us (particularly UW system academic staff) work without contracts and have been doing our fair share with regard to taking furloughs (a 3% annual salary reduction) and losing a 2% cost of living increase that was supposed to go into effect in July of 2008, and nothing since more since then. In fact, Walker wants to rescind the right of UW academic staff to organize that was only gained last year. It feels like a slap in the face, honestly.
Interestingly, Walker's plan exempts police and firemen from his recent budget bill, apparently because he feels that these two professions are more vital than any other. What about epidemiologists and public health workers, or those who work with livestock and wildlife? What about social workers and employees who rescue children from abuse and neglect? Are these employees less vital than those who work in public safety?
I'm looking forward to demonstrating tomorrow in solidarity with my fellow state employees, both union and non-union at the Capitol here in Madison. Governor Walker has taken a large bet that we will not be able to resist his assault on our rights, and this week it's our opportunity to show him what he is risking.
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