Wisconsin Professors Unionize, Defy Walker’s Law on Collective Bargaining

[highplainsdem]

Source: Bloomberg

Wisconsin Professors Unionize, Defy Walker’s Law on Collective Bargaining
By Mark Niquette - Mar 31, 2011 2:22 PM CT


Lisa Theo cast her vote yesterday to join a union that may not be able to negotiate a contract for her and said, “That felt good.”

Theo, 51, a geography instructor, and her University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point colleagues voted in a two-day election to be represented by AFT-Wisconsin after the passage of a law championed by Republican Governor Scott Walker that would eliminate collective bargaining for faculty members.

It was the fourth state campus to vote in favor of representation since Walker introduced the bill Feb. 11, saying it is necessary to mend the recession-battered budget. The measure, which has been challenged in court, touched off weeks of protests. Professors say Republicans are using the budget crisis to attack education with the union bill, by proposing funding cuts and by seeking e-mails sent by a UW-Madison professor who wrote a blog posting and a New York Times opinion piece opposing Walker.

-snip-

The Stevens Point faculty voted 283-15 for the union, said Jennifer Collins, an assistant professor of political science and member of the committee advocating the federation.

-snip-

[northoftheborder]

1. Good for them!

[roguevalley]

23. Holy God, can I love Wisconsin more than I do now!?!?!?!

[aquart]

2. Now that's how to teach.

[sabrina 1]

3. I'm almost beginning to think that Walker is an

undercover Union supporter. He's done more to strengthen the Unions than anyone else has done in recent memory. Someone should name a Union after him.

Good for them, that is the way to fight union busting, form more of them.

[Gin]

8. Ha! I agree...he is the best thing that has happened to unions in

a long time...he is a tool...HA!

[louslobbs]

10. I agree and this is great news, they are not breaking any law, because walkers dictated piece of

garbage has not been legally published and a judge put a stop to thugs pushing this into law, so it's just a piece of paper and has no legality. The only ones breaking the laws of Wisconsin are Dicktator Walker, Fitzgerald and his band of thieves, sponsored by Koch. And thank you Walker for waking up Republican Union members, I have about 20 in my family that you have helped out of their slumber. Thank you once again and keep up the good work.
Lou

[LiberalFighter]

19. Even if it had been legally passed, signed and published

anyone should have the right without a law to form and belong to an employee organization.

[louslobbs]

29. 100% agreement from me and thank you for adding that .

Lou

[Voice for Peace]

40. that's what I can never quite get

how can it be against the law for people to collaborate in this way?

[SomeGuyInEagan]

13. "Scott Walker Union Hall" has a nice ring to it, eh? n/t

[rzemanfl]

22. You mean the singer, right? n/t

[No Elephants]

70. In a word, no.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

81. I was trying to think of something along the lines of "Santorum" ...

... in the way Dan Savage has completely changed the use of the word. An act that would thoroughly and forever embarrass him.

Perhaps as this?

"Walker" - (verb) the act of pushing illegal legislation so arrogantly that one actually inspires the masses to react, leading to defeat. To walker; walking; to have walkered.

Example in a sentence, "Egads ... that dip-shit sure Walkered that up, didn't he?!"

[Auntie Bush]

27. I thought you were going to say, " Walker's a dead man walking."

[tavalon]

45. In the wake of Gabby Gifford's shooting, I have had to give up some of my favorite metaphors

That was one of them and yes, he is. He'll be out of office as soon as the recall can happen. His popularity has gone down the toilet. Major buyer's remorse happening there.

[tavalon]

43. He's a uniter

like Bush the lesser was.

[No Elephants]

69. All despot employers are good for unions, but usually at a cost to workers.

Here's hoping no one has to pay a terrible price bc of what these Rethugs have been stirring up.

[Zorra]

4. Smile. Perfect. Leave it to a bunch of college profs to figure out exactly

what to do.

This is a truly awesome move, with lots of really cool ramifications.
:popcorn:

[louis-t]

5. I hope Walker doesn't send the state police after them.

Wouldn't surprise me.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. K/R

Please click here.

[Uncle Joe]

7. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, highplainsdem.

[woodsprite]

9. As a staff person, sometimes dealing with faculty can be frustrating,

but one thing they definitely have is balls! I'm glad they did this!

[readmoreoften]

62. That's because we don't know how to open doors and we break the copier.

But we really try.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

11. Wow. UW-River Falls faculty voted to unionize last week.

148-16 out of a unit of 222 in favor of union representation through AFT-Wisconsin

http://www.riverfallsjournal.com/event/article/id/98160/

[Scuba]

12. 283 - 15 huh?

