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Cheap Trick? WI Secy of State Gives Unions Extra Time to Lock in Contracts

By: LaborUnionReport (Diary)  |  March 14th, 2011 at 03:30 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

This may make things a bit stickier in Wisconsin: Democrat Secretary of State, Doug La Follette, is giving public-sector unions until the last moment possible (March 25th) to lock in contracts before publishing the new law limiting collective bargaining rights.

According to AP:

School boards and local governments across Wisconsin are rushing to reach agreements with unions before a new law takes effect that will remove their ability to collectively bargain over nearly all issues other than minimal salary increases.

Secretary of State Doug La Follette said Monday he decided to delay publication of the law until the latest day possible, March 25, to give those local governments as much time as possible to reach agreements. The law doesn’t take effect until the day after La Follette publishes it.

[snip]

The Wisconsin Association of School Boards is telling districts to be cautious about approving contracts that will make it more difficult for them to handle the cuts in aid Walker is seeking. The association had estimated earlier this month that up to a fourth of the state’s 424 districts have approved new contract extensions since Walker unveiled the bill on Feb. 11.

Walker had asked La Follette to publish the law on Monday, but La Follette refused. [La Follette is a relative to the late progressive icon "Fighting Bob" La Follette.]

While most collective bargaining agreements contain “savings clauses,” which eliminate contractual provisions that are in conflict with the law while leaving the rest of the contract intact, since the new law does not apply to contracts in existence, right now, it is unknown whether mandatory dues and state collection of dues would be part of any rushed-through contracts.

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COMMENTS

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  • thurman

    Yet another example why down ballot elections are so important– we’ve seen several Dem Secs of State defy their Governors and Legislatures like this, just like the liberals planned all along.

    Heaven forbid we have another Florida 2000 issue in 2012 that could decide the election with a Dem SOS in charge…

    • kobayashi

      The other states trying to produce similar legislation will also face hurdles like this. Campaign 2012 is already on for the Democrats and they are not finished with what was a “Blue State”.

  • Deskpilot

    wouldm’t this ONE guy make a much easier target than theentire WI GOP Senate.

    • Flagstaff

      Good thought. But it doesn’t help right now.

  • beafrank

    Typical wasted liberal effort. The bill was signed into law by the Governor and the Sec of State does not have the power to overrule it. Delaying publication does not affect the legislation’s implementation. Public unions in WI no longer have collective bargaining power, Period.

    • not_neo_just_conservative

      they can come to between now and then?

      You can judge who is bought and paid for by the unions by how quickly they run to the bargaining table this week.

      • flannery

        The State law imposed collective bargaining, the new law does not permit the practice. The State, or local unit of government will be able to implement new terms of employment through their normal administrative (or legislative) process. The contracts can be changed any time the government wants, therefore the contracts are either void or voidable.

        • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

          The new agreements get signed.

          New law takes effect.

          Unions go to court over all current contracts.

          Unions win in state court.

  • Raven

    Are rushing to get agreements with the unions. Not the other way around.
    WTH is wrong with the governments?
    I’d be delaying an agreement as long as possible to force the union into a weaker position.

    • not_neo_just_conservative

      You are assuming the local government is an adversary of the union. If the people doing the negotiating are getting re-election campaign funding through the unions, maybe now is payback time.

      That’s the whole problem with public sector unions.

      • Raven

        Merely pointing something out.

  • throwback59

    “The law is good for thee but not for me”.

  • Kyle-MI

    They will have to absorb the coming budget cuts one way or another. By locking in contracts with greater wages and benefits, they are ensuring that more government employees with be laid off.

    By the way, why are the unions complaining about the Walker law if the locals are not going to use this new power anyway? What is all the fuss about?

  • not_neo_just_conservative

    http://tinyurl.com/4hogp4z

    Watch the short video (27 seconds)

    Read the summary:

    1. We

    • GregInFla

      and he is right, as usual.

  • f2000

    for the argument that the people who should be representing the taxpayers in contract negotiations simply are not than what is happening as a result of the passage of the collective-bargaining privileges in WI:

    There is nothing in the bill that will prevent them from granting the exact same contracts that they grant now (dues collection excluded?), if they feel the benefits are justified. Yet, elected officials are scrambling to pass contracts before their negotiating position improves! Why? After it takes effect they will be solely responsible for authorizing those expensive packages.

  • carolina

    for unions to retain certification:
    snip
    Under the law, unions said it will be more difficult for them to retain members. The new law requires that 51% of all eligible workers

  • congressworksforus

    Here in Ohio I am encouraging our local board to get a new contract with the teachers before SB5 becomes law.

    I think 0% pay raises for 3 years, while promising not to increase the health insurance % contribution during the same time sounds pretty good.

    If the union says no, that’s OK; After SB5 becomes law they’ll get both the 0% pay raises AND the doubling of health insurance contributions…

  • nvrepub

    nt

  • philipjames

    Why do you think George Soros has been funding a big time mulit-million dollar campaign to go after Secretary of State positions in all the States? They decide elections in many cases when you have recounts, etc. and as you can see in this case, screw with legislation.
    Secretary of State is an elected position. Republicans have to get off their butts and devote time and money to win those elections too.

  • romeg

    should have surprised no one. It is a counter-move by the progressives to subvert the will of the people of WI to the wiles and skulduggery of “The Ruling Class”.

    But just as elections have consequences, so to the willful acts of those who occupy “Safe Seats”. Whether the SecState of WI is a relative of “Fighting Bob” or Bob the Builder will be of little consequence IF the voters of WI truly do want to reign in the cycle of corruption represented by the cozy relationships between Dems and Big Labor that denies a seat at the negotiating table to the Voters.

  • Flagstaff

    Do they not believe they will be forced to lay off teachers if they circumvent the law?

    • http://www.examiner.com/x-1597-Charlotte-Law--Politics-Examiner Mike gamecock DeVine

      liberal judges that make up the law as they go to help their leftist allies…and I suspect that one of the next battlefields will be state courts in Wisconsin.

    • glorybee

      individual union members, it’s always about the collective. Additionally, union work rules ensure a last hired, first fired system that keeps long term employees safe & flush in pay & benefits. Unions never go to bat for single teachers in a dispute with management, in fact, they will cut loose any teacher who defies the system, especially affirmative action & other politically correct rules.

      • Flagstaff

        are conspiring with teachers’ unions to break their banks? It’s easy to understand why the unions want to sign new contracts quickly, but mystifying that the school boards are helping them.