Posted on 08/15/2011 11:07:59 AM PDT by UB355
WEAC issues layoff notices to 40% of staff By Erin Richards of the Journal Sentinel Aug. 15, 2011 12:02 p.m. |(114) Comments
Layoff notices have been issued to about 40% of the Wisconsin Education Association Council workforce, a total of 42 employees who work for the state's largest teachers union, Executive Director Dan Burkhalter confirmed Monday.
Burkhalter said that the layoffs and other budget cuts at WEAC are a result of Gov. Scott Walker's "union-busting" legislation.
Right now were engaged in membership continuation campaigns," Burkhalter said in a statement. "Weve made steady progress in signing up members and we anticipate further progress will be made as the school year resumes. Despite budget cuts and layoffs, our goal remains the same: to be a strong and viable organization that represents the voices of Wisconsins public school employees.
The organization has been working to stay relevant in a time when state legislation has severely clipped the collective bargaining rights of teachers and other public workers. The legislation makes it illegal for local teachers unions to electronically deduct dues from the payroll of teachers, and local unions also have to hold re-certification votes.
The Wisconsin Association of School Boards estimates that about 275 school districts in the state are working outside of collective bargaining agreements and subject to the new legislation. About 150 or so districts are operating under contracts that were extended with their respective unions before the legislation passed.
It is more than that...the union was the health insurer for the teachers...so when they raised the cost each year, the school districts had to pony up more money. Now, where did this money end up...in the hands of the dem politicians. This was incestuous beyond belief. Now that the districts can go out and compete the cost of health care programs for the teachers, their costs have gone down markedly.
Wouldn’t that be a shocker. These types of situations are why I still think California could be in play, if only we’d battle there as a party. The Republicans have surrendered it.
I remember and article that the unions changed their tune when faced with competitive bids for health insurance. “Oh yeah, we can match that low bid”.
If my math is correct, the $35 million blown on the misguided recall effort to buy political power for the top union echelons works out to be about $833,333 per each of the 42 employees forced to walk the plank. Great priorities, guys. Your union watches out for you little guys.
Thanks sickoflibs.
Thanks UB355.
WOW! Lucky Wisconsin!
These thugs shouldn’t have spent so much money on the recent recall elections...they spent these employees salaries 10 times over.
I got a mail that the $35 million figure is overstated and includes money spent by both sides in the recall
So some pajamahadeen research on the actual union cash flow dumped into this rope-a-dope is needed!
The state union alone employes 100 people? Bet all their jobs could have been saved if the national unions donated to the state union instead of spending $30M to defeat two Republican state senators.
Perfect timing for the Obama “Wheels A Comin’Off The Bus” tour. LOL
You really said that nicely. I like it!
Welcome WEAC to capitalism and the market system!
If you provide a service valuable to your members, you’ll recruit more, and if not, you won’t.
Good luck,
Small business owner.
Hand me a crying towel! I’m so busted up about this, I can’t hold back. Scott Walker for POTUS in ‘16! If he can do this WI, think what he could do for the USA!
[If only they’d occupied the statehouse a *few* days longer, this might have been averted. If only they’d chanted a few decibels louder. If only...if only. ::snark::]
It warms my heart to see union thugs blow 30 million on nothing. let’s hope they blow 100 million of Obama and get nothing too.
Read between the lines... membership is down. So when people aren't forced into paying Union due this is considering "Union Busting". This is sort of like saying with the Government stops Wise Guys from taking protection money this is "Mob Busting".... (this is a bad thing?)
We also know the days of the fat cat UNION RUN Health Insurance plan is over. I wonder how many jobs were lost now that the Union Health Insurance has to compete for its business? Most people call the bid process the free market, Burkhalter calls it Union Busting.
Perfect!!
I guess I will have to hunt up my violin......
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