LOYOLA LINKS

There are big things happening in our neighbor to the north–Wisconsin.  The events are changing rapidly and are complex.  To me, it is reminiscent of one of President Reagan’s first acts as President–breaking the air traffic controllers’ union.  A newly elected governor in Wisconsin–Scott Walker–may not be trying to break public employee unions but is attempting to do something equally destructive–remove the rights of employees to collective bargaining.  The Republicans outnumber Democrats in both the Assembly and the Senate.  But the Democratic senators left town and went to Rockford so the Senate can’t do business and vote on Walker’s measure to void collective bargaining.  What can be more interesting than this for a social policy professor?

But this is not only an intellectual query.  It impacts the wages, pensions, and health care of many state employees.  By the way, the union has already agreed to some concessions but will not give up the right to collective bargaining.  This also affects social workers employed in public agencies.

I think this raises issues for us as social workers.

1.  Under what conditions do public employees have the right to strike as many school teachers did in the state, so that students could not attend schools.  Is there a higher good than missing work?

2.  Can public officials as state senators not appear in session?  Ethical issues here?

3.  Is collective bargaining an idea that has seen its time–the vast majority of American workers simply don’t have it.

4.  And a research question–are public employees actually paid more than private sector employees–what are the facts?  Much, of a somewhat contradictory nature, has been written on this subject.

5.  E-mail responses to all of this often attract persons with extreme viewpoints, but there is considerable support for Governor Walker’s proposals.

Watch what is happening in Wisconsin–similar goings-on are happening elsewhere, perhaps with not as much drama.