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Was Wednesday's 'sick out' by Madison teachers an illegal strike?
Madison.Com ^ | Wednesday, February 16, 2011 6:13 pm | State Journal staff

Posted on 02/18/2011 11:52:25 AM PST by so_real

State law prohibits public school teachers from striking. So did Wednesday's "sick out" by Madison School District teachers constitute an illegal strike?

No, said John Matthews, Madison Teachers Inc. executive director, who called the event "a political action," not a strike.

"They're not protesting against their employers," he said. "The employer had nothing to do with this. This is trying to save public education in Wisconsin."

Madison school officials didn't respond immediately Wednesday to requests for comment.

Peter Davis, legal counsel with the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission, which administers the state's collective bargaining laws, declined to say whether the action — in which 40 percent of the Madison union's 2,600 members called in sick as of late Tuesday — amounted to a strike since his organization could be called on to make that judgment in any complaint against MTI.

But in general, Davis said, a strike includes any concerted work stoppage by municipal employees, any concerted interruption of operation of services, or any concerted refusal to work or perform normal duties for the purpose of enforcing demands on a municipal employer.


TOPICS: Breaking News; Government; News/Current Events; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: corruption; democrats; liberalfascism; liberals; madison; progressives; strike; teachers; unioncorruption; unions; walker; wisconsinleftyquacks; wisconsinshowdown
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a strike includes any concerted work stoppage by municipal employees, any concerted interruption of operation of services, or any concerted refusal to work or perform normal duties for the purpose of enforcing demands on a municipal employer

Despite the liberal talking mouth pieces ... this *is* an illegal strike. Fire them. Fire them all.


1 posted on 02/18/2011 11:52:37 AM PST by so_real
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To: so_real

Of course it’s a strike. Proving it is another question.


2 posted on 02/18/2011 11:54:53 AM PST by swain_forkbeard (Rationality may not be sufficient, but it is necessary.)
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To: so_real
Was Wednesday's 'sick out' by Madison teachers an illegal strike?

Of course. So what? Nothing will be done about it.

3 posted on 02/18/2011 11:55:12 AM PST by facedown (Armed in the Heartland)
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To: so_real
"They're not protesting against their employers," he said. "The employer had nothing to do with this."

Uhm... their "employers" are state taxpayers represented by their legally elected Governor and representatives.

So yes, they are "protesting against their employers".

4 posted on 02/18/2011 11:56:41 AM PST by PhilosopherStone1000 (http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/2649877/posts)
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To: so_real

Any person that called in sick and can be identified on video as being at the protest should be fired for fraud.


5 posted on 02/18/2011 11:58:58 AM PST by Bob Buchholz
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To: so_real

Wildcat strike!

Federal courts have held that wildcat strikes are illegal and that employers may fire workers participating in them.
(1935 National Labor Relations Act)

But laws don’t apply to liberals if they feel they are doing the right thing.


6 posted on 02/18/2011 12:00:54 PM PST by Iron Munro ("Our country's founders cherished liberty, not democracy." -- Ron Paul)
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To: Bob Buchholz

I heard a spokesperson for the teachers’ union say on the radio about a half hour ago that if the state tries to discipline the teachers in any way, the union will make it too expensive for the state to continue the process.

How arrogant can you get?


7 posted on 02/18/2011 12:02:43 PM PST by chickadee
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To: chickadee

When does their contract run out.

No contract - no job.

Big new sign;

.....NOW HIRING


8 posted on 02/18/2011 12:06:10 PM PST by maine yankee
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To: so_real
John Matthews was the Madison Union leader sixteen years ago when the teachers had a “slow-down”. My most memorable moment of him then was when a revised set of negotiations was handed to him and he threw them in the garbage without even glancing at them. My kids were in the Madison schools at the time and I was volunteering in the schools on a daily basis. After seeing that childish act, I vowed never to renew my teaching certificate because I never wanted to be associated with the that sort of behavior. I finished my commitment to the volunteering activity for that year, but I never did volunteer again for classroom work. The mention of John Matthews name still gets my dander up after sixteen years. I cannot believe this degenerate is still head of the Madison teachers union.
9 posted on 02/18/2011 12:07:46 PM PST by madinmadtown
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To: facedown

Of course. So what? Nothing will be done about it.

