Republicans losing PR battle on collective bargaining:

[houndawg]

Where do the tax payer services like education, fire and police protection, roads etc come from? The decently paid state employees.

Glad you've figured out our system. When are we going to break free from the horrible repressive yoke of this evil 10% of our workforce?

Dude, states are broke because of the financial crisis. Evidently Wisconsin was so broke Walkder had to cut $100's of millions in corporate taxes just last month.

There are some valid points being made about the union related abuses of the system, but let's not get hysterical about this.

In 2010, about 12% of the overall workforce, and 36% of public sector.
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/union2.nr0.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I keep hearing people say 10% when its 12%. Just want to set the record straight...

My biggets problem is with public sector unions. I don't have any problem with private sector unions PROVIDED as in the case in right to work states, no one is forced to join or pay union dues in order to gain employment in a certain job field.

So where is your outrage over cops and firemen getting a pass from the guv?

[YoUDeeMan]

eh... like i've said elsewhere - nov 2012 will be the referendum on this - and the numbers that have wafted to me out of wisconsin suggest that the voters are going to side with the dems on this. as it stands now, walker is starting to float trial balloons of compromise finally (after realizing compromise is the only way to end this intractable standoff)... mostly because, if his polling matches the stuff I've had slipped to me by friends working over there... this isn't going well for him.

Do you ever get anything right?

Nice compromise.

[CID1990]

You mean like the election in November 2010 that gave the Republicans the majority in the Wisconsin legislature? And the Governors office? Chief?

eh... like i've said elsewhere - nov 2012 will be the referendum on this - and the numbers that have wafted to me out of wisconsin suggest that the voters are going to side with the dems on this. as it stands now, walker is starting to float trial balloons of compromise finally (after realizing compromise is the only way to end this intractable standoff)... mostly because, if his polling matches the stuff I've had slipped to me by friends working over there... this isn't going well for him.

Well you are just a regular insider, aren't you?

Your new nickname is Nostrafvckingdamus.

[HI54UNI]

Michael Barone is saying the polls really depend on how the questions are asked.

Democrats, desperate to keep the gusher of taxpayer money funneled to them by the public employee unions, have been trumpeting poll results indicating that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to eliminate state and local governmental units’ obligation to bargain the terms of benefits and pensions with public employee unions.

These Democrats cite, among others, pollster Scott Rasmussen. But as Rasmussen has explained, how you ask the question can make a huge difference in responses, particularly on an issue which is unfamiliar to most voters. Now Rasmussen has gotten more specific, finding that likely Wisconsin voters oppose weakening collective bargaining in general but strongly favor specific changes.

“Weakening bargaining rights”? 39% for, 55% against.

Require that a local school district buy health insurance from a union company? 19% for, 57% against.

Should the union disclose all financial relationships between the union and the union-created insurance company WEA Trust? 76% yes, 12% no.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/bel ... z1GIdgTVDb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/bel ... ters-think

[GannonFan]

Michael Barone is saying the polls really depend on how the questions are asked.

Democrats, desperate to keep the gusher of taxpayer money funneled to them by the public employee unions, have been trumpeting poll results indicating that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker’s proposal to eliminate state and local governmental units’ obligation to bargain the terms of benefits and pensions with public employee unions.

These Democrats cite, among others, pollster Scott Rasmussen. But as Rasmussen has explained, how you ask the question can make a huge difference in responses, particularly on an issue which is unfamiliar to most voters. Now Rasmussen has gotten more specific, finding that likely Wisconsin voters oppose weakening collective bargaining in general but strongly favor specific changes.

“Weakening bargaining rights”? 39% for, 55% against.

Require that a local school district buy health insurance from a union company? 19% for, 57% against.

Should the union disclose all financial relationships between the union and the union-created insurance company WEA Trust? 76% yes, 12% no.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/bel ... z1GIdgTVDb" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


http://washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/bel ... ters-think

I am shocked, I mean shocked, that polls can be manipulated to show whatever outcome you want to show. I'm practically agog and aghast (bonus points if you can identify where I plagerized the "agog and aghast" line).

[blueballs]

Well of course the Republicans are losing the battle as evidenced by the actions the following states (some of which are decidedly blue) are taking in accordance with what happened in the land of cheese:

* OHIO: Ohio's bill goes farther than Wisconsin's, prohibiting collective bargaining for 42,000 state workers plus 19,500 college system workers. For local governments, bargaining with unions representing some 300,000 workers including police, firefighters, and public school teachers, the bill takes healthcare and some other benefits out of the negotiating process. It denies them the right to strike.
The bill passed the Senate March 1. The Ohio House of Representatives will hold at least one more week of hearings on the bill, according to the spokesman for Republican speaker William G. Batchelder. A date for a vote has not been set. Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich has said he supports the measure.

