Desperate Wisconsin Unions Resort to Alinsky Tactics

townhall ^ | 2/21/11 | Rachel Alexander

[Nachum]

Facing a growing tide of opposition over the skyrocketing costs of government employee pension plans, unions in Wisconsin are striking back with underhanded tactics. Massive protests in Wisconsin’s State Capitol began last week after Republican Governor Scott Walker announced a budget on February 11, 2011 that would repeal public employee unions’ collective bargaining power to negotiate benefits and working conditions, leaving them with only wage-negotiating authority. Police and firefighters would be exempt. Governor Walker targeted pensions since their costs are rising at much more unsustainable levels than wage increases. His budget also increases public employees’ healthcare premiums to 12%, and requires them to start contributing 5.8% of their pay to pensions. Wisconsin state employees have one of the most generous benefits packages in the nation. Currently they are not required to contribute anything towards their pensions, and only 6% of their salaries goes towards healthcare premiums. Private employees pay much more on average into equivalent plans; Governor Walker’s budget would merely reduce the generous subsidies given to public employees. This would save the state nearly $300 million over the next two fiscal years.

[chickadee]

The Budget Repair Bill doesn't even affect the teachers financially. Their turn comes later. The current bill addresses state workers - which the teachers are not.

But, they do know that one of the things that Scott Walker ran on was decreasing the cost of teachers' health insurance by putting them in the State's health care plan. Surprisingly, they don't like the idea:

It turns out that collective bargaining is one of the ways that the Teacher's Union is stealing from the taxpayers of Wisconsin. A union-mandated high-cost health plan that is owned by the union is milking the taxpayers by charging premiums that far exceed market norms, and are doing so with impunity or apparent recourse.

Wisconsin Teachers Union owns health insurance company - they 'collectively bargained' for

[freekitty]

I thought that was what they were doing all along.

[Vendome]

Eff them.

Pay your way like the rest of us do.

[screaminsunshine]

Thatcher was right about socialism and OPM.

[2ndDivisionVet]

[Cincinatus' Wife]

“Although it represents a lower percentage of the workforce, the union movement during the 1900s has looked to greater involvement in order coalitions, particularly those representing minority groups or the environmental movement.” Source

MAKES A LOT MORE SENSE NOW!

Education unions are heavily invested in:

Multiculturalism

Diversity

TESOL -- Global Education Association (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc)

Eco Movement

Climate Change

Global Warming

***** order coalitions*****