You have a crystal ball or just pessimism? I'm seeing a lot of things happening I did not expect to see. Some of them I'm even pretty pleased about. I think we can make this stick.


10 posted on 02/18/2011 12:09:25 PM PST by so_real ( "The Congress of the United States recommends and approves the Holy Bible for use in all schools.")
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To: Iron Munro
Here's a link to a local news show on this subject:

Disciplining teachers
11 posted on 02/18/2011 12:09:25 PM PST by chickadee
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To: so_real

If they called in sick and they weren’t sick and they cash their payroll check, then they are guilty of theft under false pretenses.


12 posted on 02/18/2011 12:09:53 PM PST by P-Marlowe (LPFOKETT GAHCOEEP-w/o*)
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To: chickadee

The union can outspend the government? What an idiot. Governor Walker can sink them, but this dimwit’s ego got the better of him. BTW Milwaukee is closed down today too because of the ‘sick out’. Funny thing, supposedly the only way to come back to work is an offical doctor’s excuse. Riiiiight. I hope it goes on for a little longer so the core constituents of the Democrats (inner city) are harshly affected by the teacher and senator walk out shennanigans. Then there will be he// to pay (but of course it will be blamed on Bush or some such thing).


13 posted on 02/18/2011 12:12:00 PM PST by chichipow
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To: maine yankee

It would be funny if some high school kids rearranged the signs in front of their schools to say “Now Hiring teachers who care about our Education”


14 posted on 02/18/2011 12:12:00 PM PST by Betty Jane
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To: so_real

he sounds like a good little Shanker:

Albert Shanker: “When school children start paying union dues, that ‘s when I’ll start representing the interests of school children.”

Albert Shanker (September 14, 1928 – February 22, 1997) was President of the United Federation of Teachers from 1964 to 1984 as well as President of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974 to 1997.


15 posted on 02/18/2011 12:12:53 PM PST by WOBBLY BOB ( "I don't want the majority if we don't stand for something"- Jim Demint)
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To: maine yankee

Their contract could already be “out”. It is the way of public employee unions to stall and stall on contracts. The contracts are always for 2 years to coincide with the State budget process. Since a new budget process is due to start on July 1, 2011, even if they are current on their contracts, the present contract will expire on June 30, 2011.


16 posted on 02/18/2011 12:13:06 PM PST by chickadee
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To: PhilosopherStone1000

The teachers’ contract is with the local school district, not the state. The local school district has a duly elected board and that is the employer.


17 posted on 02/18/2011 12:13:53 PM PST by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't.)
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To: chichipow

The union can outspend the government. They have staff lawyers who have nothing better to do. Plus, the teachers’ contract is very blurry on sick days - even allowing for “mental health” days.

The union stooge I saw said that the state would be forced to prosecute the discipline cases one by one and prove that each person was guilty of not being out sick according to the terms of the contract. Get the drift?


18 posted on 02/18/2011 12:16:19 PM PST by chickadee
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To: Iron Munro

Sounds like the WI AG better get busy firing some senators,too.


19 posted on 02/18/2011 12:16:19 PM PST by WOBBLY BOB ( "I don't want the majority if we don't stand for something"- Jim Demint)
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To: so_real

It is absolutely a wildcat strike. If it isn’t then the union is on the line to be decertified!

No matter where you work, if you walk out it is a wildcat.

Refer. to NLRA


20 posted on 02/18/2011 12:29:51 PM PST by devistate one four ( AARP: Anti America Retired People Kimber CDP II .45 OORAH! TET68)
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