[fishwax]

36. a real nail biter

:)

[Kingofalldems]

14. K and R all Pro Union threads

[freshwest]

16. X1,000,000

[roguevalley]

25. I times your million and raise you two jillion. :)

[freshwest]

28. And I raised a googolplex to you. Take that!

:loveya:

[roguevalley]

58. oops. uh, you win. TAG! YOU'RE IT! *runs like the wind* :)

[freshwest]

60. Ooh, scarey! The sychronicity woowoo hits! Someone said that to me the yesterday...

All I could think of when he said that was the song with the chorus 'ride like the wind.' So now I will find it and buy it on iTunes! Thanks for bringing that bubble of memory up.

[fishwax]

37. .

:thumbsup:

:kick:

[freshwest]

15. That's cool, but they must also fight privatization of colleges, or lose in the long run.

[No Elephants]

71. Excellent point.

[aggiesal]

17. Good for them. ...

What I don't understand is the concept of privatizing.
Walker wants to bust on government entities, and then privatize them.

The Tea Party wants less government and the only way to make less is
to privatize everything the government does.

Every time a Teabagger says this to me, I always tell them that it will
be more expensive when privatized. If you don't believe me, try mailing
a letter to your neighbor across the street, using FedEx, Western Union,
or any other shipping company of your choice, but you can't use the USPS.

It costs, I think $0.43 to mail a letter through USPS, but about $10
through FedEx, Western Union, ...
Try mailing Christmas cards at $10 per, and you'll never ever complain
about the USPS

BTW, I don't work for the USPS, but I know a good thing when I see it.

I don't like government waste, but I'd rather put up with the current
government waste then to pay some private company 10x the current government
fee for anything.

[JCMach1]

65. And the use of adjuncts...

or should I say abuse...

[AC_Mem]

75. Great Point - and I might add

I came to Memphis about 25 years ago and got a job at FedEx. I remember several times there was talk of forming a union. The pilots fought HARD to get their union. Fred Smith was so opposed to unions that he stated that he would close the company and walk away before he would ever see his company unionized. I have no proof, but I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't have a lot to do with the fact that Tennessee is a "right to work" state. I also wouldn't be surprised if he isn't very very active in the efforts right now to go after the unions as well as loosening the safety regulations of CARGO aircraft.

Mr. Smith has parties here in Memphis. Very expensive, fund raising, political parties.

My dad helped him start FedEx and I was a good employee for 18 years for them. I am, today, absolutely ashamed to align myself with him. While his business model obviously made him many millions, I feel he is right there in alignment with the union busting GOP that are ruining our country right now. The ironic part is that Fred Smith's dad and my grandfather worked on forming unions for the transportation industry back in the day. My grandpa was the President of the Greyhound Bus Lines Union. Fred Smith has union DNA, no matter that he seems to have transfused it out of his blood.

Oh, and fyi, FedEx just raised their prices again. Because of the cost of oil, dontcha know.....

@

[blackspade]

18. Yea!

:toast:

[Bozita]

20. Yes!

This will also lift your spirits:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x568357

[Historic NY]

55. Walker makes more Union members.

[Frustratedlady]

21. Super. Walker has been ramming his agenda down their throats...

good to see them show him who he works for...and it isn't Koch.

[Tx4obama]

24. They have not defied the law, because the law is not in effect.

Judge Sumi has said that the law is not in effect.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x783393

[Snoutport]

26. 283-15...THAT shows just how worked up people are!!

wow...i know that walker has made me more political...but i'm wondering if he could lead to a resurgence of the unions?!

[abq e streeter]

30. THIS is how you stand up to those bastards !

[AzDar]

31. K & R

...for the working folk. The REAL power in this country. :kick:

[RetroLounge]

32. K&R

:hi:

RL

[Blue Owl]

33. Shove it, Walker

SHOVE IT

[Lifelong Protester]

34. "Can you hear us NOW, Scotty?"

Can't take credit for that. It is a shared quote from a FB link of the AFT.

Just got home from work. Best. News. ALL. DAY!

[Buenaventura]

35. Excellent! UW-River Falls voted 148-16

out of 222 on march 24th! SOLIDARITY!

[Beartracks]

38. Voted 283-15? Wow. And those 15 will be fawned over...

... by the "liberal media." Because, of course, to do otherwise would make the vote seem imbalanced.

:eyes:

-------------------------

[Wolf Frankula]

39. More Union Brothers and Sisters

I'm glad the Stevens Point faculty did the smart thing and unionized. Unions are needed now, more than ever. Go Union!

