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Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Warns of Layoffs Within 15 Days If Budget Bill Isn't Passed

1 year ago
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As the standoff over Wisconsin's budget bill continues, Gov. Scott Walker notified state unions Friday that he will order layoffs if his measure isn't passed within 15 days.

Walker's warning did not specify how many people could lose their jobs. On Thursday the governor said pink slips could be sent to up to 1,500 state workers.

Under Walker's plan, individual employees would get termination notices in 15 days, and the layoffs would occur in early April, according to Milwaukee's Journal Sentinel.


The governor's "budget repair bill," which would strip collective bargaining rights from state employee unions, sparked massive protests outside the Capitol in Madison. Fourteen Senate Democrats fled the state two weeks ago to avoid a vote on the measure.

"While these notices start the process needed to [lay off] state employees, if the Senate Democrats come back to Wisconsin, these notices may be able to be rescinded and layoffs avoided," said a statement from Walker's office obtained by The Washington Post.

GOP sources told the Journal Sentinel that Republicans and Democrats are discussing ways to find areas of compromise and break the stalemate:

According to GOP sources familiar with the talks, the discussions with Democratic senators holed up in Illinois include removing or changing a provision from Walker's budget-repair bill that would limit unions' bargaining over wages to the rate of inflation. The talks have also touched on the possibility of removing a provision that would require unions to vote every year on whether the union would remain active or be decertified, the sources said.

Walker's standing among Wisconsin voters has taken a hit in the weeks since the impasse began. A Rasmussen poll out Friday found just 43 percent approve of the job he is doing, while 57 percent disapprove.
Filed Under: Budget

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Michael

For all those that love to critize, condem and complain about public sector workers, union workers and how unfair it is that they have no health and welfare benefits, low wages, job insecurity, no pensions or retirement plan, I suggest you organize and join a union! If not, then quit complaining and trust that the trickle- down, just trust and believe in everything we say and do polices of the 1-2% of the population that controls and benefits from 80% of the economic wealth in this country today, will do everything in their power to give you what unions have accomplished for years. Examples: A gauranteed 8 hour day, 40 hour work week. Safe working conditions. An honest days wages for an honest days work. Health & welfare benefits along with pensions. These alone are positive incentives to work hard, support, believe in and do all you can to add to the profits of your employer. Contributions of both the employee and employer make this possible! In a fair way and collective way, both parties profit. In this very environment, 50-100 million dollar bonuses are unheard of!
Wake up all of you Walker supporters, you do have a choice! We will not give up this very choice which is a big part of our democracy!

March 10 2011 at 1:36 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to Michael's comment
Moonwind

I know you have a point, Mike, but then because you belong to a union, you get a decent wage, so you can take your family out to eat, and the lowly wait person that serves you your meal get less than $3.00 an hour. Because they say she will make enough in tips to make up for the lesser wages. Then in walks the table of twelve that keeps her hopping, and each person might tip her a dollar. Or, there have been millions of cases where they tip nothing at all. Join a Union, Mike? Ha. She and everyone that joined, would be terminated so fast her head would spin, because she gave an extra pat of butter, even though it was the cusstomer's request. You are never going to have equality in this country, and Walker is right. They need to balance the budget, and the Union is just going to have to be grateful that they rode the gravy train as long as they did, but now it's over. Most of the rest of America never got to ride the train anyway.

March 11 2011 at 3:54 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
Michael

You can fool some of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people, all of the time! In a democracy, the majority rules. Mr. Walker, you and your tactics are a direct threat and insult to the democratic process that elected you governor of Wisconsin. It's a fact, not a biased opinion, that the majority of Wisconsin citizens now, today, are well aware of your selfish, dishonest and non-democratic tactics. Tactics and non-negotionable policies that serve the interests of the big and mighty corrupt money making machines, such as the Koch Bros! Your true colors have now surfaced to not only the majority of people here in Wisconsin, but also with the majority of all Americans. Enjoy your time in the sun, because eventually the truth always prevails!