* IDAHO: The Idaho state legislature has approved a bill to limit collective bargaining by public school teachers. The measure restricts collective bargaining to salaries and benefits, removing from negotiations such provisions as class sizes, teacher workload and promotions. Republican Governor Butch Otter was expected to sign it into law quickly.

* IOWA: The state House of Representatives is debating a bill curbing collective bargaining rights for public workers that was passed by the labor committee. The bill would exclude health insurance from the scope of collective bargaining, along with other changes. Democrats who control the Senate said they do not intend to bring the bill up for debate.

* MICHIGAN: Both chambers of the Michigan legislature have approved measures to give the state emergency powers to break union contracts to revive failing schools and cities. There are slight differences between the bills passed by the two chambers which must be reconciled. New Republican Governor Rick Snyder has said he supports the measure.

* INDIANA: Republican state lawmakers are pushing several measures that curb organized labor influence. The state Senate passed a bill that will narrow the scope of public school teachers' collective bargaining rights. The measure still needs to be approved by the state House, but House Democrats have left the state to deny votes on bills they say restrict workers' rights. One bill would create a state-wide school voucher system.

* NEW HAMPSHIRE: A right-to-work bill that refers only to public sector workers prohibits collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join labor unions. It also says that no public employee union is required to represent employees who elect not to join or pay dues. It passed the House and next goes to the Senate. Both legislative bodies have Republican majorities, but Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, has said he does not support the bill.

* KANSAS: The Kansas House has passed a bill that would outlaw employee payroll deductions for union dues and political action committees.

* TENNESSEE: A Republican-backed state bill would end teachers' rights to negotiate their working conditions with boards of education through collective bargaining. The bill has passed through the Senate Education Committee.

* OTHER STATES: Limits on public worker collective bargaining have been introduced in several other states as of last week, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. These include Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Washington, Alaska and Arizona.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/ ... QI20110311" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Appaholic]

Well of course the Republicans are losing the battle as evidenced by the actions the following states (some of which are decidedly blue) are taking in accordance with what happened in the land of cheese:

* OHIO: Ohio's bill goes farther than Wisconsin's, prohibiting collective bargaining for 42,000 state workers plus 19,500 college system workers. For local governments, bargaining with unions representing some 300,000 workers including police, firefighters, and public school teachers, the bill takes healthcare and some other benefits out of the negotiating process. It denies them the right to strike.
The bill passed the Senate March 1. The Ohio House of Representatives will hold at least one more week of hearings on the bill, according to the spokesman for Republican speaker William G. Batchelder. A date for a vote has not been set. Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich has said he supports the measure.

* IDAHO: The Idaho state legislature has approved a bill to limit collective bargaining by public school teachers. The measure restricts collective bargaining to salaries and benefits, removing from negotiations such provisions as class sizes, teacher workload and promotions. Republican Governor Butch Otter was expected to sign it into law quickly.

* IOWA: The state House of Representatives is debating a bill curbing collective bargaining rights for public workers that was passed by the labor committee. The bill would exclude health insurance from the scope of collective bargaining, along with other changes. Democrats who control the Senate said they do not intend to bring the bill up for debate.

* MICHIGAN: Both chambers of the Michigan legislature have approved measures to give the state emergency powers to break union contracts to revive failing schools and cities. There are slight differences between the bills passed by the two chambers which must be reconciled. New Republican Governor Rick Snyder has said he supports the measure.

* INDIANA: Republican state lawmakers are pushing several measures that curb organized labor influence. The state Senate passed a bill that will narrow the scope of public school teachers' collective bargaining rights. The measure still needs to be approved by the state House, but House Democrats have left the state to deny votes on bills they say restrict workers' rights. One bill would create a state-wide school voucher system.

* NEW HAMPSHIRE: A right-to-work bill that refers only to public sector workers prohibits collective bargaining agreements that require employees to join labor unions. It also says that no public employee union is required to represent employees who elect not to join or pay dues. It passed the House and next goes to the Senate. Both legislative bodies have Republican majorities, but Gov. John Lynch, a Democrat, has said he does not support the bill.

* KANSAS: The Kansas House has passed a bill that would outlaw employee payroll deductions for union dues and political action committees.

* TENNESSEE: A Republican-backed state bill would end teachers' rights to negotiate their working conditions with boards of education through collective bargaining. The bill has passed through the Senate Education Committee.

* OTHER STATES: Limits on public worker collective bargaining have been introduced in several other states as of last week, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. These include Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada, Oklahoma, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Washington, Alaska and Arizona.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/ ... QI20110311" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yeah, if the Unions are winning this PR battle, I'd sure as hell hate to see what losing looks like...