Oh Hey There

ugh

Doors locked at the state capitol—on a regular business day. No one’s being let in or out with a meeting/appointment. The democrat senators’ employees need the majority leader to sign off on their timesheets. They are bolting the capitol’s windows shut and breaking the heads off the bolts. This is not what democracy looks like.

Anti-Union Narrative

healthpolitics:

I am not knowledgeable on labor issues or, for that matter, much of anything that doesn’t have the word “health” or “insurance” in it, but I have been hearing what I understand to be a very odd argument, and it goes something like this.

Unions are bad. This is because unions produce overpaid workers. Rather than looking for a labor surplus in unionized fields (oh that teacher surplus! There are so many damn teachers we don’t know what to do with them! We have to turn 15% of them into glue!), I can prove this point by simply comparing union compensation to private compensation. Actually, I won’t even do that. I’m going to compare union retirement benefits to private retirement benefits. Let’s ignore the fact that sacrificing yearly work compensation for retirement benefits is something that is very characteristic of unionized labor (which tends to be long-term) and not so much of non-unionized labor. Let’s also ignore the fact that public unions, in particular, because their workers are employed by state monopolies, are among the best candidates for retirement benefits in the entire labor force because it’s not exactly like you can leave the Madison Police Department and start your own Police Department.

Finally, let’s ignore the fact that, even if unionized workers had better compensation than non-unionized private workers, that might have something to do with the fact that they’re in a union, and maybe I should be saying “I want a union, too,” instead of “fuck these guys.”

Did I pretty much get that right? This is what you guys are saying, yes?

(Source: )

Overnight Protesting Help Still Needed

The message below comes from someone in the Teaching Assistants’ Association, about the efforts going on in the Capitol. You can call the TAA Office at (608) 256-4375. [via]

Thanks so much for all of your support! Help is still needed!

There are letters of support here. It is very important that everyone encourage their departments and professional associations to write letters of support.

We need to keep up the marshaling effort overnight as well. The AFSCME organized marshals are only working during the day, however, we (the TAA) are here all night. The only way we can stay in the building is to keep everything peaceful/in line. All has gone well so far, but let’s help keep it that way! If you are looking for a way to contribute outside of regularly working hours, please come to 300 NE and say that you want to help out!

Reading list:
The Assault on Unions in Wisconsin
February 18, 2011, 3:29 pm
By Richard Kahlenberg
http://chronicle.com/blogs/innovations/the-assault-on-unions-in-wisconsin/28647

February 17, 2011
Fight Over Faculty Collective Bargaining Gathers Steam in Wisconsin
By Jack Stripling
Madison, Wis.
http://chronicle.com/article/Fight-Over-Union-Rights-in/126435/

February 15, 2011
With Unions Under Threat, Academics Join Huge Rally in Wisconsin
By Jack Stripling
Madison, Wis.
http://chronicle.com/article/With-Unions-Under-Threat/126379/

February 13, 2011
U. of Wisconsin Faculty Would Lose Collective-Bargaining Rights Under Governor’s Proposal
By Jeffrey J. Selingo
http://chronicle.com/article/U-of-Wisconsin-Faculty-Would/126354/

There is always the need for phone banking. Please contact Ben Young. There will be phone-banking today (February 20th) until 9pm at the TAA office. Please show up, and bring a cell phone! Food is being provided. 

Please vote in online polls related to the budget bills.

We could use a toner cartridge for a Samsung ML-2851SD printer.