March 10 2011 at 12:51 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
christierandall

Is it true that he was asked to leave Marquette college for cheating? and his gpa was 2.3

March 05 2011 at 11:32 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
-- Blackbelt Ron

Ask yourself -- do you want a balanced budget or do you want to end up like Greece?
Unions have cost Wisconsin and most of America its ability to give future generations the same standard of living and freedom you and I currently have.
That has got to stop and the people of Wisconsin hired Scott Walker to stop the insanity and fix the budget.
I am very proud of the work he and the Republicans are doing to keep their promise to us Wisconsinites.

March 05 2011 at 1:05 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to -- Blackbelt Ron's comment
my name peggy

greece's problems came from an inappropriately large military budget. I think everyone in the world besides fox victims must know that by now.

unions created middle class america and every benefit that this poster or any other enjoys in the work place, and these will have all evaporated since reagan's union busting.

If unions are gone, your only advocate will be WALL STREET.

By the way, the entire world besides fox victims has known for weeks now that there IS NO BUDGET CRISIS IN WISCONSIN. This is verified by their budget office, so the governor, who is supported by taxpayers is LYING.

He wants cops, teachers, emt's and nurses to pay for the tax breaks he have the corporations that got him elected, and while he's at it he wants to destroy any hope they'd have of a future.

And America has risen up against this upstart. You're seeing a genuine grassroots liberal backlash and a united front against corporate controlled governments and corpo sock puppets like Walker.

Reublicans made a bad mistake waging war on the American Worker.; When you're against cops and firefighters and nurses and are on the side of BP, Exxon, the Kochs and Big Pharma, even YOU know you're wrong.

March 05 2011 at 3:46 PM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
Moonwind

Point well taken. Good luck to you, Ron and to all of those in Wisconsin. I know it is hard, and your stare will be setting a president. Soon every state in the Nation will have to follow. Not becouse they want to, but because they have no choice. They all need to do their share to balance the budget. If we don't want some other power in here running our country, we need to get it done. I do not speak Chineese. I won't learn Mexican as my first language, and I'm not about to learn Mandrin either.

March 11 2011 at 3:59 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
Donna

I think there may be eveni more to this than just cutting taxes for businesses.Maybe his bad experience with unions in the past has gotten the better of him, but that is still no reason for him to be taking it out on his state workers.

March 05 2011 at 11:44 AM Report abuse -2 rate up rate down Reply
Margaret LeRoy

Remember the republican strong arm corporate private wealth tactics next time there is an election. Bonuses and corporate welfare are all the republicans want.

March 05 2011 at 9:40 AM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
garyharlow

Sounds like extortion to me,on both sides

March 05 2011 at 8:29 AM Report abuse -4 rate up rate down Reply
John Vilvens

Democrats give public workers union contracts and benifits better then private workers. Public workers union contribute to democrats campaign fund. All done on tax payers money. Democrats ended right to work so anyone get a job was forced in the union and dues automaticly taken out. More money for union and democrats campaign fund. Democrats skip state to protect thier cash cow, not to protect the tax payers money.

March 05 2011 at 7:58 AM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to John Vilvens's comment
my name peggy

contracts are bargained for. OF COURSE any savvy worker is going to vote for the party that supports workers. Republicans vote for the party that supports corporations, and they regard the american worker as a menu item.

if chickens could think they wouldn't go to work for the Colonel for exactly the same reason.

March 05 2011 at 3:51 PM Report abuse +2 rate up rate down Reply
Michael

Why would worker's rights be compromised by allowing them to vote regularly to certify or decertify their union bosses? Something stinks here, and it's coming from the left.

March 05 2011 at 7:17 AM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to Michael's comment
my name peggy

try to stick to reality, not fantasy.. the riight is the enemy of trhe american worker, and your inept attempt to obfuscate that is what stinks. Workers are not the fools rush tells you they are.

March 05 2011 at 3:53 PM Report abuse -1 rate up rate down Reply
Unions Rock

Unions regularly vote for their leaders. There are no "union bosses" that lead without voting from membership.

March 05 2011 at 10:34 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
Richard

I think he should lay off everyone in the state highway maintenance department --- and then see what happens next time there's a snowfall this winter.

March 05 2011 at 5:59 AM Report abuse +10 rate up rate down Reply

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