In a Wisconsin Supreme Court vote of 4 to 3, the Gang of Four Empty Robes aka GoFERs, pushed Wisconsin's union busting Governor Walker to victory over the middle class. Wait, I'm reminded of another monumental decision affecting America being decided by a close non-partisan 5 to 4 vote of a Supreme Court. I digress. The WI high court upheld Gov. Walker's "budget repair" bill which eliminates most collective bargaining rights for most WI public workers. And don't we all know that public employees - like maybe your next door neighbor that protects your house when you're on vacation - should not have the same union member rights as a private employer union member. BTW, how come Police, Firefighters and State Patrol Officers are not affected by Walker's law?
MOST union leaders slammed the high courts decision according to the AP. The President of the Wisconsin of the AFL-CIO, Phil Neuenfeldt, 'called it "an affront to our democracy"'.
I guess Phil is speaking for MOST of his union affiliates. Ya think Phil is aware that Union Boss Gooch McGowan of Wisconsin's Local 139, International Union of Operating Engineers SUPPORTS GOV. WALKER. Local 139 is 9,000 members strong in Wisconsin.
And who was one of the four GoFERs? Yup, Justice Prosser, former non-partisan Republican Speaker of the Assembly. The same Prosser who very recently won his reelection to the WI high court with 14,000 "found" votes by a Republican elections official in Waukesha. Big Ed says Prosser "wrote in his eight-page concurrence that GOP legislators had good reason to rush things they [sic] way they did, given the ugly mood of protesters at the Capital". Come on, why would upwards of 70,000 public workers and their supporters protesting at the state capital be upset about Wisconsin public union members losing their decades old and established collective bargaining rights. Rights that effectively helped to support their middle class families. Rights that non-public union workers still enjoy. At least for now.
Secrecy Good, Open Meetings Law Bad. Is this what the GoFERs are telling the citizens of Wisconsin? Telling the world?
And what of the three dissenting justices. They said the GoFERs rendered a "hasty judgement", "... they make their own findings of fact, mischaracterize the parties' arguments, misinterpret statutes,...and misstate case law". They went on to say that the court order was "based on errors of fact and law". Dissenting Justice Abrahamson wrote that the majority "set forth their own version of facts without evidence. They should not engage in this disinformation". Ouch.
Secrecy, arrogance and lying.
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Union Boss McGowans Local 139 Violates Rank & File Members NLRA Rights
On March 17, 2011 Union Boss Terrance McGowan signed a settlement agreement with the National Labor Relations Board. Here's the link to it http://bigmammasdirt.blogspot.com/p/test-pg-2.html or click on agreement.
In February or March of 2010 rank and file member Tim Pare filed charges against the International Union of Operating Engineers local 139. This local is controlled by union boss Terrance McGowan. Pare complained to the NLRB that local 139 refused to give him copies of out of work lists and hiring hall dispatching rules. The out of work list shows all of local 139 members and non-union operators who are available for local 139 job dispatching. The local 139 hiring hall dispatching rules are the rules for dispatching union and non-union operators to jobs.
Pare later filed another NLRB complaint against McGowan's local 139. Pare complained that boss McGowan and some of his officers and staff and supporters were harassing him for filing the first charges. This was an UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE CHARGE against local 139. The NLRB agreed with rank and file member Pare.
Pare and union boss McGowan eventually agreed on a settlement. PART of the settlement was that boss McGowans union would post the agreement in all of the four 139 district offices for 60 days. It was also posted on 139s website. Nobody could see the website agreement unless you were a member of the local. What is the rest of the settlement agreement?
Read the partial settlement agreement. Boss McGowan agreed that his union will not threaten members with job loss or expulsion from the union or that members could lose their raises for filing charges against the union with the NLRB. McGowan agreed that the union would not threaten to file or urge members to file internal union charges against a member because they file a charge against the union with the NLRB. McGowan agreed his union would not condone members threatening other members with physical harm because they filed charges against the union with the NLRB.
Why would a union boss sign a NLRB agreement saying the union he is in charge of WILL NOT attack its members, if the union had not attacked its members? Wouldn't that be stupid? Why do union members allow that to go on? What's wrong with them? Go ahead and slip your kneepads on idiots.
In February or March of 2010 rank and file member Tim Pare filed charges against the International Union of Operating Engineers local 139. This local is controlled by union boss Terrance McGowan. Pare complained to the NLRB that local 139 refused to give him copies of out of work lists and hiring hall dispatching rules. The out of work list shows all of local 139 members and non-union operators who are available for local 139 job dispatching. The local 139 hiring hall dispatching rules are the rules for dispatching union and non-union operators to jobs.
Pare later filed another NLRB complaint against McGowan's local 139. Pare complained that boss McGowan and some of his officers and staff and supporters were harassing him for filing the first charges. This was an UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICE CHARGE against local 139. The NLRB agreed with rank and file member Pare.