Wolf

[elocs]

41. On Feb. 25 they voted to unionize at UW-La Crosse where I live:

http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_57180d90-4099-11e0-8bf5-001cc4c03286.html

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) - Faculty members at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse have voted overwhelmingly to join a union.

Thursday's vote was 249-37 in favor of union representation through AFT-Wisconsin, a statewide labor federation affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers. The UW-La Crosse unit numbers 328.

The vote comes amid daily protests at the Wisconsin Capitol over legislation to strip most public employees of their collective bargaining rights.

Susan Crutchfield, an associate English professor, says Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair proposal galvanized the UW-La Crosse faculty's resolve to form a union.

[proud patriot]

42. It's Not a Law ! "Liberal" media my ass

the headline should have read "Defying Walker's Defiance of the Judge's
ruling Wis. Professors choose to Unionize"

[Pacifist Patriot]

74. +1

[proud patriot]

76. Thanks

:-) , I just get sooooo iritated with right wing frames .

[iwishiwas]

44. 4 down-9 to go

[msongs]

46. perfect illustration of differences between dems and republicans. repubs take their agenda

and run with it with all their might while dems seem to need repub permission for a dems agenda.

perhaps we can get the d ems to be more assertive eh?

[K8-EEE]

47. Recky rec REC!!!

It's pretty obvious that the hatred for "intellectuals" among the rw propagandists is because they know they are too smart to fall for their bullshit!

[Myrina]

48. No UWGB? Sniffle ...

My socialist hippie professors must be bound and gagged somewhere ....

[Taverner]

49. AWESOME!!!

This is a big fucking deal!

[Botany]

50. So who hasn't Walker pissed off?

Now you can add professors to firefighters, farmers, cops, students, seniors,
teachers, engineers, environmentalists, small business people, ......... Good God
in Butter the man is a screaming fuck up.

[harun]

54. The top 1% of wealth holders, which of course is the REAL GOP.

[suffragette]

51. Nicely, nicely done

K&R

[lonestarnot]

52. Excellent! Why should they legitimize that piece of crap! It's not law just because fucker walker

says so.

[martigras]

53. Welcome to the AFT!

Good for you Stevens Point! Welcome to the union!

[TxVietVet]

56. I'll bet it's pissing off the kochroaches ........

that they DARE oppose the conservanazi leader, Gov. Wanker.

[loudsue]

57. Aren't there laws AGAINST union busting? Isn't collective bargaining already allowed in

all 50 states by law??

Further-fucking-more, isn't collective bargaining just another aspect of FREE SPEECH?? How come faux news gets free speech and employees DON'T???

[glinda]

63. Cuz they wants "small" Government and "big Corps". And eliminate Government altogether.

[Iris]

66. To paraphrase Bob Dylan - We all gotta serve someone. And Walker, Eric Cantor and their ilk believe

America should be a place where we all serve Corporations.

But, yeah, it does seem collective bargaining is free speech. Maybe in 20 more years we'll have a shift in the Supreme Court and begin a new progressive area. For now, it's all business, all the time. And free speech protects you from the government, not the corporate bosses.

[rpannier]

59. Like to know who the 15 knobs are nt

[Starry Messenger]

61. k&r

[Generic Other]

64. Welcome to the AFT...we love Wisconsin!!

Wow this is great news.

[Ellipsis]

67. Go Pointers!!!! I have many friend who are profs at Point, a sensible group they are.

Considerate, environmentally focused, lovers of the arts, progressive, loving of community, thoughtful and grounded.


Fuck you Scott Walker and all that support you in Portage county... though we love them anyway, but not you Scott... ya dick!.

[diane in sf]

68. Unionized Prof here--it's why I make a decent living.

[indimuse]

72. KNR! n/t

[No Elephants]

73. Let's hear it for those whom Eisenhower contemptously described as being in an "ivory tower."

(Yes, you guessed it: I don't like Ike; I do like union members and I do like state-employed profs-even married one.)

[EnviroBat]

77. Looks like this thing is going to go to a vote here in Ohio.

A referendum to put it on the ballot will have more signatures than necessary. The people of Ohio are going to shove this thing up Kasich's ass. I can't wait. Something tells me that he's going to try to circumvent the will of the people in Ohio. He should find himself without a job soon.

[malaise]

78. 283-15! Solidarity Forever!!

Bravo Professors!!

[L. Coyote]

79. K & REC

[a2liberal]

80. Accidentally hit unrec, sorry!