Sen Jauch's Answer to Governor Walker's War on Unions.

Thank you for contacting me. I share your outrage.

Thousands have demonstrated and hundreds have testified during 17 hours
of committee hearing. The GOP discontinued the hearing but my Democratic
colleagues continued to listen to all who desired and deserved to speak.


At 3:00 in the morning when the committee refused to accept any more
hearing slips my colleagues and I held a press conference along with
over 400 individuals who continued to commit their voice for worker
rights. It was an inspirational scene.

The bill is being mislabeled as the budget repair bill. It should be
referred to as the worker retribution bill as Governor Walker is trying
to undo 60 years of collective bargaining history in our state.

For Governor Walker to suggest that public employees are the economic
elite demonstrates an arrogance and pathetic ignorance about true
economic condition of public employees. Here is my public statement on
the matter:

I am deeply disturbed that Governor Walker has chosen to treat public
employees as the evil empire by attacking collective bargaining. Public
employees have not caused the current economic crisis and should not be
used as a fall guy. The Governor's choice to unleash dictatorial power
in order to pick a fight with unions defies the character of Wisconsin.


Negotiation can, has, and will work. Public employees have been
agreeing to major concessions including acceptance of increased
contributions to their health care benefits. Local governments want to
keep working with their employees, while this Governor clearly does not.
It is sadly apparent that he is using the deficit as a ruse to destroy
workers rights. This legislation should be named the Worker Retribution
Act. Governor Walker is doing this because his ultimate goal is to get
even with the unions.

We all share a desire to solve our fiscal challenges, but retribution to
the men and women who provide basic services in Wisconsin is a cynical
political stunt that is harmful to the people of this state. The
governor is showing disrespect to the dedicated service of state
employees.

Last week during the blizzard thousands of State employees showed up for
work even though the buildings and roads were closed because they are
committed to their jobs. The decent thing for Governor Walker to do is
to sit down with public employee unions, treat them with respect, and
develop a mutual cooperative agreement. That is the Wisconsin way of
solving problems.


Sincerely,

Senator Bob Jauch