Pare and union boss McGowan eventually agreed on a settlement. PART of the settlement was that boss McGowans union would post the agreement in all of the four 139 district offices for 60 days. It was also posted on 139s website. Nobody could see the website agreement unless you were a member of the local. What is the rest of the settlement agreement?
Read the partial settlement agreement. Boss McGowan agreed that his union will not threaten members with job loss or expulsion from the union or that members could lose their raises for filing charges against the union with the NLRB. McGowan agreed that the union would not threaten to file or urge members to file internal union charges against a member because they file a charge against the union with the NLRB. McGowan agreed his union would not condone members threatening other members with physical harm because they filed charges against the union with the NLRB.
Why would a union boss sign a NLRB agreement saying the union he is in charge of WILL NOT attack its members, if the union had not attacked its members? Wouldn't that be stupid? Why do union members allow that to go on? What's wrong with them? Go ahead and slip your kneepads on idiots.
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133.8% PROFIT INCREASE
Not so much as a thank you from ConocoPhillips to the American public for a 133.8% increase in PROFITS from 2009 to 2010. Not even a thanks for the tax breaks they receive from YOUR elected representatives in congress which they clearly needed...to increase their profits for research and development.
Watch the great story Rachel Maddow put together below. It's only about 9 minutes. Then put that anger to good use and send your congressperson an email or better, give em a call and ask how they voted on giving these needy companies the kind of tax breaks you don't deserve, but you paid for.
Watch the great story Rachel Maddow put together below. It's only about 9 minutes. Then put that anger to good use and send your congressperson an email or better, give em a call and ask how they voted on giving these needy companies the kind of tax breaks you don't deserve, but you paid for.
NO Savings to Taxpayers – WI Gov. Walker
Really? No, really?
Gov. Walker, you signed into law a Wisconsin budget bill introduced and approved by the Republican controlled legislature with the support of your political allies. A Wisconsin BUDGET BILL. And yet this budget bill contains public worker union busting provisions. And what of these union busting provisions. How much money does the union busting budget bill you signed and continue to promote, save taxpayers?
Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich asked you this question April 14, 2011 during a Congressional Hearing on State and Municipal Government Debt. Let’s watch your answer given under oath. The Vid is a little over a minute.
Rep Kucinich: “How much money does it save Governor”?
Gov Walker: “That particular part doesn't save any”.
WHAAAATTTT! IT DOESN’T SAVE WISCONSIN TAXPAYERS ANY MONEY! Then why Gov. Walker, would you promote and sign a budget “fixing” bill that includes public worker union busting language? Union busting language that won’t save the taxpayers any money. You are being open and transparent about your agenda, yes?
Below see the full 5 minute exchange between Congressman Kucinich and Walker
Governor Walker, you told congress it’s about supporting worker’s rights. You and your legislative and political friends must be as equally if not more passionate about voter’s rights. Surely you support voters’ rights to just as easily recertify (vote to keep or oust) a sitting Governor, right? Right Governor? Oh sure, Wisconsin citizens have the ability to recall, but that’s a huge burden for the voters and you want to make it easy for Wisconsin citizens. Can’t wait to hear about your Republican friends putting together and you proudly signing into law a voters’ rights bill making it easy to “recertify” a sitting governor. The citizens of Wisconsin await this next bold move.
Gov. Walker, you signed into law a Wisconsin budget bill introduced and approved by the Republican controlled legislature with the support of your political allies. A Wisconsin BUDGET BILL. And yet this budget bill contains public worker union busting provisions. And what of these union busting provisions. How much money does the union busting budget bill you signed and continue to promote, save taxpayers?
Ohio congressman Dennis Kucinich asked you this question April 14, 2011 during a Congressional Hearing on State and Municipal Government Debt. Let’s watch your answer given under oath. The Vid is a little over a minute.
Rep Kucinich: “How much money does it save Governor”?
Gov Walker: “That particular part doesn't save any”.
WHAAAATTTT! IT DOESN’T SAVE WISCONSIN TAXPAYERS ANY MONEY! Then why Gov. Walker, would you promote and sign a budget “fixing” bill that includes public worker union busting language? Union busting language that won’t save the taxpayers any money. You are being open and transparent about your agenda, yes?
Below see the full 5 minute exchange between Congressman Kucinich and Walker
So Governor, one of the provisions in your bill requires Wisconsin public workers to recertify (vote to keep or oust) their union every year. What plans do you have in trying to bust Private Employee Unions?
Governor Walker, you told congress it’s about supporting worker’s rights. You and your legislative and political friends must be as equally if not more passionate about voter’s rights. Surely you support voters’ rights to just as easily recertify (vote to keep or oust) a sitting Governor, right? Right Governor? Oh sure, Wisconsin citizens have the ability to recall, but that’s a huge burden for the voters and you want to make it easy for Wisconsin citizens. Can’t wait to hear about your Republican friends putting together and you proudly signing into law a voters’ rights bill making it easy to “recertify” a sitting governor. The citizens of Wisconsin await this next bold move.