Arbitrator ruled against Gov. Walker's privatization

[L. Coyote]

Rachel Maddow just covered this and the video is on DU:

Rachel Maddow Destroys Wisconsin's Gov Walker
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x556580

How Walker has been screwing up in the past:
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The Last Time Scott Walker Went Union Busting, He Was Overruled And Wasted Taxpayer Dollars

The last time Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) went after public sector unions it had “disastrous results” for him and for taxpayers. As Milwaukee County Executive in 2009, Walker tried to get rid of the unionized security guards at the county courthouse and replace them with contractors, which he promised would save the county money. The County Board rejected the idea, but in March of 2010 Walker “unilaterally ordered it,” claiming there was a budget emergency. Walker hired the British security contractor Wackenhut — of Kabul Embassy sex scandal fame — to replace the guards. Unfortunately for Walker and Milwaukee taxpayers, an arbiter later ruled that Walker had overstepped his authority, and ordered the county to reinstate the unionized workers, pay backwages, and pay tens of thousands of dollars in arbiter fees. ... costing Milwaukee taxpayers an extra half a million dollars.

Watch it = http://thinkprogress.org/2011/02/22/scott-walker-union-wackenhut/

the arbiter’s ruling against didn’t come down until last month — after Walker had been sworn in as governor. Maddow also notes that the man put in charge of Wackenhut’s security at the courthouse had a criminal record and had served prison time.

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Milwaukee County must offer to reinstate courthouse security guards
Arbitrator rules against Walker's privatization
By Steve Schultze of the Journal Sentinel
Jan. 10, 2011 (145) Comments - http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/113212479.html


Milwaukee County must offer to reinstate 26 courthouse security guards who were laid off nearly a year ago when then-County Executive Scott Walker replaced them with private guards as an emergency budget measure, according to an arbitrator's decision issued Monday.

Walker was sworn in as governor last week.

The county did not have a true budget crisis at the time and county officials failed to give the union representing the security guards an opportunity to make some alternative cost-saving proposals before laying them off, according to the decision from arbitrator Amedeo Greco.

Greco's ruling also said the $125,000 annual savings from privatizing the courthouse security estimated by county officials was overstated by nearly $53,000.

"It's another example here of penny-wise, pound-foolish," said Patricia Yunk, policy director for District Council 48 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. ....

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[derby378]

1. It's really sad when a corporate arbitrator from the private sector...

...has to tell a government official that what he's doing is not only wrong, but bad for the state budget.