What Changed For State Workers In Wisconsin? - Granite Grok

What Changed For State Workers In Wisconsin?

Walker hitlerIf we ignore the change in national perception based on weeks of evidence that public union employees (and democrats) are selfish, angry, violent, uncivil children what actually changed when the Wisconsin legislature and Governor Walker succeeded in passing changes to collective bargaining?

I went there (digitally at least) to find out (here and here) for starters.  And here is what all the fuss was (and continues to be) about.

 

Here are some questions and answers about the contract terminations based on the employee relations office summary:

Q: What happens to wages?

A: Wages – including add-ons, supplemental pay and "progression adjustments" – will continue until June 30 or until a new compensation plan is approved, whichever is later.

Q: When do health insurance premium changes take effect?

A: Employees will start paying about 12 percent of the premiums March 27, though the new deductions likely won’t start until paychecks dated April 21.

Q: What about changes to the Wisconsin Retirement System?

A: Workers will start contributing 5.8 percent of salary to their pensions March 27, with deductions beginning "as soon thereafter as is administratively feasible."

Q: What about union dues?

A: Employees will no longer have to pay dues and won’t be able to do so through payroll. Those who want to pay dues will have to contribute to their unions directly.

Q: What about furlough days?

A: Workers must take 16 furlough days, during the 2009-11 biennium, by June 18. No furlough days are planned during the next two fiscal years.

 

Most of us understand what the fuss is really about; union bosses losing clout and power and democrats losing taxpayer laundered dues money as campaign donations.  But they’ll keep telling you it is about workers rights.  But as you can see from the Q&A above, the State workers–for all their whining, crying, hate crimes, intimidation, and rhetoric–still have as good or better a deal than the rest of us, paid for by us.

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