Free Republic

Some unions who didn't have a contract in place, lost some of their power as Governor Walker's collective bargaining changes begin to take effect. In Racine County, it means inmates doing some of the work unions had previously bargained for. Last June, the county took Racine inmates out of their jail cells and put them behind lawn movers. They were cutting the grass in areas that the county executive says were neglected, due to budget cuts. Local unions filed a grievance saying work like that should be done by union members...

Arianna Huffington is being cast by some unpaid Huffington Post contributors as an unethical robber baron. With Huffington awash in funds from AOL’s $315 million purchase of the Huffington Post, contributors have called a strike to demand proper compensation. The Huffington Post, established in 2005, emerged as a leading source of aggregated news content and liberal commentary written by unpaid contributors. With the success of the site, founder Arianna Huffington rocketed to national fame, frequently appearing as a guest on cable news programs. Bill Lasarow, Publisher and Co-Editor of Visual Art Source, announced that his organization is “now going on...

Here is a report from 2000 that shows the waste of WEAC of at least $ 50 million a year times 10+ years === 1/2 billion dollars. According to Gov Walker this excess cost is now $68 million per year. WEAC controls 85% of teacher health insurance without competition. http://www.wpri.org/Reports/Volume13/Vol13no8.pdf page 20 The market for teachers’health insurance in Wisconsin is characterized by several traits. The health insurance is determined through the collective bargaining process. The health insurance plans provided by the districts are rarely put out to bid. The WEAInsurance Corporation, an entity affiliated with the state’s largest teachers union,...